Church

I love Sundays.  I love church. 

Before we started regularly attending five years ago, it was just another weekend day to us.  It was a day we'd spend together, but sometimes we would go, and sometimes we would not.

I found out that we are MUCH nicer people when we go. 

We were attending another church at that time~another denomination even~and I remember feeling like we were being called back to our home church.  We went back that next week and I will never forget what my husband said.  "Now when we go back, I don't want to just jump back into something.  Let's wait and see if this is where we'll stay before we make any big decisions." 

Hmmmph. 

That Sunday he met our old children's pastor, Tim Land.  And found his niche in the kids department working sound and video.  And that began a tight knit friendship that is still going strong today, five years later.  I need to add here that we haven't even seen Tim and Jenny and their kids in two years.  I have a feeling that's going to change soon, though.  They're moving closer to us again.  Not here, but not too far away.

Back to church~that next Sunday we went back to our home church, I joined the choir.  The weekend after that I went on a music department retreat, and thus began the change in me, in Todd and in our lives. 

I love church.  Not just the place, but the family of believers that we belong to.  Even in a period where we struggle to find out spot, I still love the people that walk alongside us. 

I think the Lord wants us to attend church~even if He doesn't say that in the Bible, I think that He desires that we have this fellowship.  I never want to "do" life without Him in it. 

I have before, and I don't care to ever again.

I am flawed and He is the one that rescues me.  My dad once compared church to filling up your gas tank.  You go and you go and you just run out of gas.  Well, in life, you go and you go and you run out of energy, hope, fill in the blank here.  When you go, that's your time to fill back up.  On weeks that I miss, my days don't seem to go just quite right. 

I love church. 

a PrOmIsE & a QuIcK cAtCh Up

After last night's American Idol post, I am promising you, my bloggy peeps, to NOT post American Idol this week again.  I think.  I guess I better not promise anything like that.  Because you just never know what will happen on that show and if it excites me, well...I might.  I just might.

Anyway.  

If you're my facebook friend, you saw my weird status update last night.  I posted that we went to the chiropractor yesterday, and all the kids {plus me and the dad} got adjusted.  This was a first for them.

They were xrayed before Thanksgiving, but I'm just now getting around to taking them.  Have I mentioned our fanTABulous chiropractor?  His name is Jason Coleman.  If you're in Memphis, he is in the Cordova area.  And no, I am NOT being paid to advertise, although...that just might be a great idea.  Hmmm.

Anyway.

The boys were so funny.  They were so excited about getting adjusted.  Their xrays were pretty bad, I must admit.  Noah is already showing signs of scoliosis, and so is Drew.  Drew's neck is also out of line, which is why he gets headaches.  For which he can thank his dad for.  Who just might had one so atrocious last week, that he eventually got "sick".  {I prefer quotes over the word "vomit", don't you?}

So, thank you, Dear Hubby.  

Graham and Jonah were not quite as bad, but they had some curvature of the spine as well.  All of this can be fixed by Jason, which is why we're taking this measure with them.  Scoliosis runs in my family~my sister and my nephew both had to have surgeries to repair it, but hopefully my kids won't get to that point.

I'm thankful for a friend who just happens to also be a chiro. and who encouraged us to take this step with them.  I know my parents and my sister probably would have loved to have been told that if caught soon enough, all the issues can be fixed without surgery.  And maybe they couldn't have, but it can't hurt to try, right?

Regardless, I am thankful.

What was so funny, though, was that after they get adjusted, Jason wants them to all lay for 10 minutes on a roller table.  Which Drew said "feels just like a massage".  And then proceeded to fall asleep right after he said that.  Seriously, when the table stopped, I thought he was gonna fall off it.  It startled him that bad.  

What I wasn't prepared for were all the crazy looks we got.  I know that not everyone believes in chiropractors, but my philosophy is, why not?  I mean if there is a even just a slight chance that all these problems can be fixed now without them being in pain, why not try it?  Right?

But you should have seen all the looks we got today.  There was this one woman waiting on one of the 5 tables that we were occupying, and I swear that if looks could have killed~that I would be dead.  She had this horrid look on her face that said, "You mean I am having to wait on a bunch of kids to get onto a roller table?!".  You know the kind.  The kind that is lovely to witness.  And that just makes you want to haul off and smack someone.  Yup.  I said it.  She had A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E. written all over her face.

Oh well.  I realize that she was probably in pain.  Hopefully that's why she had that look.  

But the boys love going.  The adjustments were quick and painless.  Noah laughed hysterically the entire time.  Even Jason laughed at them.  It's hilarious to watch.  

It has been a GREAT day.  For all of us.  I hope yours was too.  I pray that tomorrow is the same~you know me and Thursdays.  :)  

Well, goodnight all.   

American Idol

Did y'all watch last night?  It's funny because Todd and I agreed on who we liked, but the boys have totally different opinions.  Good for them! 

Here's who I liked last night:

Paige Miles
Lilly Scott
Katelyn Epperly
Michelle Delamor
Crystal Bowersox

Who were your likes and dislikes? 

I thought the girls didn't do as good last night as they did on that last Hollywood performance, but overall I thought they did pretty good.  The first week's always tough~it has to be with all the nerves.  I'm sure as the weeks go by they'll loosen up some and come out of their shells. 

Bottom line~there are some VERY different people on here this year.  In the girls, especially, several of them have really distinctive voices and I love it. 

I can't wait for tonight's episode!!!

Oh, and the boys all loved Crystal Bowersox and Katie Stevens.  I think they liked Katie because of her looks! 

Love is on My Brain

This is what my Pastor spoke on, on Valentine's day this past Sunday.  I loved what he said and thought I would share with my bloggy peeps.  Hope you enjoy it.  

How to Have a Satisfying Marriage

as given by Pastor Tom Lindberg

1.  Communication~Ephesians 4:15 "Instead we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church."

2.  Compromise~1 Corinthians 13:5 "...it {love} does not demand its own way."

3.  Courtship~Proverbs 5:18 "Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.  Rejoice in the wife of your youth."

*If there was more courting in marriage, there be less marriages in court.*

4.  Contentment~Exodus 20:17 "You must not covet your neighbor's house.  You must not covet your neighbor's wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor."

5.  Christ~Matthew 6:33 "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

Just a Little Word

"May the LORD bless you and protect you.  May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.  May the Lord show you His favor and give you His peace."

Numbers 6:24~26

I'm writing this and listening to my Travis cd.  Seriously, if you have not bought the Jesus Saves cd yet, RUN DO NOT WALK to the nearest Christian bookstore and snatch it up.  You can not have a bad day when listening to songs that have words like, "Nothing can ever separate us from the love of Jesus!" in them.  These are the words that go through my head everyday.

I'm also trying not to cry anymore, because my sweet friend Marian lost her Pearl this weekend.  Pearl was a 7 year old black lab.  

Hello?  That sounds just like Andy the WonderDog.  

Seriously, tears were pouring out of my eyes as I looked at the picture and read the caption underneath.  It was a quote from Billy Graham about dogs being in Heaven.  

This girl is crazy in love with Jesus, her family and her dogs.  Pearl was one of 4 labs.  

And Todd, if you're reading this, WE ARE NOT GETTING ANOTHER DOG.  

I don't know why I'm still crying.  I can't stop. 

Hormones, maybe?

I hate being so sensitive.  I really do.  I wear my heart right on my sleeve and it's there for anyone to knock into. 

And animals are right up there with kids and old people in my book.  I can't imagine my life without our pets and I literally thank God for them.  They bring such joy to our home and I feel sorry for people that can't have them because of allergies.  

Lord, give Marian strength for this day. My heart aches for my friend.  Bring her peace and joy as she remembers the good times she had with Pearl.  In the sweet name of Jesus.  

Love to all.  If you have pets in your home, love on them today. 

Marriage Monday

I put this on my blog two years ago.  And since today is Marriage Monday, I thought I would repost it.  

Happy reading!

Ten Secrets To A Happy Marriage (as written by Karen Kingsbury)

1. God has us here to serve one another. Love acted out is serving.

2. Women need respect and nurturing. Love your wife so she knows you'd lay your life down for her. Continue to date and admire her. Share a hobby~find something you can do to have fun together.

3. Laugh often.

4. Be patient. Love crumbles quickly under the weight of unmet expectations.

5. Spend more time trying to fix yourself than your spouse.

6. Keep short accounts. The Bible says, "Do not let the sun go down while you are angry." Make it a habit to forgive.

7. Determine up front that divorce is not an option.

8. Learn about love languages. Not all people show love or receive it the same way. You want a back rub and your wife wants a clean kitchen. The love languages are fairly simple: acts of service, time, physical touch, gifts and words of affirmation. Learn them. Love is better received when it's in the language the person speaks. (The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman)

9. Words of affirmation are a love language for all men. Use them often!!

10. Men are born to be leaders. He cannot lead unless she gives him the confidence to do so. If you love your husband, build him up. Confident men do not seek love outside the home.

******************

One thing our Pastor said last Sunday {Valentine's day} was that God needs to be kept at the center of the marriage.  Without Him at the core, all else falls short.  No one can make us happy all the time, and if we're expecting our mates to do that~then it's not fair to them or to you.  Only God can complete you, contrary to what Tom Cruise said in the movie Jerry McGuire.

Another thing Pastor said was that if more married couples spent time in courtship, then less marriages would spend time in court. 

I encourage you to read the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman if you haven't ever.  Find out what ways your mate needs to be loved and then get to work!  

I also encourage you to say one encouraging thing to your mate every single day.  Even if you have to work at doing this, find something to be thankful for.  The more you do this, the more of a habit it becomes, making it easier each time.

Love to all.  I hope this is in some way helpful. 

Lessons On Parenting

Tonight we had a family service at our church.  I have to admit~I was hesitant to go, because it is a Friday night.  I should always figure that when I'm like that, God just shows up.  And He did in a big way.  My kids and I were blessed because of it tonight, and I got to reconnect with my high school best friend.  How good is God?

It was a fun time of worshiping with our families, watching a live gameshow, then the kids went on a treasure hunt throughout the church.  The parents stayed where put for a short message from Jason Noble, the director of Children's Ministry Agency.  I was immediately hooked, because like us, he has 4 kids.  Get their ages~11, 9, and 6 year old twins.  Hello?  Sound familiar?  The only difference is that ours are all boys and 3 of his are girls, with his son being 9.

He spoke on Deuteronomy tonight.  On parenting.  Because, let's face it: life is full of ups, downs, obstacles and challenges.  I thought I would share what he spoke on tonight~it's eleven principles taken out of Deuteronomy chapter 6.

Parenting:
1:  Get the commandments inside of YOU.  Deuteronomy 6:6 {in the Message translation} says this: "Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts.  Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children."  *Kids are followers~they mimic what they see.  When they SEE YOU living a life that is full of God, they tend to follow your lead.*

2:  Love God.  Deuteronomy 6:5 {still in the Message} says this: "Love God, your God, with your whole heart.  Love Him with all that is in you, love Him with all you've got!" 

3:  Teach and model God's commandments.  Deuteronomy 6:6 {NIV this time} says this: "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts."  *Again, this is acting, doing, living out our faith.  And teaching it to our kids.*

4:  Talk about the things of God.  Deuteronomy 6:8,&9 say this:  "Tie them {the commandments} as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

5:  Instill a thankful heart towards God.  Deuteronomy 6:12 says this: "Be careful that you not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."  *Let's face it here, folks: we are a sinful people and without God in our lives, our lives end on this earth.  If we know God and He lives and dwells within us, our real life begins with our last breath on earth.  That is all there is to it.*

6:  Teach children to respect God.  Deuteronomy 6:13 {back to the Message again} says this: "Deeply respect God, your God.  Serve and worship Him exclusively.  *Respecting God starts with church.*

7:  Help them to see how much God loves them.  *God wants us to know how much He loves us, and He assures us that our lives will increase greatly after this life on earth ends.  We think our lives are good now, just wait until we get to Heaven!*

8:  Teach them to worship only God.  Deuteronomy 6:13,14 say this: "Fear the Lord your God, serve Him only and take your oaths in His name.  Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you."  *A god can be a sport, an addiction, a tv show, basically anything that takes our time away from God.  We must set our priorities in life now while our kids are young.  Children have developed their personalities by age 3, and by the age of 9, they've established their world views.  Think about that~and if necessary, re~prioritize our lives!*

9:  Encourage them to always do the right thing.  Deuteronomy 6:17 {The Message} says this: "Do what is right; do what is good in God's sight so you'll live a good life and be able to march in and take this pleasant land that God so solemnly promised through your ancestors, throwing out your enemies left and right~exactly as God said." 

10:  Be willing to answer their questions.  *Life is hard and kids are full of questions.  When they ask difficult questions if you don't know how to answer them, be honest with them.  Take a moment and pray about it, and ask God for guidance and wisdom.  He will direct our words, and He'll give us enough to answer.* 

11:  Help them see how important God's blessings are.  Deuteronomy 6:24 says this: "The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we may always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today."  *Can we live without God?  Of course.  But I don't want to.  He never promises that life with Him will be easy~but it will be eternal and with His hand on us, it will be a fulfilling life.  I know that God has richly blessed my family, and I give all the praise to Him for that.*

I hope you gain as much from this as I did.  I am always on the lookout for parental advice, and as believers we should all stick together.  Times today are different and more difficult than ever before.  I pray that you find this useful~I'm definitely keeping it handy around my house.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Love to all.

A Glimpse From the Past

I am missing my babies being babies.  So I thought I would take a glimpse of yesteryear.  Care to join me?

 

I love this one above.  Jonah got this hat and sweatshirt {both John Deere} for Christmas from my dad and stepmom.  I love his sweet little cheeks and big 'ol blue eyes.

And this one {above} is Noah in Nashville.  We were visiting Uncle Tim and Aunt Tracy for Nathan's 2nd birthday party and this was taken at a park near their house.  I love his chubbiness here.  He's so skinny now, this doesn't even look like him!

Same park, same day, plus Nathan!

We were at the zoo with Big Daddy in this shot.  

Graham and Drew were 5 and 4 in this one~taken at my dad's house.  They LOVE to fish.  

 

This was Graham's first time driving.  :)  Yup.  And NO, I was not there on this beautiful day.  But you can bet his daddy and his Uncle Bob were. 

Drew's fist big catch at Nana's and Big Daddy's house.  

This is the fire station where Todd used to volunteer, and that is Jonah {at 2 years of age} walking around in his swimming trunks after swimming in the dunk tank.  

Okay.  I'm done.

A baby shower did this to me, by the way.

 I am so sad at how fast time goes by.

Love on your babies tonight.

Marriage, Anyone?

I was reading my friend Rene's blog {click on her name to access her blog} and came across this post from a Womens Marriage Ministry blog.  This is a subject I am fascinated with~I love seeing and hearing about how marriages work, and their dynamics.  This is a video from the Rachel Ray show that talked about women, and marital satisfaction.  It's kind of long, and the sound is a little off, but you can still get the gist of it.  

Leave your thoughts on this video once you're done watching it.  

 

So?  What do you think?  How does your marriage work?  Do you agree/disagree with this woman?  I think it's refreshing to see and hear about.  And while this definitely seems to work for them, I know it doesn't for everybody.  

I look forward to hearing from you all. 

Weird Question

Can I ask you a weird question?  And if I ask this question, would you PLEASE leave some love for me and comment?

Because you don't anymore, ya know.  

Seriously, peeps.  Comment, please.  It takes just a second and it's just considered good blogging manners.  I try to leave even a short line on the blogs I read.  Just so ya know what my expectations are.  Please?

Okay, back to my weird question that I am praying you'll answer through the comments box below.


If you were to read something that I wrote~what would it be?  

You know how I write about family, life, my faith, and just craziness in general~but if it were in a different form~say of the book variety, what would it be that you would like to read?

I can't tell you why I'm asking.  

Maybe I will someday soon, but for now it's between me and God.

All I will say is that some doors are opening up, and I'm feeling God lead me through.  

So will you leave me your thoughts?

Thank you and may the Lord shine His face upon you today, on this gloriously beautiful day.  Love to all.

The Lowdown on American Idol

Have you been watching it?  We've watched it all so far this season and I love, love, love some of the peeps on this season!  Randy said it right tonight when he commented on all the unbelievable talent this year.  And I absolutely LOVE Ellen being on there.  I love her sarcasm and her sense of humor~much better than Paula's cheesiness.  

So do you have faves??

I do.  Wanna hear them?  

First there is Casey James.  He's 27 and from Fort Worth, TX.  He's the one who Kara loves.

 

I also LOVE DiDi Benami.  I love her story, as well.  Her best friend died and she is continuing on in her honor.  

 

Gosh, they'd make a cute couple, wouldn't they?  

Okay, who else....oh, I love this girl below.

 

Haeley Vaughan, 16 years old with amazing vocals from Fort Collins, Colorado.  Wow.  She is incredibly talented.  And I love that she wants to be a country star~not what you would expect, and the judges like that as well.

There's also Thaddeus Johnson, Big Mike {the new daddy}, Andrew Garcia {the young father whose parents used to be in the Mafia}, and Katelyn Epperly.  

Oh, the possibilities are endless.  Those are my faves, though.  I can't wait to see who else makes it through tomorrow night.

What are your thoughts and opinions?  Do you have favorites?  

Feel free to share them.

Until then, good night all. 

For Anyone Who Needs This...

This is Lysa TerKeurst, and she speaks from her heart about the struggles of marriage.  No marriage is perfect, and nobody realizes just how hard it can be.  For anyone who has ever thought this, or is thinking this now...if you're intrigued, just watch.  

God is faithful.  

President's Day, Snow & Roller Skating

Yesterday was good.  Great, actually.  Well, except for the part when I wanted to take a nap and couldn't because the kids kept being loud.  

They were out {again!} for President's day.  We cleaned up our {new and somewhat messy} playroom.  We had to because we had new furniture delivered last night.  The furniture that was in here went upstairs to the playroom, hence the cleanup.  

I was going to sell the toys, but the only ones worth selling on Craigslist were the 4 firetrucks that they gave away, and that ended in a really cool story.  After we had lunch at CiCi's, we dropped the stuff off at the Goodwill.  There was a really nice man in there that told us not to leave the trucks, but to take them to a fire station.  He said that they were always looking for firetrucks to decorate with and use around the station.  So, off we went.  

We went to the fire station that would take care of us should we ever need them.  Graham and Drew went into the station and asked if they would like them, but the guy wasn't sure.  They told them to go next door to the training center and ask them.  So we all went over there and they took them.  The lady at the front desk was really nice~she wanted all their names and addresses, and she called the fire chief out to come and meet them.  He came out and shook all their hands and asked if they would like a tour of the station, and of COURSE they all said yes.  

So even though 3 of the boys had seen it all before during a walking field trip there in first grade, we took him up on the offer and went for the tour.  It was really cool~and the guy that led them around was a guy I went to elementary school with.  It was a great day, and I think my dad was as amused as the boys were.  They got to sit in the trucks, on the 4wheelers and in the Kubota's.  It was Heaven to my 4 boys.

I had my camera but I left it in the car and in the midst of all this fun, we were having a blizzard in the Ville.  And it felt like it was 15 degrees and my coat was M.I.A.  It was crazy.

We came home shortly after that and ended the afternoon with a roller skating party with their school.  It was fun.  My dad and I enjoyed watching all the kids skating {and falling}.  My own 4 did pretty good.  Graham and Drew were great and were able to go fast without hanging on.  Graham took his roller blades, but Drew opted for their skates.  Even Jonah and Noah did okay~on the carpet.  They got out on the wood floor a little bit, but after about 30 minutes, they turned in their skates and opted to play with their friends instead. 

We came home, the furniture was delivered, we ate dinner, and Christa came over to watch the Bachelor with me.  Ugh.  Speaking of~stupid Jake.  I'm thinking of protesting the last 2 episodes.  Ha, not really, but still.  Not quite sure what he was thinking.  

It was a great day around here.  What was your day like?  

Well, happy Tuesday to all.  I hope your day is blessed!

In Honor of Valentine's Day

Some things I love.

Thanks, Charla, for this idea!

Jesus

His Word

Todd

Graham

Drew

Jonah

Noah

Andy

Skippy

Sambo

Twinkles

my extended family

Crisp fall mornings

cool Summer nights

swimming 

hanging out with our neighbors on lazy Summer nights

being splashed and chased in the pool by my husband

reading

watching movies with the family

going to movies in the theatre

my job and all the kids I get to be in charge of

DisneyWorld

Mountains

the sound of the ocean

writing

my home~I love how cozy it is

my cool Suburban~especially right now, with mud on the tires

Tyler Perry/Madea

OPI nail polish

purses/bags

chips and dip

Costco

Lifeway Christian Bookstore

Bible studies

girlfriends

laughing until you cry

happy tears

babies/toddlers

the smell of Johnson & Johnson

blue eyes

my husband's hands

his voice

hanging out with my Mom on Saturday nights

hanging out with my Dad on Friday afternoons

early mornings, when all is quiet

music

singing

eating out

cooking a meal, not having to worry about who will like what

decorating

blue

manicured hands and pedicured feet

action movies with my husband and boys

chick flicks with my girlfriends

Nicholas Sparks

leading worship

my church family

Christmas

Easter

Speed skating~Apollo Ono and all of the Winter Olympics

The Bachelor

Dancing with the Stars

Amazing Race

{maybe I should just say "reality tv"}

HD tv

Okay, well I'm going to stop now, since I could obviously go on all day.  One thing I am NOT a fan of {and I wrote this on facebook earlier} is facebook PDA.  It's actually one of my biggest pet peeves.  I have no desire to know about people's love lives on there, and some things should DEFINITELY be just left unsaid.

So.  Happy Valentine's day.  I hope you enjoy all of those that you love. 

 

'sup?

We're having a fantabulous Saturday.  It's being spent with us just hanging out around here.  Graham and Drew had a friend spend last night with us, and he's still here.  Along with several other kids from school.  They've been outside playing hide~and~seek, basketball, they had leftover pizza, and now we're watching the Olympics.  

It's been a great day.

My husband is in the process of caulking {the crown moulding is finally done!!!}, he fixed us lunch, and now we're just relaxing.  

Here are a couple pics for your enjoyment.

 

The one above is Graham and Noah making their their superheroes do Olympic ski jumps off Dad's ladder.  

 

And this one is Jonah, Drew and Brayden playing on the computer.  

And I'm sitting here, doing this.

It's a great day.  In a little while we're going to head to my mom's for dinner.  A delicious one that I do not have to cook.  Hallelujah!!  That's the absolute best kind of dinner.

So, what are you doing today?  Here in a little bit I'm going to pick my book back up and start reading it.  It's a new author~I got this one from the library, and I love a new kind of book.  

Well, enjoy your Saturday.  I know I will.  Love to all.

the difference between girls and boys

Doesn't that just sound fascinating???  While I'm sure there are millions of differences, I'm only going to hit a few.  Oh, and I got this idea from a friend that posted something similar on facebook last night.  So Christian, if you're reading this~thank you for the idea.

1.  Girls are okay with sitting really closely together on the couch.  Tonight, for instance, my friend was over, and since we have our tv up in its new lovely home, the best seat in the house is right smack dab in the middle of the couch.  And we were fine with sitting right next to each other.  In fact, at one point, we even linked arms to give them a nice comfy place to rest.

2.  Girls get really excited over each other's lives and victories.  I literally feel like my heart is going to BURST with happiness when something great happens to a friend.  It's like it's me going through it instead of them.  But, I will add here, that THIS is what true friendship is: pure unadulterated joy and not one single ounce of envy or jealousy.  This is the stuff that true girlfriends are made of.

3.  Girls {well, at least the ones I know} love to hug.  I absolutely love showing my emotion to people, and the way I happen to do this is through hugging.  Anybody that ever extends their hand to me usually ends up hugging me.  My mom made me this way, and for this I am thankful.  My husband wasn't like this when we first started dating.  I like to think that I helped him along in this area, and now he is a very affectionate man.  Mmmmmm.  And yes, that is my favorite kind of man.

4.  Girls like to watch "chick flicks" with other girls.  How many times do you ever see 2 guys walking into a movie theatre to see the latest "guy flick"???  And we anticipate this love of chick flicks...and look forward to them all week.  I went to see Dear John last weekend with....da da da  dummmmm...4 girlfriends.  Yup.  And I am not ashamed to admit that at least 2 of us cried together.  Then laughed while we cried.  Ahhhhh.  So refreshing.

5.  Girls are just silly.  And sometimes, it's just fun to be that way.  Without regrets or excuses.  I would love to see my husband acting this way with one of his friends.  Oh, wait.  I think that might have happened when Todd was showing off his new man cave living room with the new surround sound.  Yup, that's what that was.  Well, then, nevermind.

On a more serious note, I love my husband.  I love that he understands that while I'm not at all "girly or frilly" with all these boys running around, I am in much need of some quality girlfriend time.  He encourages me to get out and get that time.  He's very understanding and supportive, and I think it relieves him of the pressure of having to be my "everything".  And while he is, for the most part~I don't want to be unrealistic.  He is my husband, the father of my kids, and my very best friend.  But he's a boy and I'm a girl.  And those differences need to be appreciated.  I happen to do this through spending time with my girlfriends.  

I hope you who are reading this can smile and say, "Mmmmmhmmmmm."  Because there is NOTHING in the world quite like a girlfriend. 

Something To Ponder

I am the Lord, I'm the Almighty God

I am the One for when nothing is too hard 

I am the Shepherd and I am the Door 

I am the Good News to the bound and the poor

I am {4x}

I am the Righteous One and I am the Lamb 

I am the Ram in the bush for Abraham 

I am the Ultimate Sacrifice for sin 

I am your Redeemer, the Beginning and the End

I am {4x}

I am Jehovah and I am the King

I am Messiah, David's offspring

I am your High Priest and I am the Christ

I am the Resurrection and I am the Life

I am {4x}

I am the Bread and I am the Wine 

I am your Future so leave your past behind

I am the One in the midst of two or three

I am your Tabernacle I am your Jubilee

I am {4x}

I am Hope, I am Peace, I am Joy, I am your Rest

I am your Comfort and Relief from your stress

I am Strength, I am Faith, I am Love, I am Power

I am your Freedom at this very hour

*************************

Let these words wash over you if you need them

and even if you think you don't

just read them and take comfort in Him who has made us more than conquerors!!

With Him on our side, who can be against us?

Can anyone separate us from His love?

No.  

Nothing.

No one.  

Because He is the GREAT I AM.  

Isaiah 43:15

I am the LORD, your Holy One, Israel's Creator, your King."

Isaiah 45:3
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Book Review

Love and War

John and Stasi Eldredge 

What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic.   They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement:  Marriage is fabulously hard.  They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together. Walking alongside John and Stasi Eldredge, every couple can discover how their individual journeys are growing into a story of meaning much greater than anything they could do or be on their own.

***This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.***

 

For more information on this book and others like it, you can visit Random House, Inc.

Coming Soon....

My first ever give~away.  You must leave a comment on an upcoming post to win this book. 

Just thought I'd let ya know.

Here's the book if you'd like to read what it's about. 

It's based on one of my favorite books of the Bible~Ruth.

Happy reading!!!

Wow...A Whole Week? Really?

Gosh, you'd think I would have had tons of things to write with all the excitement taking place in our house lately.  Oh, wait.  That's right.  All that excitement has taken OVER our lives.  At least temporarily. 

I feel like a TO BE CONTINUED... is coming on.

Hmmm.  It's been a good week.  Well, except for Jonah being sick.  That part wasn't fun.  Poor little guy.  He didn't even get to stay home and quality one on one time with Mommy.  Stupid snow days. 

Ha, I'm just kidding.  We actually enjoyed the snow...for the first 3 hours, then we were all over it.  I'm praying we'll be out of school before the last week of May.  Join me, please??? 

 

Yup.  That's it.  Right there.  We woke up to almost 6 {I'm guessing, please don't judge} inches of glorious Surprise Snow.  That's what I'm calling Monday.

Because when we got our 5am wake up call from the Shelby County Board of Education, we were like, "Huh???  Why would they cancel school???"  Fast forward 2 minutes when we actually got out of bed and looked out the windows.  "Oh.  Cool.  Goodnight."  Then we rolled over and went back to sleep.

Exciting stuff, people, I know.  Try to contain yourselves.

One more.  See?  That looks about like 6 inches.  I don't know.  I never confessed to be good at the art of guesstimating. 

{THAT'S A WORD?  Guesstimating?  For real?  My spellcheck thingamabob didn't light up like it usually does on words like that.  Neither, for that matter, did the word 'thingamabob'.}

During our lovely time at home, Todd worked on crown moulding.  And it almost succeeded in kicking his behind.  Who knew that something so lovely would SO HIDEOUS to work with??? 

We're still not done with it.  There is one more piece that has to go up and he's being forced to have someone who knows what they're doing do it.  Yup.  You read right~there are not many things my husband cannot do, but this one piece of crown moulding {that is butting up to 2 existing pieces} is one of those rare things. 

Sad face. 

On a positive note, I love our newly mounted television.  It's glorious up there above our mantel.  I'll take pics once we get everything back in place and post on here and on facebook.  Until then, I know I am leaving you just hanging in suspense. 

Well, peeps, this is about all the excitement I can handle for one day.  Hope yours is fantabulous.  Love to all.

My Sweet Drew

He's been sick the past couple days.  I am praying that the fever doesn't return~so far, so good.  Hopefully we can return the world of CES tomorrow.  Hopefully.  I love him, and I love having quality time with each of the kids.  I was thinking today, though, that poor little Noah has NEVER had to stay home because of a sickness.  


Never.  


Isn't that sad?


He's missed because of a vacation, and when he was in kindergarten, on the days that Jonah was sick, I let him stay home with us.  Because they're twins.  And because at that point in their school career, they were mere babes and could not bear the thought of one not being just right down the hall.


***Sigh.***


So back to Drew.  I've enjoyed the time with him.  Yesterday we went to the doctor, then to the library and to Walgreens.  We came home, I fixed lunch, and we settled in to watch Kicking and Screaming.  After that {and my short little 15 minute power nap}, we played Phase 10.  At which point, he kicked my tail.  


I love him.  


Today was more of the same, but this time I took him to McDonald's for lunch~his choice, not mine.  Every time one of the boys gets sick, I let them pick where to eat lunch {if they're up to it}, and if it's Mc'D's {and it usually is}, we always sit at the exact same table.  It's in the back and in a corner and we always sit side by side.  They love this because since I work at their school, I don't get to eat lunch with them.  It's a fun time just to talk if they want to, or eat in companionable silence.  Drew and me did the latter today.  Well, that and we people watched.  And commented on how yummy our burgers and fries tasted.


After lunch we came back home, took some books to a friend's sick daughter, and came home and played Phase 10 again.  At which point, I kicked HIS tail. 


Muahaha.  


Revenge sucks.  

He wasn't very happy with me, but it was all in fun.  And maybe a pout or two.  But who's counting??

We went ahead and went to church tonight, and I let the sick one hang out with his Dad and his Papa in the video room.  And yes, even though we went, it's been since early morning that he had fever.  All day and tonight it was around the 98 degree mark.  Even after running around the church tonight, though he was clammy, his temp was 98.6.  There is something to be said for that perfect number when you're SO afraid that it has spiked again. 

We had choir practice, and once again, Music Man delivered.

 The man has a gift for putting together some music, and tonight we got started on Easter.  Well, not really, but we got a taste of a song or two.  Which is funny, since one of the songs is Taste and See.  {As in, "taste and see that the Lord is good!"  Psalm 34:8}  Wow.  It is going to be AHHHHHHMAAAAAZING.  

We also practiced this awesome song I posted on FaceBook last week called, "I Am".  And yeah, you can just imagine how great it is with that title.  If you're my friend on FaceBook, go to profile and try to find it.  It's worth the time it takes to listen to it.

So now, the hubs and I are hanging out in the living room {that's almost there, by the way!!!} watching some logging show on the History channel.  Sounds fascinating, doesn't it???

I thought about posting an entirely different post tonight about wives and husbands, and maybe I will, eventually.  But for tonight I wanted to keep it light hearted.  The reason for THAT post is that the Lord really convicted me of the way I used to treat my husband.  {And yes, this was without intention on my part.}  A friend gave me an audio book that pretty much changed my life.  It's called The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, and it's written by Laura Schlessinger.  If you think this might interest you, click HERE.


It was seriously life changing, in spite of the ridiculous title.  Anyone who reads it and doesn't change the way she acts toward her husband needs to go back and re~read it.  And maybe again and again until you just plain GET IT. You can't NOT change after reading that.  Todd and I are not at all the perfect couple.  We never have been, and we never will be.  But there is a reason that we work, and once I share, it will all make sense.  Perfect sense. 

But anyway.  I was thinking about that book, and my hubby and I were talking, and I was inspired to write about marriage.  

But not tonight.  

Maybe soon, though.  

Did I mention that I'm excited about going back to work tomorrow {hopefully!!!!}???  I am.  I miss my sweet kids!  And all the hugs I get every single day.  Ahhhh.  I am beside myself with excitement.  And I've missed loving on my own sweet kiddos while they eat.  I'm thrilled to be able to work for a very understanding lady.  She is a mom and she understands that when kids get sick~your world just stops.  I wouldn't  have it any other way.

So my little tradition with my boys when they're sick has peaked my curiosity about what YOU do with YOUR kids while THEY'RE sick.   

Anything special you're dying to share?

Well, even if you're not DYING to share it, please do so anyway.  I'm always looking for new, fresh ideas on how to parent.  

Until then, I hope you all hug all your loved ones tonight.  Love to all of you, in the sweet name of Jesus.