Friday, August 29, 2008

No bones...

This topic will most likely continue beyond this post.

Kids say the darndest things...

There are things in your children's lives that you will cherish forever. Unfortunately, there are many more things we will forget because of the fast-paced lives we lead. I wanted to share a few of the amazing, and hilarious stories my children have told. These are the moments when any beverage you may be enjoying at the time will spew from your mouth or nose.

The other day I was riding in the car with the kids and Ashlyn starts talking to me about the human body. She was questioning our design (remember, she likes to talk about blood a LOT right now).

"Do we have bones in our tongue, Mom?"

"No Sweetie, it is just a big muscle."
(probably one Mommy needs to exercise a little less)

"Hmmm...just a muscle? No bones? So we have bones in our legs, and arms, and feet?"

"We sure do! And in our chest and hands. Hey Ashlyn, do we have bones in our nose?"

Quietly she pondered my question...

"We have bones in our head?! But...no bones in our nose...just boogs."

Ya got that right!
_________________________________________________

Aidan and Ashlyn were having an argument about toys. (This is a pretty regular occurrence nowadays) Aidan was frustrated by his sister for some reason and decided to hit her in the face.

Ashlyn screamed and I grabbed Aidan by the arm. I knelt down in front of him with my hands on either of his biceps.

"Aidan, did you hit Sister in the face?"

"No...I hit her in the nose."

Well, at least he's honest!
_________________________________________________

Jerry and I took the kids to Wal-mart to pick up a few things (we all know how these visits usually go). As I headed down the aisles looking for miscellaneous items we needed around the house, Jerry took the kids on a tour of the store. There was a bit of commotion near the electronics, but we didn't pay it much attention...we're the "go in, get what you need, and get the heck outta Dodge ASAP" family. After checking out and getting the kids in the car, Jerry decided to share their adventure. Apparently, there was an autograph signing going on with a WWE wrestler, CM Punk. Jerry had taken the kids walking through the sporting goods and stopped next to a very large man with two bodyguards. After asking Jerry if he was a fan (which he responded, "I'm a Dallas Stars fan"), a man told Jerry that they couldn't have an autograph. My sweet, direct husband informed them that he had no intention of getting an autograph. While discussing the logistics of standing in line and waiting his turn, CM Punk began to talk to Aidan...

"What's your name?"

"I Aidan.
(Pause) You have colors." (If you check out his link, you will see that CM Punk is covered in tattoos)

"I sure do! Does your dad have any tattoos?"

Without even thinking about it for a moment, Aidan responded..."Ra-ta-too-nee?" (Apparently we have allowed our small children to watch too many movies)

Needless to say, CM Punk was delighted to meet our middle child and asked him to give him "some skin."

WOW! Out of the mouth of babes.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Impostor!

I am an impostor. I am fake and phony. I am a liar and no good.

Before my sweet husband gets on me about being down on myself (which is a chronic problem I need to work on), I will explain. I am saddened by my mediocrity. I am frustrated by my lack of intimacy with the Lord. I am broken-hearted by the way so many Christians share this same lukewarm lifestyle.

Revelation 3:16
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

I can not even begin to comprehend the closeness I could have with Him if I only would allow myself. I am short on words right now...but the heaviness is in my heart.

Hillsong United, "Hosanna"

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause
As I go from nothing to
Eternity

A scripture was brought to my attention by a fellow blogger that I want to share...it is so simple, yet so direct.

1 Samuel 3:9

"Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."

Thursday, August 21, 2008

God and the Green Goblin(s)


To the owners of the "hard to start" green machines...(Mr. J and Mr. K)

Just when you realize satan is lurking around the corner, trying with all his might to make you question yourself physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually, remember this...

God has you in the palm of His hand each time you drive away from our homes (no matter how many times it takes to start the "green beans.") He is honored by your relationship and accountability to each other. You are hard-working men of character and he is pleased by what he sees. I am proud of you for leading our families down the path the Lord has laid out.

Keep on trekking.

Remember...

Please remember the Sponberg family today in your prayers. They are burying their 10 week old son today in the plot next to Audrey Caroline.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Let Them Eat Cake

I have this secret...I like making cakes. I don't pride myself on being an artist (or a photographer), but I enjoy the satisfaction of making children's faces light up. I wanted to share some of my "work"...



This was the first cake I made...Ashlyn's 1st birthday. I had just found out the week before that we were expecting baby #2 (Aidan). I promise, they do get better!


Ashlyn's 2nd birthday...Dora the Explorer...I don't think the pic does her justice.



Aidan's 1st birthday...Baby Einstein caterpillar (I was 5 months pregnant with Austin)

I didn't make Ashlyn's 3rd birthday cake because Austin was 1 month old...sometimes you just have to eat cake from the grocery store.



Austin's 1st birthday...Oswald the Octopus



Ashlyn's 4th birthday...Barbie (it was a "princess" party that included Tinker Bell, too!) Hey, when you're the only girl, you can have all the princesses you can handle!

I couldn't find any photos of Aidan's 2nd birthday cake...it was Buzz Lightyear.


I created Mickey Mouse for my nephew Will's 2nd birthday...HUGE Mickey fan!




"Little Man" Caleb's 1st birthday cakes (he is pictured in the background).

Monday, August 18, 2008

Geoffrey the Giraffe Didn't Steal My Money!

Jerry came home early Friday afternoon so we could take the kids out to purchase educational toys. We originally had planned on going to Hawaiian Falls, but the threat of rain put a damper on that idea.



We decided to make the haul to Mesquite and venture in to Toys R Us. If you have not been to the Toys R Us in Mesquite, it is not quite the wonderland one would expect...it's gives you more of a feeling of a Big Lots for kids. Catchin' my drift?

After scouring the aisles for the item that would advance our children into the next open enrollment for Mensa, Ashlyn came away with a Disney Princess dry-erase board with pages to practice writing the alphabet, numbers, shapes and simple words. Aidan, our engineer, wanted a new puzzle and since making the trip to the museum, asked for dinosaurs ('cause they have bones and will chomper you). Austin, our baby genius, opted for a Lightning McQueen book and plushie.

It was turning out to be a rather uneventful trip, with the exception of the occasional "I want this too" whine in unison from our two older darlings, when we went to the check-out and they spotted the "rides." You know, the clown car and the firetruck that rock back and forth for 30 seconds? I caved in to the begging and went diving into my purse for loose change. Amidst the non-stop question "can I ride next" and corralling AJ while Jerry paid for our merchandise, I set down my wallet on a closed register. Oblivious to my error we rushed out the door, into the car, and back to Rockwall. The worst part...I had just taken $450 out of the bank.

We cheerfully arrived home, played with the kids new goodies, ate dinner, put the kids in bed and sat down to watch the Olympics and begin our relaxing weekend. Between Michael Phelps crushing the gold medal record and watching track and field, we chatted about our finances. Still unaware that my wallet was somewhere in Mesquite we discussed how through every trial, every struggle, every bump in the road, the Lord faithfully provides for us. We are amazed at how there are times when the bank shows the money is just not there yet the Lord sustains. We went to bed thankful for His mercy.

We awoke in the morning to an overcast sky. It was much cooler than it had been the last few days. We decided we would walk to the donut shop down the road for a fun outing with the kids. Kids in-tow I grabbed my purse (which was quite a bit lighter than I expected) and walked out the door. Unsure of its weight, I rummaged through my purse...to my surprise there was no wallet!! In a panic I yelled for Jerry. We searched the car and the house and retraced my steps over the past 24 hours. My heart was in my throat.

Oh Father, remind me where I misplaced it.

The money that I had taken out of the bank was for groceries and living expenses for the next two weeks. Toys R Us didn't open until 9:30 so we decided to drive back to Mesquite and await the store opening.

I jumped out of the car as soon as we pulled up to the building. I paced back and forth between the registers and the customer service desk...I never realized there were THAT many people shopping for toys at 9:30 on a Saturday morning. A gentlemen finally asked me if there was something he could help me with. After explaining my situation he began rustling through several drawers...he found my wallet! And all of my cash was there! A woman was checking out at the register next to me when all of this went down. She simply turned to me and said, "what a blessing." Exactly.

What a blessing it is to know we serve a God that is good, and fair. He was there as I wrestled our children and absent-mindedly set my wallet next to my purse. He saw the person who found it and turned it in...untouched. He placed the image in my scattered-brain and helped me recall the events of the day before. Thank you, Omnipotent Father of mercy and grace. You deserve all the credit, all the glory and honor.

Matthew 6:4
"...Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Friday, August 15, 2008

Bubbles and Fossils and Farming...Oh My!


If you have not taken a trip to the Dallas Science and Nature Museum recently, I suggest making the trek to Fair Park.

On Wednesday morning we set out with a group of friends for a day of adventure and learning.

Between servings of goldfish and teddy grahams and handing out sippy cups with juice, we explored Ice Age Dallas, Ocean Dallas, Texas Dinosaurs, and the Little Urban Farm. I actually learned about a giant sea turtle that was found in Dallas that lived over 65 million years ago! I have now decided to research these creatures and "update" my tattoo to reflect two of my favorite things...turtles and Texas!

Protostega

The kids had the opportunity to learn about farming in the Little Urban Farm, but I don't think much info was retained. The boys had fun shifting the fruits and veggies from basket to basket and Ashlyn enjoyed taking all of the eggs from the chicken coops and putting them "away". I would bet the employees are still finding eggs throughout the exhibit.



Genesis 1:31
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good..."

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Good Summer Fun


"Well, we're out here havin' fun, in the scorching hot Texas sun!"


Do you remember a sunny, summer day growing up when it seemed if the mercury rose one more degree, the asphalt would literally turn into liquid? And then, from almost out of nowhere...drip, drip, drip. It started to rain! Dark clouds covered the sun and the wind started whistling through the trees! Such a day we had this week! The kids had been playing in the backyard, digging up miscellaneous "treasures" when the wind started to pick up and rain clouds starting rolling in. As the down-pour commenced I questioned, "What to do??" Let 'em have fun!





Now, that counts as bath night, right? :-)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know...

So, I wanted to make good on my comment about my children yesterday. I did, indeed, kiss the face off of my sweet baby AJ. I told my Aidan Mike how proud we are of him and his effort in mastering the Royal Throne. I also made sure to tell Ms. Ashlyn how much I love her. Then, I asked her if she knows who loves her even more. With a inquisitive look on her face, the conversation took a slightly more serious turn...

Who loves me more than you, Momma?

Jesus does!
I exclaimed. (I wrongly assumed the conversation would end here)

Does He love me more than this? She stretched out her arms beyond her reach.

Even more! I excitedly replied.

Do you love me this much? She asked while holding her hands out in front of her, cupping them as if she were holding a small puppy.

Ashlyn, I love you more than this! I stretched out my arms as wide as I could and gave her a hug.

She moved away from me, stood silent for a moment and then asked, How much does Jesus love me?

And...she stumped me.

This is the first of many, many questions that she will ask that I will not be able to answer. But this was not a "Why is the sky blue?" question. That is something I personally can't explain because of my limited knowledge of science and space. If she ever asks me, I'll tell her to come to the computer and we can Google it together!

This question is unanswerable because there is not a word in the human vocabulary, or a sight we can view with our limited vision, or a sound that could be beautiful enough to communicate the love of Jesus. To explain to my sweet daughter, at the tender age of four, that Jesus loves her so much that He gave His life for her would only puzzle her more. (Trust me, she is fully aware that He was on the cross, and was bleeding (she reminds me of this often), and that He was not in the "cave" after three days. Thank you Vacation Bible School!)

Honestly, I don't think at 31 years old I can get my mind around this fact. He DIED for me. He willingly went through absolute agony so I can have the opportunity to reside with Him in Heaven. Who am I? What am I willing to do to show His love to others? I'm not even willing to let someone get in front of me in line at Wal-mart because I'll be stuck in the store for an extra 5 minutes!

Here I am...the maggot that deserves nothing. He loves me when I'm sharing His life with others and He loves me when I'm yelling at my husband. He loves me when I'm smiling, and loves me when my face is hot from frustration. He loves me even when I turn my back on Him. He loves me through it all.

But...you don't have to take my word for it...Stellan's Story

Thank you, Lord for loving me....this much.

Ephesians 3:18-19
"...together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Monday, August 11, 2008

This Thing Called Life

So, this never-ending, all encompassing rat race I call life has sent me running full force to the arms of my HP desktop in hopes of some much-needed relief.

The concoction of high pitched shrills from our two-year old combined with the bossiness of our 4 year old is beginning to make me gray before my time. But, I wouldn't trade any of this for the world. I am blessed to have three beautiful, healthy children. I have the love of a good, godly husband and the support of amazing Christian family.

I have been consumed by the world of bloggers lately. I stand in awe at the stories that the Lord weaves in many lives of the too-soon passing of children or "high-risk" pregnancies that so many must endure. I have sat reading hour after hour questioning why He would allow this to happen to so many followers. And then one day while sifting through the tears, it hit me. These saints have been given a glimpse of the face of the Father. See Bring the Rain. They have been given the opportunity to feel a fraction of what He must have felt when His own son gave His life so we could be saved. What a heart-wrenching gift to be given.

I can not fathom the depth of your love or the emptiness of their hearts.

And so I sit here with my 18-month old at my feet, grabbing miscellaneous wires from under my desk, hoping he won't hit the switch and shut down my entire system, and I am humbled. I will kiss his face and squeeze his rosy cheeks. I will tell my two-year old I am proud of how much he has accomplished with potty training...however unsuccessul he may have been today. I will look into the eyes of my four-year old and tell her how much I love her and that Jesus loves her even more. For I am blessed beyond measure...
 


Design by: Blogger XML Skins | Distributed by: Blogger Templates