Clements, party of 5

Ode to my Erin

2012-01-12T09:49:00.001-08:00

I talked to my best friend on the phone for an hour this morning. An hour is nothing for us, seriously we could talk (fast, and in circles) for hours, and never run out of things to share.

I think back to my life before we meet and it must have been such a lonely place. I mean I had friends, people I could count on, but I can honestly say I've never had a friend like her. We often think of soul mates as the one we will always be in love with, we romanticize them like in a Hollywood film. Those kinds of soul mates are real, I'm not saying otherwise. However, I honestly believe with all my heart that Erin is my soul sister. She is like family to me, we have raised our kids together. Baylee and Elijah can't remember a time when they haven't known each other. We've been pregnant at the same time, done ministry together, been hung over together, vacationed together, and so many other "things" that make memories of our friendship so great. If I'm to be honest though, it's none of that which makes her so special to me. You can create memories with anyone. What makes her so close in my heart is the journey we have taken together as women. A journey we are still on I might add. The road has tons of twists and turns, high cliffs to climb, steep edges we have to stand on the edge of, caverns that are sometimes dark and scary, jagged rocks that often hurt like hell. Through it all we have been at each others side. Sometimes cheering the other on, sometimes shaking our head going "what are you thinking", sometimes crying, drinking, always laughing.

Our friendship is unique because it is rare. With so many people who walk in and out of our lives its rare to find one with whom you journey with, one who loves you no matter how crazy you get or life gets. We often talk about what we'll do when we grow old. Our goal: to live in Africa and rock sick babies to sleep -or- live in the States and take care of crack babies! I mean seriously what are the odds of finding someone on this earth (and there are over 6 billion of us) who want to end their life that way? I love you Erin. You rock, sister!

Baylee's birthday

2011-12-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

My daughter just turned 9. Where in the world does the time go? Seems like yesterday she was born & I wrapped her up in her little pink blankie and brought her home. She has been independent from day one. It was kinda like she said (in her sweetest baby voice) "thanks for the ride Mom, I got it from here"! She is so full of life and love. She teaches me so much about creativity, being silly, and being yourself. She is her own person for sure. I have no doubt she will blaze a trail no matter where she goes in life or what she does.

I look at my little 9 yr old girl with such a thankful heart that God allowed me to be her mother. He took this 24 yr old, scared to death, immature, young woman and gave her a daughter to love. I was so scared to have a girl. How do I protect her, how do I show her how to be a woman when my own mother walked out, how do I teach her about fashion when I'm such a tomboy myself? God took all those fears and walked me through a long, sometimes dark, always twisted, road of faith. Faith in myself that I had within me what it takes to raise a young girl and guide her into womanhood. Faith in him, that he loves her, cares for her, smiles at her personality, laughs at her charm, marvels at her wisdom. Watching God love her has taught me that he loved me that way too. When I was just a little girl, scared and alone, sometimes lost, sometimes hiding, always fearful....he loved me. He laughed when I would climb trees and hide from the world. He marveled at my ability to have compassion on other people, even though my own world was falling apart.

Listening to God direct Baylee, love her, guide her... has taught me so much about who he is and how he loves all of us. More than anything, it has helped heal my heart. Opening my heart to allow that kind of love inside removes so much scar tissue left over from all those times in my own little girl childhood when I had to hide & be afraid. That kind of love shines light into some very dark places in my past. It reminds me of this David Crowder song "oh how he loves us". Its so true. How can I regret anything in my past, present, future....when I understand and invite light and love into my heart.

So Happy Birthday to my daughter, Baylee Marie. Next year we start double digits...and even though the fashion war has already started, I have a feeling it only gets worse from here :)

sighs of relief

2011-07-05T09:58:00.000-07:00

sometimes I just have to write and get it all out, today is one of those days!!!

Its been less than two years since we found Brad's biological father, and 2 sisters he knew nothing about. We officially meet face to face in Jackson, TN for Thanksgiving dinner 2009. My how a few months can change your life! (I will not cry, I will not cry....damn it, I'm crying) Words can't really capture the ways in which finding the rest of our family has shaped us, changed us, made us shake our heads, made us pinch ourselves just to see if all this is real or not.

A few days ago we sat in an ICU family waiting area to see how Tom was progressing in open heart surgery. We sat with anxious, afraid, hopeful, joyous hearts. I'm telling you Brad and I were a mixed bag of emotions. On the one hand, how sweet of the Lord to allow us a few months with Tom if indeed it was his time to go home, but how sad it would be if we lost him. How joyful we were to know that if the Lord called him home, he would forever be in the presence of Christ and reunited with his loved ones who have passed, namely his wife Jackie and his parents. BUT the biggest, most overwhelming emotion came when after 12 hours of being at the hospital we got a call from the Dr. saying all was well, he came through with flying colors: RELIEF, I tell you, relief :) Brad and I both looked at each other, smiled, cried and began the rounds of phone calls we had to make. Tom comes home today, in just a few short hours he'll be sitting in his chair, telling us jokes, and snoring so loud the house will shake....good times!!!!

mothers, be good to your daughters-John Mayer

2011-05-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

I know a girl
She puts the color inside of my world
But she's just like a maze
Where all of the walls all continually change
And I've done all I can
To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands
Now I'm starting to see
Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Oh, you see that skin?
It's the same she's been standing in
Since the day she saw him walking away
Now she's left
Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break
You'll find out how much they can take
Boys will be strong
And boys soldier on
But boys would be gone without the warmth from
A womans good, good heart

On behalf of every man
Looking out for every girl
You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Ashamed to be Baptist

2011-04-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting? ~The Value of Families

I will never, as long as I live, understand the fight by the church to limit gay rights. If we as a denomination spent half as much energy working on other social issues, such as child abuse, bullying, caring for our elderly, etc....we'd get a lot more accomplished in our world. It is so frustrating!!!!

being reminded

2011-01-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

Seeing this picture of my daughter standing here in a flower girl dress, only reminds me of her future and that one day she'll be the bride!

I pray for her future husband. I pray that he'll be strong for her and love her as he should. Which in turn, causes me to pray for my own marriage because I know that Brad and I are the first picture of love that she will see. I pray that we are strong and that we love each other as we should. always.....

My journey in and out of homeschooling our kids

2010-09-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

I'll start by saying that I don't (at all) feel the need to defend myself, BUT people keep asking me about it. Why did I stop homeschooling our kids?

reason: God only told me to do it for that year. When the 09-10 school year came to a close, I felt peace about sending them back into the public school system. I never once felt like God was calling me to another year of teaching my kids at home.

In the back of my mind, I always felt something like "if I could just homeschool my kids, everything would be ok"..."if I had more time with them"...."a more laid back lifestyle is what I've always wanted"...."if they could learn what they are most interested in, it would be fun learning"..."if they could be around other families who share our values"....etc, etc..."if if if" So one day as I was talking to God about all this, he said to me, "then do it already, what are you so afraid of....take a risk, do the thing", so I did!

In some ways it helped my family, in other ways it was very damaging. Some memories I will always cherish, they are sweet times with my kids I'd had never experienced any other way. Other memories will haunt me for the rest of my life.

the good: a laid back family life was great. I could drop everything and go help a friend, spend the night with family, take a mini vacation if I wanted to. All I had to do was pack up school books, or plan an educational field trip along the way, and bam, our school hours where done! My kids loved the planning process. Getting to pick what they learned about was such a new concept, and we all fell in love with it. Baylee's love for art, and the creative process flourished & Neal could tell you every character involved in the civil rights movement & how they contributed to equality for all people in America. Making dinner and grocery trips became Math lessons some days. Other days, a picnic at the local Battlefield memorial became a state history lesson. We loved it.

the bad: to my surprise, a vast majority of homeschool families feel the need to defend themselves. I still don't understand where or how this came about. The more friends I tried to make, the more families I got to know, there was this underlying theme of fear. Fear of public school, fear of public school families, teachers, children, fear of having their right to homeschool taken away, fear that their children would somehow be damaged goods by attending school, or having friends that do. It was all very freakish (for lack of a better word) to me. I didn't understand, and still don't. My children overheard some very inappropriate talk among adults. Adults who claimed to love and follow Christ, yet talked about humanity as if it were already damned to hell, and we Christians had better stay away from all the "bad people" out there. It made my stomach turn, and I was sad that a number of children are being raised to believe such things about the world and the perception of God they will develop as a result. Not every family I know that home educated their children feel or act this way, but in my own experience, I meet enough of them to know this mentality of "elite-ism" and fearfulness does exist to a great number in the homeschool community.

the ugly: when your with a group of people 24-7, they get to see the real you. There is no faking it, no pretending, no game face. Its the real, raw, authentic you. As a family we saw the best and worst of each other last year. As a Mom, my kids saw the sometimes weak, sinful creature that I can become. I can be short tempered, unorganized, lazy, boastful of the wrong things, and a host of other not so pretty qualities. There were nights when I'd kneel beside my kids bed and ask for their forgiveness for that day. There are some memories (such as yelling at Baylee for the 25th time already to just GO TO BED) that I wish I could forget. The look of fear and disappointment on her face is more than I can bare some days. I won't even go into my marriage and the stress that having children with you ALL the time can bring.

Through it all, God taught me grace in a whole new way. Grace to face the day and grace to face myself. My children went back to public school this year, and they are performing on or above grade level. They are also more confident with themselves, and a lot more friendly to their peers. Was the year a success, I don't know. I doubt I'll have the answer until I see it through the eyes of my adult children one day. At the end of the day, I think I learned more than my kids ever did last year. I was the teacher, but they gave me a crash course in life. And I'm the better for it!

My trip "home"

2010-07-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Last week Brad & I traveled to our home church, Richpond Baptist Church, in KY. I walk through the doors and almost immediately I feel "home". Funny how that happens. Its been a few years since we actually came and sat in on a service. This one was special because our children had a part in leading worship that night, but even as the event was a happy one I found myself getting a little sad. WHY? Because there really is no place like home, and I miss it. I don't think I realized just how much until that night. I miss our pastor, Steve and the way he usually tears up when talking about Jesus. I miss his wife, Lisa who is such a sweet, multifaceted lady of enormous talent. It really is true that behind every good man, stands a better woman! Sorry Steve. I miss the people we grew close to, I miss the youth group we taught, as many of them are now grown and getting married or have children. Talk about feeling old, geesh. However, as sweet as those things are, what I miss most are the memories attached to that place. I'm sitting there wishing my kids could grow up within the walls of this church because it really is such an amazing family of faith. I remember sitting in Steve's office crying my eyes out because my marriage was in ruin. I remember Steve coming with Brad to my apt. at midnight to pray for us. I remember the first womens class I taught (thanks for the push, Shirley Meador, I miss you too), I remember days spent on June's front porch sipping tea and talking about life, love, loss, hurt, Jesus. Let's see....Baylee's baby dedication, Brad's licensing as a minister, pouring my heart out on the alter broken to pieces over my own addictions. Easter pageants, Christmas pageants, choir performances, I could go on and on. Why is "home" so important? Because that is where we begin life. For me, Richpond, is the place God showed up in my life, picked my sorry self up out of the mud, and began to shape and mold me into a different person. He is still shaping me and sometimes the way he does it is dreadfully painful. I learned to trust him in that house of worship, lead by some amazing people. It was good to be reminded of that last week. It was good to remember, and it was so good to be home!

Grounded

2010-06-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Today (well for the last few months actually) I have been reminded to look to Christ as my only identity factor. WHY WHY, do I always forget? It is so easy in this life to get distracted from the truth. It is so easy to get attached to things, people, places. Not that its a bad thing to get attached, God gives us blessing and gifts to enjoy, BUT I find myself drawing my strength from those things and not from God. And when those things (i.e. a marriage, a job, a home, our children, our "social" standing, our bank account) are lost, or seem to be slipping away its easy to feel like the world is closing in. Satan uses such traps to convince us that life is dark, dull, lonely, etc. and after we buy into the lie he tells us, then we are right where he wants us to be. Our guard down, doubtful of God's love for us, doubtful of God's intentions towards us. The same trick he has been using since the garden. Did God really say? Don't you wonder why God is holding out on you? And even as I know this truth, and even as I write it and ask God to speak it fresh into my heart, I still find myself looking a my bank balance, looking at my children's accomplishments, looking to everything else to find comfort and harmony in my life.....When the one person who can bring peace to my heart and in my life gets what energy I have left after I've wasted my energy focusing on everything else.

Just a short rant, no worries

2010-05-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

I need to hear more grace. Just a simple fact of my life right now. Life is hard. I hear tons of messages from churches, books, friends, family, etc...about how "we" (meaning us Christians) need to do more to make God happy. AS IF.....maybe they haven't read that part in scripture that says, our righteous acts are like filthy rags before a holy God. Nothing we do or don't do (once we are saved) can take God's love or blessings away from us. He blesses who he wants to, no matter. Lots of people who don't claim to know Christ or care anything of God have been blessed by him. My actions, or in actions do not determine his love and care towards me. If not for his grace I'd be a mountain of ashes. Only by acknowledging his grace and kindness towards me do I keep myself in check. The moment I begin to think that God's love is based on me and not on him and the finished work of the Cross, I'm in danger of becoming the very thing Jesus warned about, white washed tombs. Pretty on the outside, but full of lies and deceit on the inside. May I always remember that its ALL about HIM.

Thoughts from yet another birthday.....

2010-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

WOW! another birthday down, its been a crazy kinda year for me, and that is most likely an understatment. I guess like every year I've had ups and downs. Mountians and valleys of life we like to call them. Many things have shaped my outlook on life in a new way over the past year.

I lost a someone in my life who I had grown to think of as a close and dear friend. Needless to say, it left me bruised, and wounded in ways I hadn't felt in a long time. Instead of giving into the desire to grow bitter and resentful, I have learned that life is best lived with your heart wide open, knowing full well that living that way gives people a chance to hurt you. At the end of the day, I'd rather be hurt than not risk at all.

The loss of Gabe Brewer at RSC impacted me in ways I never expected. I didn't even know him that well, but to witness a church be the hands and feet of Jesus during such a tragedy left me awe struck at the willingness of the human spirit to offer love, hope, and compassion, in the most difficult of times.

We meet Brad's biological father in Nov. 09. What most astounded me about the entire situation was God's timing. He worked everything out, in his time. Of course his plans are always better than our own.

I began homeschooling our kids this year. This experience more than any other has impacted me the most this past year. Number one, I learned that I can in fact do the impossible.....be with my kids 24/7 and not loose my mind. What I have learned about the "debate" (homeschool vrs public school) is that people are really misinformed about the other side of the issue. Public schools are not the enemy. There are really great teachers out there who love children and consider it a very high and responsible calling to teach them. And not all homeschool parents are "fundementalists" or wear skirts and long hair. Homeschooled kids are very normal, and public school is not the devil.

So on my 32nd birthday, I feel overwhelmed with life, yes.....but confident that HIS mercies are new every morning. And no matter what may come, HE is on my side, calling me to live life to the fullest. Not to waste a moment of time, HIS time. To love with open arms, and not to close them to tight when I get hurt.

"LOVE"

2010-03-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

"For love is as strong as death, Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD, Many waters cannot quench love; neither can floods drown it."
Song Of Solomon 8:6-7

It is so true, love is the strongest force God has given to his creation. How we use it is left to us.

Yes, I've crossed over into the "Twilight" world.....

2010-01-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

I didn't watch "Twilight" until it came out on DVD last year. The movie was not that great, and I failed to see what all the fuss was over. I went to see "New Moon" with a friend of mine last month. Everyone I knew (ok, almost everyone) was going, so I gave into peer pressure and jumped off the cliff. At the end of "New Moon", Bella and Edward plan to get married. Are you kidding? Marry a vampire? Everyone kept telling me to read the books, because there was so much of the story that didn't make it into the movie. So, that is what I did. I started with "Eclipse" to see how in the world Edward and Bella worked out marriage, then I just had to read "Breaking Dawn" for all the juicy (no pun intended) details. After reading the two books (in record time I might add); I went back to the beginning and read all of them. My friends were right, the movies don't do the books justice at all. Rarely do books make good movies. I had read all the reviews, I've even read some reviews from a theological perspective, and how the author, Stephanie Meyer worked her own Mormon faith into the story. At the end of the day, none of the reviews I read paint the series into what it really is. As far as matters of faith it is a deeply spiritual tale of love, hope, loyalty and the power of redemption. I didn't get the feeling that any particular faith played a role in the books. It was more of a universal tale of wanting to be loved, and finding the love you want; wanting to be known and longing to be accepted. The universal desire of every human heart.

It is, by all accounts a love story, much better than Romeo and Juliet, I might add. Edward Cullen (not to be confused with Rob Pattinson) is the best male character to come along in quite some time. The reason so many woman of all ages swoon over him is the way he loves Bella. With all the feminism junk of today, and all the bra burning of the past, woman still want to be loved in a way that only a real man can love them. We want men to be men! No sissy boys allowed (although, unfortunately that is what alot of men have become). Edward offers Bella his strength, his power, protection, loyalty, and all the while he shows enormous restraint when he is around her. Not wanting to hurt her in any way, the sheer will power it takes to be in the same room with her pales in comparison to anything I've ever seen. It makes a recovering alcoholic look tame.

For me personally, the role of Edward Cullen is its own story. All of us, no matter what faith we are or are not, have a strong desire to be loved, to belong, to take off our mask, and reveal our true selves to the world. We all have our own personal demons to control, our own monsters to keep at bay. Will someone love us if they really know who we are, what we are capable of, what we have done in the past, how we could hurt them if we get to close, can I stop hiding, will you love me anyway, can you see past the monsters? All those questions get answered for Edward. Bella loves him. It is the biggest surprise of Edwards long life. Its more than he ever expected and more than he deserves. In the end, Bella gives up her life of luxury, her humanity to be with him. She loves him so much, that she would enter into his world, feel the pain of darkness, the terror of what she has now become. I have never read a love story like it, and doubt I ever will again. It is a one of a kind tale, sort of.....

It is not the Christian story by any stretch of the imagination. But it does remind me in my own personal life and my own faith just how much Jesus loves the human race. Sinful, vile, evil people...capable of unspeakable acts of violence and hatred. At times we show no restraint to the evil inside us, and yet....he gave up so much (at least the human side of Jesus) to show how much he cared. How he longed for us to embrace the good, and leave the darkness behind. He loves us. With our mask off and all our monsters exposed....God says "come", "its ok, I know who you really are, you are mine".

I loved the books and I'm in love with the love story it tells. I'm a follower, and if it isn't clear by now, I'm totally Team Edward!!

Christmas expectations

2009-12-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

I get so caught up in the expectation of it all. The lights, the
presents, the "magic" of the season. All these things are good.
Blessing from the father, and I enjoy them. People usually say
something like "remember the reason we celebrate, or its Jesus
birthday" something to that effect, just to remind us that its not
about the "magic" of the lights, or Santa or whatever may steal our
affections. This year I have be thinking of the expectation of the
season, and how it effects me. I get excited to find the "perfect"
gift for someone, I'm overjoyed when the kids open Santa on Christmas
morning, I love making homemade gifts for my grandmother (who insists
I not spend any money on her). Then all in one day, the "magic" is
gone, the toy that you found (that you spent hours searching for and
fighting over with some crazy women at Toys R Us) is discarded. Its
such a disappointment of sorts. At least for me, its sad to see the
season go.

The longing of the heart that Christmas brings is something of the
human experience. We long for peace, for happy children, for beautiful
family gatherings, and wonderful memories. Then we are confronted with
the reality that our longings and dreams are carried out in a sinful,
fallen world. The longing in my heart for "peace on earth" doesn't
come by accident. God put it there for a purpose. That purpose is to
drive us to seek the one who can fill our hearts with peace, and our
homes with joy. The peace and joy that comes from knowing him. The
understanding that one day, all this expectation, waiting, longing,
going to the mountaintop, living in the valley, will come to an end.
We will stand before our God, whole and complete, not lacking
anything. We will be made perfect, the real us, who we were meant to
be from the beginning of time. He will come and put all our longings
to rest. The expectation and hope for "peace on earth" will be meet!
That is the good news of the Christmas story that began in a manger
over 2000 years ago. In the meantime, enjoy the lights, search for the
perfect gift, and yes, stare down the woman at Toys R Us who threatens
to come between you and a happy child on Christmas morning.

He is such a mess

2009-12-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

So I'm wondering if Brennan has the early signs of multiple personality disorder????

When we wore his Halloween costume, (he was Buzz Lightyear) he thought he became the real Buzz (I know, how cute). Well, since then.....he has become the Cookie Monster, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, and of course he still refers to himself as Big Buzz.

I'll just be joking with him and ask him "are you Frosty", or "are you Rudolph" sometimes he'll say "yep" and sometimes he'll say "no, I'm _______" So when he has been getting into trouble he has been blaming it on one of this alter egos. I know, I know....its so darn cute!!!

2009-12-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life just happens and we don't really understand why, or how God can allow this or that; how can he turn something evil into something beautiful? But, HE can. The events of this past Thanksgiving weekend prove to me once again that he is a God of miracles, and that nothing is to hard for him to accomplish.

Through a series of undesirable events, Brad never knew his birth father. I'll keep those details that are so personal, just that, personal. At the age of 12, he found out that the man he knew and loved as his Dad, was not the same man who had helped bring him into the world. He spent the rest of his life with unanswered questions, feelings of wonder and loneliness he could never really explain.

That is where his meddling wife steps in. I had searched for his biological father off and on our entire marriage. There would be times of intense search followed by times of long inactivity. About six months ago, I found someone on facebook who matched the description of the man I had been searching for. Through an exchange of a few e-mails, I discovered that he was in fact the man I had spent years looking for and thinking about, Tom Matthews, my husband's biological father. At that point, I gave Brad all the information I had gathered, and let him take the lead from there. A few phone calls were exchanged between Brad and Tom, and it looked as if we could meet him soon.

Unknown to us, Brad had a little sister who had been longing to find her older brother all her life. She had always known he existed but had very little information to go on for finding him. About six months ago (around the same time I had made contact with Tom) she had been on a retreat where she made a bucket list of things she would like to do. At the top of that list, was finding and meeting her older brother. What amazes me about this, is that God was answering both our prayers at the same time, and neither of us knew it, or even knew the other existed. On Thanksgiving when she came home for the holiday, her Dad told her he had made contact with her older brother, and she was floored. A few minutes later she was talking to him on the phone, and less than 24 hrs. later she was hugging him for the first time. It was the sweetest reunion between a brother and sister. She embraced him for what seemed like forever and studied every aspect of him. Besides the birth of my children, it was absolutely the most beautiful event I've ever been privileged to witness. The reunion between he and his Dad was just as sweet. Its as if two grown men looked at each other and said (with a sigh of relief) "oh, its finally you". I saw years of grief, resentment, wonder, and brokenness fall off the two of them as we sat and talked all afternoon. Five hours later after the first of many long embraces that day, no one wanted to leave. It seemed to be a perfect afternoon and no one, including myself, wanted it to come to an end.

We have all promised to keep in touch with each other. We have already been making plans for Tom to meet his grandchildren, and for the kids to meet their new cousins, and their Aunt Amanda. Brad also learned that he has an older sister, Denise, who lives in Tampa, FL. We have meet her son, Thomas and look forward to meeting the rest of her family soon.

God is good, all the time....and all the time, God is good.

MORE CUTE KIDS

2009-09-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Cutest kids

2009-09-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

THESE HAVE TO BE THE THREE CUTEST KIDS ON THE PLANET!

Ramblings of a Dog Lover

2009-07-27T12:39:00.001-07:00

There is a reason that dogs are called man's best friend, its because they really are. Dogs are great. They love you when no one else does, when the world turns its back on you, your dog and Jesus is all ya got left. Dogs are happy to see you come home, they lick your face when your sad, give you a paw to cry on when you need to, all without judgement or lectures.

When our dog, "Bodie" died I wasn't sure our family would ever recover. It was a tragic death, and it shook us all. We loved him so much, but more than that we knew he loved us. He was loyal to a fault, with the sweetest puppy dog eyes I've ever seen. Shortly after his death we got a kitten. We knew from the get go, that she was a rebound relationship. We love her and she is great, BUT cats are not dogs. THEN yesterday we rescued a doxie dog. From early in my childhood this has always been my favorite breed of dog. The kids were so excited to meet her. And I knew she had to pass the "kid friendly" test before I could bring her home. Doxie's can sometimes be aggressive with children. She was so sweet. "Dixie" is what we've named her and from the moment we saw her we fell in love. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body. She has been so neglected that I think she is just so happy to have someone love her.

What amazes me about "Dixie" is my kids ability to love again. It struck me this morning as we were showing her off to some friends that my kids think that she is as great as I do. They love her, really love her. And after loosing "Bodie" I wasn't sure that would happen again, and so soon. When I've been hurt, wounded, or lost someone close to me, I tend to become shy, afraid, and scared to risk my heart again. My kids show no sign of that at all, and I'm in such amazement to watch them open up their hearts again.

"One More Day"

2009-07-07T20:48:00.000-07:00

One More Day

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I wil snuggle beside you for hours and miss my favorite tv shows.

Just for this evening, when I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children-the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's grave instead of their bedrooms-the mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly and screaming inside they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you goodnight, I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then that I will thank God for you and ask him for nothing, except one more day.....

-Unknown

Random thoughts

2009-07-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Life is short....live it already. Stop hiding behind excuses and "someday" and live in the moment God has given you.

Never underestimate the example you set for others. People watch your life.

I still can't believe the nerve of some people, the pride of heart that makes a person cold.

You only get one shot to raise your kids right, make the most of it, and when you fail at times (b/c we all do) get up the next morning and start over.

Never take for granted a Mother's love for her child.

Preach the gospel, always.....preach it to yourself and tell it to others.

GOD saves people, we don't.

There is only one judge and he is Christ, so get off my back!

Some people really piss me off, but I must smile and be nice anyway, don't you hate that?

Burning my critical hat, and not letting people in my world who still wear theirs like its a special badge.

Funerals suck, but a life well lived is priceless.

The most humble and gracious people are the ones you never hear about.

Good friends are like family you always knew loved you, you just hadn't meet them yet.

Having a lover is great, having a best friend is better, when you have both (with the same person of course) life is amazing.

I'm out of thoughts now! whew....I feel better!

me, a proud Baptist...ha

2009-06-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that there have been times I've been ashamed to call myself a Baptist, and a Southern Baptist at that. It just puts me into a sterotype I'd rather not be linked with. The sterotype goes something like this....."cold hearted, joyless, holier than thou, lets play dress up for church, but not care for the single Mom across the street," sure you can find that within any Christian denomination, but growing up in an anti-Baptist home I had a special dislike already formed in my mind. Then I actually meet some of these kind of people and it sent me futher into my shame and disgrace. Most of the time when people ask me what "religon" I am, I just say "a Christian" or "Christ follower". I just keeps the junk out of the conversation.

TODAY, however......I've just had my proudest Baptist moment to date. The Southern Baptist Convention was held last week in Louisville, KY as Southern Seminary celebrated 150 yrs of its history. The convention adopted a resolution (which just says, "we as a denomination reslove that we believe this to be true"), the resolution states that we are to care for the fatherless, the orphans of the world. To have taken us this long as a church to say that we should be doing this is a shame, but better late than never.

Brad and I are both adopted children in some sense (very long and complicated story). I grew up with foster children. I always wondered even as a child why the state cared for these children when it was the church who should be doing the job. I've always believed in adoption, and being a foster parent. Not everyone is in a position to adopt, but those who are, should! And those who are not should help in whatever way God allows to help the life of a helpless child who has absolutly no one to care for them. A quote from Mother Teresa says, "having a hungry stomach is bearable, having no one to love you is a deeper hunger.....going without food rots your body, not having love kills your soul"....its so true.

"Bella Blue"

2009-06-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

The house was so lonely without a pet! So now, we have a kitten to play with, and she loves to play. Attacking our feet seems to be her favorite past time. She is so small and so very cute!

Family Pets

2009-06-07T20:02:00.000-07:00

When my Dad called me to ask me if I'd like to own a golden retriever, I have to admit I was a little reluctant. I have a soft spot for dachshunds, I couldn't imagine liking a big dog. But I knew the kids would love to have a family pet to play fetch with (the 2 yr old little brother gets tired easily...LOL) So, Brad and I said, "sure, we'll take him". Little did I know he'd sneak into my heart and find a soft spot to land. In the short time we had "Bodie" he was a pleasure. Full of fun and excitement. He loved us, and we loved him. He was an amazing dog. One of the first nights he was here, Bodie brought Brad's shoes over to him as a way of saying, "hey Dad, take me outside" and then went and sat beside the door waiting patiently for Brad to fulfill his request. I could tell so many more stories, but my heart is still filled with so much sadness to have to loose a sweet and special dog so quick and so tragic. Rest In Peace, Bodie Dog, may you chase ducks and rubber balls for all eternity, until I see you again, I love you!

Baylee the butterfly

2009-05-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Baylee's class at school had a performance last week. She dressed as a beautiful butterfly. She did such a good job!

encouragement

2009-05-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

This should give us all some encouragement weather you are "called" into ministry or not. This applies in some fashion to all believers. This was only part of the speech, but the best part, I thought!

They go out in power. Not the power of profession or the power of wealth. They may not look to the world like an intimidating militia, but they are the army of God -- "soldiers of Christ, in truth arrayed." They are the powerless made powerful in Christ; the weak through whom the Lord will show his strength. The gates of hell shall not prevail against the church they shall serve, and the forces of evil will flee their proclamation of the Gospel and the Word of God.

They are arrayed in glory. Not an earthly glory accompanied by office and status and entourage, but the glory of the crucified, risen, ascended, and reigning Christ -- a glory hidden now from the world but one day revealed to every bended knee and each confessing tongue. They are vessels of clay who bear the glory of the incorruptible Christ, who show his wounds and bear his scars and will both live and die to the glory of God alone. Death holds no sting and Satan holds no scepter to them.

They will go out to preach and to teach and to tell a lost world about Jesus and his love. They will break bread and share the cup and proclaim the Lord's death for sinners until He comes. They will baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They will preach the Word, in season and out of season. They will teach, preach, correct, rebuke, lead, serve, follow, guide, and encourage. They will tend to the flock of God and serve churches. They will preach and pray as the saints are laid to rest. They will push back against the darkness as the children of light. They will plant and water and sometimes reap, and their labor will never be in vain.

How is all this secured? We send them out, knowing that all these promises are secured in Christ and in Christ alone. We know so because Christ has taught us to pray, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

__________________________

This is a commencement address and charge to graduates of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, delivered May 15, 2009 by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President.

My Nanny

2009-05-13T22:09:00.001-07:00

I couldn't let Mother's Day go by and not give a nod to my grandmother, Nanny. To call her my grandmother seems a little to formal for me. She has been everything to me at some point in my life. She cared for me when no one else would, she witnessed my first word, my first choir performance, my first heart break, she was there and still is.

She is the most beautiful person I know. Since becoming a foster parent after her husband died, she basically died to self and lived for others. I've never known her to wear designer clothes, or buy "nice" things for herself, but she managed to shave $20 off the grocery budget one summer to buy me something so silly that I thought I'd die without. She is amazing, such a testament to selfless giving. She is not attached to worldly possessions like the rest of us folk. We might think we're not attached but we are. She'd go without so that you could have and she'd give you her best china (if she had any) without batting an eye if she thought it might make you smile. We disagree at times and she has made some mistakes along the way, but her heart is bigger than Texas and she'd walk 20 miles in the rain to come see me if I needed her, that is love. I love her more than words, she has given me so much!

I love you, Nanny!!!!!!!!

Ode to Pooh

2009-05-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

(me and Pooh at the 2004 Easter Play)

An ode to a Pooh Bear

Well its mothers day and I'm broke
hum, what to do
thought I'd sit at my puter
and write a little poem for you

Childish, yes, it might be
funny, well maybe, we'll see

I'll try to pour out my heart
and make you laugh at the same time
So buckle up and hold on tight, it
could be a long blogging night

You can into my life and took me by surprise
Someone like you loving someone like me
I asked God, Lord how could this be
You were so pretty, and wore nice clothes
Lord, what if she doesn't love me
Will she see through the lies

Lies I had been told all my life
about who I was and who I would someday be
Lies little girls like us tend to believe
yea, you saw through lies for sure, and
helped me replace them with truth
It was only later that I learned you
had once believed those lies too

Putting up with a teenager,
goodness that was a mess
plates broken, angry words spoken
How we survived I'll never know
In about 3 years, I'll need to learn
your secret though

You've always been there for me
You've never walked out
Our family loves you, Pooh
beyond a shadow of a doubt

So on this Mother's Day, I'd like to say "thanks"........for loving me, letting me learn from the school of hard knocks, for encouraging my dreams, believing in me, listening to me fuss about life, making me clean the house, coming to my house at midnight to hold me while I cried, hunting down the person who made me cry in the first place, loving my children and being the best Pooh ever.
"you are braver than you are, and smarter than you think"-Christopher Robin

Baylee's prayer

2009-05-04T20:00:00.001-07:00

Baylee's bedtime prayer:

"Dear Jesus, I don't want to ask you this, but I'm going to anyway.....please make Shawn obey at school, he is on my last nerve already"

I have tried to model realistic prayers with my kids. I hate the traditional "I'm praying b/c I have to and it has to sound just right prayer"......based on tonight Baylee's prayer life will be rich for sure......ha!

My rollercoaster week

2009-04-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

So the week started out rough, got worse, got better, and now I'm just tired. Let me explain. This was my birthday week. That brings issues to the surface for sure. I'm 31 this year, yes 31. Turning 30 was great. I felt like finally I've arrived, I'm an adult. 31 is more like crap, I'm an adult! For the past few weeks we have been leading our small group and Monday night we finished up our time together with a smore roast in our backyard, and a study on justification and adoption. It was a rich study and I see now how God's timing is more than perfect for this topic in my life at this time. Today as I'm sitting here on the computer I have felt all the highs and lows life has to offer. Not to give all the tiny details, but I've been dropped kicked by someone I thought was a close friend, I've open the doors to a mentoring relationship with a young lady, dealt with all the drama at work and at home, turned a year older, buried a family member, planned for a weekend with my best friend and her family.........and believe it or not I could go on, but I'll spare anyone who reads this the misery....ha. Yesterday I was determined to live out the verses of this song I've been singing in my head all week....today the reality of this week has hit me. So who do I go to for some lifting up?? Jesus, well no, Beth Moore and her blog. Jesus showed up for sure though. Her daughter Melissa is on mission is Calcutta India. The poorest place on the planet. As I read through the stories and looked at the pictures (with tears and a heart of despair) I suddenly realized that I'm a big cry baby, at least I have been this week. I have so much in my life to be thankful for. I have been blessed by a God whose love doesn't depend on my own merits (thank goodness). Really, I am still soaking all this in. But today was a big wake up call for me. I think I'll go do the pity party dance and shake my blues away, and try to live out the verses in this song:

Thirty-nine (39) candles burnt out on a cake
Each representin’ a million mistakes
The last one still burns, there’s a wish I can make
This time I’m getting’ it right
So I close my eyes and I take a deep breath
And I promise myself in the time I have left

I’m gonna work like I don’t need the money
I’m gonna laugh like I’m not afraid to cry
I’m gonna dance like nobody’s watchin’
I’m gonna love while I still got the time

Twister

2009-04-15T16:35:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what crazy person stood out in the twister to take a pic, BUT it was a great shot!!! This was in Murfreesboro last week. yikes

BFF

2009-04-03T16:22:00.001-07:00

Baylee & her BFF, Elijah

My girl

2009-04-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

So I've been working on some new parenting techniques with Baylee. SO far its been working out wonderfully. We haven't had a meltdown in two weeks. That's a big deal in our life around here. One of the things I am doing is giving her the freedom to choose things on her own. One would think that choosing your own clothes is really not the big of a deal, HOWEVER.......anyone who has children knows this is an all to serious task. She is free to dress herself however she sees fit (within proper guidelines already picked out by Mom and Dad).

My skills were put to the test this morning when she came downstairs ready for school (got ready all on her own, by the way, no fussing at all....HUGE deal for us). She had on her sparkly shorts, her dance team shirt and her cowboy boots......God love her.........she is my child......anyone should know cowboy boots match anything, even sparkly blue jean shorts......gotta love her spirit!!!! I just smiled as we walked out the door to school, hoping that her teachers and her classmates loved her sense of fashion the way a proud momma does.......

Talking......

2009-03-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

So while visiting with my friend, we did manage to get in some "chat time" and discuss some things that were relevant to my life in this season God has me in right now. I'm not sure how we got in any "talk time" with a newborn, a toddler, two older boys, one very homesick daughter (Baylee), housework, dinner time, homework, and oh sleep deprivation, BUT we managed, priorities ya know.....

I can't remember which of us said this (because we talk in circles and finish each others sentences anyway) but one thing in particular stands out in our conversation.
"you are chosen and set apart for the task at hand" and "God will not call you to something without equipping you to finish it".......both statements God has had me pondering the past few days. I find them true to my life at the moment and a very fresh word from the Lord. I'm so thankful for friends who speak truth into my life, and God who provides the truth and the friends.

becoming Family

2009-03-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

above: Victoria, Brandi, Erin (Jan. 08)
I lived in a small apartment on the campus of Southern Seminary. 900 sq ft. and two children to raise. It was upstairs with very small windows, no balcony at all. I refer to that time in my life as if I were a caged bird. I read a book once by Maya Angelou "I know why the caged bird sings", I found it to be very true of my life at that time as well. Few times I have ever felt so alone and insecure in all the days of my life as I did those first few months on campus. God had other ideas for me, I just couldn't see them yet. Below me was another caged bird. It was a different cage but prison walls are all the same no matter their color. We were both fighting hard to break walls, untie chains, and heal shattered broken lives. In the process we became family. Erin is closer than a friend. To call her my best friend doesn't seem to do it justice. She is family is every sense of the word. Her joys are my joys and her sorrows are mine as well. I travel to see her in a few days and celebrate the birth of her fourth son, Nate. I look forward to pick up right where we left off. As best I can remember we had set out to solve the worlds problems together, storm the gates of hell with a water pistol or something to that affect. Conversation should be interesting!!! I love you sweet sister and can't wait to see you guys!!!

kids say the sweetest things

2009-03-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

So this questionaire on facebook has your children answer questions about you.....

when asked "How do you know your Mom loves you"

Neal: "because she is proud to be a Mom"
Baylee: "because she is a Mommy"

what this really says is that they know I enjoy being a Mom and they can't imagine a world in which Moms don't love their children.....Baylee was like duh....she loves me b/c she is my Mom......I think thats great.....God bless em......

I also discovered that I wear sparkles, like to shop at the Mall, and I'm so funny I should be famous for it......I should ask these kinds of questions to my kids more often.....they told me a lot, oh and I watch too much GAC television (Great American Country....like CMT only better....lol)

".....and they shall come home with shouts of joy" vrs 6

2009-03-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago when I turned 10 years old, I was an alone and abandoned little girl. So scared and so shaken by the world around me, I had no home and no where to belong. God has restored so much to me. I spent the entire day being so thankful for my life and my family. Not for anything we have here on this earth, but for everything we have in Christ. Why does all this matter today.......because today my oldest son turned 10 himself. It's not just that his childhood has been spared the cruelty of my own, its not just that we are able to buy the things for him that he asked for. It goes much deeper than that (although I am thankful for those things). It is that twenty years later, I stand and hug my child a completly healed and whole women, able to love her children with love I never knew possible in the world I grew up in. Not only do I hug my child, but he is also my brother in Christ. God has already choosen him from the foundation of the world to know him. Not only do I get to be his Mom here on earth, but one day we will worship at the feet of our savior together as equals in Christ. What a GOD I serve!!! He has poured out his mercy and grace in my life and in the life of my family and my heart is overflowing with unspeakable joy today.

I am reminded of Psalm 126 today

A Song of Ascents.
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
‘The Lord has done great things for them.
3The Lord has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.

4Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NEAL CLEMENTS..........I am so proud that God has chosen us to share this life together as mother and son. I love you, and I am so very proud of the young man you are becoming. You are an amazing child and it is my pleasure to be your Mom here on this earth. For as long as God allows me I will do my best to live up to that calling on my life.

Mistake #1

2009-03-04T15:58:00.000-08:00

Mistakes made today............

#1.....never underestimate the creativity of a 2yr old
#2.....when parenting instincts tell you to get a lock for the refrigerator, DO IT
#3.....get off the computer and go see what is going on when your oldest says to the youngest, "I don't think thats a good idea Brennan"
#4.....don't be surprised then when you don't get up off your lazy butt and find eggs busted all over the kitchen floor because your 2yr old mistook them for balls and thought they'd be great to throw around.

Really all I could do is laugh at myself at this point in the game. I should have known better, isn't there a label that comes on these kids somewhere that says, "do not leave unattended"....hum....maybe it came off in the wash....lol.

Where did the time go......

2009-02-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

Momma's little monkey boo is two years old today! WOW!

12 years, baby!!!

2009-02-13T18:28:00.000-08:00

Bradley, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SWEETHEART......I had no idea what kind of ride this marriage was going to be, but I'd do it all over again and again......I love you and I love our life together..........and oh, we need another bike soon!

My sneaky girl

2009-02-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

This was the conversation in the van on the way home from school.
Neal....."hey Mom, did you know that Baylee got a valentine from her boyfriend"
(leave it to my Neal to always tell me the news)
Baylee...."shhhh.....Mom isn't supposed to know that I have a boyfriend, Dad says they are not allowed"

goodness........I'm in SOOOOOOOOOOOO much trouble. She is only 6 and already being sneaky about her boyfriends. Its going to be a rough life for her since we won't allow dating at all! Courting and dating are different........no dating for my girl.....

Pizza Braids

2009-01-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

We have started two new things in our family in recent months. One of them is family game night, and the other is the kids get to cook dinner (with limited supervision). Both are so fun. Tonight we made Pizza Braids. I got the recipe out of a "kids cookbook", but I'll write it out below. It was very simple and the kids had a blast cooking all by themselves. OK, Brennan was in bed at this point, but Neal and Baylee loved it! And it was very yummy!

1 pkg. philsbury breadsticks
butter
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
Pepporoni
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

take breadsticks, two at a time and braid them together (wrap them around each other)
drizzle melted butter on top
sprinkle seasoning and garlic on top (very little)
chop pepporoni (the part you might want to help your kids with)and cover breadstick with chopped pieces
sprinkle cheddar cheese on top

bake until breadsticks are done (like 10 min.), dip into fav pizza and/or spagetti sauce......it is YUM-O

My sweet babies

2009-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Are these the cutest kids on the planet or what?

The best fiction I've ever read

2009-01-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

I'm not much into reading fiction. I like reading theological books, books that help me in my walk with God, Christian resources for parenting... things like that. When my sweet friend, Mary Kate suggested I read a fiction book I reluctantly said yes. WELL, I stayed up until 2 a.m. three nights in a row to finish this book b/c it was that good. I've never read anything like it before and doubt I ever will again. It is truly an epic tale of God's love for us told in the story of a man named Micheal instructed by God to take a prostitute for a wife (sound like a familiar story). It it set in the 1800 gold rush of California. I love that period of time anyway, so that helped. But the love story between these two people pulled at my heart strings the entire time. I've never read fiction that made me cry, and I cried more than once. I can't even begin to explain it, but just to say go and get a copy and read it for yourself. You won't be the same afterward, its that good.

"Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers

Go Team!!!

2009-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Not much new to our family lately, not anything funny or cute anyway. I do have some words for my small group though....I love you guys! Even though most of you are younger than me (which I love by the way).....I feel like we are part of a family, a family of brothers and sisters in Christ who try (even though we may fall flat on our face at times) to walk with the LORD in a way that brings honor and glory to him. I'm so very grateful that our lives have meet each other in this way, at this time. GO TEAM!!!!

For those of you who don't know, we have a blog, a Team Rocket blog! Its on the side of my page.

The ROAR in heaven

2009-01-08T15:11:00.001-08:00

As a child I always looked up at stars in the sky. The wonderment and amazement of the shear size of it overtook me. I used to wonder, "who did all that, and how did that get there, what keeps them in place".........as an adult I know who did all that, and who holds it all together. Studying astronomy has been a hobby of mine since I learned to read. The wonder and amazement of it all still overtakes me, even as an adult. Which brings me to why I'm blogging about it. I read a story today on FoxNews....an excerpt:

LONG BEACH, Calif. —
Space is typically thought of as a very quiet place. But one team of astronomers has found a strange cosmic noise that booms six times louder than expected.
The roar is from the distant cosmos. Nobody knows what causes it.
Many objects in the universe, including stars and quasars, emit radio waves. Even our home galaxy, the Milky Way, emits a static hiss (first detected in 1931 by physicist Karl Jansky). Other galaxies also send out a background radio hiss.

But the newly detected signal, described here today at the 213th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, is far louder than astronomers expected.
There is "something new and interesting going on in the universe," said Alan Kogut of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md
ARCADE's mission was to search the sky for faint signs of heat from the first generation of stars, but instead they heard a roar from the distant reaches of the universe.
"The universe really threw us a curve," Kogut said. "Instead of the faint signal we hoped to find, here was this booming noise six times louder than anyone had predicted."
Detailed analysis of the signal ruled out primordial stars or any known radio sources, including gas in the outermost halo of our own galaxy.
Other radio galaxies also can't account for the noise — there just aren't enough of them.
"You'd have to pack them into the universe like sardines," said study team member Dale Fixsen of the University of Maryland. "There wouldn't be any space left between one galaxy and the next."
The signal is measured to be six times brighter than the combined emission of all known radio sources in the universe.

For now, the origin of the signal remains a mystery.

WOW!, I thought to myself......a loud noise in the universe no one can explain. I immediatly thought of this verse:
....I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude in heaven , like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult, and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come" Revelation 19:6-7 (ESV)

It just makes me wonder, could the roar of heaven have finally reached the earth! Maybe, maybe not, maybe its the exploding of a distant galaxy, but one day the earth and the heavens will declare with one voice, "Hallelujah, for our Lord, God, the Almighty reigns"........

Truth hit me in the face today

2009-01-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

This is copied from Dr. Russell Moore's blog. It hit my heart like a ton of bricks. I had to pass it on, We have done ok in the area of modesty, but I realize we have let our guard down in some areas too. Thank God for men like this who will speak truth, even when it hurts. enjoy:

Guest Post by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones
Our daughter Hannah is rapidly closing in on thirteen years of age. She is tall for her age. Her dark curls and tawny skin mirror the features of the birthparents who brought her to a Romanian orphanage when she was eight months old. Hannah has been part of our family since she was seven years old. She is the apple of her Daddy’s eye, the princess of her Daddy’s heart, and—at this moment—she’s in need of some new clothes. In our household, this means a Daddy-Daughter Date Day, primarily because, in our family, Dad tends to have more patience than Mom when it comes to the quest for appropriate clothing.

And so here I am, meandering into a local mall, hoping that this year’s range of suitable selections is better than last year’s.

It isn’t.

The jeans that are long enough for Hannah’s ever-lengthening legs seem to have gained this extra length by trimming too many inches off the top. The sweatpants that fit her best have “PINK” emblazoned across the backside. And the messages that glitter on the chests of several otherwise-appropriate shirts lead to immediate vetoes from our household’s executive branch: “I Want What I Want Now,” one hoodie declares, while a nearby t-shirt boasts, “I Have an Attitude and I Know How to Use It.” “Sooner or Later I’ll Get What I Want,” another sweatshirt announces. Interestingly, the brand names on the tags are “Personal Identity” and “Self Esteem”—almost as if Erik Erikson and Sigmund Freud crept in during the manufacturing process and retagged the clothes to resolve adolescent girls’ supposed identity crises. To Hannah’s credit, she takes it all in good humor, knowing from past experience that, once a veto has been declared, her father will not budge.

By this point, a good many readers have likely identified me as some sort of development-squelching fundamentalist prude. I’ve heard the protests before, as a pastor, children’s minister, and youth minister—more from parents, oddly enough, than from children: “Come on, it’s just the kids’ clothes. Why make such a big deal about it? Let them wear what everyone else is wearing! If we don’t let them dress that way, they won’t be able to fit in.”

I’ve even had one parent couch his protest in evangelistic terms: “If I don’t let my daughter wear the same clothes as everyone else, no one will listen to her when she tries to witness at school.” Somehow, I cannot imagine that the low-slung waistline on his daughter’s jeans led any male in her school to anything but the most prurient interest in God’s created order.

So why am I so unyielding on this issue?

Simply this: The clothes that our children wear do not merely cover the nakedness of their flesh; they shape and reflect the contours of our children’s souls. What I encourage my child to wear is a statement not merely of fashion but of theology and axiology—and this link between our theology and our wardrobes is not a recent phenomenon.

The foliage that Adam and Eve clutched against their groins in the shadow of the Tree of Knowledge made a profoundly theological declaration. Those mute leaves pronounced the primal couple’s intent to cover their sins with their own efforts and experiences. In this, those leafy aprons spoke in unison with the Gnostics of the second century, with Pelagius in the fourth, and with the theological liberalism of the modern era, all seeking some path to holiness other than divine propitiation. The second ensemble of clothing in the Garden of Eden was no less theological—the flesh and fleece of a freshly-slaughtered beast, a covering given by grace which declared beyond any doubt the divinely-ordained link between sin and death.

Later in the Torah, the Israelites received a command from God to stitch tzitzit in the corners of their robes, entwining a cerulean thread in each tassel. And what was the rationale for this divinely-ordained fashion statement? “That when you shall see them, you may remember all the commandments of the Lord, and not follow your own thoughts and eyes, going astray after others” (Num. 15:39). What the children of Israel wore on their bodies reflected and shaped the disposition of their souls.

This principle is no less true for my child this afternoon at Oxmoor Mall.

The sweatpants with “PINK” plastered across the posterior declare far more than a child’s preferred pastel hue; they present as public property a part of the body that ought to be preserved as private property. The three-inch gap between shirt and jeans devalues the child by turning her body into a tool to attract the opposite gender’s attention instead of a vessel of beauty for the glory of God.

The t-shirt with “I Love My Dad Cuz He Spoils Me” emblazoned across the chest links love with what I can get out of a relationship—and lays the foundation for the relational disposition that has landed millions of couples in divorce court over the past half-century. “My Smile Gets Me What I Want” scrawled up the leg of a pair of pajamas implies that it is acceptable to exploit physical beauty as a tool to manipulate others. When a sweatshirt declares “Remember Me: I’ll Be Famous,” this comes with a tacit implication that the superficiality of celebrity might be a valid and viable goal for life. The hoodie that reads “I May Be Small But I’m the Boss” presents rebellion against parental authority as something to elicit a lighthearted smirk instead of loving discipline.

Please understand my point here: I am not claiming that clothing, in itself, causes children to behave badly—that would be tantamount to declaring it was the presence of fruit in the garden that caused Adam and Eve to sin. And I’m not suggesting that children’s clothing must be unfashionable for them to be holy. What I am suggesting is that these fusions of cotton, polyester, and iron-on transfers are not values-neutral. They are declarations of what we believe, what we value, and what we expect our children to believe and to value.

So what can parents do?

(1) Set clear standards and say no. This isn’t easy. A few weeks ago, I said no to a ballet leotard because it didn’t meet our family’s standards for modesty. No other leotards were available at the dance supply store. As such, my veto resulted in a rather unpleasant chain of events that ended with some crying and behavioral consequences—and with a clear awareness that we will not compromise our family’s standards. Truthfully, I wanted to say yes. In the short term, it would have resulted in far less stress to give the go-ahead to that particular leotard. But, as Hannah’s father, I bear primary responsibility before God for my child’s spiritual formation. And so I said no—firmly, gently, in love—because the long-term building of Hannah’s character matters more to me than the momentary calm that compromise could have achieved.

(2) Recognize that what is emblazoned on your children’s clothing is likely to be expressed at some point in their behavior. If the child’s t-shirt says “Blame It On My Sister,” why are parents shocked when their son eventually tries to avoid responsibility for his actions, even if that means resorting to deception? If you purchase clothes for your son that declare his ideal day to consist of sleeping, eating, and playing video games, why be surprised when he’s living in your basement two decades from now, still expecting you to pay his bills while he sleeps, eats, and plays video games? “But what the shirts say—they’re just joking,” parents respond. “You’re not supposed to take them seriously!” And perhaps the clothing manufacturers do intend such statements to be taken with a grain of salt. But history suggests that, what one generation smirks at, the next generation accepts as an inescapable state of affairs.

(3) Admit that the need for peer popularity is over-rated. Another primary cop-out from parents: “But my child has to dress this way to fit in at school.” In the first place, such a statement implies that the authority of the peer group matters more than the wisdom of the parents or the Word of God. In the second place, this implies that you would want your offspring to “fit” into a group that evidently bases its valuation of a child on that child’s clothing. Yet, even if we bypass these faulty foundational principles, there’s still a problem with this line of thinking: The idea that this type of peer popularity is necessary for healthy development is a recent phenomenon, rooted more in the social function of the American school system than in any perennial truths about human nature. In fact, despite decades of family fragmentation, the way that a child is accepted in his or her family remains far more important for the child’s development than acceptance or rejection at school. I’m not suggesting here that you should work to make your child unpopular with peers—but such acceptance is far less crucial than we’ve been led to believe.

And so Hannah and I traipsed out of the department stores and headed upstairs to the Chinese buffet, carrying far fewer outfits than we first intended—but they are well-chosen, stylish yet modest and devoid of devaluing messages. Now, if someone can locate a light-blue leotard for my child that isn’t low-cut in the top or high-cut in the legs, we’ll be set for one more year.

21 Comments »

2008-12-29T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is the newest member of the family: Butterscotch, the horse.

He is all boy!!!

2008-12-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

backstory: Baylee and Brennan share a room together. From time to time Brennan will play with Baylee's toys. There is a certain baby doll he has claimed as his own. He will snuggle with it, tuck it in at nap time and such.....

Tonight when we were getting ready for bed and I asked him to go and get his baby. He walks over to it and looks at me and says, "no baby......car...." he picks up the car and goes "vroom, vroom" all over the place. I just had to laugh....that proves that he is all boy, men all over the world have been saying "no baby....car, go vroom, vroom" since the beginning of time......

For Heidi

2008-12-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

This is my fav. Taylor Swift song. It is not a Christmas song, but I love it. It just reminds me to see things through the eyes of my children and remember what childhood is like for them. I can't listen to it without crying. Go to playlist.com and take a listen.

I'm five years old
It's getting cold out
Got my big coat on

I hear your laugh
And look up at smilin at you
I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch
And the tractor rides
Look now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs
And fall asleep on the way home

I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I'm 13 now
And don't know how
My friends could be so mean
I come home crying
And you hold me tight
And grab the keys

And we drive and drive
Unil we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop
Til i forgotten all their names

I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughin
On the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father
His strengh is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out
He's better than I am

I grew up in a pretty house
And I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found
From back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen
And you're talkin to me
It's the age of princesses and priate ships
And the seven dwarves
My Daddy's smart
And you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

Now I know why the all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side
Even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine

And I didn't know if you knew
So I'm takin this chance to say
I had the best day with you today

Happy Birthday, my sweet girl!!!!

2008-12-17T16:25:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my girl is 6 years old today. I remember feeling so anxious about having a daughter when I was pregnant with her. I mean, I've always been a tomboy myself and God knows I still can't fix my own hair, so what in the world would I do with bows and dresses, and not to forget the endless pairs of shoes to color coorninate with the outfits....does it ever end. NO, look at my own closet.....even a tomboy must have matching boots ya know...anyway. When they brought Baylee to me after my surgery and I held her I just cried and cried. She was so beautiful. All of my fears where put to ease. She was only a baby and she just needed love like any other baby. And love her I did.

A Labor of Love

2008-12-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

I had to share this story, I knew other Moms who happen to read from time to time would understand and laugh (or cry) with me.

So.......Baylee has been saving up her $$ all year to buy butterscotch (a HUGE horse). I mean when she gets $$ for allowance, from grandparents, whatever, she has been putting it back all year to buy this horse. I FINALLY found one for less than $250.00 on craigslist. Her birthday is coming up, and I bought it for her. It would take her three years or more to save all that $$. I bring this thing home (he is massive, I have a feeling Brennnan will be a cowboy everyday)....so I had a thought, I'll redecorate her room for her birthday with horse decor.....so I shop, and shop, and shop some more to find all the perfect stuff that she'd like. I never found everything I wanted. Well I can't redecorate without cleaning out all her old stuff too. After two bags of trash, (I hate McD's happy meal toys, I think they multiply when your not watching), one pile of goodwill stuff and injuries only football players get, I'm done.....her room is so cute, she slept downstairs last night, so we are going to go check out the strange noises coming from her room in a bit.

Now for the football injury......I have my own system going, this pile here and that pile there. Its a mess, but its my mess and I know what everything is. My dog, Casey wanted in on all the action so he is in there too. I go to step over a pile and realize I'm going to step on him so I moved my leg and it ended up in a box, well the box wasn't going to support my big self and it gave way and fell over, it took me down with it. I landed on my left side, my upper jaw hit the edge of a very strong storage box, I have a huge bruise on the side of my face, I think I may have dislocated my shoulder (at the very least its got some major deep tissue bruising) and my hip that gave me so much trouble when I was carrying Brennan is killing me. At 12:30 am, the fight was over and I had won. For a moment there I thought the room might win and the Mom team might concede, but I didn't......I'd attach pics but my digital camera lens is broken so I'm having to use old school 35mm.....and it doesn't upload :(

School's Out!!!!!!!!!! HOO RA!!!

2008-12-11T20:14:00.001-08:00

This is the first time in my adult life I have wished for a "snow day" for selfish reasons. Really, if your going to work outside the home, there is no better job than working in the school system. Where else do you get snow days, Christmas break and the summer off.....I love it.

ok, enough about my job, I have visions of snowmen in my head, followed by endless cups of hot chocolate!!!!!!!!!!!

my silly girl

2008-12-02T21:51:00.000-08:00

Baylee comes and sits down beside me today and leans her head into my shoulder....this is the conversation that follows....

Baylee "Mom, what happens if I don't find the perfect man"
Mom (after taking a moment to do a double take at what just came out of my daughters mouth)....."honey...why do you need to find the perfect man???" (trying to ask questions to find out what in the world is going on in that head of hers)
Baylee....."so I can get married"
Mom........"why do you want to get married and find the perfect man"
Baylee......"well, you did"
Mom........(not knowing if I should laugh or cry)....."I did?"
Baylee......"yes, Daddy!!!" (like duh)
Mom......."so why is getting married so important"
Baylee....."because I want to know what its like"
Mom.......(shuttering at what might come out next) "what being married is like?"
Baylee...."yea, you know the flowers and the cake, you get that whole big cake like you and Daddy did and all those flowers....I just wanna know what its like when you find the perfect man and get all that cake"....

.....its all about the cake and flowers, baby!, and I'm fine if she continues to believe that until she is like ummm....30."

2008-11-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Neal says, "I'm king of the haystack".....

Cowgirls

2008-11-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

A moment in time on a Saturday morning, we were real cowgirls. Don't believe me, just ask Baylee. She'd be happy to tell you all about it.

What a cutie!

2008-10-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

OHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! the wonderful thing about tiggers are tiggers are wonderful things, the tops are made out of rubber, the bottoms are made out of springs....ha....you get the idea.....

hands down, the best tigger ever!

Best Job ever

2008-10-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

After three pregnancies, countless hours of lost sleep, my body makeover (not the kind you see on TV), oatmeal on my floor, spilled juice on my table. After a few years of that you'd think being a Mom is for the birds. BUT none of that compares to holding my baby while he sleeps in my arms, watching my daughter sing her favorite song to her puppies as she tucks them in at night, hearing the words "no Mom I can do it myself" and then realizing they can.

If there is something God is teaching me lately it is that my kids are not my own. I have been entrusted with them for a time, but they are their own person. What a privilege it is for me to watch these kids grow and change and have such a major role in the development of their life. I know I may be a little biased but these are the best kids on earth, and I am blessed beyond words to be called, "Mommy".

Learning to let go is hard, but watching them fly is amazing!

oh, the wonder of friendship

2008-10-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Since Brad went back to work (and can't be full time Mr. Mom anymore) Heidi has been caring for our little guy a couple of times a week while I work. So Wednesday was his first day back since we have been on fall break. The scene plays out like this:

We pull up in Heidi's drive way and get out of the van. He starts to clap! Cute enough, but the next thing he did was a tear jerker, at least for Mom. I say, "are you happy to be at ms. heidi's house"....to which he responds, "numhykehdiehka (baby talk only he knows), Dawson." As clear as day he said the name of his very first friend. How precious is that? I know he missed ms. heidi, but I think Dawson wins the contest for "most excited to see". ha...

oh wait

2008-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'm was told to "tag" someone else.....ha.....I forgot.

Ok....Amy, Erin, MaryKate, now go to your pic folder and post the #6 photo.

I was tagged

2008-10-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is the #6 pic in my folder. ha....I miss blonde hair, oh well, I'm sure I'll change back at some point.

Lessons

2008-10-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Brad and I spent three years on the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We had the privilage to sit under such well respected people such as Dr. Cook, our pastor, Professor of New Testiment and Dr. Stinson, our sunday school teacher, Director on Counsil of Biblical Manhood and Womenhood. These men taught us so much about life and faith and digging into the truth of God's word.

However, the greatest lesson for me was taught in the stairwell of Village Manor Apts. You see it is there that we meet our best friends. We were neighbors, and we became family. We are leaving tomorrow to see them for a few days. We are SO excited!

Soccer game

2008-10-06T10:50:00.001-07:00

Until yesterday Neal's soccer team was undefeated. They lost 2-1. Neal did a great job though despite the loss. He made several blocks.

New blog site

2008-10-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

So I got all fired up about abortion (the ugly truth of it), and a legislation bill a few weeks ago. Not thinking things through, my son Neal, has access to our blog and read it all. Afterwards he was very upset about people killing babies and people hurting children. So, I am starting my own personal blog that he won't have access to. It's really more for me, I'm just making the brave choice to share it with whoever wishes to read it. I just really like to write about life, and its view from the road I'm on. So only pictures and stories about our family will appear on this blog. All of my other rants and opinions will be on the other one....ha!

www.walkindowntheroad.blogspot.com

Keith Urban

2008-09-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

We went to see Keith Urban last night, (me and Pooh, Brad had to work) at the Opry here in Nashville. It was great! The neat thing about the Opry is that they will let you come to the stage at anytime and take as many pictures as you want. So the whole time he was performing I was doing just that. I got some really good shots. He is an amazing musician.

What fun!

2008-09-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Why do we need a jungle gym when we have a Dad?

I cherish moments like this when the fun and the laughter take over and the worries of the world fade away.

Yum....

2008-09-26T08:46:00.000-07:00

This was too cute not to share!

WARNING....A LONG RANT

2008-09-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is nuts. I'm outraged! It seems as if the world has lost its mind, so to speak. I look around and it just seems that everything is falling apart. People have lost all common sense.

For to long I have been apathetic. I've just sat by and watched the world fall apart and not done anything about it. I have to make a confession. Until two weeks ago, I stood against abortion. One might think that is a good thing (and it is), but I didn't stand against it because I was informed. I stood against it b/c it was expected of me in a sense. I am after all "an evangelical christian". But on the inside I was almost sympathetic to the other sides argument. Babies growing up without homes, unwanted, unloved, often times abused by those who didn't want them in the first place. Wouldn't it be better to just end the life of the child before it had to experience the horrors of what was ahead? At least that is what I told myself, trying to give the other side some compassion and understanding. Yea, well no more! I'm informed. I watched a video on abortion, abortion procedures, clinics, nurses...you name it. The video was not biased. It didn't play sides, it was just informative. After seeing it, I'm truly disgusted by those who think this treatment of unborn children is ok, or that it is a "right". I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE THINKING". The video showed (at each stage of an abortion, including 40 weeks gestation) what a baby looked like after it was killed. OUTRAGE, I tell you. People who think this is the "right" of the women to choose are cold blooded killers. Brains are sucked out, while the baby is kicking uncontrollably, limbs are torn off and thrown in the dumpster as waste, and much more.

So this is my new position: If you don't want a baby don't have sex! It's really pretty simple. Be a responsible member of society. Even in the case of rape I don't think you should be allowed to take anothers life because someone violated yours. If you don't want a baby, can't love the baby, give it up to someone who does have love to offer.

Then I read this blog on Dr. Mohler's commentary (President of Southern Seminary) and I'm sitting there with my jaw dropped going "Really, now this".....Now its ok to kill the old people too. My friend and I were just talking about this yesterday. It's scary to think that people are really pushing this kind of agenda on the general public. A link to the article is below. I know....after reading this longggggg....rant you don't want to read another one, but its worth it. We should be informed of the things headed our way.

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2542

WhewWho......

2008-09-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

Brad is back at work today. He has been off since July 16th for shoulder surgery. God has used this time to teach us both many things. To many to mention in a blog. None the less we are very thankful that Brad returned to work today. Three weeks earlier than most shoulder surgery patients.

I am home with two sick children today (Neal & Brennan) and one child (guess who) that is very upset that her brothers are sick and what that means for her. All day at home! No church and no church picnic to go to. Maybe we'll go outside, do a bible lesson and have a snack. Think that will be church and a picnic for her????

New Info. (my mistake)

2008-09-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

OK....so I admit I didn't do my research very well. Totally my fault. I trusted Oprah, seriously I should know better! I mean come on, anyway. There is a ton of wasteful spending attached to this bill 1738 and there are no plans to give it any funding next year. It's just a political game, as with most things in Washington these days. Apparently, there is another bill introduced by John McCain that has no wasteful earmarks, pet projects, and anything of the sort included. It is called S.3344 Protecting Our Children from Internet Exploitation Act and the SAFE act. It is basically the original bill without all of the "extras" added by Democrats. Like 10 million to study the DNA of apes....please. Bill S. 3344 passed in the house only lacking 2 votes, but was killed in the Democratic Senate as to not give any credit to McCain for offering an alternative bill with a better budget and better policies. I guess bill 1738 is my only option thinks to the Senate's poor leadership in this area. As of today, I still support it b/c you have to start somewhere. I would rather be moving towards something than continuing to not move at all on this issue. Hopefully, McCain/Palin will be our next leaders in this country and will keep their campaign promises to "reform" Washington. Although, system is so corrupt at this point it will be next to impossible. But I will hold out for hope none the less.

So...sorry for the confusion. I am passionate about this cause, and I firmly believe there should be more government legislation to combat the millions of abused children in this country. Children who as young as 1 month old are being brutally attacked, video taped and sent around the world to be seen my millions. I could continue to rant, but I won't.

Get the facts, and not from Oprah (learn from me) and get involved to save our children.

Make a call....PLEASE

2008-09-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

OK....so I'll try and make this brief. I promise.

When we moved to TN I joined a group called PROTECT (www.protect.org) They fight for government change to make laws tougher for child predators and child molesters. The group is VERY bi-partisan and the only social issue they engage in is speaking for the rights of the victims of sexual assault and/or exploitation. It is their main focus and purpose to change the laws in this land to reflect an attitude of accountability and justice of those who prey upon innocent children.

Recently, Camille Cooper, who is the director of Legislative Affairs has proposed a bill to the Senate that would allow more government funding to monitor and bring to justice these types of criminals. In the bill, detectives would be assigned to do nothing but track down and bring charges against pedophiles. As of now, most law enforcement offices do not have the resources to provide that kind of staffing. The bill would make that possible. OK.....I am not in the habit of telling people to watch Oprah (yes, its a cult, no I don't subscribe), but this time I am. Officials from Protect will be on the Oprah show Monday Sept. 15th. If you want to be more informed you can watch the show, or go to the Protect website and find out more info. on the bill.

The best thing you can do is call your State Senator office and request that they pass this bill. If they get enough calls, they'll pay attention. DO NOT be apathetic (please) and think that you can't make a difference.....to quote a great document....'We the people'.....yes you can make a difference, so please do.

I've taken the time to give you the phone numbers and address of your State Senators so that step is done for you.....you'll just need to pick up the phone. This is a great organization to work with/for if this cause is a passion for you.

Blessings your way, and much love from me.......Brandi :)
The name of the bill is Protect Our Children Act S. 1738, Biden-Hatch

TN

Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.4944

Bob Corker
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.3344

KY

Jim Bunning
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.4343

Mitch McConnell
361-A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
202.224.2541

kids say the darnest things

2008-09-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

I took this pic of Baylee the morning of her first day of school. She has NEVER been a morning person! She likes to sleep in and she is the hardest person to wake up on the planet. This morning Brad went upstairs to get her up for school. She turns over and pulls the covers back up over her and says, "leave me alone while I'm in my natural habitat"......that alone is proof enough that she is my daughter!

This evening while putting her to bed, we were reading her devotional for the day and it was about Jesus dying. I asked her, "honey, do you know why Jesus died", she says....."so that we could live"......I remember the verse, "and a child shall lead them"....I so needed to hear that today. He died so we could live, AMEN, Baylee. As my best friend, Erin would say, "preach it, sister"

awe....

2008-09-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

When I leave in the morning with the kids I usually stop at the door while Brad and Brennan send us off. I'll kiss Brad and say "have a good day, babe" and I'll kiss Brennan and say "love you, buddy".........this morning we were running a bit behind schedule, the kids and I were in a mad dash out the door when Brennan comes running around the corner (he had been in the bathroom trying to brush his hair....lol), just in time to catch me and says, (I kid you not)...."ha uh goo da"......can't get much sweeter than that!

New things

2008-09-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Brennan is in full toddler mode these days. We went to O'Charley's for lunch one day and he is big enough to order his own plate. He looks thrilled about it, and he was.

Baylee's new favorite thing is her cowboy hat. She wears it all the time. Its so cute.

Neal is not into anything new these days. He has read five separate chapter books since school has started. And he has told me that he and his friends are starting a rock band together. We can't wait to hear the music. His latest favorite band is Guns N Roses (ok....only those songs that have been approved from Mom and Dad first....Paradise City and Knockin on Heaven's Door is about all they like, Baylee likes Sweet Child of Mine too)....anywho....

Thats all for now. No new updates on the adults. Brad gets to go back to work in three weeks (hopefully, if all goes well), and I am slowly getting used to the new work schedule for me. I work with really nice people, and that helps a lot. Brennan and Brad have had lots of male bonding time at home while I'm at work (that means they've wrestled a lot....ha) and I like being right next door to the kids school. I have some extra time in the morning to hang out with them at school before the day starts and they really like that.

Ha

2008-08-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

As a 1930s wife, I am
Poor

Take the test!

I had a feeling I might fail the test....ha. Ummmm....lets see.
Prepares well balanced meals for her family.....(are french fries still a vegetable?)
Greets her husband with a smile.....(does it count if its fake?)
Wears nightgown to cook in......(what else do you fix breakfast in?)

I had such a good laugh at these questions......

Baylee's first day

2008-08-18T18:12:00.001-07:00

Baylee had her first day of Kindergarten today. She did great! She had a picture she had made for her new teacher and she was not at all shy about giving it to her. She gave her teacher a hug, and the look on Baylee's face was priceless. She went right to her seat and started on her puzzle. I kissed her goodbye, and turned to leave, it wasn't until then that the water works started! My little girl, growing up....Its one of the hardest things as a parent, watching your child learn how to fly, and hoping you've given them enough flying lessons to keep them safe when it starts to storm. OK.....no mushy stuff, I'll cry again! ugh....

Neal's first day

2008-08-18T18:09:00.001-07:00

This was Neal's first day of 4th grade. His teacher this year is Ms. McCall. We are very excited about his 4th grade year, and all that it will bring.

2008-08-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics we have taken lately of the kids. The middle one is Neal's new friend, Walker. He and his family are new to TN., we hope they like it and stick around for a while.

Our day

2008-08-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

We have had a very hectic week to say the least. We've all been going 90 miles an hour, and by Friday we were all running on empty. I started a new job, Neal went back to school, Brad has been taking care of Baylee and Brennan (with only one arm), and oh, Karate, small group, Dr. appts, Physical therapy, just to name a few extras. So by Friday we were all done, and ready for the weekend, only one problem.....we had plans the next day too! So this is what I did, I made some phone calls and cleared my calender for the entire weekend. Saturday morning comes and we load up the kids, the bikes, the stroller, and the dog.....head out to the park and just enjoy the day together. The kids had a great time riding one of the nearby bike trails at Sharp Springs Park in Smyrna. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors and it gave us all the break we needed. Later that night after dinner, we all snuggled up and watched a movie together. OK....confession time, I ran back and forth between the bedroom where the movie was playing and the living room where CNN was on to watch bits of the Rick Warren lead "civil forum". The movie and my family was much more interesting, I promise.

Baylee starts her first day of Kindergarten tomorrow. We are all very excited for her. I hope I don't cry a river in the morning, and if I do, I hope I remembered to get waterproof mascara.

Hats off!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

My hats off to working mothers everywhere. I'm not even kidding. You people amaze me. I don't know how you do it, but please let me know what the secret is.

I started my first day at Stewarts Creek Middle today. I had been there before, but only to do inventory, stock, meetings, things like that. Today the students were there, and I remembered what it was like to work (outside the home anyway). When we were in Louisville I had a part time job on campus, but then I only had two kids, now I have three and its a whole new ballgame.

I'm going to go and ice my wrist and put heat on my back. I'm pitiful, really I am, I can admit it freely! My body is wondering what happened today, its in shock! As soon as my body catches up, I'll be good to go, I just hope it doesn't take to long.

Amazing

2008-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am just overwhelmed at the love, support and encouragement we have received from people over the last few weeks. Our friends and family have been amazing. Our church family have brought us meals, grocries, and even taken our trash to the dump for us. My Mom came down over the weekend and took the kids school shopping, something I didn't know if we'd get to do or not.

I'm truly honored to know these people and I'm so blessed that I get to call them all, friend. Thanks everyone.

Childlike faith

2008-07-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

We subscribe to this magazine, "Voice of the Martyrs". Its about persecuted Christians around the world, and what we can do to help. So Neal sees this lying on the Kitchen table tonight, and the headline is "Illegal Christians in China". This was the conversation that followed.

NEAL: Why are there illegal Christians in China?
MOM: Because the government in that country does not allow people to become Christians, so it is illegal. They put you in jail if they find out that you serve Christ.
NEAL: Well, that's not right, we should do something about that.

The conversation carried on about how people are in fact doing something about that, and how the God of Heaven's Armies (I love that phrase in Scripture) is on our side to stand and fight on our behalf for his kingdom.

But the part of the conversation I loved the most was what I wrote down above. I think that must be what Christ meant when he said, "we must have the faith like that of a child". Neal didn't look at the problem and say, its too big, or how will we do it. He just said, "its not right, lets change it".....I love that.

A funny story!

2008-07-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share this so everyone could laugh with me (not at me). I am so tired these days. I mean really tired. My best friend works third shift and has three kids, I don't see how she does it. My hats off to you, girlfriend! Me on the other hand, can't manage to think very clearly these days. Most nights I get to bed sometime between 1 and 3 am, then the kids are up at 7ish...Baylee and Neal can fix a bowl of cereal themselves, but Brennan bear can't really get his own breakfast at this point. So this morning we are getting up, I stumble to the kitchen to try and start the day (hey, I think that is a line in a sad country song...). Neal tells me he wants cereal so I get out a bowl, and get the cereal...he gets his spoon and sits down. If Mom is up already, why get it yourself! I also get out a coffee cup to fix myself some hot chocolate. (I gave up coffee a few months back, but I'm thinking a relapse is in order)....so I have the coffee cup, hot cocoa mix, milk, a bowl, cereal........I pour the cereal in the cup, and then start to add the milk. I stop because something just doesn't look right, but I can't figure out what it is. I shake my head and move on. I start to pour the milk in the bowl, and then add the cocoa mix, and it dawns to me as I'm trying to figure out how to drink my hot cocoa out of a bowl, that something has gone horribly wrong....

It was a sad start to the day, I just sat down and laughed at myself and fixed the mess I'd made so Neal wouldn't have to eat his cereal from a coffee cup. Somehow, its much funnier telling the story then it was living it out at 7am.....I'm laughing so hard tears are running down my cheeks.....laugh with me so I don't feel so silly!

Proud momma!

2008-07-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

How did I ever get so lucky.

Love shown

2008-07-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Today Chelle came over, and brought us a meal. She also informed me that she has organized meals for us over the next week or so. This is such a huge help to our family right now. The kindness from our church family is so appreciated. Not only did Chelle do all this, but before she left she offered to take my trash to the dump for us (no automatic trash service in the county, we take ours to the dump ourselves, and like the chicken that I am, I'm afraid to drive Brad's truck, its a 5 speed...yikes). Taking my trash was above and beyond the call of friendship. Its not often you'll find a person that says, "hey, just dump your trash in my truck, I'll take it for you".....thanks Chelle for everything. It was an enormus blessing.

Carrie was right, get the Kleenex before you watch

2008-07-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

I stole this from my friend, Carrie, over at threegirlcircus. I don't think she'd mind. This was the most amazing testimony sharing event I've ever seen. I think every church should do "alter call" this way. Like an AA event, Hello, my name is Brandi, and I'm a sinner saved by grace, welcome to our church. LOL

My message could read a ton of things....

church pretender.....being real with others
childhood abuse.....by his stripes, I've been healed
addicted to alcohol......set free by grace
separated from husband.....marriage restored

I could go on and on. This was just a beautiful testiment to his goodness and his grace. I love it. Thanks Carrie for sharing.

Update on Brad

2008-07-18T09:19:00.001-07:00

Well, surgery is over and now the healing process begins. Brad had a rough time in recovery, and a rough time getting home. All is better now, well as better as it can be. He is in a lot of pain, understandably so. His pain meds work great, but you can only take so many of those. We found a recliner on craigslist really cheap, and bought it yesterday. He slept much better last night! The kids have been great. They were a little concerned when he came home and wasn't feeling well. I don't really think they knew what to expect. Brennan was afraid of him for the first day or so, which absolutly broke Brad's heart. Brad has a really big sling on and a electric ice pack as well, it was a little intimidating for Brennan. We have turned off our home phone (bracing for the tightest budget ever), so if anyone needs to call, call the cell phones.

New things

2008-07-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

God has been revealing himself to us this week in a lot of ways. I wanted to take a minute a share them here.

-We found out that our insurance will cover almost all of Brad's surgery. We will be left with very little out of pocket expense.

-Our pool is still working. I know that may sound minor, but to us its huge!

-I have been praying for a job that would allow me to be around for the kids (so that the adjustment would go smoother for them). God has given me two. Be careful what you wish for! The first one is at the middle school next to the kids elementary school from 8-2 M-F.....so I'll drop the kids off at school, go to work, pick them up, come home. The schedule couldn't be any better for us. I will not need to worry about childcare for Bren as of yet. Brad will be home for a while, and when the time comes he'll only need childcare a few days a week. The other is working as an MT with the company my aunt works for, RC Transcription Services. Its all from home. She'll send me my work, I do it and send it back to her. I can do this a few hours a night after the kids are in bed.

-Pooh was on her way to Nashville to stay with the kids while Brad is in surgery. She is staying the rest of the week I think to help out. Anyway, her tire blew out on the interstate, next to a semi.....and she and her car are both fine.

-Neal has made new friends this week. He went to their house to play today and had a great time.

-Brad and I went to Tom's house this evening to work on some songs I had written. It was great to hear my words put to music. Tom and Katie are both very talented. We had a great time, lots of fun. Katie's songs were great and they even sent us home with zucchini bread. It doesn't get much better than that.

So........we are full of praises to our God for hearing our prayers and blessing our week. We'd be full of praises anyway. In fact, some of the best times of worship in my life have come from the valley, not the mountain. But its so good to celebrate the victories he has given us this week. As Chris, our pastor, would say...."God's just showin' off"......I'm grateful to be a recipient.

Brad goes in for surgery at 7am......please continue to pray for us and for our family during all this. I so appreciate all the love and encouragement from everyone. Love to all.........

Life right now

2008-07-11T19:00:00.000-07:00

Its good to have all of us back together. We have been swimming in our pool all week. FINALLY! After many battles it seems we have won!

Life is very stressful these days. Brad's surgery is next Wednesday. He is dreading it (me too). The kids are concerned. About what I'm not sure, but anytime Mom and Dad are stressed I think they just pick it up. I am looking for a part time or full time job in the meantime to cover the expenses while Brad is off. That stresses me out in a million ways. Its not that I mind to work. Heck, most days a job would be a break from being with three kids all day. Seriously, going somewhere to do something constructive, and I hear they even give lunch breaks, coffee breaks, sounds good to me. I have worked off and on the entire time we have been married. When our circumstances have allowed it, (and I praise God that he has allowed me to be home, I understand some circumstances require us to not be) I have been home with the kids. We have had to go without some things, new cars, new clothes, and such, but its been worth every sacrifice we have made. I have put my own ambitions on hold (i.e. finishing college, a career, ect...) to be home with my kids. We have both always believed that they should be our first priority when it comes to decisions like that. Its honestly not been hard to give it up, or put it on hold. Children grow so fast and I'll never get this time back. I pray the transition goes well for them. It will definitely be an adjustment for all of us. God is good, and I have no doubt he will provide and care for our family. I pray that during this time our family would see more clearly that without his provisions for us, we would be lost completely without any hope. We are not without hope. We serve a God who owns "the cattle on a thousand hills".....or "a thousand cattle on the hills" (yea, scripture memorization not my strongest suit...LOL)....either way, I'm banking on the fact that he'll see fit to send us one soon, surely with a thousand he could spare one!

"he is good, all the time and all the time, he is good"

Homecoming

2008-07-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

So Neal comes home today. I have missed him so much. I realize he is at that age when he needs to spread his wings and fly a little. Its so hard to let go. I think your first born is even harder. As parents we love our children the same, and would lay down our life for any one of them. However, your first born just holds a special spot. When Neal asks me "why am I special to you", I of course have a million reasons why, but one of them is because he made me a Mommy. I walked into this whole trip of motherhood when the test said, positive almost ten years ago. What a trip its been, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Ok......off the computer and on to go pick up Neal.

My best book list

2008-07-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

Inspired by another blog I read today I decided to list some of my best books. Not just good books, but ones that have really changed me. Books that were instrumental in my growth as a Christian, a Mom, a wife and everything in between.

The top "book" would have to be the Bible (duh). That's a post for another day. It would take more writing than I'm in the mood for at the moment.

"Road to Reality" (can't remember the author now)........what I learned most from this book was that if churches really cared about spreading the gospel and loving people, would we spend 10,000 on a new piano (when the other worked fine) or would we send out missionaries or feed the hungry. It hit home to me about how out of balance my own priorities were.

"Waking the Dead" by John Eldridge.........This was one of the first books I read after becoming a Christian. Oddly enough, after I got saved I found myself hating church. Mind you, I had "played" church for a long time. But when I got saved (gave my life to Christ for real) I was so happy and free and I loved life. And when I'd go to church, I'd look around at all these people who looked bored to tears, lead sad lives, and never got excited about anything (in church at least).......this book helped me to see how Satan steals our joy and it opened my eyes to the way he tries to keep God's church captive and not effective in the world.

"Captivating" by Staci Eldridge..........This book gave me freedom to be a women. The best chapter was when she talked about being at rest in Christ. She talked of a lady whom she knew that made her so comfortable just by being in her presence. She was a women who knew who she was and who she was not. She was comfortable in her own skin. She wasn't pretending to have it all together, she didn't wear the mask......ah....I wanted to be that women. I love this book.

"Mother Teresa" a biography............she is my hero to this day. Her life was amazing. To live a life with no possessions, free from the love of "stuff", taking care of the out casts of the world. Her faith and her courage inspires me still. My fav quote by her, "poverty is not being hungry, or homeless, true poverty is being unloved, unwanted, and lonely" its so true.

"Yesterday, I Cried" by Inyala Vanzant...........she is very "new age" and believes a little bit of everything. Her book is her own life account of the abuse she endured as a child. It was the first book I read that let me know I was not alone in my struggles to overcome my past. She writes a poem in the beginning of the book. The last line of the poem reads......."today I cried.....I cried a soulful cry today......today I cried with an agenda, because today, freedom has come"......sends goose bumps up my spine to this day.

"Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning (yes that is where we got Brennan's name)..........Its an account of his journey out of alcohol addiction. Its a powerful story of sin and redemption, and the power of a grace filled life.

there are many, many more great books I've read, but these are at the top for sure. I'm currently reading "Age of Opportunity" by Paul David Tripp. His brother wrote, "Shepherding a Child's Heart" which honestly I didn't care for. Age of Opportunity is about parenting through the teen years, but can be applied to any age I think. Its a good book. The best parenting book I've read has been, "Parenting with Grace and Truth" by Cloud & Townsend. Not life changing for me, but some great parenting advice.

Our trip to the zoo

2008-06-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

The playgroud is massive. The kids loved it.

Baylee loved feeding the birds.

We caught the elephants at bath time.

We got to watch the baby alligators being feed. YIKES!

More of the playground. And yes, there is even more I didn't get pics of. Like I said, massive!
We will be back many times before summer is over.

yuck

2008-06-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

Feeling blahhhhhh today. Brennan is not feeling well, Baylee is bored, Neal is gone to spend some time with family, and Brad is at work. Brad and Neal went fishing overnight with Brad's cousin, Jeremy at KY Lake on Friday, then Brad took him to my Dad's house to spend some time with family this week. Its killing me honestly. I miss Neal like crazy and worry about him even more. Its hard letting go. Neal will be ten next year and I know its time (past time) that he make some of his own decisions and stand on his own two feet a bit, but its still hard to let go. So when he wanted to go visit some family this week I said, "sure". Now I'm fighting the urge to call and check on him every hour. Baylee and I have done every "girl time" thing under the sun. We've painted nails, fixed each others hair, "camped out" in my bedroom, had a tea party (yes a real one, well as real as you can get without getting out the china and dressing up LOL), planned a picnic, went swimming. I'm in for a very long week!!!!! and oh....Brennan has a small case of chicken pox. Its a sad rant, I know.........."be prayerful in all things"..........I pray that the kids would take a nap and I could go back to sleep. Maybe there is hope for the day yet!!!!

Happy Birthday Ms. Jobi, Happy Birthday to you!

2008-06-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

top row: Kelly, Jobi, Carli (Kelly's daughter) Janet. bottom: me & Baylee, MaryKate, MaryKate's grandmother, Louise I think is her name (sorry if I get it wrong)!

We surprised Jobi with a birthday lunch today. Its her 21st! Jobi is just an amazing young lady. She has such a heart for people, and it shows in her kindness and thoughtfulness towards others. More than that she has a heart for the Lord and for people to come to know him. I consider myself blessed to call her, friend! Our lives are richer for knowing her.

Thanks, Katilyn & Brandie for babysitting children today! It was a huge help.

Kid Swap

2008-06-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

So last week, I drove to Lagrange, KY to swap kids with my friend, Erin. Neal stayed at her house and had some time with his friend, John. Elijah came this way with us. We traded back yesterday. Baylee and Eli had a great time, though there were the occasional battle of the wills. Who could break Mom first seemed to be the theme of the day on Friday. Saturday I had won. Although it wasn't without some weeping and gnashing of teeth, done mostly by me. We went to our church's VBS event on Saturday morning. The above pic is craft time. They made turtles.
Baylee and her own personal "American Idol", Miss Katlyn. She is Baylee's hero. Although Miss Jobi comes in a close 2nd. Some days its a tie.
Before swimming in our "big" pool. Elijah was excited about it until he realized it was deep water and he couldn't touch. Then he proceeded to give me claw marks unless I held him extra close. After a few fun games of shark attack, he decided he could have much more freedom if I backed off a little. Then, I just let go (mind you, he had a float on the whole time) and he was so proud of himself to be swimming all alone in deep water. He immediately called home to Erin and Gary and told them of his big accomplishment.
His victory was short lived. After about 10 min. of playing in deep water he began to get nervous again. The fun slowed down and it was as if he remembered he couldn't touch all over again. So not wanting to get clawed another time, we opted for the little pool.
This is Brennan at the VBS event Saturday morning. He had a good time too. He was all smiles and laughs. For some strange reason, he seemed to think Shelby (our youth pastor at church) was cool (just kidding Shelby) and hung out with him for a long time. Fine by me, by the way. Anytime spent with another person means my back gets a break from our boy, who is on his way to outgrowing me.

It was a good time had by all. We might not get to see our best friends for a while. Gas prices are killing all of us. We enjoyed the visit while it lasted. It always ends to soon. For the most part it was Erin and I taking care of six kids alone. Brad and Gary had to work, ya know. We decided that next time it needs to be an adult only trip. Ok.....just us girls next time. Girls retreat to the beach sounds great to me. Hey, a girl has to have dreams.

So I'm learning

2008-06-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

It all started when MaryKate (we miss you guys) suggested in our small group that we share our testimonies with each other. In an effort to be real and transparent and draw close to each other, our small group leader thought it was a great idea. We did to. Brad and I have longed for a church that was real. Not a perfect church, a real church. So.....as the story goes....I start off thinking it was great until I realized it was our turn to share, then I thought, "crap", now I have to be the one to share. I have to practice what I preach so to speak. LOL And we did. We shared our testimony with our group. All the ugly parts and all the grace filled moments God has lavished on us. Our small group was so encouraging to us. I mean you never know with Christian "folk" how your story will be received and I have to admit I was a bit nervous. Our story is not the typical, "I grew up in church and God is good", its more like, "life has been hard, we've stood at the gates of hell, God is great". All of the members of our group were bold and courageous in sharing their own stories and struggles, and I am blessed to call them friends. I wrote a song out of all that and Tom, our music minister is going to help me put it to music later this summer. The title is "I'm not who I once was" something Chris said after we all shared our stuff together. He said in a prayer, "thank you, Lord that we are not who we once were, but we are not yet what we were meant to be".......ah.....that was beautiful to me and a song came out of it. So I say all that to say this.......its not so much that I struggle with my own story anymore. I have made peace with my past and I don't ask God those "why" questions anymore. I stand in freedom and its a great place to be. The question I find myself asking God is, "why all the human suffering" I mean its awful. Starvation, rape, war, mothers and children being killed and kidnapped, children as young as three being sold into sex slavery. ugh.....its just overwhelming the condition of our world. So on my quest to answer these questions, I began reading. And reading a lot. I read C.S. Lewis, "The problem of pain", read some Mother Teresa stuff, read every systematic theology book I could get my hands on, lots and lots of reading. It wasn't until I read "The True Condition of Man" by Paul Washer (or its titled "the doctrine of man") that the light bulb went on for me. I was asking the wrong question. Instead of asking why all the bad stuff happens and why there is so much suffering, the question should be asked, why does anything good ever happen. Seriously, we are a cursed race, a cursed planet. (Gen 2 & 3). We are enemies of God from birth by the mere fact that we are human. Yes, we are created in his image and I believe all that, but scripture is clear about the fact that until we come to know Christ, we are God's enemies and under his wrath and judgement. When the angels sinned and rebelled in heaven, God did not (as far as we know) make a way for them to be redeemed. However, for us, pitiful as we are, Jesus bleed and died on a cross to save my sorry butt. A cursed human on her way to hell. I stand amazed. God didn't have to do that, he could have sent us all to hell and we would have deserved it, we do deserve it. I do not understand and never will that kind of love and mercy. So suffering will come, its to be expected, Satan hates us and he is prince of this world. But Christ has overcome sin and death, and offers freedom and hope. As Christians we have to find our part in the story, and ask God where he wants us to spread the freedom and hope in our own lives. I thank God that he showed me this. So now when I see something good happen in the world, I know God has a hand in it and when I see human suffering it makes me hate our enemy even more. An enemy that seeks to destroy us, in lots of different ways. Anything that takes the creation of God and turns it into a display of evil he delights in. I am reminded of a song:

oh, praise the one who paid my debt
and raised this life up from the dead.
(repeat)
Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe
sin have left a crimson stain
he washed it white as snow

That is all for now. Its 2am and I have a house full of kids to care for in the morning. Hopefully, I'll be able to spread some hope around this place in a few hours. It needs a fresh dosage of hope these days. Brad's class has one more week. I do thank God for his provision, but I'm also honest with God (cause he can take it), I'm glad the path to getting that provision is almost over.
Goodnight all!

Bren's New World

2008-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

After 16 (16!!!!!!!!!!!) long months of waiting and watching, our Brennan Bear, has taken off. He is walking all over the place now. It started last week with a few steps here and there. This week he has taken the plunge into new and exciting territory. The world awaits you little man!

This morning!

2008-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Neal woke me up this morning with a great surprise.

Neal: "Hey Mom" (whispering)

Me: "huh" (still asleep in the bed)

Neal: "Look over to the other side of the bed, there is a surprise for you"

My first thought was oh no, what animal has he found and brought inside. Much to my delight, he had made me breakfast in bed! Maple and Brown sugar frosted mini wheats on a Strawberry Shortcake tray.

Cereal never tasted so good! A great way to wake up!

I'm learning

2008-06-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Forget all the deep, thought-provoking posts of the past. I am learning that God created "spellcheck" for a reason. The reason being that some of us (me) can't spell worth diddly (is that even a word, is it spelled right???). So I will become more familiar with "spellcheck" in future posts.

I have also learned that my husband has planned a weekend getaway (okay just one night and day, but when your with kids all day that's like a week). I have no idea where we are going. I have been assured the kids will be well cared for and that I can relax and just enjoy some time with my husband. I'm looking forward to it for sure, as I can promise you Brad is as well. I can't wait to sleep in on Saturday morning! Oh....the joys!

Until next time........(spellcheck approved)

New adventures

2008-06-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

We have mastered bike riding! For those of you who know us best, this was a very big deal in our family! It has been a huge father and son bonding experience.
Zoom!
Of course, Baylee was showing off her skills as well. This is her new Princess bike. She has decided to take the training wheels off next week! What else is a little sister to do when big brother can out ride you now!