I Want Him to Get Me a Goat

This past Thursday was Jon and I's anniversary. Well we're both snotty. . . thankfully literally and not figuratively. He had to work late (which he never does), but he just had a project he was working on for the VP of the entire company, so we both agreed it was pretty important. I did make him croissant rolls with hot dogs and cheese (one of his favorite meals). We went to bed at our usual early bedtime and that was that. Happy Anniversary, honey!!! We plan on celebrating today with lunch at a little Irish place not far from his work. On my card Jon gave me he said, "I'll give you your present later."

While this would make a lot of wives mad. . . not me. Jon is very sweet and thoughtful, plus it was just a few hours before this that I was at Wal-mart buying his card. . . so I totally get a procrastinator because I is one too :0)

Anyhoo, the morning after our anniversary I was telling him I wanted a goat for our anniversary. The Lord is really doing some remarkable things in my heart, and so I'm hoping years from now when I read this post it will mark the beginning to something beauty-ful.. . . a beauty-ful work of the Lord in the heart of a girl who desperately needs His grace. . . .starting all with a goat for an anniversary present.

Until then. . .

No Show Friday

It has been such a full day. . . a good, full day. We started off the morning by heading to Jenn G.'s for PJs and pancakes. We had such a wonderful time laughing, sharing our hearts, talking, and just soaking one another up. The kiddos all played and the ladies all gabbed. . . it was wonderful. I left just thanking the Lord for such sweet friendships. Noah and KJ came home with me and Ash went home with Faith. I cleaned and got all the Christmas stuff packed away while the kiddos played.

When Faith and Steve brought Ash home they brought pizza with them and we all hung out and laughed and talked and it, too, was wonderful. We love that family that we share the same last name with so much.

Anyhoo, it seems as if every time we're together the girls a-l-w-a-y-s and I mean a-l-w-a-y-s want to put on shows. I know this sounds horrible, but this is something I really have to make myself watch. Every time I watch them I always think, "They are so precious. I'm really going to miss this one day." However, just making myself break away from adult conversation to watch it. . . I force myself.

Steve actually yelled upstairs, "Sorry girls, it's 'No Show Friday.". Bless their hearts they weren't having it, and Faith and I knew we couldn't break their hearts. Before the show though Faith and I were talking. . . . I wonder what is it that makes them want to put on shows every.single.time we're together????? Just thinking out loud here, is it their creativity and they just want to express themselves OR do they feel like they don't get enough attention, and just want to be the center of attention for 3 or 5 or 9 minutes???? Anybody out there put on shows a lot for your parents as kids? I'm just curious as to why they do this so much? I think for now, I'll just rest with the first guess and call it their creative expression. . . sounds good to me!

And So Christmas Continues. . .

Having a lot of family, which I'm very grateful for, Christmas continues for a few days for us. However, I know amongst a body of junk food, a lack of sleep, and a desire just to soak up my family, I'll not get on this blog and blog about the details of Christmas morning. So, here I am, with no pictures (cause I'm too lazy to download them right now). . . only words.

Christmas Eve was a day like no other. A day that I did not wake up to the sound of an alarm clock. Although I was bright eyed and bushy tailed at 5:30ish, it was really nice to wake up and just talk to the Lord, cuddle up next to my hubby, and just be still. I stayed in my PJs I think until around 2:00 that day. Alec and Jon went to finish up a little last minute Christmas shopping, and I worked on my gift to Jon (a collection of letters from family/community/friends to Jon's Dad with favorite memories of him). The boys got home and we all opened up Alec's Christmas gift to the family. Every year we have a Christmas code (code written on presents to tell whose is whose). If the kiddos guess it, then they get to open one gift on Christmas Eve. This year they cracked it. Those kiddos are getting too smart for their mama. Alec offered his Christmas gift as the one to open. All agreed. Kung-fu Panda 2. We all sat down and watched it together. Then our power went off. . . rats!!! Jon started reading to us a book called, "Christmas Jar". Then everyone coerced me to go and get out of my PJs and get ready so we could go and grab some dinner.

We headed Olive Garden, which was oh.so.yummy then to Marble Slab Creamery (best ice cream ever). We decided to head over to Gigi and Grandaddy's and their power was out. Shucks! Hoping ours was on (which they only live 2 minutes from us), we headed home. I needed to get busy getting yarn all over the house.

Kiddos all piled in Alec's room (their own Christmas Eve tradition). They put the TV in there and all fell asleep watching a movie. I, on the other hand, watched "It's a Wonderful Life" while wrapping presents and proceeding to do "string game", which is a family favorite (minus Jon). It was 10:45ish when everyone gathered around George Bailey and gave his family money to replaced what his uncle had lost (to Potter's hands). I ended the night with my favorite movie of all times and headed to bed . . . 11:00.

4:30sih I awaken to Jon playing with his flashlight. I tease him often and tell him he's the biggest kid in our family. He was flashing it towards the kids room trying to mess with them.

4:55 all out of bed and headed downstairs. We all opened up our gifts and the kiddos were very excited and pleased which makes Jon and I happy. They were so very grateful.

The girls had a surprise for me they were busting at the seams to give to me. I unwrapped a block of wood with a riddle on it which led me up to Ashley's bedroom. (I'll post picture later). My sweet girls had worked oh so very hard to buy me a pair of silver Toms. Can you believe that? Touched my heart so much.

We laid around for a little while, ate breakfast casserole and Happy Birthday Jesus cake, then got ready and went to church. I was happy Gigi and Grandaddy were going with us. However, they didn't sit with us because they didn't want to sit so close. . . I told them they were backrow baptists.

After church we headed to moms, ate, opened gifts, laughed, and just enjoyed one another so much. We were all together which is always a nice treat. I got some good baby love from Emmett. He is a chucka chucka love - absolutely precious!

It was dark when we headed home. We dropped off dinner to Gigi and Grandadddy and headed home.

Probably my favorite part of the whole night we were all gathered in Jon and I's bed and Hanna got this thing called "Paper Jams" - some sort of microphone you sing into. .. she was cracking us up with her questions/comments/commentary etc - asking us favorite memories, favorite presents, worst presents, etc. We are all giggling up a storm. I silently thanked the Lord for that moment with the Fab 5. My eyes were so heavy I was drifting off to sleep, then I'd wake up giggling, drift off to sleep, and the cycle continued until we sent 3 of the Fab 5 to their own beds.

Today, the celebration continues with Jon's family and my Dad.

Makes Me Laugh

Laughter. . . such good medicine for a soul.

This is one thing that cracks me up every time.

This girl. . . she is a hoot and a half. Her chore is to take all the laundry downstairs. She's always coming up with creative ways to do this. This particular morning she was stuffing all the dirty clothes into her clothes.
So. Very.Funny

Christmas Memories

As Christmas day approaches I always think back to times past.

So, to recall a few Christmas memories, I'll start with one that makes me smile and makes me go, "For Real?" at the same time. When I was a little girl my parents told us that the Sandman traveled with Santa. He was there with Santa to make sure no little girls or boys saw Santa. If you got up and Santa was laying out our presents, the Sandman would throw sand in your eyes. Every Christmas morning I would wake up and head into the living room with my eyes barely open. . . feeling a range of emotions, excited about my Christmas presents, yet fearful that the Sandman would throw sand in my eyes.

After we had had Ashley I had been driving a 2-door Toyota Tercel with no air conditioning. We didn't have much money at all. Jon surprised me with a mini van for Christmas. I'll never forget I was on the phone with my friend, JJ, and Jon came home and told me I needed to come outside. . . it was a tan Mercury Villager. . . it was a sweet memory.

I remember one Christmas as a little girl "Santa" leaving our globes outside that we has gotten. It was actually my forgetful mother :)

Then there was the Christmas I had begged and begged my Grandmama to get the Cabbage Patch Kid preemie. I didn't think I was going to get it. She was so sweet. It was under her tree. I was so excited.

And, then the Christmas when I wanted a Jansport backpack and a panda bracelet. . . remember those? Oh, I'm dating myself. My Dad was so sweet to get me both.

The Christmas that brought sweet tears when we gave Jon's Mom and Dad and my Mom old reel photos (anyone know what I'm talking about) put onto a VHS. Sweet, sweet times.

The Christmas that probably brought the most tears to my eyes over and over again was when Jon wrote me a poem called "The Stocking". It is framed and sits in my foyer. It is precious. . .not quite as precious as he is, but precious.

There was that Christmas right before Jon and I said, "I do". I don't remember that Christmas at all, as I was about to be a bride 3 days later. You know one thing I do remember though? I didn't have enough money to buy my bridesmaids gifts. My parents were spent out. My sweet Grandmama gave me $200 that year for Christmas, so I'd have enough money to buy their gifts.

I remember the Christmas on Petticoat Lane. . . we just had Alec and Ashley then. My Daddy was sober for the first time in my life. He spent Christmas Eve night with us. What a special time!

Amongst all of my Christmas memories, I'm reminded of the saying, "The best things in life aren't things". It's the people we share them with. . .

For the Girls

Tonight our church had our annual Christmas program. It's always really good, but honestly, I just wasn't in the mood. My heart is struggling right now, and I'm trying to work through some things in my own head. Anyhoo, Ash, Hanna, and I went to the grocery store this afternoon, got home and unpacked the groceries. It was 5:50 and the girls begged to go to the Christmas program. I took them. We arrived just in the nick of time and even got a good seat.

Boy, the Lord always knows how to meet us at our point of need. The Lord knows my heart, actually better than I know it myself. He knows those things that hurt my heart and the questions I have in my own head of the one that is hurting it. But, He met me exactly where I needed to be met through this wonderful production. Our choir did an outstanding job. I haven't been to worship this good since the Travis Cottrell concert a few months back. My very favorite part was when the lights were off and the choir filed the sanctuary with lighted candles. . . .the whole entire thing really was amazing.

I told each of my girls during the program, "I'm so glad you wanted to come."

And now my heart is full.

Full of the Lord's goodness.

Full of the Lord's grace.

Full of the Lord's mercies.

Full in only a way He can meet me. Praise His glorious name!!!!

The Greener Grass

There are days, thankfully not many days, but days when I do wonder what our lives would actually look like if the children went to school.

Let's see. . . well, rather than a mother who awakens at 4:00 a.m., my children would have a mother that would wake up at 6:00 a.m., prepare them breakfast, get them dressed, and i guess have them at school by 7:30 (is that what time it starts? I'm not sure). Said mother would then go back home, get a work out in, and then proceed on to work while they were in school. Said mother would pick them up with a smile on her face. . . so glad to see them from missing them all day. We'd get home and there would be homemade cookies waiting on them. We'd all sit down and do homework together. Afterwards we'd sing koombaya (sp???), and all would be bliss. They would see a mother who was happy all the time, full of energy, full of life, no frustrations. They would get along exceptionally well because they would have not seen one another all day.

Well, at least this is how I imagine it anyway.. . .

Can't our imaginations do that to us, set us up for disappointment and not reality? The reality of the above scenario is that it doesn't exist, and I'm so thankful for Jon and his encouragement over the 10 years we've been homeschooling. Otherwise, I would have put all the chidlren in school many years ago. But . . .if they were in school I'd miss out on this.

The looks of their little faces (yes, even the 14-year-old) as they learn.

I'd miss out on long lunches when we ask one another silly questions and learn even more . . . about one another.

I'd miss out on their fighting . . . and trying to teach them how to resolve things and point them to Christ and the cross.

I'd miss the giggles.

I'd miss out on the endless, and I do mean, endless chatter.

I'd miss them being on my heels all day. . . for one day I will blink and they will be no longer be on my heels, only my heart.

I'd miss trips to the grocery store and knowing every.single.food they like, dislike, what makes them smile, what makes them gag.

I'd miss the opportunities to teach them to honor me. . . not because I say so, but because God says so.

I'd miss the tattle telling. . . well, I'm not really sure I'd really miss that one.

I'd miss the odd stages of life (like the 11-year-old right now) teaching them to navigate muddy waters and find out who they really are.

I'd miss them telling me really cool stuff they are learning about.

I'd miss the time. . .

For although MUCH is required of me, much more than just researching curriculum, putting together lesson plans, grading papers, teaching, the discipline to both work and homeschool. . . the MUCH of that is my time. And, do you know how children spell love?

T-I-M-E

So, although there are days when the grass on this side is dull, lifeless, lacking in vibrancy, and the mom on this side of the hill is just craving some time all to herself. . . that will come, much sooner than I think and much sooner than I want. Prayerfully and hopefully I am making a great impact on my children for the kingdom of Christ . . . that they will grow in Him and be mighty warriors for Him. . . all for His glory and honor.

Until then, I'll keep my tent pitched on this side of the hill. . . no matter how much more greener and vibrant the other side looks.

A Time for Cold

You don't have to read this blog for very long to know that we are true and blue through and through for soccer.

Well, at least I thought we were. I draw the line at being true and blue, through and through at 30 degrees on the soccer field.

That's how it was this past weekend. We had a tournament. Goodness gracious, when you have to pull out a blanket to take with you . . . that means it's time for soccer to be over.

Look at my boys. . . especially the bigger one who wears shorts in 50-degree weather. You know if they are bundled up THIS much, then it is C-O-L-D!!!
Hanna and I were bundled up tight as well.
Poor Ash. . . we left her with her team for the 45 minutes they practiced and crawled back into the heated van.

Then, to top it off, I didn't take a single picture of my soccer girl. . . I stink, I know.

I really was too busy trying to cheer our soccer team on to at least one victory.

No dice - they lost all 3 games.

Meanwhile, Hanna got a hold of the camera. Here's the pictures she took.
I'm actually quite impressed. They're better pictures than I take.
Here's putting soccer to rest until March. Thank goodness. I don't think I could hack another cold weekend like we just had :)

An Old Memory Served Like Sweet Tea

This was the riddle we got a few weeks back. Jon came home telling the kids and I he had a surprise for all of us. He was so sweet and fun to give us a riddle.

An old memory served like sweet tea.

What?

I even posted it on facebook to get help from my friends.

Friday when Jon got home we all piled in the van. . . here are the surprisees (well minus one, but I was taking the picture) Jon had also told us that I would probably like it most, then the girls, and Alec would probably like it, but would pretend like he doesn't.

Here is the surpriser.
I just love, love, love surprises. I actually thought it was in a totally different town. When Jon started heading south, I was totally clueless as to where we were going.

About 10 minutes away, Alec and I saw a billboard advertising.

An old memory - Disney World - we've been (I think??) 9 times.

Served like sweet tea - how is sweet tea served? Cold - cold as ice.

Disney on Ice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was E-C-S-T-A-T-I-C!!!
This is a show we've all wanted to see for many years now, but just never wanted to spend the money.
It was fabulous.
You'd think our kids would be too old for it now, but they really enjoyed it.
The skaters were so.very.talented.




What a great time we had. I'm so very thankful for such a thoughtful, sweet, and fun husband. He gave us a night we will remember. . . Memories are precious. It's something that can't be taken away from you!

Getting Our Jingle On

The title is courtesy of my friend, Bethany. . . I saw this on facebook where she was congratulating Lydia and I for our run. . . Cute title, huh?

Several of our friends were running a local 5K in town. It's been oh so very long since I've run a 5K, and speed is not something I've worked on lately. In fact, running has really stunk with a capital "S" for me in the past few weeks.

I was somewhat nervous. I thought I'd probably finish in the 26-minute range somewhere, but would be ecstatic if I were in the 24-minute range. Lydia and I decided to try and finish strong together.

Terrible friend and competitor I am. . . there is just something within me that when i hear "go" . . . that is what I do. . . and what I did. I went and just ran, not waiting on anyone. I felt terrible, but Ang. H. and Lydia were together, so that helped me a little.

Anyway, I was super stoked because I won the overall female at a time of 23 minutes flat. What???? I couldn't believe it. My best 5K time ever is 22:50, and that was when I was running ALOT. Oh wow. I'm telling you I was so excited about the 23 flat time. Makes me excited to get back into running 5Ks again.

Here's our race crew minus Stephanie. . . not sure where she was when this was taken.

This was Lydia's first 5K and she won her age group. Whoo hoo!
Here I am in the car with my metal.

Seeing the World Through Gospel-Centered Glasses

A person who I just look up to and admire. . . a person who just oozes Jesus. . . a person that I tease with and say, "Never, ever have I wished I were a man except to be discipled by you". He's precious. I will leave his name free from this blog, but many friends may know him based on the description above.

I was talking with him at Chick-fil-A one day and he was just oozing Jesus as normal. The things that I caught that he said that have stuck with me were 2 things.

1) "I make it a practice of forgiving the moment of offense." (the Lord knew I needed this literally a week before I left for Guyana. . . I know, I know. . . I need to blog about my trip and SHARE). But this post isn't about this quote.

2. ". .. seeing the world through Gospel-centered glasses." I loved that!!! He was actually talking about a movie he had watched and it had nothing to do with the Gospel, yet he pulled it in and related it to the Gospel.

Well, I have been following the advice of my very wise friend, and both of these things have totally changed my vision and view of things. When I watch movies, Gospel-centered glasses are what I wear. When I hear someone telling a story, Gospel-centered ears are what I hear with. Forgiving the moment I'm offended. . . I've learned so much about forgiveness AND myself putting this one into practice. I've learned the longer I hold onto an offence, the harder it is to forgive. I've also learned for me I have to put my forgiveness into action. I just can't "say" I forgive. . . I really need to do something so that I know in my heart I've truly forgiven. I've also learned how to detect when my mouth is saying "I've forgiven", but my heart has not. What does that person's presence do to me? What does the mention of their name make me feel or think? If I'm at peace with a person who has hurt me, then their presence/mention of their name, etc. makes me feel no ill feelings or ugly thoughts whatsoever. . . in fact, I don't even remember the offence. After all, if we are suppose to forgive as we've been forgiven, then that means we remember no more, that the offence is as far as the east is from the west.

I'm so thankful how God uses people in my life to bring me closer to Him.