Christmas Holidays

We are well into our Christmas holidays, and with Christmas Day only 2 days away, I thought I'd stop for a moment and record some of the memories we have already made before the big day arrives!!

B and I started off our holidays with something that we have now officially declared a tradition...

Every year we have watched this movie, and every year before we start it, I worry that it won't be as funny the 10th time around, but thus far, Sparky has yet to disappoint!! Each year it's a different scene that gets me, this year it was Cousin Eddie and his too tight, white v-neck sweater with his black dickie-turtleneck underneath!

The next thing on our agenda was taking the kids on the "Polar Express" train ride! What a fun night! It was just the five of us. The kids were so excited, and looked so cute in their Christmas pajamas, if I may say so myself! This has been the year of the "big question"....is Santa real??? We haven't said yes or no, we just turn it around and ask them what do they think, and so far, I think they all still believe, but Jake is a little skeptical. I really think deep down he knows it's B and I, but he still plays along. I was worried that when Santa made his big appearance on the train it might freak Ellie out a little, but boy was I wrong! She didn't even flinch! She loved him! It was a fun family night!!

Looking out the window at the North Pole...
Getting some Hot Chocolate, yum!!
Three little cuties...
The big man himself!!

Ellie getting a jingle bell from Santa!

The next week was full of class parties and last minute gift shopping! After that, we spent Sunday at Maw Maw's for Christmas with my Dad's side of the family. We used to do this on Christmas Eve, but since all of us are married now, with kiddos of our own and in-laws to visit, we have moved it to the Sunday before Christmas. Christmas Eve at Maw Maw and Senka's is a big part of my Christmas memories from childhood. One of my favorite memories is when we all crammed in and spent the night over there, and my brother Donnie and I decided to sneak in to try and see what Santa brought, not realizing that my aunt Janet and uncle Benny were asleep in the den and we almost got busted! :)

Yesterday we delivered some goodies to our sweet neighbors and friends, and today after a couple more deliveries, we are now home for good. The weather is cold and rainy, so it makes for a good day to stay in and slow down! My goal is to try and soak it up this year...every moment. Not to let the craziness get to me, and to keep my heart focused on Christ. It seems that I have this goal each year, but in the hustle of moving three children from celebration to celebration and all of the unwrapping and gift giving, I can get caught up, or even worse, grumpy, and before I know it, the day has come and gone and the moment has passed. Oh I pray it is different this year! :) So, I'm off to do just that, slow down and enjoy my kiddos!!

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas!!!

Sorry this is so long, I was having a moment!

Today we began the process of putting up all of our Christmas decorations. We've got both trees up-one half decorated and the other waiting patiently in our formal room for it's turn to be adorned with lights and ornaments. My mantle is covered with garland, waiting for stockings to be hung-and the other three tubs of Christmas trimmings will soon be emptied out until almost every nook and cranny is a display of Christmas cheer! In the midst of emptying tubs and checking lights, my decorating frenzy was brought to an abrupt halt, as one particular corner I was decorating revealed something that I could not ignore...

This will be our first Christmas in this house. The Lord blessed us this year with such a wonderful place to call home-nothing spectacular or "jaw dropping" compared to many homes around town, but to us, a perfect place to settle in and raise our children. So, with this new home, came a new decorating challenge...where to put all of our Christmas stuff?? Last Christmas was a no brainer-in our old home I knew where everything went-kid tree here, big tree there, garland here, snowmen there, and so on. But not this year. So, I spent much of the morning eyeballing different shelves and corners trying to mentally place everything. When I pulled out our nativity scene, I headed towards the table where I've placed it for the past 7 years, but before I reached it, I spotted a place on our bookshelves that I thought just might work. The bookshelves are the focal point of our Family Room and I liked the idea of the nativity being where we spend most of our time, a place where we could enjoy it and it would hopefully serve as a reminder of what this season is really all about. I began to move some things around to make room, and when I finally had everything positioned just right, I stepped back to take a look...and that is when I noticed something. It was a large cross (that I have there year 'round) hovering, overshadowing, our nativity scene. It sent chills down my spine. How perfect. The cross overshadowing the manger, foreshadowing the very reason why this birth is worth celebrating. My redemption-birthed of a virgin, paid for by the precious blood shed on the cross. What a powerful picture it was for me and a perfect start to this season. Shortly afterwards, I sat down to read, and my Bible fell open to Philippians 2:3-11.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Lord, may this be my attitude this Advent Season...may I remember not to look to my own selfish interests, but to serve my family and others in humility, always mindful that You came to Earth as a helpless baby, taking the very nature of a servant to save me from death, so that I may live to proclaim that You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father, amen.

A Good Day Indeed...

Today our Thanksgiving Holiday officially began...the boys are out of school all week, and Miss Ellie is out too! We are having Thanksgiving here this year, so we have no where to go, nothing to pack, and really nothing we have to do, so that means we'll be taking the days slow, and doing lots of playing and hanging out. Just my style!

Today, we definitely started out slow, the boys just got back from a boys weekend with Daddy, so they were slow to wake up, but things sped up quick once they realized that Daddy recorded Rocky 3 for them. They quickly stripped down to their "boxing shorts" and went after it! After that we cleaned up the house, I started some laundry, and one of Jake's friends from school came over to play. After lunch, we took Jake's friend home, put Ellie down for her nap and I poured a cup of coffee and read a little while the boys played. Once Ellie woke up we worked on our Thanksgiving tree, then headed outside and played a little "Horse", some "Mother May I" and finished off with a round of "Red Light, Green Light". We came in and warmed up with a cup of hot chocolate, and now I am off to get ready for a date night with Hubs!

Yep, I'd say it's shaping up to be a good day indeed!

Twelve Years Ago Today....

B asked me to marry him!! On a random Monday night-Veteran's Day, he completely surprised me by proposing. It's hard to believe that it's been twelve years, but in some ways, it's hard to remember life before him. He truly is my best friend...and so much more!

So, in the midst of our crazy life, I just wanted to stop and tell you, B, how much I love you...I love our crazy life together, and I love what God is teaching us, even today, about this life He has called us to! I can't wait to see where the next twelve years take us! It is my privilege and honor to be your wife-I love you.
M.

Fall Favorites

Today the weather is beautiful. So pretty in fact, that Ellie and I decided to have a picnic lunch in our backyard. As we were eating our lunch, I began thinking about all of the reasons why I love Fall. Reasons like cooler weather, the leaves changing colors-who doesn't love that?-pumpkins, scarecrows, mums, pumpkin patches, college football-HOOK 'EM, #1, how 'bout that??!!-my pumpkin spice candle, Trick-or-Treating with my kiddos, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and then I thought about Deer Season. Okay, stay with me...

I grew up in a hunting family...between my Papaw, Daddy, brothers, uncles, etc...come Fall season, someone was heading somewhere to kill something! Now, my mother has never been much of a hunter, but growing up, somehow my Daddy convinced us to tag along at least once or twice during the season. Thinking back over those trips today has brought back some special and fun memories of our times together as a family...here are a few of my favorites.

~playing "freeze out" on the way down to the lease-when it's really cold out, you roll down every window in the car and the first one to roll their window up was the LOSER!
~watching for deer on the way down
~all of the "rabbits" that would suddenly jump in front of our car, causing my Daddy to SLAM on the breaks just as one of us was drifting off to sleep! (sound dangerous??)
~road burgers
~'neakin in the deer lease truck
~all of us crammed into the tiny camper
~watching Daddy jump out of the truck and kill what I thought was the biggest deer I had ever seen!
~deer lease breakfasts-yummy!
~sitting around the campfire at night listening to Jeff Foxworthy's tape "You might be a Redneck"...right after it first came out
~killing my first doe with Daddy
~laying in bed that night and listening to my older brother tease me with cries of "Mama, Mama", when I told him how her babies were right there when I killed her! (Sidenote: I did not know they were right there...Daddy had me looking through the scope which only let me see what was directly in front of me...smart move on his part, 'cause had I seen those babies, I don't think I could have pulled the trigger!)
~singing Ray Charles songs as we rode around the lease looking for deer
~listening to Brooks & Dunn's song "Neon Moon" over and over and over again, all because a certain someone in our family was missing another certain someone-who, by the way, is now a part of our family! :)

I know these memories don't make any sense to most of you, but to me, these are precious memories of my family. We weren't perfect-FAR from it, and we didn't always get along, (still don't), but we are family. I think that is really why I love Fall so much. When the weather changes, it makes me want to pull my family close and snuggle, when the holidays come-I want to be with my family, when I'm watching the #1 Texas Longhorns (sorry, I had to put that in there again-it may not last much longer!) there is no one I'd rather watch with than my sweetheart, and nothing makes a Pumpkin Spice Latte taste better than when it's shared with someone you love, (or delivered to you by someone you love)!

So, go and enjoy your family this Fall!

No time to Blog

Well, I guess technically I am blogging right now, but I am only blogging to say "I have no time to blog"! And really, as I type this, I realize that this probably isn't necessary because the few people who actually read this already know that I have no time to blog, because they have listened to me vent about how crazy-busy life has been lately. :) Anyway, really, I hope to catch up soon, and post pictures of baseball, playing, birthday parties, etc....but for now, I am spending my "free time" catching up on laundry, ironing, playing with kids, and out at the ballpark...and when I can, enjoying a quiet moment here and there. :) Hopefully, I'll be back at some point with some pics!

School Days

Well, 2 weeks in and we've already been bit by the bug! :)

After 2 days in preschool, Ellie spent the weekend producing some diapers of "questional" proportions! She never acted like she felt bad, but her appetite was definitely decreased, so I figured something was up. Then it happened...last night at about 9:30, Jake came out of his room to inform us that his stomach didn't feel quite right...an hour later, he was producing some vomit! On the up side, it seems to be a "one and done" virus, meaning he went to bed and slept all night and is driving me insane today wanting to go outside and play football and all sorts of forbidden activities for "sick" children!!! I don't think I'll have to worry about him trying to play "hookie" anytime soon-he has figured out that staying home from school=no fun!!!

Despite our bug infestation, the first two weeks of school have been wonderful! Trent LOVES Kindergarten and is really into reading books now! Jake has stepped right into 3rd grade without missing a beat. He is the type of child that really thrives in school- the structure, the schedule-he is very self-motivated, so unlike me it's not even funny. And sweet Ellie, she loves preschool. She loves her teacher, her friends, her "pack-pack"-so much so that I am having to remind myself not to get my feelings hurt when she walks right into her room and never gives me a second glance! :)

I am enjoying getting back into a morning routine. My favorite part is getting up early with B and drinking our coffee and having our quiet times side by side. I used to have my quiet time in the afternoon during naps, but I realized this Summer, I couldn't wait that long! I pretty much need to soak myself in the Word first thing, before I have an opportunity to do any permanent damage! :)

And as an added bonus, the weather has been glorious here!!! Have I mentioned that Fall is my absolutely favorite season? (Followed closely by Christmas) I love the crisp mornings, the changing leaves, the pumpkins! I am fully aware that I still live in Texas, which means tomorrow it could be 100 degrees, but I am soaking this cooler weather up while I can!!

So, here are a few pics of the kids on their first day of school:

Farewell Summer!

*Warning, I'm playing catch-up so this is long! :)

The last days of Summer are here. On Monday morning we will set our alarm clocks, rise with the dawn and begin a new season once again.

I can hardly believe that Jake will be in the third grade. How has it gone so fast? I know all moms feel that way, but I guess sometimes the days seem so long that when this feeling rises up within me, it often surprises me. It literally feels like yesterday that it was just the two of us playing toys, reading books, singing songs, fixing snacks-and yet, 8 1/2 years have past! I kid with him sometimes and tell him I'm not letting him go into third grade, and that he can't grow any bigger, not one more inch-but inevitably he keeps growing! :) I am so proud of the young boy he has become. Even at such a young age, he has a passion for God's Word and a compassion for others that I know comes from the Lord. B and I are praying that this year the Lord will increase that passion and love for others and that Jake will begin to use these gifts to "minister" to others-other kids in his class, or on his Baseball team, teacher, or anyone for that matter! (Eph. 5:1-2) Jake is a special little guy, and even though I really am going to miss him during the day, I am really excited to see him grow, and to see what the Lord has in store for him.

Now, don't get me started on Trent Carter! My buddy is off to Kindergarten! My little entertainer is off to "entertain" his new teacher and classmates. And what a show it will be! I'm not sure what Ellie and I will do without our Star Wars reenactments, Bibleman shows, our afternoon Longhorn football, baseball, basketball games, and the countless other shows he comes up with. :) I am going to miss that little boy so much-but he is ready. He is so ready! Our prayer for Trent is that even though he is young, that he will indeed set an example for others in everything he does. (1 Tim. 4:12) Being the younger brother is tough sometimes, Jake (from Trent's perspective) seems to get a lot of attention and praise, and of course everyone knows that Jake gets to do EVERYTHING-but we are praying that God will show Trent that he is special and unique in his own way and that He has a tailor-made plan for his life, that will fit him perfectly.

And to top all of this off, Ellie is going to start "KK" two days a week! That is just crazy! She is as excited as she can be-for not really knowing what she is getting herself into! She has her "pack-pack" all ready, with her "name on it", and every time we drive by her school she yells out "Ellie's schoooool"! One of her best little friends is going to be in her class, and really they are more like sisters, (being only 9 weeks a part), they have been together, literally, their whole lives. Shannon and I are praying extra hard for their teacher! We have a feeling it won't take her long to figure out that Ellie and Kate already know each other and have been in a few "scraps" over toys before! :) Good luck with that! B and I are really enjoying Ellie. She is a firecracker, to say the least. She is FULL of joy and personality. Our prayer for her is that as she grows, God will continue to shape and mold her into the woman He has called her to be, and that one day she will be like a "pillar carved to adorn a palace" (Ps. 144 :12) full of His beauty and strength.

So that's my farewell to Summer....but before I close, (I sound like I am preaching a sermon) I'll share a few (ha! more like 12!) of my favorite pics of the Summer!

Sweet girlfriends.


Sword fights!


Summer Camp!


Craziness...


Older brothers'influence:


The older brothers!


Two of a kind!


Best lookin' 8 year old in town!


You got me!


A little girltalk.


Glow sticks rock!


Pure Joy!
Here's to a great Summer!

If you have a second...

Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters over at their blog "Girl Talk", are doing a week long series on Homemaking, and how to instill in our daughters a love for home and family. If you have a sec go check it out, it will be well worth your time.

Healer

A few weeks ago, I came across a new song on Hillsong's latest cd, and I have not been able to get over it. The story behind the song is very moving, and I think that is what initially captured my attention, however, the lyrics are so powerful, that the more I've listened to it, the more I am realizing that it is exactly what my heart is crying out for.

Healing.

I know that God is asking me to let go of something that I've held onto for many years-something that I don't even like about myself, yet somehow have found myself defaulting to over and over again. I want to let it go-I need to let it go-it has to go. But as much as I want it gone, I am afraid. Afraid that I can't let it go-afraid of what it will take to let it go. Tonight as I was doing my Bible study, the author (Kelly Minter) was talking about the difference between surrender and trust, and how surrender is more of an issue of our wills, but trust is an issue of the heart. It hit me like a ton of bricks, that while most of my life (I say most, because I know I still have areas that I haven't completely surrendered to Him) is surrendered to Christ, I don't trust Him in this particular area that He is asking me to let go of. This lack of trust is one of the things that has kept me bound to this for so many years. But tonight, I am choosing to trust Him. I am choosing to believe that HIS ways are right, and that He is good-and just like my mother said to me today (talking about a totally different subject) whenever He asks us to surrender or let go of something, somehow He always replaces it with something far better than we could have ever imagined...ultimately, HIMSELF.

You hold my every moment,
You calm my raging seas.
You walk with me through fire,
and heal all my disease.

I trust in You,
I trust in You.

I believe You're my Healer,
I believe You are all I need.
I believe You're my portion,
I believe You're more than enough for me.
Jesus, You're all I need.

Playing Catch-up

Oh my, I can't believe how long it has been since I've posted. I don't even know where to begin! This Summer has been wonderful-and it's gone by soooo fast. Only a few weeks left before school starts!
Speaking of school, it dawned on me the other day, that these last few weeks of Summer will be the last that I will have all 3 kids home for a while! With Trent starting Kindergarten and Ellie starting KK, 2 days a week, I am on the verge of a new season of life. Isn't that how it goes? Right when you get the hang of one season-used to the "climate", get the hang of the routine, a fresh wind blows in with a weather change! But as always, God remains faithful and constant through it all and He will bring us through this change, just as He has all the others!
But before I get too ahead of myself, here are a few pics of what's been going on these past few weeks!

For starters, Ellie got her first haircut! She has beautiful hair, but it was becoming a bit unruly, so we decided to cut a little off. She did great, and she looked so big after she was done! I am thinking we are going to go even shorter next time. I've always been a sucker for little girls with cute bobs!







The boys enjoyed a day of golf with Daddy! They had a BLAST! It was hotter than hot out there, but they didn't care! They had Daddy all to themselves and they loved every minute of it! Here they are getting ready to go...



We also attended our dear friends, the Bryans' commissioning service. They are hoping to move to Quito, Ecuador soon to work with a mission agency down there. It was a sweet service, and although we are sad to see them go, we are excited to see what God has planned for them. After the service some of us gathered over here and hung out for a while. It was crazy with all of our children running around, but it was also very sweet to see how God has grown our families! Whew!

FOURTEEN CRAZY KIDS = FIVE CRAZY MOMS!!!



And last but not least, B and I celebrated our 11th Anniversary! We had a wonderful 24 hours away at the Four Seasons, and a fun and delicious dinner with the Thedfords and the Bryans and we even enjoyed a full moon!! ha! I love you B!

Okay, so that's it for now...sorry it was so long. I'll try to post some pics of our family trip soon! Have a great Thursday!!

I Love America!

I am a bit slow getting this post up, but slow is our pace we try to keep during the Summer! We had a great Fourth of July! Lots of food, fun and family! We didn't have all of our family together this year, which made it a little quieter! ha ha! We did miss you Mom and Dad, BT and Kdog! Here a few pics from our day! Thanks to "Uncie" Donnie!! You were a great boat driver! The kids had a blast on your new tube!

All loaded up and ready to go!! This was Ellie first time out on the boat this Summer, and even though she was nervous at first, she ended up LOVING it!


Cousins are so much fun!!


Sparklers always take me back to my childhood!


Okay, y'all...I can't EVEN believe I am posting this hideous picture of me,(note to self, put on a hat after the boat ride!ugh!) but I wanted you to see this nasty catfish I caught! YUCK! We were fishing for brim, but this beast ended up on my line and almost broke my sad little pole! Thankfully, B was there to save the day and get set him free, 'cause there was no WAY I was touching him!


I wasn't the only one who got lucky that day! :)


I love this picture! Ellie is so blessed to have such a sweet Daddy!

All and all it was a fun day! Thanks MeMe and Poppy for letting us use your lakehouse and boat while you were away!

The Honeymoon is Over

No, I am not talking about my marriage...:), instead I am talking about our three weeks of "honeymoon" that we have had this Summer.

You know, I knew it was coming, but MAN-I still wasn't prepared! I have said more than once, here on this blog, and to people I know, that I am loving this Summer and how great things were going and how the boys were playing together so nicely, and really that was the truth...but today, we are in a different place. We've had one too many late nights and WAY too many early mornings, a LOT of togetherness and the nerves are wearing thin.

So today, we are in a new phase of Summer-I'd like to call it "We've been together a lot lately and I still love you to pieces but I need a break" phase. The boys are currently in their room for their second session of "reading/room time", which is code for "your fighting again and Mommy can't take it anymore, so everyone go to their own rooms and take a break"...me included. :) Ellie is in her room napping, so for a moment, things are quiet...for a moment at least. :)

But as I sit here and type this, I am reminded that this calling (homemaking) is not for the faint of heart, or selfish. And the latter is what I struggle with the most. It's on these days, when nothing goes as planned, and everyone is grumpy that I have to depend on my Lord to love THROUGH me when frankly, I'd rather not. I wish I could say I my track record of depending on Him was great, but really it's not. Most days, I usually jump on the grumpy train and then the rest of the day goes down hill. Ugh...will I ever get it? However, there is hope. He who began a good work in me, WILL be faithful to complete it. So, today, I think I'll jump on the hope train, and believe that He will get me through this day! :)

Time For A Change

Okay, so I really have nothing of interest to post, but I was so sick of clicking on this blog and hearing High School Musical that I had to post something so I could change the music! I guess I could have just changed it without posting, but it would mess up the system of trying to match the music with the post! :)

So, we are really busy, but not really...does that make sense? We have nothing that we have to do, but we are doing a lot- of playing, swimming, hanging out, having Wii tournaments, and enjoying the moment. Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying the Summer so far??

I started the Summer Siesta Bible Study Tuesday night, and it was great. All of the girls in my group are great and I am looking forward to getting to know them. The study seems really good. I have only done day one, but when you are already convicted on day one...I'm thinking it's going to be a good one.

Tonight B and I have a date night - yessssss! I am pumped! I am loving these kiddos being home, but it's making me appreciate this date night all the more!

So, that's about it. Told ya I didn't have anything to say! :)
Enjoy the 80's flashback via Howard Jones!

School's Out, Scream and SHOUT!

What time is it?? SUMMERTIME! Whoo Hoo! Well, we finally made it! It's officially Summertime. J finished school and is on his way to third grade (NO WAY...it's hard for me to accept that he is so big!) and right behind him is T who will be making his debut in Kindergarten this fall! Even Ellie Kate is getting in on the school thing...she'll start pre-school at KK this Fall, two days a week! But for now, we are all about Summer!

We took off last Friday on a somewhat spontaneous trip to Little Rock to visit our dear friends. We had a wonderful weekend, just hanging out, swimming in their fabulous neighborhood pool, and visiting. Saturday, the boys woke up and headed out to climb Pinnacle Mountain and had a blast! T was so proud of himself! It was pretty impressive considering they had been up half the night talking and laughing, and then woke up bright and early at 5:58am! After the big climb they all came home and crashed while Amy and I slipped away for a pedicure and a little shopping. We ate dinner at a great burrito place...Moe's and then finished the night off with some backyard s'mores! YUUMMMYYY! We had a GREAT time and are so thankful for their friendship!

This week is off to a great start...we literally have nothing on our calendar that we have to do! So far, we've spent a lot of time playing, hanging out...the boys are getting along great...I know, it's only our second day home, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts, and Ellie Kate is still as busy as ever. She is definitely two. No doubt about it. We'll be hitting the pool the rest of the week and soaking up the sun (while slathered in spf 50 no doubt!) and just plain relaxing!

Happy Summer y'all!

Guess Who's Coming To Our House Tonight....

After losing his first tooth, he actually lost it! We've searched high and low and still no tooth to be found. So, he wrote the Tooth Fairy a little note instead...I'm pretty sure she'll still come...in fact, I think she might even prefer the cute little note to the actual tooth! :)

Friday Fun!

T.G.I.F.!-we are one day closer to the end of school! (3 more days!) I can not get on board with sending my child to school in JUNE! That just isn't right! :) Of course it's also killing him that his little brother finished pre-k a week ago!

Today we are off to swim! It will be my first trip to a "public" pool with the kids in over 3 years! We are so spoiled, because we usually head over to MeMe and Poppy's pool, which is "fabulous" (right Lex?) for many reasons, one of them being that it's small enough to sit in one place and keep your eyes on all the children! I'm not so concerned about Trent-it's miss Ellie Kate that I'll be chasing around all morning...and what could be more fun than running around in your swimsuit in front of everyone chasing your two year old? :) I should probably go ahead and issue an apology for anyone who might be there today and witness this. Oh, but it'll be fun! Really, it WILL be fun!

After our day of fun, we'll be heading back to the ball fields to watch Caleb and Luke play in their play-off games! We are so proud of them! As much as we're ready for baseball to be over, it really is a lot of fun to go and watch these boys play! Good luck guys!

I hope you all have some Friday fun planned! :) It's a beautiful day!

Oh, and one more thing...
I meant to hop online yesterday and write a post to wish my Dad a Happy Birthday, but obviously never got around to it...so even though it's a day late...Happy Birthday Daddy! I am so proud to have you as a father! Spending time with you is one of our favorite things to do-and last night was no exception! WE LOVE YOU!!! (thanks mom for the dinner...I'm "one-hundred-per-sure" that it was one of the best meals you've ever made! hee hee!)

Picture of Grace

If you have a moment, go and read this post. What a beautiful picture of what our Lord has done for all of us. Some of us have more cracks than others, but that doesn't matter to Him. He still loves us and even chooses to use us...cracks and all. Unbelievable.
Thank you Lord for loving me and for putting me back together. I am stunned by your grace and mercy again this morning.

Two in One

This past week brought with it the celebration of two of my dearest friends! Stac and Renae (or 'nae nae as the kids call her) both celebrated their birthdays!

Stacey was the first one out of the "group" that I met. She is so sweet and loving...God has blessed my life through her in many ways. She has such a sweet and tender spirit that always brings such a peace and calm when we're together. She reminds me to slow down and enjoy the moment. For that I am very grateful.

Soon after I met Stac, I met Renae. We really bonded through our boys. They hit it off in pre-school and I guess we did too! :) hee hee! Renae has such a heart and hunger for the Lord. We have shared many, many burdens, joys, cares, prayers, etc...over the past almost 6 years. Soon-too soon- she and her family will be off to Quito to serve the Lord on the mission field. It is hard for me to imagine what life will be like with her not physically here... it will be difficult, no doubt, but I am so proud of her and so excited for this adventure that God is taking her and her family on.

Recently, we were all able to spend the weekend together and I can't even begin to put into words what all I took from that time. Sweet Kalen posted some fun pics of the weekend...but what is most precious to me is what can't be captured on film...the bonds we share, and I know that no matter where the Lord takes us, I have 4 sistas that I can call on at any moment.

Happy Birthday Renae and Stac!

Randomness

Things have been moving at warp speed around our house the past month or so! After Ellie's Bday, we seemed to have something every week...if not every night! I've been meaning to post pics of her party, Trent's Texas Day, Mother's Day etc...but haven't had a chance to get around to it...so I've decided to post a shorter version of it all in one big fat random post! :)

FIRST things FIRST: Welcome to the world sweet baby Rhet, precious son of mycommenterri. How I loved getting to hold you! Can't wait to see you again!



Okay, now to the randomness:
Ellie's bday was a blast! She is a social butterfly if I've ever seen one! She loved having all of her friends and family there to celebrate!




Texas Day! Yippee-Ki-yay! Texas Day was bittersweet this year! I can not believe that it was Trent's last one! He loves Texas Day...well any day that he can dress up in a costume~he loves, but he really loves Texas Day! The songs, the horses, the picnic lunch, face painting and friends! So sweet and so fun!




Our new friend: we looked out our back window and look what we saw!



He lives in our backyard...he hides under the eaves when it rains and lives in one of our flowerbeds! It's really kind of creepy to me, but the kids think it's cool! I am not big on reptiles...and I realized just recently that some people think that is a little silly...like when my neighbor walked down to invite my boys to come up and see their snake eating a toad...GROSS! And that's not all, the next thing I know she is bringing down a huge garter snake for me to check out. Her son wanted to give it to us as a housewarming gift...uh, yeah, thanks but NO thanks!

And lastly, Mother's Day...aaahhh! It came and went all too quickly! :)
We had a wonderful lunch with my family and then spent the afternoon relaxing...a little nap, a little baseball with the kids...it was my favorite so far!



So that's what we've been up to lately. Today, Trent is not feeling too hot. He had to miss his last t-ball game last night...I'm hoping that the fever stays away so he won't have to miss his last day of school tomorrow! :)

Summer's almost here! I think I am ready for it...:)