Wooddell Word

Who Knew?

2011-06-06T18:09:00.002-05:00

Wooddellisms are actually Spoonerisms.

A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched (see metathesis). It is named after the ReverendWilliam Archibald Spooner (1844–1930), Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency.^[1]^[2] It is also known as a marrowsky, after a Polish count who suffered from the same impediment.^[3] While spoonerisms are commonly heard as slips of the tongue resulting from unintentionally getting one's words in a tangle, they can also be used intentionally as a play on words. In some cultures, spoonerisms are used as a rhyme form used in poetry, such as German Schüttelreime. In French, "contrepèterie" is a national sport, the subject of entire books and a weekly section of Le Canard enchaîné. Spoonerisms are commonly used intentionally in humour.

Can you believe someone else actually had this problem bad enough they named it after him?

And have you seen this book? I think we should buy it.

Maybe we're not so strange after all.

New Wooddellism

2011-06-05T12:17:00.002-05:00

These Wooddellisms keep us in stitches around here. Yesterday, I came up with a new one. You'll have to try it out and see if you think it is as easy to say as I did. Rolled right off my tongue.

The story goes like this:

Yesterday afternoon, Ainsley and I made lemonade (from scratch). This is not something I do often. In fact, I've never made real lemonade. It was delicious.

So, last night, my dad came over to help me with my new computer. While he was working it occurred to me to offer him some of our delicious beverage. I came walking into the office and said,

"Would you like some of our super yummy SQUESH FREEZED lemonade?"

I'm not sure he even understood what I said. But it made perfect sense to me!

Kindergarten OR Mental Institution?

2011-05-05T21:04:00.004-05:00

I couldn't stop myself. I had to sign up to be a warrior for this little guy. He is so beautiful! The thought of this little boy going to the mental institution for the rest of his life is just too much to bear. Without our help, Stanislav, with those gorgeous blue eyes, will face blank walls instead of playgrounds and ABC's. He could sit in a bed all day with nothing to do, or go to the zoo, park, pool with a family. He could die from malnourishment or live a life full of love.

Will you help me get the word out about Stanislav?

The one thing standing between a life with a family and the asylum is money. Isn't that sad? The larger this boy's grant grows, the better his chances of finding a family. The more we share his face and his story on facebook, twitter, our blogs, etc., the sooner his family will find him.

One of THOSE Days

2011-03-02T15:22:00.003-06:00

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the kind I'm talking about.

The day that everything seems to go wrong. Your kids don't get along. The chores don't get done. The house is a wreck. You can't get your children to concentrate on anything longer than a millisecond. You fear for the lives of your younger ones if you look away for any length of time. Every word or action makes you want to cry.

The day when all you want to do is lock each child in a separate room while you go hide in the bathroom with a box of chocolates.

You know that kind of day?

Well, yesterday was one of THOSE days.

But you know what? I was reminded of why my day was like that. My loving and gentle Holy Spirit came and whispered the Truth to me. Why was my day so bad? Because I had taken my eyes off the Shepherd. My focus had become blurry. I was concentrating on the here and now, instead of eternal things.

I took some time last night and got my sights back. I re-focused on what is important. I re-tuned my ears to hear the voice of my Shepherd. I sang praises and thanked God for my blessings.

And, today. . . . . .

Well, today is a BEAUTIFUL day!

What I Learned

2011-02-26T16:28:00.002-06:00

There are a lot more hours in a day than I thought.
The internet isn't the only thing that distracts me.
I still don't like mornings.
Sitting at the desk, staring at the computer, wondering why I'm there, is a common occurrence while fasting the internet.
I am blessed with a wonderful family.
I love my kids.
My kids are fun to be with.
I still don't like cleaning house.
I am too laid back to be a perfectionist, but I still (secretly) long for perfection.
I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.

OK, I already knew this last one, but it is a nice reminder. Honestly, I quite enjoyed my time away from the internet. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, but I wasn't crazy about not being able to do things like check the weather, or check on our donation total. Speaking of, did you notice it went up $560 this week? What a blessing!

Learning Self Control

2011-02-18T23:26:00.005-06:00

I've realized something. I'm addicted to the internet. My husband and children could have told you that. But it really has gotten bad lately. And now I can hear the Holy Spirit telling me that I have walked into a trap. The internet has led me away from my duties at home. It has zapped me of precious time and, strangely, energy. When I spend my time on the computer instead of doing the things I ought, I am tired all day. I don't have any self-control. Know what the Bible says about that?

Like a city whose walls are broken through

is a person who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28

So, I've come to this: I am going to fast the internet for a week. No reading of adoption stories, no checking my yahoo group emails, no surfing for the best deals on this, that and the other. I will check my personal email once a day though, after the children are in bed. I will relearn how to be a keeper of my home. I will joyfully serve my family instead of my flesh. I will delight in the Lord and all His ways. So that I can become a Titus 2 woman:

Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

This will not be easy. I will go through withdrawl. Possibly, worse than caffeine. But I know that His power is made perfect in my weakness. And, boy, am I ever weak. But I hope to be back in a week and tell you how much I have learned, changed, and how much better my spirit feels.

Reflections

2011-02-14T22:31:00.003-06:00

One of my children has some vanity issues. Can you guess which one?

This particular child likes to walk on tip toes, purse their lips, and flip their hair.

I know that last one narrowed it down to two, didn't it? So, it's a girl.

She likes to tell long tales of her "friend's" adventures and trials.

She likes to dance, wear lip gloss, carry a purse, and wear twirly skirts.

She also likes to look in the mirror and make feminine faces at herself.

And one day, I caught her doing just that.

***Please ignore the smudge on the mirror; I tried twice to wipe it off before taking these pictures.***

Immodesty Reigns

2011-02-11T19:53:00.003-06:00

Well, at least in a certain part of the house. Which part, you ask? The boys' room. More specifically in Eli's crib. Just lately the boy can't stand to have anything on his bum while he's asleep. Over and over the last few weeks we have found Eli bare bummed when we go to get him in the morning. Of course, that also comes with wet sheets, blankets and bumper pads.

You'd think I would learn. But remember how long it took me to figure out the socks? Yeah, it took me a while. So, last night Max came out to tell me that when he went to bed and stroked Eli on the back to tell him goodnight. . . . . . you guessed it, bare bum! I went in to get him re-dressed and he was sound asleep. So, for your enjoyment, I took a picture.

Isn't that precious?

All About Feet

2011-02-09T16:25:00.003-06:00

Well, our news the other day was BIG, wasn't it? But now I have something extremely menial to say. So, bear with me.

I have little feet. Seriously, I am five foot three which means I don't need big feet to help support me. My feet are small. My mom's feet are smaller, but that's neither here nor there. All of this to say, lately, I have been finding my socks all over the house. Every time I pick one up and think "I didn't take my socks off in here." Scratching my head, I walk away to put my sock in my dirty clothes basket.

You've probably figured this out already, but it took me a few days. Yep, my children are wearing my socks! When did they get so big? Weren't they just wearing toddler socks yesterday? Oh yeah, that's right, that was Lillian and Eli. But Max and Ainsley both can wear my socks! So, since they can't seem to get their own socks to their dirty clothes basket (therefore, they never have any socks). . . . . They just come steal some of mine! I'm trying very hard to break them of this habit.

Do you have any ideas for keeping up with socks?

I'm glad I got that off my chest. Thanks for listening.

Leap of Faith

2011-02-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

We have big news!!!

In December, my sister Ginger posted a link to a fundraiser for a beautiful orphan with Down Syndrome. That one post led me to Reece's Rainbow where I learned of the many, many orphaned children with Down Syndrome around the world. These orphans have NO hope. They are throw aways in their societies. Most areas think these children aren't worthy of life. And, sadly, they are treated as such. So many of these children never leave their crib, they aren't held or loved. They aren't even touched except for a diaper change or to put a bottle in their mouths. And even then, it is minimal at best. Needless to say, our eyes were opened. And what does the Word say about that?

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

There is just no way that we could see a need and ignore the call to act. Could we truly stand before our Savior on judgement day and make excuses for our inaction?

"But God. . . we were content"

"But God. . . it would have been hard."

"But God. . . we didn't have the money."

"But God. . . people would have called us crazy."

"But God. . . we may have had to parent that child for his whole life."

What do you think His response would be? I know that I am not willing to find out.

So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to "Wilson".

Wilson is not his real name, it is his "screen name" on Reece's Rainbow. But until we decide what his new name for his new life will be, we will call him Wilson. Wilson is a two year old boy with Down Syndrome and he is soon to be our son. My heart was filled to overflowing with love for this child the first time I saw his picture. When I asked God how I could love someone so much even though I had never met him or seen him in person, His response was, "I put that love in you heart."

We know that with this decision will come many trials and tribulations, but those are part of the sanctification process, right?

"Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3

We have heard from many other adoptive families that this journey will change our lives forever. We have no doubt of that. I just hope that we prove ourselves faithful. And that we truly learn to "lean not on our own understanding".

We are so thrilled that God has decided to expand our borders and take us into unknown territory. We are humbled that he would find us worthy. If you would like to follow our adoption journey, you can find it here. And if God moves you to donate toward our adoption, your tax-deductible donation can be made here. We appreciate all of your love, support, and encouragement along the way.

One more thing, We are following the will of our Almighty God.

Any questions, doubts or concerns need to be taken up with Him. We are just trying to be His hands and feet in this journey.

Got Fruit?

2011-02-01T16:40:00.003-06:00

Recently, our pastor did a six week study on 2 Peter 1:3-11. Doesn't seem like a very long scripture to study for six weeks does it? But there is much there to discuss. This scripture describes the characteristics that we need to grow in for a Godly life.

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

God wants us to pursue these qualities so that we can bear good fruit. John 15:5-6 says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

This is big! If we obtain these qualities in increasing measure, we won't be ineffective or unproductive. You can't just say, "Well, I love my neighbor." That's not the question here. What matters is: Do you love your neighbor more this year than you did last year?

If we grow in our faith we are promised two things: We will bear much fruit. And we will receive a rich welcome in heaven through our Savior! What wonderful promises!!

Pastor Tom gave us an Annual Checkup. This tool is wonderful to keep and go to again and again to test yourself and your faith. Are you growing? Or are you "near-sighted and blind, forgetting that you have been forgiven?" Are you bearing fruit? Or are you "ineffective and unproductive" and "withering"?

Matthew 25:1-13 tells the parable of the ten virgins. I definitely want to one of the virgins who kept her lamp lit. I can't even imagine hearing those words, "I don't even know you."

Does the bridegroom know you?

We are Prayer Warriors

2011-01-13T15:40:00.003-06:00

We have signed up to be prayer warriors for a waiting child from Reece's Rainbow.

We have committed to pray for Noah every day until he is home with a loving family. That doesn't mean that we pray until his family finds him, but that we pray EVERY DAY until he is HOME. The international adoption process is long and stressful. Many times the rules are changed half way through. Sometimes the countries have political issues that halt adoptions. Sometimes families have a hard time raising the funds to save the life of their waiting child.

Will you help us pray Noah home?

Better yet, would you consider becoming a prayer warrior for another waiting child. Don't they all deserve to be prayed for? You already pray every day, right? Is it too much to ask to add an extra prayer request? Go here, and let Laurie know that you are willing. You could change a life.

Praise God!

2011-01-11T23:29:00.003-06:00

Guess what????

Olga AND Kareen are now officially on the "My Family Found Me" page over at Reece's Rainbow. As I prayed for Olga a few weeks ago, God gave me a wonderful peace. I knew that He was calling her family and it would be soon. And it was. Praise God! He is so amazing! And He surely is the father to the fatherless.

Go look!

Going Gray

2010-12-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

Have I mentioned that I went prematurely gray? I got my first gray hair when I was 16. But did I also mention that it runs in the family? I didn't realize just how generational this premature graying was until I found a gray hair on Ainsley's head a few months ago.

She's 6.

Is that a record?

Last month, I found two on Max's head.

He's 11. Seriously?

We've all just been joking about it and Mike has been sitting quietly by, trying not to mention the fact that he doesn't have a single gray hair on his head. He claims he will go bald before he goes gray.

WELL. . . . . . . . . . . GUESS WHAT????

Yep,Mike found his first gray hair! The other morning he hollered for me to come in the bathroom and see it. He kept saying, "Is it really white?" Yes, honey. It really is.

I just smiled, patted him on the back, and said, "Welcome to the club!"

A Vision Forum Christmas

2010-12-27T20:16:00.000-06:00

Yes, it was. This year was very Vision Forum. Mike and I have been wanting to expand our DVD library for the kids. They need God honoring entertainment. (I would love suggestions.) So, my kids got Life's Story 1 and 2, and , Creation Proclaims 1 and 2, and another video: Animals in the Bible. Max got some great books called Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things. He also received a great sling shot and a grappling hook set to help him climb trees, or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Ok, not quite. But you get the picture.

The girls were thrilled with their Beautiful Girlhood Dolls. And Eli received a cool pop gun. Too bad he can't shoot it yet.

Mike made out like a bandit. He received a couple of books, a couple of DVDs that he really wanted, a cd set to listen to during his work commute, and the kids got him a book about beekeeping. He's really wanting to get involved in honey production.

And I even got a few books from Vision Forum also. Can you believe we managed to have an exclusive VF Christmas? If you've ever seen their products, you would know the most difficult part was narrowing it down.

iWon

2010-12-26T20:04:00.002-06:00

Friday night, I came home and checked my blog roll. Patti had written a new post about her fundraiser for Kareen. And after reading a very moving post about the amazing results, I read that I WON THE iPAD!!!! But not just the iPad. I also won the case for the iPad and the $50 iTunes gift card to go with it.

I screamed.

And screamed.

I kept saying, "Mike, that's my name!"

How fun is that?

But you know what? Kareen and Olga are winners too. Together their grants total almost $16,000. With their substantial adoption grant funds, they won't be waiting much longer for their families to find them. And with some more prayers on their behalf, next year they will be home for Christmas. Thank you Jesus for caring for these orphans and for opening the eyes of their future parents. I pray they won't wait much longer. AMEN!

Save a Life

2010-12-22T07:34:00.003-06:00

Remember yesterday I mentioned Olga? Well, her adoption fund it up to over $12,000! And Reece's Rainbow has had several families inquire about Olga. She's going to have a family, I just know it!

And because the fund raising efforts were so successful for Olga, Patti has decided to save another life.

Kareen needs our help. She will be 4 in January. That means her time is running out. She needs to be saved from the institution. And the best way for that to happen is for her adoption grant fund to increase significantly. That's where you come in. Patti is sponsoring a giveaway to raise money for Kareen. You have a chance to win these great items:

Now GO! Head over to Reece's Rainbow and donate to Kareen. Then go to Patti's blog and let her know that you donated so that you can be entered to win. But remember, this isn't just about an ipad. It's about saving a life!

*Kareen's donation page is static, so check here or back on Patti's blog for up to date giving totals.

I Have a Burden

2010-12-21T13:00:00.001-06:00

Last week, my sister posted about a little girl named Olga. Olga is just one of MANY children with down syndrome waiting for families in orphanages around the world. Through reading about Olga, I learned about Reece's Rainbow. And I fell in love with more precious children than I can count. Ainsley spent one afternoon looking through the lists and lists of waiting children and counted over 20 that she wants to bring home. Well, that may be too many. But we seem to be feeling a definite burden to bring at least one of these beautiful babies home.

In many countries, these "fearfully and wonderfully made" children are cast away. If they reach the age of 5 without being adopted, they are institutionalized. Forgotten. Basically, thrown away.

Can you imagine? Do people know and aren't acting? Are they "waiting for the call"? Are we not all called to care for the widows and the fatherless? How can we turn away? How can we ignore that these innocents are being abandoned to die?

Do you feel my burden?

Meet Wilson:

When I first saw his picture, I fell head over heels in love with him. I don't know what God has in store for our family or for Wilson. But I love him. And I want him to have a forever home. Whether it is with us or not. I just want him to feel the loving embrace of a mother, the tickles and hugs of a father.

Here's Langley:

Langley is in the same orphanage as Wilson. Isn't he beautiful? Wouldn't he make a wonderful addition to any family? Langley is waiting for his family to find him. Is it us? Is it you?

And this is Kolya:

I don't know his story, but he seems to be one of the few who wasn't institutionalized. If not, then he desperately needs his family to find him soon. These children don't survive the asylum for long. It's devastating. It's a life as a throw away. It's reckless abandon.

There are so many families in the process of adoption through Reece's Rainbow. They all have blogs to follow and they are all in the process of raising funds to adopt. Also, every child listed on Reece's Rainbow has an adoption grant fund just waiting to be given to the family who acts to save them. We look forward to helping these families until the day we need to raise funds of our own. Will you help them too?

My Favorite Milestone

2010-12-20T22:19:00.002-06:00

Babies grow so quickly. And there are so many fun milestones. They smile. They roll over. They laugh. They get a first tooth, crawl, stand up, take a first step. You know how it goes. All the milestones are so much fun to watch and experience with your little ones. But I have a favorite milestone. And Eli accomplished it yesterday. Can you guess what it is?

He said, "Yes Ma'am"! I love it. Sweet, precious obedience. I just wish he would stay so innocent.

All Tangled Up

2010-10-14T07:56:00.003-05:00

It was an ordinary night. Just like any other. The littles had just gotten out of the bathtub. Eli was tucked in for the night. The older two were taking turns in the shower. And then it happened.

I was sitting at the computer when Ainsley started crying. Max laughed and she cried harder. I called her to me and here she came with a small round brush stuck tight up against her scalp.

"Oh Ainsley," I said. "It's ok. We'll get it out."

After admonishing Max for laughing at her in this predicament, I told Ainsley I completely understand her fear. I knew (from experience) that her first thought was that we were going to have to cut her hair to get the hairbrush out. I told Ainsley that I had thought the same thing when I found myself with a round brush stuck in my hair at about the same age. But my Daddy, who loves me very much, destroyed that nasty hairbrush and pulled out each bristle one at a time with pliers until my hair was loosed of the torture object.

And you know what happened, Ainsley's Daddy, who loves her very much, sat on the sofa with Ainsley in his lap and ever so slowly pulled her hair loose with my knitting needles. He even held his tongue just right. (Again)

We were left with a huge rat's nest, but since she was fresh out of the shower, it was easy enough to brush out. . . . with a flat hairbrush!

Above and Beyond

2010-09-24T22:15:00.001-05:00

Some dads do the very minimum. Some won't change diapers. Some won't bathe littles. Some won't tend to the infirm. My man does all of these things. And tonight he proved his love for his baby girl by going above and beyond.

Lillian, you are so blessed to have a Daddy who loves you enough to paint your fingernails. There are girls who will never know that kind of dedication.

(And look at that perfectionism! He even held his tongue just right.)

The Big Gap

2010-09-23T22:03:00.003-05:00

First:

Second:

Now, let's see if those adult teeth come in before the two teeth on either side of that gap fall out!

The race is on!

Ivy League

2010-09-22T21:36:00.003-05:00

Max has joined the league of extraordinary children who unwittingly succumb to the poisonous oils of ivy plants. AKA Poison Ivy.

Max went camping last weekend with his Boy Scout troop. They went up to Camp James Ray on Lake Texoma for a couple of days of adventure. Chili from a can, camp fires, smores, pancakes, hiking, kayaking, and shooting at poor innocent paper targets. And amid all this fun, excitement and masculine pursuits, the boys must have picked some pretty leaves and rubbed them all over their skin. Just kidding. Regardless of how it happened, Monday morning I noticed a mild rash on Max's forehead and eyelids. By Tuesday morning the rash had spread down his cheeks, and had turned red. We started treating with Ivarest, Cortizone, and Benadryl. Unfortunately, we weren't fast enough. Wednesday morning the poor boy woke up with one eye swollen shut. Cold compresses eased the swelling and serious treatment began. More Benadryl, GSE, Black Walnut, Plaintain compresses, and Tea Tree Oil. The rash was looking much better this afternoon. That is until, against strict orders, the "child" (read "fool") went outside to play frisbee with his friend. When he came in all hot and sweaty, the swelling had returned and the rash looked angry red. AGAIN. Back to the starting line. As punishment for his disobedience, I made him pose for these pictures.

In His Hands

2010-09-17T21:31:00.004-05:00

Our baby went home to be with Jesus this week. It has been a very emotional time in our house. The miscarriage wasn't easy. After a trip to the emergency room, going into labor twice, and losing huge amounts of blood, the baby was finally pulled from me Wednesday morning. I never thought it would be this hard. We're not even sure yet if the baby ever developed or if an empty sac tricked my body into thinking I was pregnant for almost 12 weeks. But a fertilized egg is a child even if it is unable to grow. Either way, I now have to deal with the knowledge that there is no baby to hold, cuddle, nurse, or coo over.

One of my first thoughts when I first started bleeding was an image of my baby in the arms of my Savior. I am so comforted in knowing that one day we will meet. And I will be able to hold my baby in my arms. Until then, we will think of her often and look forward to the day when our family will be complete. Together. In Heaven.

I praise God for His love and comfort during this trial. I pray that through this I will become a better Mommy, a more compassionate friend, and a stronger witness for Christ.

Soft Spoken

2010-09-04T08:02:00.003-05:00

Have you ever known a child to be soft spoken? I haven't. Until now.

Eli has a very small vocabulary currently. You really have to be paying attention to hear what he has to say. Not because it is unclear, but because he is so soft spoken. He loves to talk. He will come to me and start a conversation of babble. All I have to do to keep the conversation going is throw in the occasional "Yes!", "I understand.", or "I agree completely." Sometimes I'll ask "Really?" and that will start him in on another round of babble. And as I've noted, it's all quiet banter. Just above a whisper. I love it.

Now if I could just get him to stop squealing!

Answered Prayers

2010-08-30T21:25:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I told Lillian that I had a secret. She came closer and asked, "What is it?" I replied, "God answered your prayers." She looked at me, a little confused. So, I went on. "What have you been praying for?" She knew the answer to that question right away. "For God to give you a baby." She said this somewhat timidly, not thinking that God would have answered that prayer. I grinned really big and told her "Yes, God has given me another baby." She was so excited! I fully expected her to run off and tell Ainsley right away, but first she turned to me and asked if she could tell my secret. What a sweet girl!

Thank you God for answering Lillian's prayers. We are abundantly blessed!

Girly Stuff

2010-06-27T20:48:00.004-05:00

I finally got a sewing machine! And I haven't stopped being crafty since I got it on Monday. Even though it's not sewing related, really, I started with hair bows. Just the little ones with the stretchy headbands to interchange the bows.

Next, I FINALLY got a chance to make the twirly skirt I've wanted to make for a year. Finished Lillian's after much frustration. I even made a matching scrunchie for her hair. I will be making Ainsley's soon and expect it to go much faster.

I, then, made up my own pattern for a bib that ties in the back. I figure since Eli can pull off all his bibs whether it fastens with snaps or velcro, maybe he will have a harder time with a double knot. But, I am refashioning the pattern, so the pictures will have to wait.

Next, I found a tutorial for a beautiful hair bow. I made one yesterday with pink and brown ribbons, but Ainsley wanted one to match her black, red and white skirt. So, here's the one I made today for her.

Tomorrow, I'm starting on pillowcase dresses for the girls for the fourth of July! I'm having so much fun!

Dye Free

2010-02-13T22:05:00.003-06:00

Well, I did it. I gave up the bottle. No, not alcohol. Hair color.
After coloring my hair every 4 weeks for almost 15 years, I quit. And now I'm dye free! What an experience this has been.
One day I was looking in the mirror and noticing, yet again, that it was time to color my hair. I hated coloring my hair. The mess. The time. The money. Yuck! But I was too young to be gray. But this one day, I realized I didn't have to do it anymore. I kept thinking, "At what age is it o.k. to be gray?" That's when I knew there is no perfect age. At that moment my transition began.
I called my mom and said, "I think I'm gonna go gray." She was extremely supportive. She'd been telling me for years that I should. But I was too scared.
Then I called my sister and said, "Wanna go gray with me?" Quick response, "NO!" I figured as much. But it didn't hurt to ask.
I knew one other person, my age, with gray hair. So, I emailed her for support. She said, "Go for it! You'll love it."
That night I googled "young and gray." That lead me to GGLG (Going Gray Looking Great). It's a website dedicated to women who have decided to buck the system and grow out their natural color. And you know what? I wasn't the only thirty-something. There were others just like me. Women who started graying in their teens and finally decided to call it quits.
So, I signed up for this huge support group. But even with that help, I still had to come to terms with my gray.
It was very emotional for me. I cried. More than once. I had to really pray about this decision. I knew God created me. He placed every hair on my head. And he knew when they were going to lose their pigment. And after God gently whispered in my ear, "I made you." I had an awesome realization. If God created me this way, then who am I to say it's not good enough? That's when I knew I was comfortable with my choice to not color. It was no longer about me. It was about honoring HIM!
And this helped me too. Proverbs 16:31 "Gray hair is a crown of splendor. It is attained by a righteous life."
Well, I don't know how righteous I am, but I'm not turning down any crowns! I'll take every one the Lord wants to give me.

Snow Day

2010-02-11T20:29:00.005-06:00

We woke up to 2" of snow this morning. And the weatherman predicted non-stop snow until 2am. Total precipitation is estimated at 6-8"! That's more than I've seen in my lifetime.

Poor public school kids had to go to school anyway. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment. Max, Ainsley and Lillian were in it first thing. They bundled up in three layers of clothes, plus coats, hats, and mittens. The snow was perfect for snowballs and snowmen. They managed to build a 4' snowman! Then Ainsley thought it would be fun to tackle him. Down he went.

Each time the kids got too cold, they would head indoors. All the wet clothes were thrown in the dryer and the kids would warm themselves in front of the fire. In an hour or two, they would grab their clothes, bundle back up, and out they would go again.

Eli watched it snow all day from inside. But then he decided he wanted to try it out too. So, after putting on layer upon layer of clothes, we were out the door. I put Eli on an empty dog food bag to protect him from the wet snow. We all showed him how to touch it and eat it, but to no avail. He just looked at us like we had lost our minds.

When Mike got home from work, he helped us fix Mr. Snowman. Then he got into a snowball fight with Max and Ainsley. Lillian got in on the action too. Eli stayed inside and watched from the warmth. He's pretty smart!

Prophetic Words?

2010-01-30T15:48:00.004-06:00

Lillian is ready for another baby in the house. She tells me at least once a week that she wants me to have another baby. Every time she mentions it, I reply, "Are you praying for another baby?" To which she always answers, "Yes."

Well, yesterday we were playing in the nursery at co-op and Lillian had a baby doll. She wrapped the baby up tight in a blanket and brought it over to me.

"Look at my newborn baby," she said.

"Oh, is that your baby?" I asked.

"Yes, his name is Eli" she replied.

"I want one." I said.

"You want a newborn baby?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." I answered.

"God will give you a baby," she prophesied.

I love that my children trust in their Heavenly Father. I trust in Him too. And I know that each and every child He places in my care is a blessing, straight from Heaven.

Psalm 139:13-16

For you created my inmost being, You knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Balloon Festival '09

2009-09-29T17:13:00.004-05:00

The day we moved into our house was the first time we experienced the awe of hot air balloons up close. As we moved boxes in from the truck, many bright and colorful balloons floated right over our new purchase. We were so excited to be in a location that is passed over during flight of such beautiful aircraft.
We were soon informed by our new neighbors that the balloons seldom come in our direction. Usually they fly away from our house NOT towards it. So, this was definitely a special treat. In the last seven years we've seen the balloons about three other times. And they launch six times during the festival each year. Seldom was right.
This year, "seldom" occurred again. I had gone out to look for balloons about thirty minutes after the scheduled launch time, but to no avail. I figured they went the other direction. But in another thirty minutes, Laila was up and barking at the sky. I've learned that this normally means balloons overhead! So, out I went to look again. And sure enough, there was a balloon, hardly moving, about 75 feet above my street. I ran and got the kids and we watched as six more balloons floated right over our house. I though one of them was gonna hit my tree! The people in the balloons were even saying hello to us as they passed by.
The next morning, my mom and Ainsley and I went to watch the launch and we saw 25 different balloons. When we returned to the house, I woke everyone up and out we went to chase the dragon. We saw the Plano Profile balloon land and "Miss Daisy" sitting on the ground. Watched the Jack in the Box fly over our heads. And we did manage to find the dragon but decided to find some other balloons instead. After all that fun, we stopped by the donut shop and headed home. We had a great time and greatly enjoyed the balloons this year!

Cool Bike!

2009-09-29T11:30:00.001-05:00

This would be a great bike for any family with lots of littles. No need to buy a trailer. Just get one of these!!

Too cute!

Our Nightly Visitor

2009-09-09T20:42:00.005-05:00

Sunday evening we went to the aboretum with Nealy and Pappy to enjoy a picnic on the grass while listening to the Dallas Wind Symphony. It was a lot of fun, but really hot! Anyway, when we got home it was dark already and as we walked up to the front door we noticed, or Max walked into, a huge spider web. There were two large spiders on it. We were all amazed at the size and beauty of that web.

Well, the next night we went to a friend's house for the evening and again got back after dark. Max half jokingly said, "Better look for the web before walking to the house." And sure enough, the spider was back, web up and ready for dinner!

So, last night I watched the front door very closely as soon as the sun went down. And around 8 o'clock the spider was back and just starting to work on his web. Of course, as we started staring at him he did nothing. We sent the kids to bed, a little disappointed. I continued to watch the spider every once in a while. But at 11 he still hadn't done anything. I thought maybe he had died.

Right before I went to bed, I looked again and was very excited to find the spider busy at work building his web for the night. Mike and I stood there mesmerized. What amazing little creatures! And hard workers, too!

As I type this, he is back again. You should see these webs. They are awe inspiring.

Four nights in a row. Must be some good eats out there.

What do you think we should name him?

Get in the Kitchen

2009-07-02T09:09:00.007-05:00

Yesterday when the girls woke up from their naps, I decided to make cookies. Iris (the 4 year old that I babysit in the summertime) walked into the kitchen and watched me measure the flour and pronounced, "I've never seen anyone make cookies before."
WHAT????
What a long way we've come from the days of Mrs. Cleaver. I was blown away! Doesn't everyone know that every kids love language is a beater covered in gooey goodness, that is, cookie dough?

Of course if you know me at all, you know that I give love by baking. My loved ones usually get a batch of their favorite cookie for their birthday, Christmas, Mother's day, Father's day, etc. For my dad it's Chocolate Almond Biscotti, and I'm a little late with those. For my mom it's Millionaires, and I'm really late with those. They are very messy and time consuming. (Not that you're not worth it, Mom.) Shannon likes Ranger Joe's and Chocolate Crackles. Ginger isn't altogether picky. And Don is just happy to have something fresh from the oven.

Now, baking isn't everyone's forte. I get that. But even my sister, whose kids think she doesn't know how to bake a cake, has made cookies for her kids before. Several times. So, if you haven't had a chance to really impress your kiddos lately, take a few minutes today and make some cookies. You'll be their hero!
And while you're at it, let them help while wearing their new aprons that I know you have whipped up this last week ;)

Suzy Homemaker Came to Visit

2009-06-23T08:55:00.003-05:00

I did it! I sewed something successfully! I have been wanting to sew clothes for my girls and myself for several years. I have been telling Ainsley for a year that I would make her an apron. Finally, inspiration struck when I found a tutorial here for a child's apron. I went out and bought fabric and notions the same day. And, voila, the apron.

Aren't you impressed? And now that I know how many websites and blogs there are with sewing tutorials, I will be enjoying many more hours of sewing. I'll let you know what else I make. This is the next on my list.

Wooddellisms

2009-06-05T16:49:00.005-05:00

What is a wooddellism you ask. Wooddellisms started 10 years ago. Shortly after Mike and I got married. The very first one was “Ross Mose”. Therefore, a Wooddellism is when you switch the first sounds of a two word phrase. I have a tendency to say these when I am tired. Mike says them all the time. Don't know what his excuse is. Max has even said some. All without the intention of saying them. To illustrate how often this happens, I’ve written a short story using our most memorable wooddellisms.

Mike and I decided that we needed a vacation. So, we made plans to visit a
bread and beckfast out in the country. While there, we drove by the local
marmers farket and stopped to admire some beautiful ross mose. On the way
home, Max asked if we could swing by and pick up Huke and Lank. So we
did. And when we didn’t have any more milk for Hank, he threw a fissy
hit. He was screaming so loud that Mike’s coes turled. Soon after,
Mike said it was time to go home so that he could yow the mard.

These are just a few. There have been many, many more, but most of them we don’t remember. Although, before I end this post I have to tell you about one wooddellism Mike will never live down. It ended up not being clean. So, I’ll just have to tell you what he tried to say. You can figure out what actually came out of his mouth. Last week, while I was laying in bed reading my book, Mike came back to tell me something. As he was walking out of the room, he looked back and noticed our long haired cat, Molly, laying on the bed. And he tried to say, “Get that bucket of fur off of my side of the bed.” I laughed for ten minutes!!

Love Languages

2009-05-01T13:33:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to coffee with my mom and sister. We enjoy spending time together and catching up or trying to solve all the world's problems.

Anyhow, my sister Ginger mentioned the five love languages. She is forever more trying to figure people out. I, on the other hand, am not that deep. But I started thinking about it and figured it would be good to know the love languages of my husband and children. That way, I can lavish them with love that they understand.

OK, so first my love language. Number one is quality time, but physical touch runs a close second. I love to spend time with those I love. We don't have to do anything special. I just want to be with them. But I also hate to see my mom without getting a hug, or see my dad without having him put his arm around me or stroke my hair. I love those things.

Mike's love language is words of affirmation. Although he doesn't believe that. I would think acts of service is second for him.

Max was easy to figure out. That boy would love to be hugged a hundred times a day. He likes to cuddle. He will sit next to me on the sofa and hold my hand. He stands in front of me and drapes my arms over his shoulders. You get it? Physical touch.

Ainsley was easy once I thought about it. She is constantly complimenting herself. She will say "Aren't I smart?" "Didn't I do a great job?" "Can't I run fast?" And yet, it tears her up to hear anything negative. Pretty simple, huh? Words of affirmation.

Lillian, now that was the hardest one. She's so little all the love languages seem to work with her. She loves hugs and kisses. She always wants me with her. She enjoys praise. She appreciates it when I change her diaper. And she adores receiving gifts. But one stands out above the rest. Lillian's love language - - - - CHOCOLATE!

Reasons to Praise God

2009-04-23T08:56:00.004-05:00

The other day, I was reminded to praise God even for the little things. Don't get me wrong. I praise God all the time. I thank Him for lights being green, good parking spaces, happy children, sunshine, rain. I praise God a lot. But I had never thought of this one.

Nealy and Pappy are known for having yummy snacks. Lillian is always going in their kitchen and looking around saying, "UMMM. . . . . I want . . . . _______" You get the idea. Anyway, while we were over there visiting Lillian caught site of a cream pie cookie.

This is how the exchange went:

"Mommy, I want that cookie." "Please!"

"You want this cookie?"

"Yes."

"This cookie right here?"

"Yes."

"This cookie with the cream in the middle?"

"Yes."

"This cookie here in my right hand?"

"Yes."

"OK!"

Throwing hands up in the air, "PRAISE THE LORD!!"

I rolled.

And then thanked God for such a precious daughter.

Lillian's Favorite Group

2009-04-09T15:31:00.004-05:00

My family has been big fans of Signature Sound since we first saw them sing on a Gaither Gospel Hour three years ago. Ainsley was two then and would dance and sing to all their songs. She still does.

But by far their biggest fan is Lillian. I have purchased all their DVD's so that she can watch them sing. She wakes up every morning and asks to watch "sig sound" or "harren". (We haven't figured out where she came up with that name but it means Signature Sound to her.)

We listen to nothing but Signature Sound cd's in the car. Luckily, we have all of them. We rarely tire of their music.

Well, last weekend when I called my mom to find out her plans for Sunday evening, she said she was going to the Signature Sound concert. They were in town and we had chosen to wait to see them another time since we are trying to stick to our budget. But I got a bright idea! Lillian doesn't need a ticket! So, my mom, being the wonderful and generous grandmother that she is, agreed to take Lillian to see the concert.

Lillian got all dressed up with tights and dress and even pig tails. She was adorable. She waited impatiently for Nealy and Pappy to pick her up. When they arrived, she ran out the door and told them she was going to see "Signa Soun". Before the concert started the guys were out front selling CD's and such, so Nealy took Lillian to meet them. Now, remember - she is two. She wouldn't talk to them, smile at them, or even look at them. But she still had her picture made with Tim and Ryan.

During the concert, they sang her favorite song: "My Heart is a Chapel". But my mom is convinced that she didn't realize it was live. Lillian watched the whole concert on the big screen! Oh well. She had fun and I have really cute pictures. Maybe when she's older . . . . .

Growing, growing!

2009-03-17T13:41:00.005-05:00

Eli is growing so fast. Can't believe it's already been 11 weeks since his birth. Now he has a double chin (at least)! He is also smiling all the time. He loves it when we sing to him and he will turn his head and smile at you when you talk to him. Ainsley thinks that is super cool. She can make Eli smile a lot! And cooing. Eli started cooing about two weeks ago. Oh the changes come so fast.

Today, I sat on the sofa with Eli and he grinned from ear to ear as I told him all the things he would accomplish in the coming months. And then he smiled anew as I sang his favorite song, "I Love You a Bushel and a Peck." That's Lillian's favorite song too. But that's another post.

Welcome Eli Samuel

2009-01-09T14:54:00.003-06:00

He is finally here! After waiting way past when I expected him to arrive, labor started first thing New Year's morning. And even though in the back of my mind I knew this was it, I didn't believe it. Even when I called the midwife. I had been having hours of early labor for weeks. I knew it was the real thing, but I still didn't trust it to continue.

Well, when Rene'e arrived I was 8 cm. Almost there! Long story short, after 3 hours of labor, I delivered my biggest baby yet. The first words out of my mouth were, "You were worth it. You are worth every second of it."

I had given strict orders to Rene'e and everyone else who was there that I did not want anyone to tell me the sex of the baby. Even if they saw it first. So, the baby was laid up on my belly, quickly covered up, and I sat and admired him for 3.5 minutes before deciding to look. And low and behold, Ainsley's prophecy of two years prior came to fruition. It's a boy!

Eli was born at 11:32 am, January 1st. He weighed in at 8 lbs even and measured 20 1/8 inches long.

Which brings me to the winner of the bet. MommaofMany came the closest with a correct guess of the gender, 2 days off on the date, just over 2 hours off on the time, 3 ounces off on the weight, and 7/8 off on the length. That's pretty impressive! Momma, please email me your address so that I can mail out your gift certificate.

Hats Off to Pappy

2008-12-15T23:41:00.002-06:00

People often ask me why my children adore their Pappy like they do. What makes him different? Well, here's a video to show you.

Pappy is almost always ready to play Ride the Horsie, play football, basketball, take the kids to the park, watch them ride bikes, listen to their long winded stories. Pappy loves to cater to them, give them candy, make them chocolate milk. He always laughs at their antics and stands in awe of the new tricks they've learned.
So, why do my children adore their Pappy? Because he adores them!

Hymn Study

2008-12-13T17:36:00.002-06:00

In our fine arts co-op, we have learned three new hymns this semester. But one hymn has been the favorite at our house. We have sung it so often that Lillian is picking up the words to it. A few months ago, while Ainsley was performing for us, Lillian sang right along with her. It was great fun to watch. Now, you can too.

Notice the way Lillian says "Jethuth" with her cute lisp.
Currently, Lillian knows many more words to the song so I will try to get a new video of the girls singing it and post it in the near future.

What's Your Best Guess?

2008-12-08T11:13:00.003-06:00

Now that I have made it to the 36 week mark, we're taking bets on when the baby will arrive. Ok, not real bets, but you will be announced as the winner in your own post if you win. Won't that be fun?

So, when do you think the baby will make his/her first appearance?

And for even more fun, you can even let us know your best guess for the baby's gender, weight and length.

To make things fair for everyone, here's the stats on my last three:

Max - born at 40 weeks, 7 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches

Ainsley - born at 37 weeks, 6 lbs 1 oz, 19 inches

Lillian - born at 39 weeks, 7 lbs 6 oz, 20.5 inches

What do you say?

Winner gets a gift card to somewhere fun.

32 Snippets

2008-12-05T14:40:00.003-06:00

I was tagged the other day for this meme. And since I haven't posted in forever, I'll do it. Just this once.

Eight things I'm looking forward to:

The birth of this baby.
Finding out the gender of this baby.
No more bedrest.
Being able to tie my own shoes.
Being able to do dishes without turning sideways.
Seeing my children's reactions to their new sibling.
Christmas
The birth of this baby. (Did I say that already?)

Eight things on my wish list:

A healthy baby.
Finish Max's room.
A minivan in our price range.
A new wedding ring. (that doesn't cut into my fingers and scratch my kiddos)
My children to grow up to serve the Lord.
A house in the country.
A clean house on birth day.
A full quiver.

Eight TV shows that I watch: (I'm going to be totally honest, unlike the person who tagged me.)

The Biggest Loser
NCIS
17 Kids and Counting
So You Think You Can Dance
American Idol
Psych
Monk
The Office

Eight things I did yesterday:

Woke Up
Showered
Crocheted
Read a Book
Watched TV
Blogged
Checked Facebook over and over
Rested

Baby Talk

2008-12-04T12:41:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm now 35 weeks pregnant and on bedrest due to too many contractions at 34 weeks. I never realized before now how hard it is to be on bedrest. Here I am wanting to nest, or at least try to keep my house clean, and I'm not supposed to be doing anything. I'm even supposed to be lying down most of the time, but that's more than I can handle. I'm doing good to stay off my feet. But crocheting and sewing can't be done while lying down. I must sit up.

Today, my baby seems to think it's time for gymnastics! He just won't be still. (Before you ask, I still don't know the gender. I just prefer "he" over "it") If he's not moving his butt around and kicking me, he seems to be thrashing his head about looking for the way OUT. It's not the most comfortable feeling, to say the least. But, alas, I'll miss those movements in a few months when I look back. I just really enjoy carrying babies. It's so miraculous!

Anyway, please join us in praying this baby waits to make his arrival until at least 37 weeks. We're anxious to meet this little one, but more concerned about his health.

She Begged

2008-12-03T16:24:00.004-06:00

And only because it's not pretty to see a grown woman beg, I am updating my blog. Of course, since I haven't updated in 12 weeks, I have lots of subjects to choose from. I'll start with the one I found the most fun - and funny.

Several weeks ago, when tucking Max and Ainsley into bed (they share the same room) Mike decided to look behind the bookcase. Much to our surprise, he found a whole stash of clothes. Most of the clothes were Max's. Some were Ainsley's. But most importantly we found the pair of jeans that Max was told, just five minutes before, to hang up. After then cleaning out the clothes from the bottom of their closet; and having been through this same situation multiple times before - inspiration struck.

So, the next day Max and Ainsley had to wear all the clothes they had failed to hang up to co-op. And when asked why they had on so many clothes, they were forced to reply "Because I disobeyed my parents and didn't hang up my clothes."

Here's what all Max had to wear:

(7 shirts, 1 pair of shorts, 1 pair of pajama bottoms, 1 pair of jeans and a pair of overalls)

Ainsley wasn't as bad:

(4 shirts and 2 pair of pants)

In hind sight, I still think it was funny. Not as effective as I had hoped though. They have very short memories.

Pregnancy Update

2008-09-06T22:18:00.003-05:00

I'm almost 23 weeks pregnant! Only 17 weeks to go. And the way our schedule is looking, it'll be here before we know it. Now that school has started and cub scouts is back in session, the weeks seem to fly by. And there's so much to do!

I have been feeling great lately. I am to the point in my pregnancy when I don't really feel pregnant. Except when the baby is kicking me or I do too much and my belly aches for a day afterward. Not to mention the fact that it gets harder and harder to do the dishes. I can't reach the water because my belly prevents me from getting close to the sink.

The baby has been very active lately. He likes to move around a lot in the afternoon and evening. Around bedtime is when the real play time begins! Last night, the baby did something that was reminiscent of Max. Both of our girls would move around and kick until you tried to feel the movement. Then they would stop. Actually, Ainsley would freeze and Lillian would move as far away as possible. But Max would just kick back. Well, last night the baby was very active and I told Mike to watch. After he saw a couple of kicks, he put his hand on my belly and pushed. The baby kicked back. They did this for about two minutes. It was fun to watch Mike have that kind of interaction with this little one. I don't think he felt a single kick out of the last two babies.

Anyway, Rene'e (my midwife) is coming on Tuesday. So, I'll know more about heart rates and growth then. For now, I just praise God for a healthy, active baby.

P.S. I use the pronoun "he" for ease. We do not know the sex of this baby.

Word Girl

2008-08-17T16:06:00.005-05:00

Lillian started talking just after her first birthday. And her vocabulary has grown rapidly since then. I have been told numerous times to write down all the words that she says, but I haven’t done it yet. Today, however, Lillian is 18 months old and I feel like if I don’t write them down now I won’t be able to list them all.
Max and Ainsley both had a very limited vocabulary until sometime after their second birthday. We used sign language with them to ease some of the communication barrier. Lillian however never used signs. She always preferred to just say the word. To this day, the only sign she uses is “please”. And even with that one she is saying the word.
So, here is my attempt to list all her words by category. It may be long, but ohh and ahh anyway. We are very proud of her and in awe of her vocal ability. One thing’s for sure, she takes after her Maw Maw . . . . . . She’s a talker!!!
(I’ll try to add some of her pronunciations when I think I can spell them.)

People I Love
Mommy
Daddy
Max
Nealy - "NeNe"
Pappy
Bubba
Nana
MawMaw
PawPaw
Luke
Ellie (her elephant blankie)
God
Jesus

Things I Like to Eat
Cereal
Oatmeal - "Me meal"
Bacon
Pancakes - "K Cakes"
Candy
Ice Cream - "I keem"
Banana
Watermelon
Cantaloupe - "Lalope"
Spaghetti
Raisin
Pretzels
Marshmallow
Milk
Juice

Animals and Animal Sounds
Dog
Puppy
Woof-woof
Kitty
Cat
Meow
Cow
Moo
Neigh
Baa
Laila, Abbey, Molly (our pets)

Commands
Sit, sit
Down
Stop
Back (get back dogs)
Block (play blocks with me)
Jump (on the trampoline)
Outside - “side”
Help Me! – “hep E”
Hold Me – “ho me”
Food (let’s feed the dogs)
Drink (I need a drink)
Come Here – “Mere”
Pray - "pay"
Song (sing me a song)
Teeth (brush my teeth)

Body Parts
Eye
Ear
Nose
Mouth
Hair
Hand
Toes
Belly

Others
Baby
Book
Bible
Draw – “daw”
Hungry – “hungee”
Breakfast
Hot, hot
Amen
Yes Ma’am
OK – “tay”
Train
Mail
Bath
Nap nap
Night Night
Shoes
Socks
I Don’t Know – “I dun no”
Please
Thank You

I’ve probably left some out, but I’ve done the best I can. She does know a few words to some of her favorite songs, such as, “Jesus Loves Me”, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, "Ring Around the Rosie" and “Thank You God” (the dinnertime prayer). Clearly, verbal communication is something in which this little one excels. I’m anxious to see how much more she learns before she’s two!

A Father's Love

2008-06-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

It's been a while, I know. I am feeling better now, but still haven't had any desire to post on the blog until I recieved this story today. The video made me cry!

Amazing Love

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'
The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.
They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes'. For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii .

Father and son went on to complete the race together.

Now, watch the video:

Did it get to you too?

God loves you more than that father loves his son!

They Know

2008-05-13T15:45:00.004-05:00

Sunday night, Mike and I had the privilege of telling Max and Ainsley that they will have another brother or sister around New Year's! They were thrilled! They both are convinced that this time we are expecting Eli, but we won't know that until delivery. Max wanted to know how big the baby is, so I took a Lentil out of the pantry and showed it to him. I told him that even though the baby is so tiny, he has many of his body parts and his heart is beating! Ainsley put the lentil in her hand and just stared at it. And yesterday, she asked to see the lentil again. It is hard to grasp that something that small could be almost fully formed.

Anyway, Mike and I are extremely excited. Mike is looking forward to watching my belly grow, but not really looking forward to the late night trips to Taco Bell. (the one fast food I crave during pregnancy) I, of course, can't wait to watch my belly move. And I am anxious to share all of it with my children again. Getting to see my favorite midwife again is just an added bonus!

Here's a picture of how my baby looks now:

And if you want to keep up with how far along we are, just check the baby ticker in the left column of my blog.

I don't really know what else to say, except I am so glad God saw something in us worthy of another reward! We are truly blessed!

Ainsley's Birthday

2008-05-09T22:25:00.005-05:00

On April 30th, Ainsley turned 4! That is really hard for me to believe. Can it really have been four years since her miraculous birth? Anyway, Mike and I very much enjoy making a big deal out of our kids birthdays. Since they now have a party either many weeks before or many weeks after their true birth date, we try to make their day special. So, that Wednesday morning Ainsley woke up to me singing "Happy Birthday". Then, she got to go to the donut shop with Daddy to pick out her favorite donuts. After breakfast, we all sat in the living room and watched her open her presents from us and from MawMaw and PawPaw. Even Max found a great gift for her from his own belongings.

2 New Dolls

2 New Baby Bottles

1 New Cell Phone with a case

Best Loved Disney Stories (from Max)

She also got a new Princess umbrella. From there our day went on as usual. But for dinner, we surprised Ainsley with a trip to Chuckie Cheese's. She had a great time and won lots of prizes! She even made sure to get a prize for Lillian.

Ainsley in her crown at Chuckie Cheese

It was a really fun day for all of us. Mike and I have so much fun sharing in their joy. Now, no more birthdays til next year!

Family Amusement

2008-05-08T14:21:00.007-05:00

I am way behind, but I wanted to tell you about our trip to Six Flags. Catherine scored enough tickets for the Clarks, Kallan, herself, and our family to go for Children's Medical Center night at Six Flags. Driving over in the traffic was no fun at all. To pass the time, the kids counted planes taking off and landing from the airport. I think they counted more than 30 before all was said and done. But all the fun began when we got in the park. To start the kids off slowly, we rode the Merry-Go-Round first.

Max had a great time pretending to be a bare back rider.

Isaac kept a tight rein on his horse.

Elena loved her horse!

Chloe was just being silly for the camera!

Ginger and Maya enjoyed sitting next to each other.

And Ainsley, true to form, refused to ride a horse and held on tight to me as we sat on the bench.

Did I mention Elena loved her horse?

Next, Catherine and I put Kallan and Ainsley on the baby swings. Kallan sat, unsmiling, through the whole ride. And Ainsley bawled her eyes out. She later told me it was no fun at all.

Then the kids all rode the big trucks. Everyone liked the trucks, even Ainsley. And Aunt Catherine, being quite the trooper, rode along and took charge of her steering wheel!

The bigger kids then rode a ride that took them up high in the air! Max and Maya have their hands up, but Isaac seems to be holding on for dear life.

Ginger may have even enjoyed it. What do you think?

All the kids piled into the over-sized chair for a great picture. Kallan wanted her mommy in the picture too. But this one was kids only!

And what would an outing be without a silly picture of Mike and Kyle? They are so silly.

The big kids got the chance to pose with Bugs before we left.

A couple other details: Ginger and I talked Maya, Isaac and Max into riding the Judge Roy Scream, and they may never forgive us for that. Let's just say tears were involved.

Also, Kyle and Mike sneaked off to ride the Titan while the rest of us took a relaxing ride through the Yosemite Sam cave ride.

Some of us tried out the new Bucking Bull ride. It was a lot like a Tilt O Whirl. Even kind of looked like a Tilt O Whirl. May have been a spin off of the Tilt O Whirl. (Sorry, had to be there.)

Then the kids discovered the Tea Cups. And rode it over and over and over and over.

A great time was had by all. Thank you Aunt Catherine for thinking of us! We really loved spending time with you and Kallan!

Our Bird

2008-04-23T07:55:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we were all outside playing when I noticed a bird sitting on a branch in my Azalea. Max and I slowly got closer to look at it and it didn't move. So, I ran inside and grabbed my camera. This bird allowed me to get remarkably close. We soon realized that it couldn't fly! Not sure why. At one point I did pick it up, but decided it was better off outside. I let it go and it hopped away.

But that's not the end of my story. A few days later we saw him again, sitting in my azalea. This time Max and I were both able to touch him before he flew away. We were quite happy to see him healed. Since then we have seen "our" bird many more times. Each time he stays a little farther away. I'm sure we will not be seeing much more of him, since he is a Cedar Waxwing, a migratory bird from the far north. We read that these birds are flocking birds that rely mainly on fruit to survive. That was proved when I walked outside to find about 30 Cedar Waxwings in my Yaupon Holly tree. The next day I noticed all of my berries were gone!!

This was a very interesting bird that I don't recall ever seeing before. A great nature study for the kids. . . . and now for you!

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere!

2008-04-20T20:43:00.009-05:00

We recently went to the Dallas Arboretum with Nealy and Gigi. We all had a great time discovering new plants, flowers and trees. Several we had never heard of!

The kids had a great time running through the gardens, rolling down a hill of lush green grass, looking at the great big koi in the ponds, and throwing pennies in the fountains. Max even saw a snake!!

Gigi brought fried chicken and clementines, so when we all started to get hungry we stopped and had a little snack. Lillian ate a drumstick until there was NOTHING left on the bone. I showed it to Max and said, "Now this is the way you eat a chicken leg."

Anyway, we had a great time and got away right before the rain started. Now if my yard could look 1% as good as their gardens I would be overjoyed!!

Green Thumb

2008-04-14T17:46:00.009-05:00

I LOVE SPRING! I love to watch the flowers bloom. The daffodils, tulips, irises. The red buds, peach and pear trees. I look forward to spring all year. I am in awe of all the rebirth after a long winter of hibernation. All the colors and shapes and sizes. I like to get out in the flower beds and pull up unwanted trees, weeds and ivies. I love to walk around the nurseries and look for different plants to try. I even love to plant vegetables and watch them grow and produce food for my family. What an amazing creation plants are!

Right now at my house, my azaleas are blooming:

And Lillian's dogwood tree is blooming:

It is just a wonderful time of year. Too bad I'm allergic to it!

It's starting to look like Lillian takes after me in my love of Spring! Every day she begs to go outside and walk around. She loves to crawl in the flower beds and play in the dirt, too!

On this day, Lillian was playing in the dirt and just couldn't seem to get close enough to it. She picked it up, squeezed it, smelled it, even tasted it. At one point she leaned over and you could just see the wheels turning in her head, thinking, "I just want to roll in it!!" But she contained herself and stayed upright. What fun to have a child who so loves to be in the dirt. There is so much you can learn about God by playing in the earth!

Out of the Mouths . . .

2008-04-01T16:12:00.007-05:00

I can't finish that saying or Max would be upset with me. He is no longer a babe in his opinion. That's debatable depending on your own age. Regardless, Max said something yesterday that I promise came straight from the Lord.

Yesterday I was having a bad day to say the least. Then Mike called and said the appraiser would be here in just over an hour. I, being the obedient dutiful wife that I am, said "Oh no he's not!" So, Mike called him back to reschedule. But my day had already been ruined. That one phone call brought on more stress than I can tell you. You see, housekeeping is the one area of my job that I feel needs the most improvement. (That's putting it mildly.) I have great excuses mind you. Mike and I are both babies of the family. If you don't know what that means, let me just say, we are both lazy, indecisive procrastinators. We rarely finish what we start and we put off as long as we can (and sometimes longer) the things we don't want to do.

All of that to say, I freaked out.

This is not new to my children unfortunately. I flip my lid every time I get overwhelmed by the shape my house is in. . . and finally decide to do something about it. Oh and before you comment, I've tried flylady! But back to the story. After I calmed down a little and a few things were looking better, I grabbed Max and hugged him and apologized. I said, "I need to learn not to flip out." To which he responded, "The real problem is, we don't read our Bibles often enough."

HELLO! Did my nine year old son just allow the Lord to speak directly to me through him? I believe the answer is "YES". And he is absolutely correct. I took that opportunity to go to my room and rest in the Lord for a few minutes. I was led to ask forgiveness for my laziness and for not being a good steward of my home. So, this is something we will all be working on for the next few weeks and even longer.

My main points are: 1. I'm not perfect and need God to help change me. and 2. I believe God uses our children to talk to us often. We just need to be willing to listen!

Spring Fling 2008

2008-03-30T18:57:00.003-05:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Yesterday, we celebrated our first annual Spring Fling. A birthday party for all Wooddell and Clark kids with spring birthdays. Ginger and I decided instead of having 10 birthday parties a year, we should just have two! So, this was a celebration of Max's 9th, Isaac's 7th, Ainsley and Daniel's 4th, Lydia's 3rd, and Lillian's 1st birthday!
Everyone had a great time! I started the day at 5:30am by making dough for the cinnamon rolls we were taking for the pot luck brunch. Then Mike helped me by icing the cupcakes I had made Friday night. He also helped me finish the breakfast casserole I decided to make at the last minute. We pulled the cinnamon rolls and the casserole out of the oven precisely at 9:30. Time to go to the park!
The weather cooperated perfectly. It was cooler than we had hoped, but not too bad since the winds had died down. The park was a little muddy, but what's a little mud anyway!
Our friend Angela Kirsch came as a face painter and she was the hit of the party. Every child got the royal treatment with extravagantly decorated faces. Even Nana got a little pizazz!
Then the kids got to open their presents and have cupcakes. Lillian really liked her cupcake!!
Like I said, we all had a great time and I can't wait until our Fall Fest in October.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T20:09:00.007-05:00

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We had a great weekend! First, we got to enjoy having Daddy home on Friday. We met the Clarks at the park and then went out for lunch together. Some friends stopped by Friday afternoon and all the boys helped Mike cut a huge limb off of our pecan tree in the backyard. We ended the day visiting Nealy and Pappy and going to the park with them. Lillian went down the big spiral tube slide all by herself!

Saturday, we joined the Clarks, Nealy and Pappy, and Bubba and Nana at the park for an egg hunt. We opted not to stuff eggs with candy this year, so our eggs were full of little trinkets and knick-knacks. The kids loved it! Especially the Easter tattoos!

And this morning we all got dressed up pretty and ran off to church. Pastor's message this morning was very uplifting. He spoke on the power of the resurrection. I saw it in a whole new light! Oh, and let's don't forget, the kids got their Peeps tonight! A tradition that started when I was a kid. Every year at Easter, my kids get one package of Peeps. There's just something about those fluffy marshmallow bunnies and chicks all covered in colored sugar goodness! Yum!

Here are the kids in their fine Easter wear:

Then Came the Morning

2008-03-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

I have been wanting to post this video for a long time, but had to wait until this weekend. This is "Then Came the Morning" by Signature Sound. A very powerful song about the victory of the resurrection.
This video that I found is just as powerful as the song, but not exactly kid friendly. The scenes of the crucifixion were hard for me to watch. So, when you have a moment alone, sit and watch this video and remember that Jesus would have gone through all of that even if you were the only one! That is true sacrificial love!

THANK YOU!!

2008-03-11T08:38:00.003-05:00

I want to publicly thank my Aunt Jeanne for her thoughtfulness!
Remember just a couple of weeks ago when I posted about the mural mosaics? Well, if it weren't for Aunt Jeanne I wouldn't have known about those beautiful pictures. She was mesmerized by the horse mosaic and sent it out to all that she loves via email. I was so impressed with all of them, that I shared them all here.
That's where the thank you comes into play. After reading my post, where I mentioned that Mike and I were considering buying the Build Your Own Mosaic art book, Aunt Jeanne turned right around and ordered it for me! I received it in the mail yesterday! Now, I just have to figure out what I can build it on so that it's not too heavy to hang.

Thank you Aunt Jeanne for being so thoughtful! You'll have to come over and see the finished product as soon as it's complete.
I love you! Now, if I could just get you to start commenting on my blog . . . .

The Lord's Army

2008-03-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

Ainsley and I were just sitting around having fun together last week while the boys were at Cub Scouts. Then, Ainsley decided to get up and sing for me. This is not uncommon. I asked if I could video and she said ,"Yes!" And the show began!
Ainsley sang "The Lord's Army" and I love all the mispronunciations! She doesn't even say "zoom" correctly!
I have a video of Max singing the same song at about the same age. Maybe my Dad will burn it to disc for me so I can share it with you. (hint, hint) Then we can compare!

Stay tuned. More of that nights performance to come. . . .

Second Belt Test

2008-03-06T20:24:00.003-06:00

Max had his second belt test today. He was testing for his orange belt, the third of ten. Belt testing is very intense. But first things first. Every student is asked, one at a time, if they made their bed today. If anyone forgot to make their bed, they don't get to test. Thank goodness, no one forgot today!
Then, students are called up by three's and four's to perform what they have mastered. The instructors, Mr. and Mrs. Parrack, are seated behind a table, very formal looking. And the room is filled with all the parents, siblings and some grandparents too. LOTS of eyes critiquing every move!
All the kids did great!! And every one of them earned their next belt.
Max did a fantastic job. Here he is performing his blocks and kicks:

Here Max performs Dan-Gun, the form required for yellow belts:

And this is all the yellow belts performing the self defense they learned. To date, they have learned 4 ways to get away from an attacker. Here are the latest 2:

Daddy's Girls

2008-03-06T20:02:00.004-06:00

While the family was down and out with the flu bug, my girls showed their true colors. No, they weren't bad. But they definitely preferred their Daddy over me. Lillian would cry and say "Dada" over and over until he picked her up and held her.

Here is Mike taking a nap with a sick Lillian. Poor baby, she felt so bad!

This picture was taken when Lillian still felt bad and Ainsley had just woken up from her nap. Daddy couldn't move. But he was loving it all the same.
I pray my girls will always adore their Daddy as much as they do today!

Personality Test Results

2008-02-28T07:48:00.003-06:00

Ginger tagged me on her blog with this personality test. With only five questions and the results showing I am exactly like my sister, I knew I needed a different test.

This is what Ginger's personality test said about me:

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice.(But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions

Here are the results of the test I took:

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (73%) high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..
Orderliness (46%) medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun.
Extraversion (40%) moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

Actually, the two tests are totally different. Most of the statements from the first test are true, but I do not excel in leadership. I thought the second test was more accurate to my real personality though. What do you think?

76 Ways Sugar Can Ruin Your Health

2008-02-22T18:51:00.002-06:00

Taken from Dr. Mercola's website:

In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis, excess sugar may result in a number of other significant consequences. The following is a listing of some of sugar's metabolic consequences from a variety of medical journals and other scientific publications.
1. Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease.
2. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body: causes chromium and copper deficiencies and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
3. Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
4. Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol and a decrease in good cholesterol.
5. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function.
6. Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung, gallbladder and stomach.
7. Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.
8. Sugar can weaken eyesight.
9. Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract including: an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
10. Sugar can cause premature aging.
11. Sugar can lead to alcoholism.
12. Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic, tooth decay, and periodontal disease.
13. Sugar contributes to obesity.
14. Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as: arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.
15. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections)
16. Sugar can cause gallstones.
17. Sugar can cause appendicitis.
18. Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.
19. Sugar can cause varicose veins.
20. Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses in oral contraceptive users.
21. Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
22. Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels and eventually diabetes.
23. Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.
24. Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.
25. Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
26. High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end products (AGEs)(Sugar molecules attaching to and thereby damaging proteins in the body).
27. Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.
28. Sugar causes food allergies.
29. Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
30. Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
31. Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
32. Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.
33. Sugar can change the structure of protein and cause a permanent alteration of the way the proteins act in your body.
34. Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen.
35. Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.
36. Sugar can cause emphysema.
37. High sugar intake can impair the physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.
38. Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.
39. Sugar intake is higher in people with Parkinson's disease.
40. Sugar can increase the size of your liver by making your liver cells divide and it can increase the amount of liver fat.
41. Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in the kidney such as the formation of kidney stones.
42. Sugar can damage your pancreas.
43. Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.
44. Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.
45. Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.
46. Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.
47. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
48. Sugar can reduce the learning capacity, adversely affect school children's grades and cause learning disorders.
49. Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha, and theta brain waves which can alter your mind's ability to think clearly.
50. Sugar can cause depression.
51. Sugar can increase your risk of gout.
52. Sugar can increase your risk of Alzheimer's disease.
53. Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as: increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS, and decreasing growth hormone.
54. Sugar can lead to dizziness.
55. Diets high in sugar will increase free radicals and oxidative stress.
56. High sucrose diets of subjects with peripheral vascular disease significantly increases platelet adhesion.
57. High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration and is associated with a twofold increased risk for delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
58. Sugar is an addictive substance.
59. Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.
60. Sugar given to premature babies can affect the amount of carbon dioxide they produce.
61. Decrease in sugar intake can increase emotional stability.
62. Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.
63. The rapid absorption of sugar promotes excessive food intake in obese subjects.
64. Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
65. Sugar adversely affects urinary electrolyte composition.
66. Sugar can slow down the ability of your adrenal glands to function.
67. Sugar has the potential of inducing abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.
68. I.V.s (intravenous feedings) of sugar water can cut off oxygen to your brain.
69. Sugar increases your risk of polio.
70. High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.
71. Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.
72. In intensive care units: Limiting sugar saves lives.
73. Sugar may induce cell death.
74. In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44 percent drop in antisocial behavior.
75. Sugar dehydrates newborns.
76. Sugar can cause gum disease.

That's a wake up call isn't it?

Mural Mosaic

2008-02-21T18:26:00.007-06:00

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen! Look at these mosaics made up of hundreds of paintings or drawings by many different artists. How much time does it take to figure out what kind of pictures you need to make the nose, eyes and eyebrows?

Here's another one:

Just the buckle on the harness takes up six pictures! How did they make that work? Remember each picture is created by a different artist.

Here's a link to the website. You can actually click on each square to blow up the picture to see it in detail.

But one more thing before I let this rest. The company has put together a little book of all the pictures to make up this mosaic of Noah's Ark.

You can buy the book and make your own six foot by four foot mural. I'm trying to figure out where I could hang something that big! Here's how it works:

Personality

2008-02-21T11:23:00.001-06:00

There was a little girl

And she had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead

And when she was good

She was very, very good.

And when she was bad,

She was horrid!

Hymn of the Week

2008-02-19T09:13:00.004-06:00

This week: "I Need Thee Every Hour"

This hymn was written by Robert Lowry who was a Baptist minister and hymn writer. He is the author of around 500 compositions, including "Beautiful River," "Nothing But the Blood," "Shall We Gather at the River," and "Christ Arose!"
Despite his success as a hymn writer, it was as a preacher that Lowry would have preferred to be recognised. He once stated: "Music, with me has been a side issue... I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative audience than write a hymn.
Click here to learn more about Robert Lowry.

What a great reminder that we do need Christ every hour, not just under the most stressful of circumstances.

Happy Birthday Lillian!

2008-02-17T16:35:00.001-06:00

Yes, it's true. Lillian's birthday is the day after Max's. Last year on Max's birthday I said, "Wouldn't it be cool if the baby was born today?" To which Max responded, "I don't want the baby to be born on my birthday." So, God took care of that. I went into labor at 1:00 am. One hour after Max's birthday! And three and half hours later, Lillian joined our family.
Our third blessing has been just that, a blessing! Lillian is the happiest baby. Has been since birth. Once she learned to smile, she just never stopped. Max was the first to make her laugh and he still makes her laugh almost daily. I love it when the kids all start giggling. I always end up laughing too. Sometimes to the point of tears!
We have enjoyed watching, again, all those milestones that babies go through the first year. And we "ooh" and "aah" as if we've never witnessed them before. Lillian has followed in the footsteps of her brother and sister and learned to walk before her first birthday. How fun that when I walk out of the room, she follows me! My heart soars every time I see her coming towards me with outstretched arms.

My goodness, it's really been a year! But I can't wait for all the milestones to come.

Happy Birthday Sugar Plum!

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Birthday Max!

2008-02-16T21:53:00.003-06:00

Wow! Could it have been 9 years already? I have loved every minute of it. Max, you make me smile. You are so kind and thoughtful. You make my heart swell every time you offer to help one of our neighbors in some way. You are so smart. I love watching you read books to your sisters and learn how to do something new in school like multiply and write in cursive. You are a young man of God. I thank God every time you pray for one of your friends or for our family. I also stand in wonder when I hear you boldly telling your friends about Jesus.
Watching you grow has brought more joy to my life than I can explain. I pray that you will always keep to the path that God has planned for you. Seek Him in all you do. And never hesitate to ask Daddy or me to pray for you. About anything!

We love you Max! Happy Birthday!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Sick Day

2008-02-13T18:20:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, Lillian woke up from her nap with a fever. She and I spent the rest of the afternoon snuggling on the sofa, where she slept on and off until bedtime. Then this morning Max woke up complaining of aches and pains. Within the hour he also had a fever. For Max to get sick is almost expected. He has been sick the week before his birthday every year since the week before he turned one. (He'll be 9 on Saturday) And typically, he grows at least an inch that same week. So, maybe Lillian is starting the same pattern. (She'll be one on Sunday) It certainly wouldn't hurt her to get out of the 6-9 month clothes she's been wearing for the last six months!

But I have to admit that when Max told me he didn't feel well this morning, I didn't believe him. He has used that excuse more than once to get out of doing school work. He knows very well that when one of my kids is sick, everything stops. I will sit on the sofa with a sick kid in my lap all day long! On the days that Max fakes it though, he suddenly starts feeling better around 4 o'clock. Unfortunately for him, my rule is: if you're too sick to do school work, you're too sick to play!

Here's a fun poem along those lines that I enjoyed as a child:

Sick
by Shel Silverstein

"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay.
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash and purple bumps.
My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,
I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox
And there's one more--that's seventeen,
And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut--my eyes are blue--
It might be instamatic flu.
I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,
I'm sure that my left leg is broke--
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,
My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,
My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb.
I have a sliver in my thumb.
My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,
I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.
My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,
My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.
I have a hangnail, and my heart is--what?
What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is. . .Saturday?
G'bye, I'm going out to play!"

By the way, Lillian is feeling much better tonight and I expect Max to be back to normal in the morning!

Hymn of the Week

2008-02-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

This week I chose "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus".
Learning to trust Jesus is a process. Every trial that we face, we have to trust Him to get us through it. I am currently learning to trust Jesus with the very little details of my life.
I am trusting Him to speak through me to my children. Trusting Him to hold my tongue when words can get me in trouble. Trusting Him to multiply my sleep so that I am not tired during the day. Trusting Him to help me honor my husband. Trusting Him to give me the energy I need to get my work done everyday. Trusting Him to help me teach my children His ways.

Here is what the producer of this video had to say about it:

"The rainbows are God's reminders that he keeps His promises and can be
trusted. The father and child images represent that sweet trust that can be
found in Jesus. I purposely chose pictures of a father with only one child, because that's how we are loved, as if we are an only child of God."

Playing

2008-02-11T21:48:00.000-06:00

Saturday I took my kids to breakfast with Gigi, Nealy and the Clarks. This month we wanted to make breakfast "kid friendly", so we met at McDonalds. Everyone had a great time! We overwhelmed the cashier with our order of 10 mcgriddles, 12 hash browns, 2 deluxe breakfasts, 2 coffees and 14 waters!! The kids all had fun sitting together at a separate table and then they all went off to play. This was Lillian's first experience at a McD's playground. She was all smiles! But she wouldn't let go of her hash browns when she left to go play. That was no laughing matter!

Uncle Kyle left early to go to the lake and took Max with him. So, here's the pictures we took of Ainsley and Lillian playing.

Name Change

2008-02-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

One of my very first posts was about Pat, our adopted grandma. Well, recently we decided that Ms. Pat needed a grandma name since she is such a huge part of our lives and our children adore her. So, we started trying to decide on the best one. Max liked Granny. I hated it! Sounded to old and frumpy for our beautiful, hip grandma. I liked Gran. Max said Gran Gran. Ainsley said Granny Gran. So, my mom said GG. Well, GG is what my grandmother was called by her "greats". It stood for Great Grandmother. Max wasn't sure he could give that name to someone else. But we decided that for Pat the two G's would stand for Gorgeous Grandma!

Not long after we told Pat about her new name, she sent a note to us and signed it "Gigi". And I love that. It fits her perfectly!

So, I would like to introduce you all to the newest member of our family - Gigi - the only person I know who could love all our kiddos as if they were her own!

We love you, Gigi!

No Other gods

2008-02-09T19:07:00.000-06:00

It's the very first commandment. And yet, until recently, I was not obeying that command. I LOVE to read. For as long as I can remember, I have ended every day curled up in bed with a good book. I enjoy reading fiction books. Christian fiction. That's good right? For years now, I have been telling myself that these books that I've been reading are OK because they are full of spiritual things. Now, I'm not bashing reading Christian fiction by any means. But these books had become a god to me because they were preventing me from reading the only book that matters. The Bible.

I cannot grow in my relationship with the Lord if I am not daily in His word. I cannot be the wife and mother God wants me to be if I am not leaning on Him every day. I am learning to make my time in the word a priority. I am beginning to desire to learn more. I am now starting and ending my days sitting at the feet of my Savior and allowing Him to fill me up with my daily bread. And if after all that I still feel like reading some fiction, I do so, knowing that I only have one GOD!

Hymn of the Week . . . sort of

2008-02-05T16:19:00.000-06:00

I just found this video of a song that I grew up with. It is not a hymn but has a great message anyway. And since we have been talking about putting the devil in his place, I thought it was perfect. Romans 16:20 says, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." The devil has already been defeated by the power of Jesus blood and resurrection. We have nothing to fear. Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. "

Now, here's our song this week, Shut De Do.

Children Are A Reward

2008-02-04T21:09:00.000-06:00

Mike and I never really talked about limiting the number of children we have. After Max was born, we really didn't want to have any for a while. I was young and dumb and we were both growing in our faith. I did know that I didn't want to use birth control. I had known several people who conceived while on birth control and I knew others who, after getting off the pill, conceived only to lose their baby due to poor lining of the uterus (a side effect of the birth control pill). So, we used natural family planning instead. And it was five years before we had Ainsley.
After Ainsley was born I was starting to NOT want to be in charge of when or how many children we had. I dreaded my cycles because they forced me to make a decision. But we continued with NFP until we conceived Lillian. During my pregnancy, I did a lot of research on allowing God to decide our family size. That is not easy to think about. Here are the verses I found:

"he listened to her and opened her womb" Genesis 30:22

"When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." Genesis 29:31

"But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb." 1Samuel 1:5

"for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah." Genesis 20:18

And when I finally got up the nerve to ask Mike what he thought about it, he said, "It's not up to us. God needs to be in charge of that."
"Even if we have ten kids?" I asked.

And he said, "If God wants to give us ten kids, he'll provide us with what we need for ten kids."

I was blown away. I had to pray about it daily. I wanted God to be in charge of our family size, but was I ready for 6, 8, 10 or more kids?

Then I was drawn to this verse:

Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. Psalm 127: 3-5

Children are a reward from the Lord!!! Isn't that awesome? I know now that every time God opens my womb and places another baby in our lives, we have done something to deserve a reward. I pray that God will see us as deserving of many more rewards.

A New Thought

2008-02-01T19:00:00.000-06:00

I was just reading a daily devotion from "My Utmost for His Highest" that I found here. I just stumbled upon it really. But you know God. There are no coincidences. This quote stood out for me:

"as long as our eyes are focused on our own personal holiness, we will never even
get close to the full reality of redemption. Christian workers fail because they
place their desire for their own holiness above their desire to know God."

Interesting. It does seem that most of the time I am caught up in trying to do what is right. Trying to be patient and loving with my children. Trying to be thoughtful and kind with my friends. But always on my own. James 1:17 says "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above." I don't have the ability to do good without God.

I've always thought of reading the Bible as a chore. I knew that all good Christians read their Bibles everyday. They carry their Bibles with them. They memorize scripture. It all sounded like homework. Just one more thing I had to do during the day. But, I have recently discovered that a true desire to know God means a desire to read His word.

I now look forward to spending time in His word so that I can learn more about Him. I don't want to get to heaven and have to face the One who saved me from an eternity in Hell and realize I didn't know Him at all. Praise God for each day that I might learn more about Him!

My Little Beauty

2008-01-31T19:12:00.000-06:00

Ainsley is dying for me to post something about her. She says it has to be tonight too. So, I'll take this opportunity to show off her portraits that Nealy had made. Ainsley's hair is naturally curly, but certainly not as curly as it used to be. So, I rolled her hair in hot rollers to get it to look just right! She is so patient with me.

Anyhow, let's see. I'll tell you a few things about Ainsley you might not know.

1. Ainsley loves to sing. She sings all the time and even makes up her own praise songs. Tell are delightful.

2. Ainsley has just started telling stories. She can make up a story that lasts ten minutes. They often seem to have no end. She has quite the imagination!

3. Ainsley loves to read books. She has loved to since before her first birthday. When she was 18 months old, she and I would sit on the sofa and read books for an hour before I told her we needed to stop. Now, every day after we read the Bible together, she will open the Bible back up and "read" it to me.

4. Ainsley loves God. She is always the first to offer to pray in the morning, at meal times and at bedtime. She has recently been praying for Brenton Roberts. And she typically mentions all of her family members in prayer also. So, if you have any prayer requests, please let her know.

I am so proud of my little beauty. I pray she grows up to be an amazing woman of God.

A Change of Pace

2008-01-31T19:03:00.000-06:00

Our evenings have changed lately. Other than Cub Scouts and the God and Me class for scouts, we are home every evening. Used to, we didn't do much. Typically, one of the kids would be on the computer. Mike would be watching T.V. Max might be playing X-box. And I would normally be reading or cleaning or joining Mike in front of the television. But, every since Christmas all that is changed.

Mike and Max now have instruments to learn to play. And they are working very hard at it. Mike is determined to learn to play "I'll Fly Away" (his favorite hymn) and Max is wanting to tackle something simple like "Dueling Banjos"!

Well, Max has now learned three chords and Mike can play one scale and four chords. They are moving right along. Max's main goal is to be able to have an old fashioned sing along at our family reunion in June. So, Jimmy, get ready! It's gonna be a great time!!

I Would Like to Introduce You.....

2008-01-30T14:38:00.000-06:00

Music is a passion of mine. I absolutely love to listen to music, sing it, hum it and whistle it. I always have a song stuck in my head. Most of the time, a two or three word phrase will bring a song to my mind. I sing hymns in the shower and simple Sunday school songs with my kids. We watch musicals and sing all the songs together. As I type, Ainsley is walking through the house with an umbrella singing a song and all I can think is "I'm Singing in the Rain".
All of that to say, I would like to introduce you to a quartet produced by Bill Gaither. Ernie Haas and Signature Sound. I became acquanted with them after watching them perform on one of the Gaither Homecoming shows. Their type of music is so refreshing to me. My children love it! And if I ever want to be motivated or energized, I turn on their CD. My children and I will just sing our loudest and dance together. Even Lillian joins in and raises her hands in praise to the Lord.
Watch this video and see what you think!!

I Want Your Opinion

2008-01-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

I am in search of a REALLY good devotional book. Per a recommendation by Pastor Randy, I have been using Sparkling Gems from the Greek for over a year. I really like it! It is extremely educational, and gives new meaning to scripture you've heard all your life. But now, I would like to find something different. So, I want you all to tell me what devotional you are using now and the devotional that you go back to again and again. (If it is different from the current one)

Can't wait to read your opinions!

First Steps

2008-01-29T19:54:00.000-06:00

Lillian has just started taking a few steps. She is practicing standing for long periods of time and then taking a few steps before she drops down to crawl some more. It is so much fun to watch!
Here are two short video clips of her first attempts at toddling!

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Encouraged!!

2008-01-29T19:00:00.000-06:00

You guys have so encouraged me! I plan to keep posting inspirational messages. Even if it means making myself even more vulnerable. That being said, I'm sure that the devil will be attacking me soon, since I am trying so hard to shed some light on him. And we all know he is afraid of the light! So, pray for me as I take this blog in a totally new direction.
By the way, I will still be posting all of our family happenings. My kids do too many cute things not to share them.
Hope you enjoy the blog! And if you don't want to miss a Word, sign up for FeedBlitz!

Hymn of the Week

2008-01-29T08:43:00.000-06:00

This week's hymn of the week: "There is Power in the Blood"

What you should know: Hebrews 9:28 says, "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Besides salvation, Jesus blood has:
 Power to REDEEM - Ephesians 1:4-7

 Power to JUSTIFY - Romans 5:8-9

 Power to CLEANSE - I John 1:7

 Power to make PEACE - Colossians 1:19-22

 Power to SANCTIFY - Hebrews 13: 12-15

 Power to bring NEAR - Ephesians 2:11-13

 Power to bring VICTORY - Revelation 12:10-11

Here is Lari White singing our hymn of the week:

The Truth Has Set Me Free

2008-01-27T17:00:00.000-06:00

Mike and I haven't been to service in a long time. I would love to blame it on Lillian, who truthfully has a hard time making it through both services now that she won't nap at the church. But the truth is, I haven't wanted to go. I'm really not sure why. Maybe one of those down times on the roller coaster of Christianity. But today was different. I went to church with the intention of leaving after first service (during which Mike and I serve the children's department. . . every Sunday), but I felt a stirring in my heart to attend worship today. I became determined. I knew that if I was called away to get Lillian I would just have to bring her back into the service with me. God had something for me to hear this morning. And he did not disappoint.

Pastor was full of the Spirit this morning. He spoke on a subject that was important to him and apparently resonated in the hearts of everyone else in the room. I think we all got something different out of it, but it affected us all just the same.

Pastor's lesson came from Joshua 10. And the main point was that the enemy wants to get the better of us and wants to keep us down, but God has already conquered the enemy and has put us in the position to put our foot on the his neck.

Now let me just tell you what this Word meant for me. I have been held hostage by the spirit of defeat for some time now. At least once a week, I have a complete break down. I have been deceived into believing that I am a bad mom. The enemy speaks negativity into me daily. I feel that I will never have the power to control my temper with my children. "Why can't I be a mother more like her?" is a question I ask myself almost daily. The devil also tells me that my work as a teacher is all in vain. "Your children are getting nothing out of this. Why do you waste your time? Sent them to public school, " he whispers in my ear. And then there's the house hold duties I neglect because I keep hearing, "You'll never get it all done. Why clean what will be dirty again in an hour?" Some of you may hear these same lies. That's why I am telling you all my secrets. But the Lord told me today to stand in the face of my enemy and tell him he is defeated. I have power through the blood of Jesus. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. I know Who is the way, the truth and the life.

Because the enemy attacks everyone in different ways, everyone gets something different from this message. So, I highly recommend you click here to hear the sermon online.

And if I call you when I am feeling trapped, pray these scriptures of victory with me. And I will do the same for you!

Dad Saves the Day. . . . .Again!

2008-01-21T14:29:00.000-06:00

Well, he did it again. Dad always saves me when I need him to. This time my phone went kaput. One too many trips from my hand to the ground caused the entire top portion of the phone to quit working. I knew this was coming, but tried really hard to avoid it. So, when Dad found out my phone was nearing the end, he decided to go out and buy himself an iphone just so that I could have his Motorola Razor. What a sweet man! Amazing sacrifice! Willing to give up his wonderful phone for something as simple as an iphone.

Well, maybe he did benefit a little! But I did too! And now I have a phone that works and does so much more than my old one.

Thank you Dad! You saved me. Yet again.

Bedtime Routine

2008-01-17T21:18:00.000-06:00

Every night, Mike and I say, "1-2-3-Bedtime!" And the children run to their room and wait for us to come pray with them. The four of us take turns saying the prayer each night. Ainsley said a wonderful prayer tonight. She prayed for many people, including Aunt Jeanne. It was so sweet! After prayers, we give the kids hugs and kisses and then turn out the light. That is when the true bedtime routine begins.
Max has taken up reading to Ainsley each night. We have started getting books from the library for this purpose because they had already read every children's book that we own at least four times and were begging for something different. So, with lights out and flashlight in hand, Ainsley snuggles up to Max for her bedtime stories. How great to have such a loving big brother! And just in case you didn't know - Ainsley adores him!!

Sleep Like a Baby

2008-01-08T15:03:00.001-06:00

I just couldn't resist taking this picture of Ainsley the other night. My favorite thing to do before I go to bed is peek in on my children. They are so precious when they are asleep! If the day wasn't so great or attitudes were bad, watching them sleep restores the love. But if you had a great day, seeing them will make your heart bubble over! Besides that, no matter how old they get, seeing them asleep will remind you just how young they are. Or sometimes just remind you of when they were smaller. I get emotional every time!!

Doesn't she look peaceful?

A New Toy

2008-01-08T14:49:00.000-06:00

For Christmas the kids received two games that we already had, so we returned them and purchased a new set of wooden blocks. I knew the kids would like them, but I had no idea just how much! We got the blocks while Max was in White Oak with his grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle. Ainsley and I had lots of time to practice and get used to the new game. So, when Max got home, it took him some time to adjust. Max started building a tower and it was super-high, but when it fell he was crushed. I had to explain that all the fun in building blocks is watching them fall and starting over. Besides that, the blocks are a really fun game for Lillian. I have taught the kids that when we play blocks with Lillian, the goal is to see how many you can stack before she knocks them down! If you try to get her away, she tries harder to get to them. And when you squeal as she knocks them down, she squeals right back. And laughs and laughs!! And now the blocks have turned into everyone's favorite toy.

A Surprise Gift

2008-01-03T16:07:00.000-06:00

A few days before Christmas, my mother-in-law told me about a surprise gift she was giving Mike. Something he had wanted since he was 12! Something I have heard about very frequently for the last 9.5 years. So, when it was time for the surprise, I grabbed my camera and got ready. Mike thought I was taking pictures of Ainsley. I got the whole thing on video, but the lighting was too dark to post it. I did get this picture though!
He cried!! Bless his heart! He was so overwhelmed he didn't speak for several minutes. Now all we have to do is find someone to help him learn to play it! Isn't it a beauty? Mike and I laugh at the idea of him sitting on the front porch in his overalls, with a piece of straw between his teeth, pickin' his banjo! If I'll just learn to play my pedal steel and Max his acoustic and we'll teach Ainsley to play the fiddle.......

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful morning! After having to wait until 11:30 for the kids to FINALLY go to sleep Last night, (We put them in bed at 8) we were able to put out their gifts and stuff the stockings. This morning, I started a new Christmas tradition for our family. I woke up extra early and made kolaches and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Honestly, these were the best I've ever made. The kids woke up and were eager to open presents and stockings. Even Lillian was anxious to finally get her hands on her stocking. Ainsley was excited about it too this year. (She hasn't known what to think of Christmas in years past.) Their stockings were filled with fun stuff like: tic-tacs, bubble gum, band-aids, chapstick, candycanes, and more. Lillian got a baby doll in hers. The kids were also blessed once again by our neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes, who gave each of the girls a teddy bear and Max a game.

We had fun watching them look at all their goodies and open their gifts. Mike was thrilled to get new underwear and I was happy to get my shea butter! Ainsley got the Dora scooter she's been wanting. We've already played Yahtzee! which Max received. And I was even able to surprise Mike with a new bluetooth for his phone. (I got one too!) It was so much fun, I'm already looking forward to next year!

Another Amazing Year!

2007-12-23T16:36:00.000-06:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Update on Sage

2007-12-18T10:46:00.000-06:00

It doesn't work! I put sage tea on my hair every day for three weeks. I tried spraying it on the roots. And I tried pouring it over my head ten times a day. After three weeks, I saw absolutely no difference. After that time, my roots had been growing out for two months and I was starting to hate my hair. Not just that, but the sage would go rancid VERY quickly and I was left with hair that stunk to high heavens.
So, for anyone who was wondering if sage will actually color your hair like so many websites claim - it won't! You'll have to find a different chemical free solution. More on that later.

Chon Ji

2007-12-01T22:15:00.000-06:00

This is the form Max was required to perform in order to achieve his yellow belt. He did a great job! I am so proud!

Parade Fun!

2007-12-01T21:48:00.000-06:00

Today, we went to the Neiman Marcus Christmas Parade in downtown Dallas. We all woke up early, bundled up, filled the thermos with coffee and drove down to the parade with Nealy. Of course, the Clarks beat us there. They may have more kids, but they also have more helpers.

Anyway, we had a lot of fun. We saw lots of childrens tv superstars and we even told Ebenezer Scrooge, "Merry Christmas!" To which he replied, "Bah Humbug!" He still hasn't learned the reason for the season.

The kids had a great time and I wish everyone could have seen the look on Max's face when he saw Spiderman coming down the street! And one other bonus: (for the parents anyway) no candy was thrown at us!

All in all, we had a wonderful morning. Thank you Nealy!

Belt Test

2007-11-30T09:06:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Max had his first belt test for Tae Kwon Do. He was AWESOME!!!! Every single move was fast, strong, and powerful. This class has been a blessing from the Lord. Mr. and Mrs. Parrack are the most loving, Godly people I know. Mr. Parrack expects so much from these kiddos and they do not let him down.

The first day of class, the kids found out that the class comes with homework. Homework for karate? Well, the Parracks expect all the kids to make their beds every day. If that is not done, they lose the opportunity to belt test. Also, at the end of every class, the kids are told to go hug their mom or dad and tell them, "Thank you for brining me."

This class isn't just about learning self defense. It's about attitude, self-discipline, respect and spirituality. Before the testing began, Mr. Parrack went over and gathered up the kids and prayed with them! What a blessing this family has been to a large number of homeschooling families.

Here is Max sporting his new yellow belt. He is so proud!

Family Vacation

2007-11-30T08:36:00.000-06:00

Back in September, we went on a family vacation with the Clarks to Colorado. All of us loaded up in our two cars and drove for 13 hours to South Fork. Kermit and Shirley Clark have a beautiful log home in a gated community there. Everyone was blown away by the beauty of the state. Everywhere you look you see God's majesty! To think that God made all of it for us to enjoy, I am overwhelmed!

We had a wonderful week hiking, fishing, horse back riding, cooking out and roasting marshmallows. The children all had a chance to learn so much about nature. The day before we left, the kids made bird feeders from pinecones, peanut butter and bird seed. Then we spent the afternoon watching the birds eat. The chipmunks found the food we left out for them. And Max even got to pet one! Wow! We all had such a good time! And when it was time to leave, the children cried.

And now, two months later, Ainsley continues to ask when we can go back to Colorado. Also, she can point out the state on any map. She's ready to move! And so am I!

I forgot to mention the fun all the cousins had playing together. Can you imagine - NINE kids in one house!! Max and Isaac spent the week pretending to be twins. They tried to dress alike every day. I loved watching all the memories being made. I could go on.......

Click here to see pictures.

Praisin' the Lord!

2007-08-29T14:28:00.001-05:00

Ainsley joined the preschool choir when she turned three. Everday since then she has been practicing her performance for us here at home. Considering how shy Ainsley is most of the time, I had no idea how she would do when placed on a stage in front of the entire church congregation. Well, you can see for yourself that she was great. In fact, they were so adorable, Pastor had them sing all three songs twice - both services! Ainsley later told me that she had a lot of fun singing up on stage. I loved watching her praise the Lord. I hope you will too!