What a wonderful Christmas!

This year was one of the best Christmases we've had in a long time. Not that all the others are bad. But I can't think of anything terrible that happened this year. Not anything important anyway. Everyone seemed in good spirits and we all had a great time.

We went to Jeff's mom's Sunday afternoon. His niece's baby, Braden, reminds me so much of Dylan when he was little. And he is certainly into everything! I don't have any pictures from that occassion because I grabbed my camera on the way out the door but forgot that I had taken out the memory stick to have the photos I'd already taken printed. So when I got there, I had no stick and could not take any pictures!

Later that night, me and the girls went to help my mom clean and get ready for Christmas Eve. All of our extended family comes over for a big feast! LOL And because Kayti loves to cook, Mom invited her to sleep over and help her cook. I think she had a great time. I know she certainly got to cook a lot!

We were late getting to mom's the next day. I'd been trying to download music all day and just couldn't get it together and that pushed me behind schedule a little bit. Oh the things that happen when we don't prioritize!

But we made it, ate a wonderful Christmas dinner and then played our Dirty Santa game. As usual, it was hysterical! I ended up with a gift card to Academy, which I gave to Dylan. Jeff got a new coffee maker and Dylan got a roll of toilet paper!!! But that was good because the toilet paper had money rolled up in it! Poor Nett ended up with hair weave!! We had the biggest laughs with that, though!

After the game, my mom asked some of us what was good in our lives--what we are thankful for. I had to go first!

Of course, I'm thankful first and foremost for God's grace. But I'm also blessed with a wonderful family who gave me a great childhood--one that I hope I'm passing on to my own kids. And I'm extra blessed to have the family I have now with three beautiful children. And my wonderful husband, who stands by me through everything and backs me up no matter what I try to do. Whether it's go to college, travel off to foreign countries leaving him home with the kids or homeschooling, he is always very supportive. And he does it all despite his illness, usually working 50 or more hours each week so that we can do what we do. He is the best!



(I made the girls' outfits, by the way)



After a few more people told what they were thankful for, my mom asked my sister's boyfriend Chris. He got all choked up when he talked about his family and then my sister. He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring and asked her to marry him!!!

A few of us were wise to this plan and that's why mom had invited his family over, too. But some weren't and I don't think my sister was either. A total surprise. (see slideshow). Then we all toasted the newly engaged couple and just enjoyed the rest of the evening. I think Brooke is more excited than anyone--she thinks she is going to get to be a flower girl! LOL I told her she would just have to wait and see what kind of wedding Mia wants to have.

We came home, got ready for bed:



I also made the girls' pajamas!

The next morning, the kids woke up fairly early like they always do on Christmas. We decided years ago that three gifts was good enough for Jesus and therefore, good enough for us. So each took turns opening up gifts one and two. Gift three was a joint gift (sort of)--a scavenger hunt. See Christmas Morning slideshow for pictures. But here are the clues:

Clue #1--

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You're supposed to have three gifts
But here's only two
To find the last gift
You'll have to be smart
The next clue is located
Behind Mom's favorite _______

Of course they had to figure out it was behind my favorite Renoir hanging in the living room!

Clue #2--

How smart ya'll are!
Of course that we knew
The next clue is located
On something Brooke likes to do!

Brooke LOVES to play piano and that's where they found the next clue!

Clue #3--

Yes Brooke plays piano
Now the next place to look
Is in something used by
Kayti the _____________

Everyone knows how Kayti loves to cook and so they found the next clue in the oven!

Clue #4--

You're doing great!
Let's keep up the fun
The next clue is behind the picture
Of our number one son!

Gee, wonder who our number one son is? LOL They found the last clue behind Dylan's football picture!

Last clue--

Are you getting tired?
Well don't give up yet
Next go and look
where we park our corvette!
(or where we would if we had one!)

They went to the garage and Kayti and Brooke each discovered a new bike and Dylan found a new spinning reel. (Have I ever mentioned the kid loves to fish?)

Next, they emptied their stockings and found more little goodies and I began to cook our Christmas breakfast while we waited on my Mom, Dad, sisters and significant others to come over. They always come Christmas morning to see what Santa brought. Jeff's parents came by for a while, too. Then we took our Christmas naps!

The next day, my house looked like a tornado had been through! I spent all day long cleaning, taking down Christmas stuff, reorganizing and throwing stuff out until my back ached! But it was all worth it! We had a fabulous Christmas and hope you did, too!

Blessings!

The Alabama Theatre

Last night, we took our annual trip to the historic Alabama Theatre to see my all-time favorite movie, It's a Wonderful Life.

Yes, I'm a sappy, nostalgic, nut but I laugh and cry every time I see that movie. How wonderful it would have been to have lived in such a time when right was right, wrong was wrong, roles were clearly defined and people genuinely loved and cared about each other.

And the theme of the movie--that friends and family is more important than money and success. Well, it may be a tad naive in today's "real world" but it's still a nice idea. Wish the whole world felt that way and not just a few of us suckers!

Anyway, my sister met us downtown to see it with us. I just LOVE that theatre. I would give anything to work there. Last year, the girls and I got to tour the place with the Clay Seniors. We got to hear interesting pieces of history about the theatre, stories about the restoration process, see parts of the theatre that the public doesn't normally see. It's all so beautiful! I'm glad we made it one of our Christmas traditions. It really puts me in the mood for this time of year!

You can't go home again...

Last weekend, I was driving through Tarrant and saw that my childhood home was up for sale and empty. I've been wanting to go back through it for awhile now. My parents sold it and moved out 11 years ago--two weeks after Kaytibug was born. My girls are now interested in when I was a little girl. I share things that happened, the way things were and memories with them all the time.

So I went to my mom's, collected her and the girls and we went down to see if we could see in the windows or something. Surprisingly, the doors were unlocked. After yelling out to make sure it was indeed empty, we took our tour.

It was dirty and run down which was sad. It was a nice house when my parents left it. And I guess I was expecting it to be like it is in the movies, like when Scrooge steps back into his past or something and it wasn't that way at all. It definitely was not our home anymore. But there were still traces of my childhood left.

When I was a very little girl, I had the middle bedroom and it was painted bright pink with bright pink carpet. There was still some of that carpet in the closet and the wallpaper was the same in the closet, too--very old, very 50's-60's--it was OLD when I was a kid!

The smaller bedroom I had as a teenager was almost exactly the same! The paneling was still up and even the lion lightswitch plate was still there (it had been my little sister's room before it was mine). I once hung some paper up on the wall to paint and the paint bled through onto the paneling. I remember my parents being so mad because we couldn't get it off. Guess what? It's STILL there! LOL

The carpet in the den was the same, architectural details that my dad built himself were still there--the stone tile above the stove in the kitchen, all the cabinets and countertops he made with his bare hands, the custom bar and wineglass rack, the custom closets in certain rooms, sliding glass doors, the corian sinkless counter in the bathroom, the enclosure for the waterheater (however, for some stupid reason, the waterheater had been moved to another room!) in the bathroom...

When my mom got license for her daycare, the DHR made her put decals on the sliding glass doors so the kids would not walk through them (stupid, I know) but they were still there also. The cross ties my dad laid down in the yard to make a play area and sandbox for my sister were still there and even a pole that my biological father had installed in the backyard near the fence to make a dog pin. I don't think I was even born yet when that was done.

It was all so surreal. Neat but sad at the same time. Sad that it wasn't our home anymore because there are so many warm memories from that house. Sad that someone had let it get in that condition. Sad that the neighborhood has gone so downhill when it used to be such a great place to live and raise a family.

I guess I'm naive to think that going back in it would have somehow transported me back in time to a magical moment. And I'm not saying my life is crap now--it's not, it's wonderful. I guess I'm a tad too nostalgic!

Baby get ready, get set, don't go....

That is my favorite song right now--the song by Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter, Miley aka Hannah Montana. My girls are just in love with her and I am crazy about her, too. There are so few positive role models for girls their age these days and she's a pretty good one. And the fact that her dad is someone I like and not hard to look at makes it all the easier! LOL

But this song he wrote for her is about her growing up, having her own dreams and getting ready to be out on her own and him knowing that it's what's best for her but at the same time wanting so badly to hang onto her. I know EXACTLY what he's feeling!

Dylan is driving now and it's yet another reminder of how my baby boy is almost a grownup! And if the next three years fly by like the last fifteen, I don't know how I'll handle it when he is ready to leave the nest. My God, where did the time go? Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital yesterday? I am so not ready for this. What am I going to do with myself when all my babies are gone? My mom is finding this out now as my youngest sister just moved out. How she is functioning daily is another of God's miracles.

I know He has a plan for each of my children and I am so excited to see it unfold in their lives but at the same time, I want to make the most of the time He has given me with them. I wonder every day what kind of job I have done, am doing and will do. Everything we do as parents writes on the slate of who these precious children are going to be. Will they remember when we lost our tempers and spanked them in anger, screamed at them to be quiet so we could watch some stupid show or made a careless comment about how much money they cost us? Or will they remember the countless hours spent at the ball field in the freezing cold, the sleepless nights when they were puking and running a fever, or all the hours spent baking cookies, doing crafts, driving to vacation, playing in the backyard or snuggling under the covers with a book. God I pray I've done more good than harm and that I continue to be mindful of what a blessing it is to be their mom.

I got to see my "baby" boy wrestle this week. He did not win but he is so good. He doesn't go down easily! Not sure how he got to be such a scrapper!

And my girls placed 2nd again in the Gingerbread House competition!



That's about all that's new with us. Have a blessed week!

A Whirlwind of Thanksgiving

It has been so extremely busy around here!! I knew it would be though what with the holidays and all. I rearranged all my furniture in the house to make room for our humongous Christmas tree. I really like everything this way. It feels a lot more cozy and homey in here. Brooke had her Campfire Sleepover a few weeks ago. They had a blast and she was officially welcomed into Tina's Adventure Club since Mommy is retired as a Camp Fire leader!



The next night, her friend Lauren came over to spend the night and they had a good time. The three of them--Kayti, Brooke and Lauren played really well together most of the time. The next morning, we got up early because I promised to bring Lauren to church at NorthPark and the rest of us decided to visit again, too. I visited Lauren's parents SS class and I think I may have finally found my place. Of course I want Jeff to visit first before we decide and he had stayed home that day to work on my van, which he fixed, praise God! But then he met us at Fronterra for lunch with Lauren's family.

But more on NorthPark...the pastor was speaking about being a good steward of your family and he said something that touched me deeply. He said that too many parents drill it into their kids heads to "go to college, make a lot of money" and while there is certainly nothing wrong with those things, what we should be focusing on is teaching our children and encouraging them to follow God's plan for their lives. I was convicted! Since the day we brought Dylan home from the hospital, we have dressed him in Alabama Tshirts and talked about him going to Alabama one day and making lots of money so he doesn't have to struggle like we do sometimes! I apologized to him as soon as we got into the car and told him that I hope he knows that we will love him no matter what he decides to do with his life but we hope that he does indeed follow God's lead and not ours.

The next day, the girls and I were at the library and we checked out the following book:


The Legend of the Three Trees


The book is about 3 trees. One wanted to be a treasure chest. One wanted to be a huge ship that would carry a king and the other wanted to be a towering tree that would remind everyone of God's creation and pointing people to God.

The first tree was disappointed when he was cut down and made into a feeding troth for some animals. The second tree was disappointed when he was cut down and made into a simple fishing boat. And the third tree was struck down by lightening, forgotten and eventually taken to a scrap yard.

Years passed and long story short, the first tree ended up being the manger that held the Baby Jesus--the greatest treasure of all. The second tree ended up being the fishing boat that Jesus (the TRUE king) was on when He calmed the storm. And the third tree ended up being the cross--still pointing the way to God today!

It was a wonderful story that just went right along with your message that even though we have big plans for ourselves and our children, God's plans are even greater!!!

So I know God is speaking to me here!

Monday night, Brooke had her CampFire Thank you party:



Dylan was out of school the entire week of Thanksgiving but he still had wrestling. He lost his wrestle-off against the other guy in his weight class so he did not actually get to participate in the tournament they had on Wednesday but he still wanted to go and watch for a bit so I dropped him off and he hung out for awhile. Jeff got off early on Wednesday and then we went shopping for Dylan's birthday gifts. I borrowed an idea from my parenting guru, Lisa Whelchel but I tweaked it a little to better fit our family. Here's what he got for his birthday:

First, a plain birthday card that read "Dylan, we are overwhelmed when we think of the outstanding young man you are becoming. It has been our joy to be your parents. You are the best son we could have asked for. Thank you for the privelege of being your parents. Love, Mom & Dad and now...the presents!!

A savings account and a Dave Ramsey book--Part of being an adult is learning to handle money. I wish I knew so I could teach you! Seriously, good habits are best learned young. the older you get, trust me, the more difficult it is to change your behavior or correct your mistakes (and everybody makes them!) Please do better than we have in this area! Take advantage of the resources you have and the opportunity to learn. Read this book. Get into the habit of tithing to God first. He will supply your every need--and most of your wants! Be a saver. There is so much value in delayed gratification and her's some help getting started!

A Family Guy DVD--A sense of humor is very important and I'm so glad you have one. Too few people do these days and thought it is also important to make good choices regarding music, TV and movies, it is all about balance. Each of us knows when our line has been crossed. That line is a wonderful gift from God and I hope that we've done a good job of teaching you how to discern for yourself what things are pleasing and not to just follow the crowd on anything--good or bad.

An Alabama Crimson Tide toothbrush--You have been blessed with a fierce loyalty to the things you know and love. It is perhaps your most admirable quality. Don't ever lose it. Roll Tide!

A chocolate cigar--Hopefully you won't have to deal with friends trying to get you to smoke cigars (or anything else!), drink, do drugs or make other bad choice s. But the people you surround yourself with over the next few years will become increasingly important to the way your life turns out. You've always been very selective--make sure with each new relationship you ask yourself, "will this friend (or girlfriend) draw me away from the things of God or stand with me to make good choices?"




A photo collage with family pictures--Other than Jesus, there is no more important relationship in life than the one with your family. Your dad and I have both been blessed in this way and it is--always has been--our greatest goal to pass that blessing along to you kids. Value your family as your greatest treasure.

An Academy gift card--From today forward, we will listen to your requests and desires more. We want to be able to communicate with you openly and honestly about everything. Though we are your parents first and foremost, we are also your friends. No one loves you more and no one ever will (except for God). We will always be in your corner. Not only when you succeed but when you fail. We want you to know you can trust us as we know we can trust you!

On Thanksgiving, we went to Jeff's mom's for dinner and then to my aunt's for dessert. We got to see my cousin's stepson, Heath and his family! I had not seen Heath in quite awhile. He was ringbearer at our wedding and is just a few years younger than my sister, Melanie. He was a rebellious teen and they had a lot of trouble out of him but he has really grown up!

Me and the girls spent the night with Mom Thanksgiving night and my sister, Melanie did, too so we could all get up and go shopping together on Black Friday! We had a blast! We started out in Fultondale/Gardendale and then mom took us to lunch at Habeneros and then we hit the Galleria and other Hoover shopping. I, of course, spent more money than I had planned to but I did get some good deals on things I needed for gifts and to decorate the house. I'm not normally an enthusiastic shopper--people get on my nerves when I'm out like that but the day after Thanksgiving, when you would expect shopping to be at its worst, I actually enjoy it. I don't know if it's a spirit of the season in the air or what but I'm not as bothered being out that day. We had a great time and were gone most of the day. While we were out, my dad friend us a turkey and then Jeff came to pick us up.

Saturday was the Iron Bowl and Dylan had friends over to celebrate his birthday. Alabama lost but everyone still had fun.

Sunday, we went to Lower Shadow Lake to make our Christmas Card picture: I can't decide which one I'm going to use. Any votes?





Then we came home and put up the tree!




Yesterday, Dylan stayed out of school again and we drove to Oneonta so he could take his driver's permit test. (we tried at CenterPoint TWICE last week when he was out of school and both times the line was so long we were turned away) He passed--he only missed one question! So look out, everyone! There's another teen driver on the roads of Clay!

Today, we resume our regular homeschooling routine and continue our preparations for the Christmas season. I just love this time of year!

What I'm Reading This Week



It's Christmas, right? So I have to read something about Christmas! I actually read this book a few years ago when I first bought it. Yes, it's another Lisa Whelchel--are you noticing a pattern here? I just love her philosophy on everything--the Lord, family, being a mother, etc.

Since rededicating my life to the Lord five years ago, all I have heard is other Christians complain about how Christ is lost in the shuffle of the holiday hustle and bustle. They complain that stores say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" and they stop participating in holiday rituals that once meant alot to them as children. I've always found that very sad. I think God loves it all. Of course, with everything, there has to be balance but the intro to this book, The ADVENTure of Christmas says it better than I ever could. Lisa writes:

If you were to ask my children, "What is the meaning of Christmas?" they would dutifully reply, "The birth of Jesus." But I know them better than that. To these three little ones, Christmas is really about opening presents, baking cookies, decorating the tree, and stringing twinkle lights with Daddy.

Sure, we read the Christmas story, attend candlelight services, and quote the obligatory, "Jesus is the reason for the season" while simultaneiously wiping tears from their eyes and drool off their chins in the Barbie aisle of Toys R Us. But if you could see into my children's hearts, you would understand that, to them, Christmas is not only about the birth of Jesus--it's also about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

I recently learned that celebrating Christmas is not far from the heart of God. Feeling like Jesus had gotten lost in the frenzy of the holiday season, I asked the Lord to show me what I could do to teach my children the true meaning of Christmas. I was caught off-guard when He simply replied, "Don't do anything differently. Look in the middle of the celebration and you will find Me."

How awesomely true is that?! The Bible even tells us that in everything we do, do it for the Lord! So rest assured, when we visit Santa, when we shop, when we bake and do crafts, we are doing it all for the glory of God and celebrating His greatest gift!


Blessings!

And yet another busy week!

Every day this past week has been involved with something to do with the school play--rehearsals, dress rehearsals, cast party and finally the big performance! It went great! This play was even better than last year's. I like musicals but I'll take a comedy over that anyday and this one was great. All the kids did really good. Here are a few pictures:





This is Brooke as Vivian Nonsuave, a picnic girl, dressed in circa 1965.



This is Kayti as Mama Sheep.

They had a pancake/pajama party for a cast party. They played several very fun games, one of which was a scavenger hunt which had to be done while traveling with a group underneath a sheet!





Other family news...

We have adopted a soldier! I won't share his name just yet (would like to get his permission first) and I don't have any pictures but he is a young soldier with a pregnant wife and two small children and just beginning his second deployment. We are praying for him and his family and sending items of need and encouragement throughout his deployment. Please join us in praying for him and for all our brave men and women proudly serving our country.

What I'm reading this week

Lucky Man by Michael J. Fox

In this candid autobiography, he describes his life's accomplishments and his struggle with Parkinson's disease since his diagnosis in 1991. I have been in love with Michael J. Fox since his Family Ties days. Everyone told me I was nuts. During an era when my peers where pining for Erik Estrada on Chips or Van Halen's David Lee Roth, short little Michael J. Fox had my heart! I don't know why, just something about him was cute to me. I was elated and I felt my crush on him vindicated when he went on to be a big star in Back to the Future and other films. I can pick 'em! LOL

He is so talented and though I hate to hear about anyone's suffering, it really hits home when someone you grew up watching, someone who is so talented and such a great person is faced with the challenge of a dibilitating illness such as Parkinson's. But I totally understand his perspective of how an illness can be a blessing in many ways. Having been through Crohn's disease with Jeff, God uses everything in our lives to bless us and to teach us what's really important in this life. I'm glad he has learned that and is using his fame to bring attention to the need for better research. I really pray that better treatments and a cure is discovered in his lifetime.

What a week!

We have been so busy this past week and the next week is going to be pretty much the same. I would imagine it will probably be that way until after the holidays.

Monday, the girls and I went to the Pumpkin Patch. We picked the absolute perfect day to go! We had the entire place practically to ourselves! No school field trips, no big crowds of families with whiney babies. Just us and a few others. We even got discounted admission to the inflatable park which was good since it didn't take the girls long to get bored with that. And the weather was just beautiful. We took our hayride, picked out our pumpkins, looked around the giftshop, had a funnel cake and then we were on our way home. We spent more time at the courthouse! LOL

Here are some pictures:








Tuesday we made Halloween cookies for the dance parties and carved our pumpkins:



The girls and their dance teachers:





On Wednesday, we went to Mom's for a Halloween party with her daycare kids:



The girls did a Halloween puppet show:



We played some games and had treats. This is my mom's dog, Maggie:



That night we went trick-or-treating and hit a few church festivals. Then we set our pumpkins outside:



Thursday was play practice, violin and track practice in addition to all our usual Thursday stuff. We remembered at the last minute we were supposed to do Children's Theatre so we high-tailed it downtown in time to get caught up in all the Christmas Village traffic! We couldn't find a place to park so we went to the Art Museum instead.

We found an antique vanity desk at a yard sale in Moody and we took it home, refinished it and put it in the girls' room. They just love it! I had one just like it when I was a litle girl.

Friday was co-op and then the girls wanted to go shopping for some items to keep in their vanity.

Saturday morning was Brooke's track meet and I am so proud of her! She ran her course (3k-nearly 2 miles, I can't even WALK 2 miles!) in 18 minutes 16 seconds. She placed 2nd and is currently thinking about doing the State meet.

Crossing the finish line:


With her awards:


Afterward we went to mom's for the Alabama/LSU game.

Today, Jeff and I celebrate 18 years of marriage!

What I'm reading

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31rw3qOV4oL._AA115_.jpg

I can never get enough of Lisa! Her stories inspire me to be a better mom and to look toward the eternal and not just the everyday. I highly recommend any and all of her books!

Blessings for a great week!

My prayer for today...

Lord Jesus,

I just praise you for all that you've done in my life. I so do not deserve any of it nor do I deserve the things I'm about to ask. Please know I do recognize you at work in my life. You've saved me time and time again from my own self, from the messes I create and it frustrates me that I can never do anything to deserve the blessings I've been given. I know that's what grace is all about but the whole concept of it just is so overwhelming that I could be looked at and loved by you....it just blows me away.

You know my heart, Lord. You know I desire for my family to REALLY be on fire for You, Jesus. We've dropped out of church because we were hurt by others--sinners, just like us and we can't seem to find our way back. I try and I try to let go, to forgive, to move on and I just seem to keep getting in my own way. I want to submit to my husband, Lord but he won't lead! Someone has to take charge around here! I try to be patient and wait for you to speak to his heart and I beg your forgiveness that I'm so impatient. My heart screams like a child wanting something NOW NOW NOW! Lord help me remember that you are a loving parent to your daughter and that you always have my best interest at heart and that for now it is your will for me to "wait".

You know I fall short in so many ways of modeling a godly woman for my children. I confess to being double minded sometimes and don't try hard enough to live in this world without being of it.

We have not been responsible with the things you've given us and now we are struggling once again. I'm frustrated that it seems we have so little when we don't even want a whole lot to begin with. I just want to be able to homeschool and be there for my family while my bills get paid on time, to be able to tithe like we're supposed to, give generously to others and have a little left over to have a little fun. I know this is so selfish because there are so many going to bed without anything to eat and we do have full bellies. Lord help me to fully trust you and help my husband to realize how blessed we are, too. Sometimes it wears on me trying to stay upbeat and optimistic and get him to be that way when I'm scared myself.

And Lord, I don't know how to witness to my extended family anymore. I love them dearly. Please show me how to get them to know you like I do without it sounding like I'm judging them because you know I'm not, Lord. You see all of us sinners, your children, the same just as I love all of my own children the same, no matter what they do.

Forgive me, your humble daughter and show me the way!

Week of October 15-19, 2007

Same ol' same ol'

Last Monday, we had a few prayers answered and things are looking up a bit now. Though I'm always content, it's hard to maintain a spirit of contentment when everyone around you is stressed out. Anyway...

I did get a good start on the girls play costumes though I'm not finished. Dylan signed up for wrestling. I'm taking a 'wait and see' attitude on it. I'm not thrilled about it but he'll probably be okay. I read through the information and they seem to keep a better eye on athletes' weight, etc. than they did in Jeff's day.

We did not get to do Race for the Cure but many of my in-laws did. Hopefully, Brooke will get to do the Maple Leaf Run this weekend. My mother-in-law says I did not miss anything and that the Race for the Cure is getting too big--too many people. There is no history of breast cancer in my family but other types of cancer, yes. I have also known a few people that have had it and having nursed three babies and married a confirmed "boob man", this is a cause I do care about!

Monday was Amelia Woo day at Chic Fil A in Trussville and the girls and I worked a few hours. At last count, they had collected a substantial amount to help with her treatments. Her aunt was very excited and touched as was the manager. Such a beautiful young lady, Amelia is, it's a terrible tragedy. It makes me nervous for Dylan to get his permit next month, there are so many young people getting in serious accidents around here. Don't think I won't be praying hard!

Today was the sock hop and Brooke had a ball! I am posting pictures to our homeschool blog. But she won the hula hoop contest, she danced and had a great time. Things did not go so well for my "middle child". She got frustrated because she couldn't hula hoop very well and things went downhill from there for her. Please pray for my sweet daughter. I don't know why she can't be confident and satisfied and why she always seems to make things worse than they are for herself. I try so hard to encourage her but it never seems to be enough.

What I'm Reading This Week



This one I have actually already finished! I don't know what it is about these books (the Yada Yada series) but I have found them to be more helpful and more uplifting than any sermon I've ever heard. Sadly, this is the last book in the series but the author, Neta Jackson, is already hard at work on another series due to debut in 2009. Hurry, Neta!! I'm looking forward to it!




I'm sure I'm not unique in that I take my role as a mom very seriously. I know I'm not perfect by any means and as such, I'm always looking for insight, advice, etc. My own mother has been an invaluable source of information, strength and encouragement to me for the last 15 years and I'm thankful to have her. She is by far my "parenting guru". Of course, all wisdom and strength comes from THE parent, our heavenly Father. And I'm so thankful when he leads me to other Christian women like Lisa Whelchel, Karol Ladd and Vicki Courtney. I'm about halfway through with Your Boy and I already feel an intense kinship with the author. The way she described her feelings after giving birth to her firstborn son is EXACTLY the way I felt when Dylan was born. And yet I laugh when I learn that I am not the only mom who embarasses her son by cheering him on in the different areas of his life. I think that's in our job description, right? Anyway, I'm learning so much and highly recommend this read for all mothers of boys regardless of their age.

What God is Teaching me

God has been silent this past week and I hate when He does that! LOL I've been praying hard for so many things this week and I don't seem to be getting answers (unless it's "no" or "wait", which apparently it is!) and I keep giving myself pep talks. "Keep trusting. He has promised to never leave nor forsake you." So I'm holding onto that right now. During our Bible study this week, the girls and I read about Jesus going into the wilderness for 40 days and being tempted by Satan when He was at His weakest. I've heard the story before but when I read it this time, my blood ran cold. Waiting on answers, I've been so tempted to take matters into my own hands. I am so glad I resisted that temptation. That is no credit to me, however, because it is only through Him that I was strong. Without Him, I most definitely am nothing. So I continue to wait for the Lord.

As promised...

Here is Kayti's "Car Hop Girl" costume!

Week ending October 7, 2007

It's been a long, hard week and very discouraging week. I'm so glad it's over. Nothing devastating happened but it's just one of those lame weeks where nothing GOOD is happening, you're stressed beyond imagination about something really stupid and you just gotta think next week will be better. Somehow.

Wednesday, I worked for my mom for a few hours, if that. I got to hold a newborn baby for about an hour and watch a few more. I sometimes wish I could have more children, even if it is the last thing I need.

Friday, Jeff worked at the football game and I have spent the entire weekend sewing! I sewed Brooke's costume for the school play. I still have to add buttons and a belt. It's supposed to look like 1965 so I went with small purple gingham (material I had leftover from another project since I am so broke!) and I modified a previous pattern to make a sleeveless sundress. It looks pretty close.

Then I finished Kayti's 50's/Halloween costume. She wanted to be a carhop girl. The skirt, the petticoat and the apron were no problem but the shirt was a pain in the neck. But I managed to get through it! I will post pictures as soon as the batteries in my camera are charged up.

I still have to figure out what I'm going to do about Kayti's costume for the play. She is supposed to be a mama sheep. I am supposed to get a white sweatsuit and attach cotton but I can't envision it. Plus I don't have those things on hand already and like I said--I'm busted. It'll have to wait until Thursday and then I'll have to bust a move Thursday night and get it done because the costume parade is Friday!

What I'm reading/read this week:





Liz Curtis Higgs' Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible This is the choice of Lisa Whelchel's book club so I'm trying to keep up with that and finding it all very interesting. How encouraging that such extraordinary women who found favor with the Lord were also flawed--like me! Maybe it's not too late for me, huh? LOL



Also Real-Life Homeschooling by Rhonda Barfield. I really enjoy hearing others' homeschooling stories. Why they homeschool, how they do it, what a typical day for them is like, etc. I find this, too, very encouraging.

What God is teaching me

I am continuing through the Psalms and also finished 1 & 2 Peter this week. I continue to ask for His wisdom and strength because I'm really needing it right now. This week's reading gives me the chance to once again cast eyes on one of my favorite all time scriptures:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I'm casting, believe me! And it would be hard to be more humble than I have been this week. I know without a doubt that God will bring us through all trials, even the ones that are our own fault. But I have always been a detail-oriented person and I am concerned with the how, where, when, who, what, and why. I want to KNOW what God is going to do! It's like I tell Brooke sometimes, "Don't worry about it, I'll handle it." But she always wants to know WHAT I'm going to do about whatever situation she's brought to my attention. At least she comes by it honestly!

Blessings!

I don't usually post mid-week unless I need to blow off some steam or something but I MUST take a moment for a mommy brag!!!

Yesterday, I got an email from Brooke's track coach. She has just this year moved up a division and he felt she was ready to move up one more and asked her if she would be willing to try. She was hesitant but agreed. He said he was going over times from last Thursday's practice and her target for 300 meeters is 1:42. But all three times were 1:29, 1:34 & 1:32!!! He said those times were "blistering" and he even had to go back and recalculate he was so surprised! He told me to tell her he was proud and to keep up the good work. So I guess we have a track star on our hands!

Additionally, after all my running around between ballet and Camp Fire yesterday, I went to the last half of Dylan's football game not really excited about paying $8 to watch 10 minutes. But he made it worth it! He got an interception and ran it back for 25 yards!!! I was so thrilled for him! Since I didn't have my camera with me to get a picture, he drew the play out for me last night:



LOL! The red dotted line represents the path of the ball. Dylan plays strong safety (whatever that is). Anyway, he was on cloud 9 last night.

Since I'm already on here, I go ahead and share a few pictures from the past weekend. My sister hosted a party for the Alabama vs. Florida State game. We had a good time even though they lost.


My lovely sisters


Mia and her lifelong best friend Ladonna


Mel and Melissa

Blessings!

Week of September 24-28

Another typical week. A bit more lax than most due to the fact I am still battling insomnia. It's slightly better so thanks for the prayers--keep 'em coming!

I did manage to get Brooke's 50's costume done. Take a look:



The girls have a "sock hop" on the 18th of October with the homeschool group. They are so excited. These costumes are also going to double as Halloween costumes! I have to start on Kayti's soon. She wants to be a car hop girl!

But I need to concentrate on costumes for the play. I have to have those done by October 12 and it's slowly sneaking up on me.

What God is teaching me

I am reading through the Psalms still but taking a break from my regular reading to reread A Postive Plan for creating more calm, less stress by Karol Ladd. She is one of my favorite authors and we definitely can use some calm! I started reading this book a few years ago but never got quite finished with it so I'm just starting over!

So far, it's things that I know but have a hard time remembering or putting into practice sometimes. Such as:

Psalm 37 Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

I DO trust God. But I also know that trusting God doesn't mean we just sit back and watch stuff happen. We still have to do some work. I sometimes have a hard time figuring out when I'm supposed to do something and when I need to let Him take over. As such, I'm still waiting for my "prosperity"! LOL I'm just kidding. I know very well how blessed I truly am!

We're sometimes so impatient. Me especially. Even though I know when He promises something, He really delivers! I gotta concentrate more on really letting go. One of the 500+ things He's still working on with me, I guess! So here goes:

Lord, I'm trusting that you will lead us to a new church home and church family. We want to be happy worshiping and serving you but more than that we want to be where you want us.

I'm trusting that you are going to see us through the end of the year with our finances. You promise that all our needs will be met and they are. But sometimes it's scary--it looks like it won't last much longer but I know better so I'm gonna hold you to this, Lord!

I'm trusting that you will continue to give me your power and wisdom and strength, especially during the times I have none of my own, which seems pretty often here lately.

I'm trusting that you, as my Heavenly Father, know why things happen the way they do and I needn't waste time trying to make sense of absolutely everything. All I need to know is that you love us and are doing what you think is best, just as I do what I think is best for my children.

In Jesus name,
..................................

Blessings for a great week!

Week of September 17-21, 2007

Daily Hum-Drum

Just a typical week for us--Dylan had a football game Monday night. They played Springville so and whupped 'em 52-0! Go Cougars!!! Dylan got a lot of playing time but no interceptions, pancake blocks are knock-down-drag-out tackles. His friends played great, too and since Jeff offered to do the carpool for the girls so I could attend I sat next to some friends of ours whose son just came back to public school this year from homeschool. He is a VERY sweet boy and a starting offensive linemen. He played baseball on Dylan's team in the Spring so we got to know them fairly well.

Both girls had dance Monday/Tuesday and because of their victory the night before, Coach didn't make the boys practice so when I picked Dylan up from school, he and another friend of his wanted to go fishing. I dropped them off at Shadow Lake. One of these days, that boy is going to turn into a fish, I think!

Wednesday the kids went to church. Brooke is doing AWANA and Kayti is in the Middle School Youth Group at Northpark but Dylan wanted to visit his old friends at Clearview so Jeff and I were running around most of the night.

Thursday, I felt icky all day. I have somehow developed chronic insomnia. I've always been a little more nocturnal than most people but here lately I can NOT get to sleep earlier than 2:30 a.m. for anything! And then, of course, I don't want to get up in the mornings but I have to so...I've been trying some natural remedies to try and help me get to sleep--dimming the lights a few hours before, taking a warm bath, drinking milk, etc. Nothing is working. I don't want to have to start taking sleep aids so please pray for me!

But I feel a LOT better today. We had co-op this morning and then the girls and I took off for lunch and shopping! We got some books from Teaching Things (one of which I am going to try and take back--it's not what I really want after getting it home and looking at it further), Brooke got some ballet shoes at Whoopsie Daisy and we got material and a pattern to make their 50's outfits for the Hop next month. We also stopped by the library to check out a few things, return a few things and make some copies.

Jeff took Dylan and his friend "night fishing" and since they'll be gone all evening, I told the girls they could have a guest over to spend the night. Bri is due here any minute! We'll probably order a pizza, they checked out a movie from the library and we may play some board games and do our toes! In the morning I am dropping Bri off at the school for a field trip (why on Saturday, I've no idea? Just doing what her mom asked me to do!) and then Brooke has track and I'm going to help my cousin clean some houses that her husband built. Tomorrow night it's ROLL TIDE again!

We lead pretty exciting lives, huh? LOL

What God is teaching me

For the past year or so, God has really been teaching me a thing or two (hundred!) about people. I've been contemplating relationships and psychology a lot lately and Monday morning, my devotional was specifically about just that--people!

We tend to treat our human relationships as inconveniences and sometimes they feel like that! But people are very important to God. When Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel, God commanded him "Arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people"

Sometimes, especially when a group has a terrible track record, it's easy to question why God still cares for some people. They complain, they disobey and ignore and indulge in sin and not just occassionally but repeatedly. It's easy to get a high and mighty attitude until someone points out the plank in your eye! And when that happens, well, it's like the old addage--the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Believe me, I know this first-hand!

In God's way of doing things, people are NEVER a means to an end--they are they end. Do we treat the people in our lives as inconveniences? Usually! But we need to remember to treat them as important individuals that we need and love and not just our children, friends and family--it's usually (strong emphasis on usually!) pretty easy to do that. But have you ever thought about loving that person or persons that is HARD to love.

I had that experience this summer. Actually with several people. I really wanted to work this summer and make some extra money and as usual, God went over and above my expectations and actually dropped a great job in my lap! He found something that utilized my talents and interests and I didn't even have to go looking for it, they called me! So my friend, Lynne and I spent the summer running a Summer Day Camp. Lynne was pretty much the site director as she has MUCH MORE diplomacy than I could ever muster! LOL And diplomacy is needed when working with inner city families. (actually--ANY families!) My primary responsibility was planning curriculum and activities, etc. But we both ended up pretty much "job sharing" ALL the responsibilities so that we could both better manage the Camp and our own families.

I was excited and thrilled to first get the job but within a few weeks I quickly discovered it was way more work than I ever thought it would be. Not that I couldn't handle it, I just really didn't want to. I had not expected it to be full-time and it turned out to be MORE than full-time. I had to put in way more hours than I ever thought and not just at the Camp. It drained on me physically, mentally and especially emotionally. And I'm sure it drained on Lynne as well.

Many people asked me how I could do that kind of job--working with minority, inner city people. It was hard but not because of the race or socio-economic status of these people. Not even because it was a slightly different culture (remember, I lived in the "hood" for awhile! lol) but looking back and especially after this devotion, I realized that I treated many of these people as inconveniences even though they were true blessings. Oh I was never rude to them. But my heart was, shall we say, "less than pure" when it came to my feelings.

It's not that I didn't realize what jewels a few of these kids were. But I got so bogged down in the day-to-day stuff that I didn't get time to realize what gifts were in front of me. That's often the way it is with the gifts of God, isn't it?

So I thought I might share a few of the "blessings" that I was fortunate enough to receive this summer and I can only pray that I made as much of an impression on them as they made on me. I would love to show you pictures, but unfortunately, the organization that we worked for has a problem with that--it's against their policy or something to do with legality so I can't. But trust me, they are as beautiful inside as out. Also, all names have been changed.


"Joe" is a charmer! He loved to go around singing and not the typical r&b hip hop stuff his peers liked to scream but he would seranade me almost daily with the Temptations! He said that was his special song for all the "ladies". He loved to please, he was smart and had great manners and was definitely one of my favorites among the group of 70+ kids.


"Jacob" is very affectionate, always hugging, always very well behaved. Whenever Lynne or I or any of the counselors needed anything--Justin was right there, ready, willing and able to not only help but to please.

"Ruby" really fits her name. She is a "jewel" in every aspect. I do not have the words to describe what I feel for this child and I can't go into a lot of detail about why I do. All I can say is that she has overcome many difficulties and I just pray that she continues to stay tough, stay loving and keep whatever it is inside of her that wants to be the best she can be.


And last but not least, is "David" I wish you could see his amazing smile! I promise, you never saw that kid when he wasn't smiling and you definitely could not walk past him without giving him a "big hug" as he would always say as he was hugging me. I could be having the absolutely WORST day ever and all it would take is Dex walking up to me with a smile and a hug! I don't think there is a purer soul alive on this Earth. And I mean that!

Of course, there were many more children who were unique and blessings themselves and I'm not sure exactly what it is that made these four stand out to me. I'm sure I'm not the only person (at least, I certainly hope not!) on this earth that knows what treasures they are but if I am, what an honor and a privelege to be the only one!

Will I do it again next summer? I don't know what God's plans for me are next year. So far, He seems to be telling me "no". But if He does lead me back, I promise I am going to have a much better perspective.

The rest of my Bible reading this week reaffirms what God has been telling my heart about people. There are all kinds of relationships. Within a family, there is parent-child, husband-wife, grandparent-grandchild, aunts/uncles/cousins. Every family tends to have a nutcase in it (mine there are several, or rather we all take turns wearing the title!). There are lifelong friends, temporary acquaintances and fleeting encounters.

But nothing is an accident. God brings everyone into contact with us for a reason. We just need to take the time and stop to ask Him what it is He wants us to do for or get from (or both) that relationship. Though it's never too late to realize when you've been blessed, as in my case with my Summer kids, it's also been my experience that the sooner we realize it, the better.

Blessings for a great week!

The Quick Family

Welcome to my new blog!

I have decided to start a "family" blog here. This will serve as our "family news" webpage so to speak, where I can share pictures and news with friends and family easier than mass emailing. I still maintain blogs at homeschoolblogger.com and myspace. But the homeschool blog is, of course, specific to our homeschooling and myspace is a private journal, reserved for my most intimate thoughts and only a select few are able to access it. It also requires that a person join myspace to do that and since so many have the "myspace is evil" attitude....

Anyhoo...here we are. Hope you enjoy!