Surprise! It's Jerry's 35th Birthday

The year of "Sweetness" (Walter Payton, #34 of the Chicago Bears) has come to an end for my sweet husband. I decided to throw a surprise party for his 35th birthday and help him celebrate the last 5 years of his 30's in style.

With the help from family and friends we were able to keep the party a secret. If you know anyone in either of our families then you know this can be a difficult feat. But...we pulled it off!

We ate at Luigi's Italian Restaurant in Rockwall. Great fun, great food, and great friends.



Happy Birthday, Jerry! I love you :) ~YG

GO IRISH

On Halloween morning we set out for San Antonio to watch the Notre Dame vs. Washington State game at the Alamodome. We had a great time getting away for a night with good friends.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish Band played, "Deep in the Heart of Texas." It was great :)

Jerry's parents gave us the tickets. His dad is standing behind us. Great pic, Dad!

Make sure to take note of Kevin's Longhorn hat. You can take the boy outta the country...

Did I mention Notre Dame SPANKED Washington State...40-14?

Must have been the shirt. :)

For the Dogs...

On July 3, 2009 things changed in our household. A typical day of going to the gym, running errands and taking care of the kiddos. When we got home I performed my usual duty of letting the dogs out to do their business. I got caught up in normal household chores and totally spaced the dogs were outside. About an hour after letting them out I heard Lady, our yellow lab, barking at the back door. I opened it to find her rapidly panting. Suki, our Yorkie, was not with her. I let Lady in for a drink slightly puzzled as to why she would be out of breath since she's not a very active dog. I walked out in the back yard to call Suki, walked around the side of the house and noticed that the gate was open. Since this has happened before I wasn't terribly worried that Suki wouldn't return. She is known for digging out, running out the front door to greet the neighbors, waltz out an open gate when available. I went back inside and went about my business expecting a neighbor to bring her by. But the doorbell never rang.

We put up signs the next morning, called the local shelters...no luck. The next weekend we received a call that someone spotted a Yorkie down the street but they were unable to catch the dog. We never saw the animal.

Though the loss of an animal will never compare to the loss of a child I can honestly say that a part of me is gone.

I got Suki when I was 20. Things in life at the time were rocky. She was my bud...the one that listened, the one that let me cry. I've joked with my mom about how great it is that she could never talk because Oh! the things she saw and heard!

Thank you Suki for being everything a dog is meant to be. I miss you so...

Being Thin is Overrated

At least that's what I'm trying to convince myself.

I have been working out at the local gym for 5 days a week since I was 10 weeks pregnant with my third child. I gained a good bit of weight during my first pregnancy...65 lbs to be exact. I did lose almost all of it (all but 10 lbs) before I found out I was pregnant with our second child. I didn't gain quite the same amount with pregnancy #2 but didn't really feel much of a drive to lose the baby weight after giving birth. By the time I got pregnant with our third child (#2 was only 5 months old) I was tired of my clothes being too tight, having to purchase new clothes because what was in the closet didn't fit, and not being happy with the size of clothing I was purchasing. As soon as I found out baby #3 was on the way, I signed up for a membership at the gym and haven't looked back.

After recovering from a c-section I was back in the gym full-throttle. Arms, legs, cardio, eatin right...and the weight started to fall off. Before I knew it, the clothes in the closet were starting to fit again. I felt like I looked better...but I still wasn't in a maintenance mode. Fast-forward...my third child is now 2 years old and I STILL haven't hit the maintenance mode. I am working hard...1 hour cardio everyday, eating healthy, changing strength training routines so I don't hit a rut. And still no washboard abs. I'm constantly looking for the next best thing that will FINALLY take off those last 10lbs. I'm not overweight. I'm not at risk for heart-related or weight-related disease. I'm actually really strong and in fairly good shape overall.

I've been really down on myself, frustrated with just about everything. So I took a step back to asess what was out of line. Listen to how self-centered I sound. The "Ah-ha" moment...my relationship with Christ is what's really out of whack. The more I have focused on my outward appearance, the more I have neglected my soul. That is why I'm so unhappy with how I look. The real, stripped down, naked, soul-baring me isn't lookin' so good. But, you know what's so great about knowing and loving our Lord? The minute I ask for His forgiveness and redirect my attention back toward Him, I'm lookin' really good once again.

1 Samuel 16:7
"...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Although, I must say, it would be nice if I got the same instant results from one 5-mile run. :)

For the Glory of God

Sin is a nasty little (okay, BIG) problem. We are all born with a sinful nature. We struggle throughout our entire lives fighting off sin. But what exactly is sin? One definition is estrangement from God. Wow...anything that separates us from the Father is sin. So why do we think we have the right as humans to place levels on sin? Can one person be more separated from God than another? If so, is it our place to point this out?

I started thinking about different things that people have an opinion about that may possibly considered sin. Liar, cheat, fornicator, thief. Is being gay a sin? Is being obese a sin?

Who am I...a lowly, wretched, sin-drenched earthling...to rank one persons sinful nature against another? So many "Christians" screw this up. It is not our place to dabble in the emotions of others and so crassly stab at flaws in ones character.

Luke 6:41
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

So I came away with this. It doesn't matter if you're living with someone and not married, it doesn't matter if you cheated on your SATs, or stole a pack of gum from the local convenience store at the age of seven. Is your life a testament to your faith? Do you look for ways each day to reveal God's glory to others? If you are a Christ follower, EVERYTHING you do, say, think, and feel should be for the Glory of God. When you wake up in the morning ask God to bless your day and remind you that every task you complete, no matter how significant or menial it may be, is all for His glory. What can you do tomorrow to make His presence known in your life?

Lord, help me not to judge others. Give me your eyes to see them as children of God, just as you see me. Convict me in the areas of my life where I need more of you and less of me. It is all for you, Lord.

Prayer for Stellan

As I begin the yearly task of Spring Cleaning, my heart is heavy. I am thinking of organizing closets, planting flowers, and wiping down baseboards. I am reminded of how insignificant these tasks are when I read about a precious 5 month old boy that I have fallen in love with. I have followed MckMama's blog for almost a year and have had the pleasure of watching how our Lord works, heals, and holds steadfast in times of uncertainty.

Long story short...during her pregnancy, Stellan's mom was told that he would not survive because of heart complications. I'm not a doctor and won't try and give the accurate details of their struggle, but Stellan was born a healthy baby back in October 2008. If you are interested in following their story I suggest subscribing to her blog. Recently Stellan's heart has flipped back into some of the issues he had while in utero. With little to no success, his doctors have tried numerous drugs to get his heart to break out of SVT. They are currently in the process of introducing yet another treatment. The fear is that no one is sure how long his tiny body can endure the strain that is on his heart.

Please pray for Stellan. As a mother of three I am grieved by what this family is going through. I know their hope is in the Lord but it is human nature to doubt, to question "why," to sometimes feel, "Where are you, God in all of this?"

Father, give them strength. Give them the peace that surpasses all understanding. Show them your mercies. It if is your will, allow us to carry some of this burden for them. We know we are never alone, Lord. Make your presence known in that hospital room and in their home. Heal him Jehovah Rapha...

A Testament of Faith

The women I meet with on Thursday evenings for Bible study recently wrapped up the "Bride of the Week" stories. Each Thursday before reviewing our reading we get together and one of us shares the tale of how we met our husband, fell in love, our marriage proposal and wedding ceremony. It has been an amazing way to get to know the history behind each magnificent couple we share life with. We decided that once the BOTW stories were complete we would take a deeper look into each others lives by sharing our testimonies. I shared my testimony with the women last Thursday.

Instead of going straight from mind to mouth, I decided to write it down to make sure I didn't miss any of the important details of how I came to know my Lord and Savior. As I pecked away at the keys on my computer I had the opportunity to reflect on my life as a child, my years as a wayward young adult and the night the Lord revealed Himself to me. Emotions I had not tapped into for years came flooding back...joy, anger, frustration, rebellion and brokenness. I could physically feel His love pour over me as I reminisced about the day I asked Him into my heart at seven years of age. I felt His arms around me as I remembered the wretched, self-destructive behavior of my twenties. I felt the hem of his garment brush my hand like the woman in Mark 5:24-34 as I envisioned myself laying beside him on the ground bleeding and in pain from the utter mess I had made of my life. Not worthy of his attention, He picked me up, dusted me off, and forgave me. My sins were washed away. In the midst of gathering tales from my past, I fell in love with Jesus all over again.

If you have not taken the time to sit down and remember who God is to you and why He is Lord of your life, I suggest you do. He revealed His grace and mercy to me in areas of my life that I had chosen to forget about.

Mark 5:34

..."Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

Happy 5th Birthday

Wow...Five years have gone by since I gave birth to my first born child...a 7lb. 8 oz. beautiful baby girl born at 3:49 pm on March 8, 2004!




After seeing a picture from another blog site, she requested I create her "Mii" as her cake. I think it turned out pretty good!

We rented a bounce house and hung out snacking on munchies with family and friends. This is a memorable birthday because this is the first party she requested friends be invited and probably the last family birthday.

Here are a few pics from the Wii Extravaganza!

Happy Birthday, Ashlyn Elizabeth!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I have never joined in on the MckMama fun, but I'm feeling a bit saucy tonight...so what the heck!

This week, while playing at the park with our three kids, my littlest one did not come up to me with his hand stretched out and exclaim, "Yuck!" I most certainly did not almost lick his fingers before realizing he had been diaper digging. I would never lick foreign substances off my children's hands...who would do that?

I did not update my Facebook status at 8:00pm this evening to wish my son a happy 2nd birthday. What kind of a mother would forget to announce their childs birth date to the world until after he was in bed? Not me!

I absolutely did not drive 3.5 hours in the car this weekend to a motherhood retreat only to find that the retreat material had nothing to do with mothering whatsoever. I did not sneak out of the retreat at 9:00pm on Saturday, throw my bags in the car and haul outta that joint as fast as lightning to arrive back home after midnight. I would never do such a thing!

I did not teach my 3-year-old the phrase "jacked-up" only to find that he now tells people when he needs to go potty it is because "his front bo-bo is jacked up". Not me.

I most certainly did not suggest starting spring cleaning early when my husband got laid off this week. I can not imagine the type of wife that would think of organization at a time like this! Not me.

I hope anyone reading this post has had a good laugh and a fantastic start to their week.

The Fast and the Furious

I grew up in church hearing messages of fasting...one is to abstain from certain foods, or all food, for a period of time to grow closer to the Lord. Honestly, I didn't get it. My first question was, "why would anyone ever want to go for a prolonged period of time without eating?" And close behind that came, "why does it make a difference...can't God speak to me with a full belly?" This has always been my view of fasting...until now.

I am on the last day of a seven day fast. Over the course of several days of praying over my youngest son and his persistent issue with eating, the Lord kept bringing the word "fast" to mind. I shrugged Him off for several days. I even questioned why on earth He would think such a thing would be good for me - doesn't He understand what it's like being a mother to three small children that are in constant need of attention? How am I actually supposed to have any opportunity to get alone with the Lord when the requests for potty, juice, snacks, and T.V. never come to an end? It didn't matter how disobedient I was He kept telling me the same thing..."fast, fast, fast." I knew this had to have only come from Him because I really like to eat. So I cratered and started my fast on January 29th.

There were times when I did eat...and this sick little thing called guilt started to set in. How evil! Satan is so good at manipulating the truth and making us feel like we are failures. One of the most important lessons I learned during this week is that there are no rules when it comes to hearing from the Father. I wrote down several questions I wanted answered during this past week pertaining to my youngest offspring, parenting, and selfish behavior. As each day ticked by I became more frustrated (and yes, furious) when I didn't see the immediate answer to my questions. Had I asked them enough? Were my questions not worth answering? Was I not spending the quality time with the Lord that He required of me? (again...satan rearing his ugly head) After my seven days my answer came in Psalm 121.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Three words keep ringing in my ears, "I am here."

What about Baby A eating? "I am here."

How do I spend more time with my children and have enough time for me? "I am here."

What do I do about the guilt of failing as a parent? "I am here."

Thank you Lord for just being.

Created and Loved by God

Earlier this week I took a trip to the grocery store with the kids to pick up a few items necessary for the rest of the week...milk, bread, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary. The idea of strolling through the store gazing at "items of want" with my three beautiful, well-behaved darlings always seems like well-thought out plan until its execution. Yet it is a daunting task buttoning coats, loading them in carseats, unloading them, positioning them just right in the grocery cart so there is no hair pulling, hitting, fighting, or stealing (yes, I have an unintentional clepto :) ). But...the call of the pantry is much stronger than the voice of reason.

We rushed through the store picking up our necessities and ended up in the frozen food section. I casually walked from case to case looking for what would be the next great meal in our home. As I approached one of the cases a man and a woman were coming toward us, she on the phone, he pushing the cart. She was ordinary...he was not. He appeared handicapped, hunched over, eyes separated, with an amazing smile that lit up the room. As we passed him, he looked at me and said, "Wow, you sure have your hands full!" (As a mother of a 4, 3 and 2 year old, I hear this often.) I smiled and said, "I sure do, but they're worth it." (My standard response.) Our conversation was a mere 10 seconds. Two steps passed him, my oldest whips her head around, looks at me and says,

"His eyes..."

"Stop." I whispered.

She hushed as I knelt down next to her seat. I asked her if she knew who made that man.

"Um...No?"

"Miss A, who made you?"

"God did."

"So, who do you think made him?" By this time I had tears in my eyes.

"God did." And as the tears began to well in her sweet, baby eyes she exclaimed, "and God loves him very much."

She gets it.

I hold such a special place in my heart for people with a physical defect because I too was born with one. I was born severely cross-eyed. My parents agreed to eye surgery at 6 months and I had to exercise my eyes every night as a child. I had to wear a patch on my "strong" eye to help strengthen the weak one. I was questioned by kids throughout elementary school about what I was looking at, what could I see, did things look different to me because of the way I look. I fought my physical ailment and tried to hide it from the world for years (including my optometrist). The thing is, EVERY one of us was born imperfect. At some point in our adolescence we were ridiculed for something that was out of our control. By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have learned to hide it...some better than others. Genesis 1 tells us everything God created was "good." We are created in His likeness.

(A Royal Allegiance)

Sin messes everything. God made all humans perfect and unique, all together bearing God's image.

But this cancerous disease called sin broke everything.

Maybe this is why my daughter "gets it". Even though she was born into a world full of sin, she is still innocent. She is not shackled by the image of who she "should be" or what she "should look like", in order to be accepted by the ever-judging eye of society. My challenge is to see the world through the eyes of a child, just as He sees us.

God made each of us unique...short, tall, skinny, robust, athletic, couch potato, cross-eyed, crooked smile...and loves every stinkin' one of us. We are not merely damaged goods...we are all a masterpiece in the making.

Thank you Lord. I praise you for making me exactly the way I am...warts and all.

Isaiah 64:8
Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.

Transparent

Over the holidays we typically spend more time with family, focusing on the good of the past 365 days, reminiscing about Christmases of past. In 2008 I spent time with my new blogging friends and I was given the opportunity to share life with people all over the world who I probably would never have come in contact with this side of heaven. I read of growing families, daily life, difficult pregnancies, heart-wrenching losses, miracles of life. What an adventure!

Recently I have had trouble falling asleep and have used that time to think about my day - what I've done, seen and read. As I thought about each blog I subscribe to and those that have made a lasting impact on my life I questioned "why?". What is it about some of these friends stories that moves me from my foundation? One word: transparency. These saints hold nothing back. They allow me to take a full look into their lives (some on a daily basis). I am not a window shopper gazing at merchandise from outside. I am a full paying customer. I am given the chance to browse through their laughter and pain, joy and tears and pull from it whatever I choose. They place every emotion out on a page for all to see. But this kind of transparency comes at a cost...a very high cost. In order for them to be transparent to the world, they first have to be transparent to the One who created them. They have to allow Him to come in, set up shop and clean house. And by being completely vulnerable to Him, He is able to use them for His glory and touch millions of peoples lives with their tiny hands.

So for 2009 I will have the usual resolutions: eat less, spend more time with the kids, get more sleep. But for 2009 I will commit to being more transparent. This blog has been, and will continue to be, a documentation of our life as a family. But from today forward it will be seen through different eyes. I want the world to see me as I am...an imperfect child of God trying to focus more on Him and less on me. I want to sit for longer periods of time at His feet and listen.

From a blog I joyfully subscribe to (light your world):

Jesus told His disciples in John 15 that they could do nothing without Him. He told them to abide in Him and then watch what He would accomplish thru them. He told them to abide in His love and keep His commandments, just as they had watched Him keep His Father's commandments and just like He had abided in His Father's love. And He told them to do these things so that His joy would be in them. [emphasis mine]