life with the Ls'

Little LuLu, We love You Lu Just the same!

2012-02-16T21:23:00.004-06:00

Little LuLu

We Love You Lu

Just the Same

Shelby decided to hijack my camera again and use her sister as a model.
She did a pretty sweet job of capturing Lucy's personality. She is unique, one-of-a-kind, the sunshine in our day, the gray hairs on our head, the belly laughs till we hurt, snuggles and kisses a plenty, sweetness and sass at the same time and the one who keeps us always on our toes.

My Dad bought us a DVD with like 300 really old classic cartoons that the kids like to watch in our old van that has a DVD player and one of their favorites is Little LuLu. She has dark curly hair just like our Lu and gets into just as much mischief. It is pretty darn cute. We sing the theme song to her all the time. It actually fits her personality. We really only sing the chorus, but the whole thing fits that ornery kiddo, we just don't want to speak those words over her to the point that she thinks that is what we expect from her. Here are the lyrics below with a youtube video of a classic Little LuLu.

Oh, Lulu!
Little Lulu, Little Lulu, with freckles on her skin,
Always in and out of trouble, but mostly always in!
Using dad's neck tie for the tale of your kite,
Using Mom's lipstick for the letters you write!
Little Lulu, Little Lulu, there's know one quite as smart,
Cause no matter what you're doing? You doing it with your heart!
Shiny girls are dancing, there's a sparkle in your eye!
When can we look forward to your next surprise?
What a surprise!
Oh, the clock says 7:30, is really after 10,
Looks like Lulus been repairing it again!
Know why? (Why?)
You know its true-loo.
And you really hard to take Little Lulu,
We love you-loo,
Just the same-the-same!
Little Lulu, we love you...
loo... just... the... same!
Lulu!

Shelby's new nerd-tastic glasses...

2012-02-16T13:14:00.000-06:00

What more can I say? She rocks these new glasses!

bathroom refresh...

2012-02-16T09:47:00.002-06:00

Our master bathroom/guest bathroom is quite interesting. Since our home is over 100 years old, there is no attached master bath and just a few closets that were added later. The funniest thing about our master bathroom is that when someone sits on the toilet, the sink is literally on their lap depending on their size. We joked that in times of horrible stomach bugs it might come in handy to have a sink in your lap while you are on the potty, and yes, it has been used that way, by the kids, of course, not me or James! Never! We are planning to get a new smaller and taller sink in the near future but with so many projects to do, we decided to just give it a little refresher. The walls were cracking and peeling, so James textured them and painted them terracotta, which is really orange. (It still needs some trim work, but I am always too impatient to wait to post pictures.)
Then, when I got home from Grove I was surprised that he not only painted the table, (see post below)but the bathroom sink. A little odd...but I like it. Of course I like it if it is a little odd, because I am a little odd myself. I think it looks really good for what we have to work with at this moment. Below is the before picture. Both were taken while sitting on the toilet and leaning way back. That is just how close the sink really is to the toilet. And, yes, those are our toothbrushes. We brush our teeth, and as tacky as they may look, I am not going to try to find a place to store them out of sight. It's about ease of use, people, and that is the only surface we have to put anything on at this point in that tiny bathroom. Shelves may be in the future as well. Plaster is just tougher to work with.

Be My Valentine...

2012-02-15T22:01:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Pinterest for thinking for me and making this Valentine's Day super easy and cheap and special to boot. The kids loves their Valentines. I kinda like them too.

Notice the black surface the pictures are on. James painted our table black while we were in Grove last weekend. I love it. We will be distressing it and painting the chairs turquoise. Can't wait!

And, here is my sweet owl trivet for my coffee cup. Perfect size and perfect use now that we need to treat the table a wee bit better with its new paint job.

So this is what our table looked like on our snow day. Me editing pictures whilst the kids did school and went back and forth from outside to build and slide and then return to complete another assignment when they got too cold or wet. Our neighbors across the street built a 6 foot tall snow man that beat our extra large snow ball, but that's okay. We got to enjoy their handiwork for 2 days and the kids used their extra large ball as a balancing ball. Fun times!

First Snow Day in Enid!!

2012-02-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

This is the first big snow Enid has had since we moved here last March. Preslie has never played in snow before since she was born in AZ. Lucy barely remembers it because she had just turned 2 when we moved there. Now we are back in our part of the country and the kids have been praying for a big snow all winter! Here it is, their answered prayer!

The littles only last about 10 minutes at a time, but the bigs were out there for a few hours before starting school. {hence the pajamas}They don't think it is fair to have to do school if Enid has a snow day, but we homeschool and we have to make up for missing school last week while we were in Grove, so YES, children, we will have school. School with lots of recesses to enjoy the snow.

Jesse got an awesome sled for Christmas from my parents. They built a ramp in the yard and are sliding up it and across our flat ground just to get to use it. Daddy had to go to work and Lucy has a cold, so I can't take them all sledding on a real hill.

I hope James gets the chance to take them before it melts!

Baby's first haircut...

2012-02-12T19:05:00.002-06:00

A couple of firsts to announce:

This weekend, we finally decided it was time for Preslie to get a haircut. Even though she has been rocking the baby mullet forever and it was finally getting long, we knew it would curl up and look fuller if we chopped it. So, I just now did. She was super excited for her first haircut!

(Don't ask me what the red finger marks are across her back? Maybe from a sibling with sticky ring pop hands? We can thank the ring pops for her shiny cheeks and chin too. Thanks again, Papa!)

OH, and lest I forget, she also pooped on the potty for the first time today! Hooray! Big day for Miss Preslie. She is using the potty about 4 times a day now and the rest of the time she is content to go in her diaper. You know how I am, I'm not going to rush it. I was glad to not to have to change the diaper she would have created had she not gone on the potty today!

I was worried her first haircut would make her look too much older, but I think it brought back her sweet little chubby baby cheeks! Could she look any cuter or happier about her new look?

We just got back from a long weekend at Noni and Papa's. My mom was in the hospital Wednesday through Friday and we wanted to be with her. She was in a lot of pain and sleeping most of the time until Saturday afternoon, but at least we were there to distract her a little. Jessica, Kristin and Matt came too. She also has awesome friends bringing her food and taking good care of her. Today, the kids and I stayed longer than planned because we wanted more time with her. The weekend was so busy with visitors and family, I just wanted to have some alone time with her. Plus, Lulu bee caught a bad cold and none of us got much sleep so it was good to lounge on the couch and not rush around today. I was sad we missed our good friends' wedding shower, but James was able to go.

Jesse and Papa got haircuts yesterday together and went to Braums...now a tradition.
That is what inspired Preslie's haircut. I will probably have to have a professional clean it up before the wedding, but it looks pretty darn cute even if it isn't perfectly even.

He told me everything I ever did...

2012-02-07T21:14:00.002-06:00

Ah, the woman at the well. If we put aside our pride for a moment and imagine being in her place, having a similar conversation with Jesus today we can all relate...whether male or female, married or unmarried, seemingly 'good' people or not.

{read about it here.}

Trust me, if you or I met Jesus at that well, He would tell us everything about ourselves and we'd would walk away changed. Changed by truth and grace, not ashamed, but absolved of every sin we've ever committed and with a realignment of our life's purpose.

A friend of mine wants to write a book about the modern day woman at the well. I think it is a great idea because I get that woman.

I am that woman in many ways...just like we all are, whether we share her exact story or not,

we all have a story.

And, He knows our story, every detail.

I remember the moment when I met Him at the "well" in my life, the moment He told me everything I ever did. It was like my life flashing before my eyes...all of my sins rushing through my mind, causing me so much remorse. I remember feeling known, really known for the first time ever. The moment of realization that everything I had ever done was known by Him and yet He loved me still. I remember the instant shame I felt upon being "found out" that immediately turned into acceptance and forgiveness...forgiveness from Him and for myself. It was grace.

The words of the song Amazing Grace come to mind every time I think of it, "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved...how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed." That line is so epic for me because I know it, I have felt it and it happened so quickly. He lifted a veil from my eyes and showed me who I was...not only who I had been behaving like, but who I REALLY was and that I hadn't been living out who He created me to be. Yet, immediately I felt forgiven, whole, fully known. He told me everything I had ever done, and left me wanting more of Him. More of the Water He only could provide. I have never been the same...never. Sure, I mess up, fall down, scrape my knees, hurt my family and friends and make a fool of myself sometimes. But, there is no shame because in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. We all fall short. Why else would we need a Savior? Perfect people don't need to be saved.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." John 4:39-42

I think they "heard for themselves" because they had each encountered Him. Maybe not at the well, but in their hearts, and they believed. He loves us so much and He is the only one who will ever really KNOW us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Let's just race into His arms and embrace that truth...it changes everything.

We are studying the Book of John in our Sunday class and it is penetrating my heart even deeper than the last time we did it. I love that God's Word is living and breathing and speaks to us where we are at different times in unique ways that apply to just exactly what we are going through at each stage of our lives. We can read and reread the same passage a hundred times and get something special and specific out of it we didn't get before. Love it...

please don't leave...

2012-02-06T16:25:00.013-06:00

Most times when I tuck Preslie in for her nap, just as she is drifting off to sleep and I am trying to slip out of bed she says, "Please don't leave..." She says it in a sleepy whisper of a baby voice and it melts my hurried heart, knowing there will soon be a day when she doesn't want my arms around her as she drifts off to sleep, so I linger just a little longer. I listen to her breathe, rub her hair out of her face, and try to capture the image of her little cherub cheeks and sear the moment into my memory. I not only want to bottle up and save the image for 25 years from now, but the feeling...I want to be able to open the bottle and breathe in her baby's breath and the unconditional love she feels for me. I want to savor the way she feels safe and protected by me and remember exactly how it feels years later when she is completely independent and has no want for my protection.

Soon she will not want my comfort or advice and she will even want "her space." If I try to lay down and snuggle with her during nap time she will think I am a freaky psycho mom or at the very least a little "off my rocker." So let me linger a little longer when she says, "Please don't leave." Let there be not a hint of irritation in my soul when I have laundry to fold, emails to return, dog poop to clean up or a million other things waiting for me. Let me linger...for each of my kiddos. It is about the moments.

One day she will be the one who leaves, not me. I hope by then she has completely transferred her "Please don't leave..." to her God, the only one who will never leave or forsake her...the only one who can truly protect and guide her...the only one who will never abandon her. Everyone in her life may leave, walk away or die, but God promises He won't.

I pray that she will know, feel and believe His promises and His unfailing love.

I looked up the scripture references for "I will never leave nor forsake you," and each has a whole lot packed into and tied directly to that promise for believers. It doesn't come without action on our part.

Here is Hebrews 13:1-6

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”

He made the same promise to Joshua through Moses,
and it was also tied directly to obedience in Deuteronomy 31:5-6:

The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

He says it many times throughout the bible and it is almost always tied to obedience and following Him. As long as my children follow and obey, they need not fear. The Lord will never leave nor forsake them. Even when life looks scary and unmanageable by human standards, they are under His protection.

Right now, I am her Momma. Her Daddy and I seem to be her everything, but we only have the privilege of loving and guiding her for a short while.

Ultimately, she belongs to the Lord, may she find safety in Him.

{p.s. I will miss the marker on the hands, face and clothes...I know I will.}

Lincoln logs and little moments...

2012-02-06T11:05:00.001-06:00

Lately, just like the game thing, we have been trying to be more intentional with the time we do have as a family. We are so busy...James is so busy, that we very rarely get time alone together as a family. I know this is true for many families...and it is so sad. But, we while we can't control the rest of the world, we can try to control what little time we do have. So, we have had a lot more family art time, game time, and getting in there and building things with little pieces time, things they love but I, well don't, but I do love them, and so I have been trying to "sacrifice" and be a little less selfish. My friend, Julie, is teaching me how to do this, just by watching how she parents and cleans up with calm and ease.

{I have an aversion to lincoln logs, legos, play dough, polly dolls and anything that has a million little parts, so this is big for me. Plus, in regards to the first two activities I mentioned, I make a box and that is as far as my mind will go. I can't think spatially. That sounds awful and it is. I know there are women out there who pray to have the opportunity to have a child to build with and play with and clean up after and it never happens. I am so blessed to have these wonderful children. I want to be grateful for these times, because they will be few and short-lived.}

James has always been fully-present with the kiddos when he is home. I know he looks chipper in this pic, HA! It is probably because one of the kids took his picture before he had fixed his hair, but I guarantee the Lincoln Log building was the highlight of his day. I envy how he can get down on their level and really have fun putting stuff together while having conversations about kid stuff. He is so much better about allowing the little pieces to come out and then picking them up without disdain.

I am so glad God gave these kiddos their Daddy. He balances my personality out in so many ways.

I had to throw in a Preslie fit pic for good measure. everyone needs one good picture of themselves pitching a fit to look back on and laugh. This one was over "no marshmallows."

And this is my "pretending to be a photographer pic," b/c I love how there are a million Preslie's in the shower curtain. Pretty cool.

Missy P blue eyes...

2012-02-04T21:35:00.001-06:00

Life has been a little crazy, so we are gonna focus on little collages again. Deep thoughts have to wait...they are brewing, though. Oh, how I love the littles. My littlest little is growing up and as I type I am running up and down the stairs to give her little booty several spankings because she will not let anyone sleep. James let her sleep a little too long during naptime today while Momma, Jeka and Shelby were in OKC for one of Kristin's bridal showers. It was beautiful. So glad we made it.

Miss P is my only blue-eyed girl. Jesse has blue eyes too. Love all of her expressions. Don't grow up!

Below is what I find when I go up there to see who is moving around & causing commotion!

the littles...

2012-01-31T13:33:00.000-06:00

Just a few Littles' collages. Preslie in her Pokes shirt, loving her green gum.

This is a collage Shelby made for her own blog. She took the pics and made the collage after straightening Lulubee's hair herself. Quite the young lady, using her flat iron skills already without burning an ear off. Good times...

game time...

2012-01-30T08:49:00.000-06:00

We go through spurts with games around here. I wish I could say we play board games nightly, but it is more like monthly. Then, we get on a kick.

Shelby won CLUE, after I won it on my first guess!! I rock. So does she.

When Miss P is around it is really hard to play games of any sort because she usually trashes the board or cards. If we play UNO, she can usually be James or my partner and we let her put the card on the stack. Otherwise, we have to occupy her with something else or do it during nap time.

On Friday, we played first thing in the morning, even before school. Homeschooling flexibility rocks.

When facebook is worth it...

2012-01-28T11:05:00.013-06:00

The last two weeks were hard...I mean really difficult for me. We all have hard weeks and we can all relate no matter the specifics and I didn't have anything major to be upset about...no family members in the hospital, no emergencies...just inner turmoil, sick kids, exhaustion, very little family time, hormones and the physical pain that I have become so familiar with over the years which still sneaks up on me at least once a month or so...yet life doesn't slow down so I have to keep going.

So, on Monday morning I opened up our iTunes to find the next scripture memory verse for the week and as soon as I heard it I started crying. I mean really crying, like that deep "this is the song I need to hear, the scripture I need to memorize right now, but it hurts so much, it is so bitter sweet because although I know it is true, I can't feel it in my bones right now" kind of cry...really a sob of exhaustion. I know, I know, it sounds really dramatic. It only lasted a short while and any woman with a pulse can surely relate. I am not proud of moments like this, nor are they common for me, but I do have them. I am human and until I reach heaven I am sure I will have more.

I was sobbing and praying and singing it over and over, crying out to the Lord to make it real to me for me to feel Him sustaining me.

{Of course He was already sustaining me. I was sitting at the table, able to do school with the kids, right, instead of in my bed with the covers pulled up over my head like I could have been if He weren't ever-present.}

I just wanted to FEEL the peace that should have accompanied the scripture. As I was belting out the words with all my heart, through blurry eyes, I could see that the kids were wondering why Momma had tears streaming down her face while she was singing such a hopeful song. Then, it popped into my facebook messages with a "bloop." I heard the message come in because I was on my computer listening to the song already, and I checked it. Right at that moment. An answer to my prayer. Tangible evidence that He was with me at that moment and He wanted to reassure me through someone I hadn't spoken to in months, maybe even a few years. A mother of some of the girls we worked with when James was a Family Pastor way back in the Kansas days.

And He even used facebook to do it. I have been contemplating disabling my facebook account for months.These are the times that make me feel like facebook might be worth it.

In the Old Testament, they used to set up a pillar or monument to remind them of the place where God had spoken to them or done a mighty work. My sharing this with my family on my blog is my way of setting up a pillar. I want to remember how He spoke to me and who He spoke through, and never forget that He cares and is always faithful to provide just what we need, even if it is just to let us know that He is involved even in the most intimate thoughts and moments, not just the big events of life.

Here is the song first and afterward, the messages that we exchanged.

Facebook message from a friend:

Good Morning Jeanna! I just wanted to let you know how much I truly appreciate your posts! I LOVE all the christian family videos and your insight. So many of them I've shared with other young mommy's and I'm developing a 5:00pm Sunday night children's ministry program using fun videos like the one you posted this morning. You are making a difference in the life of my church and making it easier for me...THANK YOU so much and keep them coming!! This week we are starting a Parent's Playgroup...so excited to share ideas with them too! You are the light of Christ! I think God is smiling down on you! Have a wonderful Monday!

My response message:

As I type this I have been crying through that song over and over because I am in so much physical pain and it effects everything...as you know with your back problems (how is your back btw?) I feel like such a horrible mom today. i couldn't sleep last night b/c of pain. it happens at least once a month and for those few days i am grouchy and short and hard to be around. (and i homeschool) i feel like everything i try to do as a mom is undone on these days. i teach my kids one thing and i can't even practice what i preach when i am hurting. You have no idea what this message meant to me. I was crying and praying through that song and asking God to keep His promise, "to sustain me and never let me fall." I had even just texted James to pray for me and to pray that Psalm because I feel like I am going under deep waters today. THEN, Up popped your message. YOU are the light. thank you so much! check out http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net/ for some great resources for what you are doing. They are blessed to have you!!!

Seeds Family Worship | Planting God's Word in the Hearts of Families

www.seedsfamilyworship.net

Her message back to me:

Ok, now I am crying! When I feel like I'm being that "horrible mom" I try to remember it's because I'm under attack. You are doing God's work and therefore life is harder, pain seems greater and you feel like you are failing. I LOVE how God put you on my heart this morning! God provides! You are an amazing mom and you are providing me with resources to help and encourage other moms that sometimes feel like that horrible mommy. You are doing more of God's work than you even realize Jeanna! You are really ticking the enemy off! I LOVE THAT!!! I'm so proud of you!!!!! I will pray for healing and comfort...my back is great now, but I remember those days of loneliness and frustration. I just wanted to feel good. To provide for my family and be "normal'. HUGS sister, you are not alone!!!
"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

{I love how we have the power and privilege to answer God's call to encourage one another. We have so much more in common with each other regardless of our life circumstances than we think and so many opportunities to show others that they are not alone and that we have been there too.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

She had no idea what I was going through that morning, yet she shot me a quick little message that changed the direction of my whole day...maybe my whole week. Plus, not only did I feel loved by her, but by the Creator of the universe who chose to speak through her right to my heart.}

So grateful...

Caught red handed and footed...

2012-01-27T17:08:00.000-06:00

Somebody takes her nap in Mom and Dad's room so that the other little can sleep upstairs if needed or so the others can play upstairs if she is still asleep when rest time is over. Yesterday, she quietly got into my stuff and rubbed Tiger Balm {ouch} all over her lips and face. Today she painted her hand, foot and some of her clothes with my nail polish.

Guess we need another nap plan or to baby proof our room a little better.

Let's be mute this morning...

2012-01-26T09:13:00.000-06:00

Shelby just had a brilliant idea. She asked, "Why don't we try to be mute all morning?"

I said, "I think that is an awesome idea!!

At least until school is over...unless you have a question, of course."

Yea for silence. It actually only lasted a few moments with Preslie around, but it was a good idea.

Shelb is a crack up. That is her "I am going to be silent face." Yeah, right.

LuLu bee's Self Portrait

2012-01-24T15:20:00.000-06:00

Lucy's self portrait and name. I love it, backwards and all.

Abraham, Sarah & Isaac...

2012-01-23T11:37:00.001-06:00

Abraham, Sarah & Isaac

By Shelby Lichtenberger

1/23/12

Abram was a Hebrew. He was a farmer and a very wealthy man. He was married to Sarai. They were old and Sarai was unable to have children.

One day God told Abram, “Leave your country, your family and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation and bless you.” So Abram obeyed God. He promised him he will have as many children as the stars in the sky. For several years he still had no children but when he was 99 years old God again said to him I will give you a huge family.

God renamed him Abraham which means “Father of many.” And Abraham’s wife was renamed Sarah. God appeared to Abraham when he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. When he looked up he saw three men standing. He ran from his tent to greet them and bowed before them. They told him that within the year she would have a son. Sarah laughed and said “An old woman like me? Get pregnant?” Then Sarah lied. She said, I did not laugh. But God said, “Yes you did. You did laugh.”

Later God made Sarah pregnant. She had a son and named him Isaac. The name Isaac means, “Laughter,” because Sarah said, “God has blessed me with laughter.” Isaac was the promised son. God had promised him and was faithful.

What we can learn from this story is that God never breaks his promises. Sometimes, he says, “Wait,” but you cannot stop trusting in what he says. He knows what his plans are for us and has perfect timing.

We are loving The Story. Our church is reading the adult version. Shelby already had the chapter book version and we also bought the beautiful large children's book. Her writing assignment each week is based off of the biblical figures we study that week in each of the above books, online and on video. This was her latest paper. I hope that the truth of what she said at the end really penetrates her heart and she won't have the impatience and need to try to control her own life circumstances that I have always struggled with. The more He works in our lives and the more times He has proven faithful, the more faith I have that His plan and timing are perfect. He first showed that to me through our own Abraham and Sarah story...through Shelby Grace herself.

{We only had to wait 2 1/2 years, yet I felt like laughing when I found out I was pregnant too because doctors said it was not possible and that 2 1/2 years felt like 100.}

He is faithful and true to his promises and his timing is always perfect.

Motherhood as a Mission Field

2012-01-21T15:46:00.003-06:00

Motherhood as a Mission Field

{click the above link}

When you are so busy folding the mound of laundry on your bed that you miss the fact that your 2 year old decided to style her own hair with daddy's pomade while eating 3/4 of a large bowl of strawberries...and you resent that laundry because it takes so much time...and you find yourself focusing on the tasks over the toddlers, remember...motherhood is your mission.
I am not so much talking to you, my friend, but the friend in my head that distracts me with the temporary over the eternal, daily. And the days are LONG, but the years are SHORT!
WAKE UP JEANNA!

If you ever wonder if what you are doing makes a difference even though 99.9% of it goes unnoticed and unappreciated, read the article above. If you ever wonder whether or not you should put that task in front of that toddler, read it. Yes, there are tasks we must do to make our home a haven, but never trade what seems important over what is essential. The article is so great...Just read it!
My little bro sent it to me. He is a good man.

Think about such things...

2012-01-20T08:26:00.003-06:00

This is our scripture memory verse for the week. We are still going through our Seeds cds. Last semester we finished Seeds of Courage scriptures and now we are working on the Power of Encouragement scriptures. This scripture has always been one of my favorites and I am telling you I have needed to meditate on it this week big time. On some days, I have to take every one of my thoughts captive and try to replace them with these things.
And, I have so many of these things to think about...we all do.
Why choose to focus on the few things in our lives that don't meet the criteria in the scripture to think about, when we have so much to be grateful for, so much beauty to focus on?
It is a conscious choice and God honors it.

I will never stop raving about Seeds Family Worship.

They have the very best scripture memory cds ever!

Here is a link with the music for worship leaders/parents who can play guitar.

And, here are my beautiful two oldest children who got up early and were trying to get as much school done before Daddy and the littles woke up as they could so they could spend his day off with him.

And here is a video that cracked us all up so bad. Look at the picture...His number one is true. Glorious.

This guy has some of the funniest videos I have ever watched.

James and I had a blimeycow marathon before bed.

Check him out on his youtube channel.

Colossians 3...meditating on it all day...

2012-01-19T09:49:00.000-06:00

Colossians 3

Living the New Life

¹ Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your^[a] life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.
⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^[b] ⁷ You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,^[c] circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized,^[d] slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Instructions for Christian Households

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.
¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.
²⁰ Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. ²¹ Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.
²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. ²³ Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. ²⁴ Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.^[e] ²⁵ But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Taken from the New Living Translation here.

Don't just tell your kids they are artists, PROVE it!

2012-01-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

Before I even had children of my own and I was a fresh out of college student teacher, I met the most amazing family, the Varnums. They lived in my parent's neighborhood in Kansas and I would house sit, pet sit, baby sit and later spend a lot of time with their Mr. Varnum's aging father who lived with them. I fell in love with this family right away. They had such a zeal for life and were great story tellers and conversationalists. A family of artistic intellects for sure. Their home amazed me. Not for it's brand new shiny cabinets or fabulous architecture. They had an older home with so much character. Yes, it was large and sat on a nice piece of land, but there was nothing pretentious or "show roomy" about it. Every nook and cranny had something unique, interesting and meaningful to their family. In fact, much of their artwork was their own children's drawings or paintings framed on their walls. I had never seen anyone do that before. I was used to well-polished and perfectly matching art I had seen in most of my friends' parents' homes. If I ever saw a child's artwork, it was on the fridge, not framed on a wall, for goodness sakes.

They opened up a whole new world for me, long before I had children of my own. I immediately started asking for Matt and Jessica (my 12 years younger brother and sister) to give me their artwork from school and promptly framed it for my own first little house when I got married. Then, my Mom followed suit and had all of my brother's AMAZING sketches created at the age of 10 or 12 professionally framed and displayed in their formal living room. That boy can draw and he refuses to use his talent as an adult. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly shame him for robbing the world of his talent! Maybe his soon-to-be bride will be able to sweet talk him into drawing again.

Jesse painted that fox on Monday and we had to immediately frame it.

Do you think he wonders if we really think he is an artist or if our compliments about his work were just lip service? He is an artist. Thankfully displaying our kids' art fits right into our eclectic decor.

Love it! Try it and see how special it makes your child feel! Plus, honestly it is so much more worth it than an expensive piece of art that matches all of your furniture. Priceless!

the parable of the insistent friend upside down...

2012-01-17T20:00:00.002-06:00

Shelby is sick again today...101 fever, burning tummy and now, a sore throat and hurting all over, she says. I have to admit that after one or another of us being sick since Thanksgiving this Momma's patience is running thin. Then I read Ann Voskamp's post today and (as usual) heard exactly what I needed to hear. Here I had given Shelby a sippy cup of water and let her sleep in my bed, but not comforted her. Given her space to get some rest, but not tenderly cared for her. I am not gifted in that area, but that is no excuse. My Grandma Shelby was the best caregiver in the world when I was sick. Plush pallets, snack plates, reading and coloring materials, and all the TV I could watch with her at my beck and call.

"Grandma, I think warm chocolate pudding would feel really good on my throat. I think I need some chicken noodle soup with the chicken picked out, Grams. Malt-o-meal, Grandma, I need malt-o-meal with extra butter and sugar."

"Ok, honey, what else can I get you?" She made it so comfortable for me to be home sick that I have to admit I faked it quite a bit just so I could stay home with her and watch soap operas and be pampered. Who wouldn't, given the option? My mom was a single mom and stuck between a rock and a hard place knowing my grandma would call me in sick and not wanting to be the bad guy that forced me to go to school, so she allowed it. That must have been so hard for her.

Somewhere between the grandma Shelby treatment and the sippy cup of water in my bed, there is a happy medium where we can and should tend to those we love without pampering them. We check to make sure they are really sick and when they are, we treat them extra tenderly. We show them they are special and that our schedules are so much less important than their sweet little souls. We slow the clock and give them the attention they need. I think that is what Ann's post was saying. I needed to read it today.

It is ironic that I have always had sweet people in my life who go out of their way to take care of me even when I don't ask. I had my doting grandma when I was young and as an adult, God has sent special friends into my life who are insistent...persistent about helping us when we are sick or in need. I had an amazing handful of friends in Kansas who would do just about anything for me. When I was blessed to live close to my Momma, she took care of us.
Like I said, I am not gifted at doing the same. I have asked friends time and again why they want to be my friend because I feel like I don't do a great job of being a good friend. I haven't exactly honed my friend skills yet. It doesn't always come naturally to me or even occur to me how to meet other's needs, yet I do try in my own meager way and still, God blesses me more than abundantly with people who insist on helping our family. He knows we won't usually ask, so he sends them to us as a free gift of his grace, mercy and provision. Remember these peeps? And these? We haven't been able to repay either of them and have probably had many missed opportunities. They expect no repayment but we still need to pray for God to reveal opportunities for us to serve them.

It is funny how I feel like the parable of the insistent friend is being played out upside down in my life. It is ironic that I happened to have this story on display in our main room in my Tomie DePaola Parables of Jesus children's book. I love his illustrations.
Many children's book illustrations serve as art in our home. Notice Captain Kangaroo below.

In the parable, a friend comes asking for help at midnight and is turned away, but his persistence gets his friend's attention and he finally helps him. It is the parable Jesus tells right after he tells us how to pray and I know it relates to our relationship with God, but it can also be applied to earthly relationships. In our case, we aren't begging for help and being turned away, we have a few friends who insist on blessing us even when we say we don't need help. These people are amazing.

They are gifts from God.

One of them, I met right away when we moved here and we immediately connected because we both have chronic health conditions and know the feeling of being avoided because of it. She moved outside of town recently, but before she did, she'd pop in randomly and brighten our day with a random gift, good conversation or invitation to go garage saling. Last week she showed up with groceries she insisted we take. She was at Aldi and asked if I needed anything because she was going to stop by and see me while she was in town. I said that 2 soy milks would be awesome. Instead she dropped off a load. I was blown away.

Our newest friends have brought us chicken soup when we are sick, brought over a full spread to feed us all, and wrapped us in love since we met them. Today, I told my friend that Shelby wouldn't be at dance so we wouldn't be able to walk together and she dropped the stuff below off on our back porch without us even asking. So incredibly thoughtful. So humbling.

It is also humbling because {moment of truth...get ready to judge me} I had just been feeling sorry for myself because I have felt like really only people who are new to Enid have showed any interest in being our friends. There is only one couple from Enid who has invited us over since we moved here. Make that two, kind of, because another sweet couple took us out to dinner. Our kids have been invited to things, but we haven't. Still, me feeling sorry for myself is ridiculous because we do have friends. Just thinking about the 3 families above, not counting our newest friends who just moved here, we are so blessed. We are making more friends all the time.

Most of them are new to Enid, but who cares?

Some people live their entire lives unnoticed. We have been given the gift of real friendship. Transparent, unconditional, selfless friendship. May I truly be grateful for that! AND, even more, may I reciprocate! I want a servant's heart. Sometimes I feel like I have one and others I feel like the most selfish woman on the planet. Maybe we all do...I want to be an insistent friend though. Not insistent that others help us, but insistent that we help them, even when they try to refuse. Enid is a small town and people are very private. we have offered to help others in several situations and been turned down. Maybe we need to be more insistent, just like our wonderful friends have. Just like Jesus is. Even when we try to refuse Him, He presses is and covers us with His love.

Let us be more like Him.

Someone's getting new glasses...

2012-01-16T22:13:00.002-06:00

So yeah, anyone who knows and loves us knows that Miss Shelby Grace, beautiful princess that she is, wears the coolest glasses ever and when she isn't wearing her glasses one of her eyes crosses.
She is extremely far sighted and her muscle control is effected by it. It is hereditary and she has an aunt and cousin with the same eye issue. She had surgery at 2 and again at 4 to snip the muscle and fix the issue, but whether the surgery works or not depends greatly on how quickly your body repairs muscle. Since she also inherited her mother's quickly repairing muscles the surgeries did not work completely. They improved her muscle control enough that as long as she is wearing glasses, her eyes are straight, but they didn't fix the crossing.

{I also had surgery on my bladder that didn't work b/c it repaired itself so quickly & I can lift weights for a week and look like a body builder. Annoying, but healthy. I want to look feminine.}

She is such a confident girl that it doesn't seem to bother her. We have had numerous conversations about how to respond to the constant questioning that usually only happens while swimming, because she can't wear her glasses. She handles it with grace and humor and so far, at 9 years old, it hasn't been an issue. I think it also helps that they make cute glasses for kids now-a-days. The glasses we got today aren't her absolute favorites, but what our insurance would pay for. We will look for a back up pair too. She is opting for the "geeky" look as the sales lady called it, which I {of course} L.O.V.E. I am wanting new glasses myself. We will post pics when she gets them.

I had her take these photos today because we were looking on Zennie optical's website where you can upload a pic and try frames on yourself. We have learned a trick for pics without glasses. If she closes her eyes and I snap the pic right when she opens them, they are straight. She is so beautiful with and without glasses. I mean, I am biased, of course, but come on...she is the best mix of innocent, hip, trendy, beautiful, pure and non-self consumed right now. I hope she stays this way, even if it will be hard to be humble with her new cool glasses. ; )

who says?

2012-01-15T18:36:00.005-06:00

they actually enjoy cleaning at that age, so why not let them?

these two can spend hours together playing dress up and making up plays.
here, shelby is showing her how to dress up barbies on the computer.

Who says you can't live outside of the box or color outside of the lines?

pop on over here today for my little guest post...

2012-01-15T07:29:00.001-06:00

my post

on this beautiful blog

matching vests...and thoughts on this blogger's mind

2012-01-14T10:25:00.003-06:00

What is the first thing you notice about the above picture?

Don't think, just answer.

If you are a Grandma, it is the boy's bare feet when it is obviously freezing outside.

If you are a parent of young children, you may not have even noticed that,

only that he and his dog have matching vests.

Alarming and ridiculous, yes. Planned, no.

As you know, Francie Lou got a bad granny haircut and she is freezing her tushie off when she goes walking with Jeka and me every morning whist you all are still nestled snug in your beds. So, now that she is practically bald, she needs a coat. Jeka happened to buy this vest {with a hood} for Baxter and it was too small...BUT, alas, it fits Miss Francie, so she is warm on our frigid walks. AND, the best part is that it matches Jesse's vest. So AWE-some!

You may remember that I said "Goodbye" for January and told you I'd be back in February, and yet here I am. Sometimes I just need a short break from technology to check myself before I wreck myself. I want to be an intentional wife and mom and when the computer sucks me in with all of its magnetic force, I may be in the same room with my family, but I am not fully present.

I get extremely irritated when I see parents out and about with their kids and they totally don't notice that their child is trying to interact with them b/c they are updating their facebook status or texting or playing some game. I also get irritated when I see adults hand their phones over to their kids constantly to "entertain" them so they can keep them busy and out of "trouble." Yes, we let our kids play games, but we try to do it rarely, because we want them to grow up knowing how to behave and communicate with others without a phone or video game in their hand. So, I took a break for that reason, because I realized that I was doing the very thing that I get irritated with other parents for...Maybe I was doing it in my living room with my kids snuggled into my side, but my mind was elsewhere. I am never going to get these moments back, so I was determined to make a fresh start. Not only that, but I am doing the very thing I am trying to teach them not to do. Most behaviors are "caught, not taught," and they are gonna catch it from me, and grow up zombies attached to a phone/video game or computer if I am not careful. If we are this connected now to technology, it is scary to think of what our world will look like when our kids are adults.

It didn't take me a full month to learn what I needed to learn about myself and so much more. {I made it 10 days} One thing I learned immediately without my blog or facebook in my life is that I had been actually thinking in blog posts. We'd be in the middle of a fun activity or straight up family time and I'd interrupt it to go get my camera and blog about it...cutting many precious moments short, because I wanted to blog about them before I forgot. Short term memory is not a strength of mine. It hit me like a ton of bricks because I would be in the middle of something and feel a strong pull to go blog about it but because I couldn't, I had resolved not to, I didn't. It happened over and over every day at first. It almost felt like an addiction I was breaking.

I know there are people who just read that and are judging me for it, especially non-bloggers. Bloggers know the feeling of thinking in blog posts just like writers think in stories or musicians hear a chord and want to run pick up their guitar and make it into a song. So, here I am, admitting I am far from perfect. I have struggles just like the rest of you and I am willing to humiliate myself if what I share resonates with even one person who might have the same struggle and not have recognized it yet. One of my missions in life is to share my story because it is God's story. I have bright amazing moments I am proud of and ugly, wish I could hide moments, but God uses them all to mold and shape me into who He wants me to be. For that I am truly thankful. Romans 8:28

As I close, I have a 2 year old climbing on me saying, "Book, Mommy, Book." These are the moments I do not want to miss. Yes, I will still blog, but I am going to be so much more intentional about being fully present with my family and friends and unplug!

tub time, yo gabba gabba...

2012-01-13T19:58:00.014-06:00

Jeka bought the girls some Yo Gabba Gabba tub toys for Christmas. They are a hit. I don't think I have posted pics of the upstairs bathroom updates yet because it still needs a new sink and cabinet, but we painted the walls and the claw foot tub and put down new tile. It is looking better, at least.

I know a lot of people have a real problem with Yo Gabba Gabba, but I can't understand why. We love it around here. Yes, it is a little bizarre, but the kids love it and once they love something it is hard not to like it. Our favorite is the one where Jack Black guest stars. We laugh until we cry while he dances.

Around here, Daddy is DJ Lance Rock, Momma is Brobee, Shelby is Muno, Jesse is Plex, Lucy is Tootie and Preslie is Foofa. Don't even try to switch characters or there might be a brawl.

Loving it.

And here are the glorious tack-i-licious bubble frame pictures we got at a flea market in Grove.

They fit with the claw-foot tub quite nicely. I love them!

We will have to do an overall reveal when it is complete. Step by step, people. We are busy. This is the busiest time of the year for the OAC and we are meeting ourselves coming and going. Good times, but busy times. My body is starting to scream at me, "Slow Down!"

guess who got a camera for Christmas...

2012-01-13T09:38:00.000-06:00

Shelby got a camera from Noni and she is going crazy with it. I promised her I'd upload some of her favorites to the family blog. Here they are.

The close-up of my Grandpa's neighbor's dog is Shelby's favorite. She is a budding artist and practicing using all of the different settings on her little Nikon Power Shot.

All of these were on her camera too and since I majorly failed to take pics on Christmas,

I am thankful she captured a few.

routines, hair and such...

2012-01-12T10:05:00.001-06:00

Francie is regressing in the potty training department, so we are trying to be more diligent in remembering to take her out. Since much arguing ensues especially when it is subzero outside, we created this chart. After one person takes her out, they move the magnet to the next name so we always know whose turn it is. Got the idea from Emily, but she uses it for tuck-in-time. Genius.

This pic of Francie is self-explanatory. I don't even recognize this dog with a face. We won't be taking her back to the "Pet Salon" where we took her. We asked for a few inches to be take off everywhere, and our puppy now looks like a little old lady doggie.

You know me, I have to document everything. I love our special grinder the Mice gave us and our sweet 14 cup coffee pot I got on clearance at Lowes. Each night before we go to bed, both have to be filled and ready to go in the morning. I don't grind the beans at night like most people do, because the minute you grind the beans, it starts to become more acidic and my bladder can't handle the acid. The other routine that has to taken care of each night in order for the next day to go smoothly is the dishwasher has to be filled and run so we can empty it first thing. As of now, we pretty much fill 1 dishwasher a day unless we have company. That is as much as I want to have to load and empty, so I am thankful. However, I am even more thankful when we have guests and they are worth the extra effort. (Actually, we usually use paper plates for the kids when we have guests, so we still only have one load. Sorry, trees.)

When I put Preslie's hair in a high side pony tail the kids always say she looks like Deb from Napoleon Dynamite. With her somber expression in the side pics she kind of does. James and I are so excited that Napoleon Dynamite will soon be a cartoon series!

because new year's resolutions are made to be broken...

2012-01-10T21:53:00.003-06:00

Once, I had a friend...well, I still do, but we don't work 12 hours a day together and hold one another accountable anymore and haven't for like 9 years. But, when I worked with that friend, we would make resolutions each New Year and keep them. They were challenges, new ways to discipline our spirits and we succeeded every year. I can tell you it is a great feeling to make a resolution and keep it for an entire year, especially for someone who has never played sports and achieved sports pinnacles...it feels good, strong, willpower is something else. But, God is so much more than willpower, He is Holy Spirit power and I have found that sometimes my ideas of willpower are my own ideas and not His. So, as I resolved to read more, God sent more people into my life to start and grow relationships with. Maybe he wanted me to get off my pc so I could interact with people, and not read more, who knows? I am still reading more, but more importantly, I am connecting with peeps...my kids, my friends, new friends and new acquaintances. I just have more time and I love it.

Though, I do miss my blog and moments like these I "need" to record. Like this first moment...The first time Preslie cut her own hair. Yes, new parents, every kid (even yours) cuts his or her hair at some point. Jesse did it in a craft aisle in a store once and I had a complete stranger tell me, "Um, your son is cutting his hair, while I was looking for art supplies. Proud moment.

(p.s. i love her belly in this shot. absolutely

L to the ove it. How much longer will she have a baby belly?)

So, fortunately, Miss P hasn't had a haircut and still owns the baby mullet, so no one can tell she cut it, but she did. Kinda proud, not gonna lie.

As for lulubee, she has been scratching her molluscum and everyone we meet freaks out that she has chicken pox...she doesn't, and she is starting to get paranoid. I think it is the Scentsy buddy Santa brought her b/c they were tiny white dots until froggy showed up. NOW she is irritated and clawing at her face. So, we are putting medicine on it twice a day and hoping it clears up before Matt and Kristin's wedding. The sad part is that people are so bold in their questioning and they don't realize that she is 4 and can understand what they are saying. She keeps asking her daddy if she is still beautiful even with her "pimples" as she calls them. It breaks my heart. She is beautiful.

SO beautiful, dots or not!

Our New Year's resolution competition....

2011-12-31T21:34:00.000-06:00

The kids and I decided that our New Year's resolution is going to be to read as many books as we can in 2012. To make it fun, Shelby added the element of competition. She got the idea from Grandma Sherri who loves to read and told her she is challenging herself to read more books this year than last.

She asked, "How about we race to see who can read the most books in a year and the winner will win something really big?" So I said, "How about a Kindle Fire or a Nook?" Since those are both electronic readers, it seems all of our family and friends own {all of the sudden after Christmas this year} that the kids and I have become fascinated by, I thought it might be a good idea...plus, we have an entire year to save the money.

My Sister and Mom have been trying to talk me into one for over a year now because they love theirs' so much, but I love the look and feel of a book in my hand or on the shelf, so I have rebelled. Although, I am beginning to see their merit, so by January 1, 2013, I may be ready. If not, whoever wins the competition will be, right?! And they will own it, but have to share. Those are the rules. Oh, and for every chapter book James, Shelby and I read we get 3 tallies and for every regular book Jesse reads (on his level) he gets 1 tally. If he reads a chapter book he will get 3 as well.

One of the books we are really excited to read this year is The Story. It is the bible in novel form. Our church's theme this year is Logos, or The Word. So, we are all reading it this year. The kids have The Story for Kids we have already been reading together. I am in the middle of A Long Obedience in the Same Direction and Shelby is in the middle of one of her Camp Club Girls books along with Heaven is For Real that we are still reading together. She got The Hiding Place for Christmas, so we will read that together next. With all of this reading, especially at the first of the year to get in the habit, I will be taking some time off of my computer...

Kindle Fire

Nook

Since we decided this about 30 minutes ago, Jesse has read 3 books and the rest of us have read none. I think this might end up being a tortoise and the hare scenario, but we will have to wait and see. It sure would be fun to see the youngest win. Whoever wins, we all win, right?!

Happy New Year!! See You Back Here in February.

Wrestling...a family affair

2011-12-31T17:23:00.001-06:00

James is the director and coach of the Enid Plainsmen Little League Wrestling team this year. He and a few other dads coach over 30 boys, 90% of whom are first year wrestlers. Since it is a brand new program this year, there is a whole lot of learning going on and we have been so proud of how tough these boys are.

Jesse is wrestling on the team, of course...like James' son would get away with never trying the sport! He actually likes it. He has a pretty mean game face and shows some serious intensity and promise. When Momma is there he is nervous, so he doesn't have his head completely on the mat, but he'll get used to it the more I come. James has noticed that when moms come to wrestling practice, the boys tend to cry more and don't give it their best effort. When they have the boys alone the coaches can help toughen them up. Next year, I am going to be more diligent preseason about starting a booster club and giving us moms something to do to get involved and grow the program.

At Jesse's first tournament he won the first two matches. It was a real confidence booster for him. Today, we went to Tonkawa which was an open tourney with lots of experienced wrestlers.

It was tough, but a great learning experience.

Wrestling is in the Lichtenberger blood. I can't even try to fight it...Why would I want to?

I love that these two have something to be passionate about together and that Jesse gets to be a tough guy sometimes since he is surrounded by all 4 of us girls all the time (5 counting Francie.)

Another reason I think I blog...

2011-12-30T15:26:00.003-06:00

I don't have many memories of my childhood.

{Insert depressing violin music here.}

Seriously, though, I don't.

I remember a lot about highschool and college, but my childhood memories are cloudy.

James remembers every teacher's name he ever had, every address and phone number where he lived...lots of places, every TV commercial from his childhood along with a tons of family and friendship memories. I have about 4. No, probably more, but I only remember my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Davis and I think 2nd was Mrs. Strozier. Then no one else's name or face except for my high school principal Mr. Naylor and one really cool teacher, Mrs. Wallace who took us on DECA trips and let us go crazy.

I remember staying with my grandparents a lot because my Mom was single from the time I was about a month old until I was 9 and she had to work 2 or 3 jobs at a time to support us. I remember watching my Grandma chain smoke cigarettes at the kitchen table while she put her make-up on the first half of the day and turn around and take it off the second half of the day, or so it seemed. I remember watching lots of soap operas with her and going with her to get her hair done every week. I remember clipping my Grandpa's fingernails and even shaving his face sometimes for fun. And, I remember that they loved me more than life and tried to make up for all of the mistakes they made with my Mom by being the best Grandparents ever, catering to my every want and need. They loved me unconditionally, as I did them. I named my first born after my Grandma, after all.

I remember that we lived in the cutest little trailer park just a few trailers down from my grandparents and my Mom wanted to give me the very best life had to offer on a single parent's income. She gave me the master bedroom and took the small one on the other end of the trailer. I had every toy I ever wanted and then some and she worked hard to make sure I had some designer clothes like the girls in school...Until 9th grade, I went to the richest school district in Oklahoma, Jenks. I lived in the one "poor" area in the whole Jenks East district at the time, I think. I didn't know I was poor until I got on the bus in kindergarten and was called "Trailer Trash." I didn't know what to do with that little piece of new information about my character, so I never told my Mom because I do remember knowing enough to know it would hurt her.

I remember playing with my cousin Jay a lot. He was like a brother to me, so I have some of memories of bossing him around and him being the sweetest boy in the world. When his little sister, Becky came, I remember us playing with her like a baby doll and then bossing her around. She was adorable and a good sport.

I remember seeing my biological dad and grandparents about once a year when he'd pick me up and spend the day with me then drop me off at his parents for the night so he could go out and party. I was worth a few hours, but not more than that. I remember wondering why I wasn't worth more than that to him A LOT. I remember crying myself to sleep and wondering what was wrong with me that he didn't want to spend time with me, never understanding as a child that he was only trying to punish my Mom, but he did love me and just didn't know how to be a Daddy.

I remember the excitement over the twins arriving when I was 12 and how much a loved those two. I also remember babysitting when I wanted to but giving my parents a hard time when it was their idea. I remember various situations of turmoil and my own rebellion off and on during that time pretty much until I left for college.

I remember some of junior high, hanging out with the skaters because I could shine in that group and never fit in to the girly girl, "look at me" group. I can't remember if I wanted to fit in with them or not because I never really understood them. I think their shiny bows and perfect outfits and whispers in the cafeteria intrigued me, but also disgusted me at the same time in a weird way. Maybe it was jealousy, but it felt more like distaste. I just wasn't interested in the same things they were and didn't care to learn their catty games. I was friends with more boys than girls because they were far less complicated. I remember lots of times with my BFF Colbi throughout jr high and high school laying out at her pool, being lazy and talking about everything and nothing all at the same time.

But, even though that seems like a lot, it is only fragments, pieces of memories my mind tries to make sense of. Pictures I see in an album and ask my Mom about that become memories after I hear her retelling...not of my own accord. Nothing is complete, nothing flows, I know nothing of the intentions behind my parents or grandparents actions, nothing of the emotions behind the decisions, just the results...And so I blog.

I blog for my kids and myself and future generations...to record my thoughts, emotions, passions, dreams, and how decisions are made in our house and why. I blog to record a history I want to look back over and I want my kids to have to look back on when they have questions and I am not around to answer or don't even remember myself. I blog to show them how much I love them and I am trying to be a good Mom, the best way I know how.

But those who forget, or those sensitive ones who wonder why...Why did Mom homeschool us for that time? Why did we move so much? Why did Daddy want to work in ministry? Why did we do Christmas different than most people? Why did we live in a huge house in Kansas and as our family grew our houses shrank? Why did my parents always decorate like a flea market booth? Why was Mommy in pain a lot and always talking about food? Why did my parents decide not to use medical birth control after finally conceiving their first? Why did we share rooms for so long? Why did we have so many people come stay with us all the time? Why were music and sports and fitness so important in our house? Why did our home-life and rules look a lot different than most of our friends' lives in a lot of ways? Endless whys... I won't be able to answer them all in this blog, but maybe a few, so maybe my kids won't have so many blanks to try to fill in themselves...or maybe they will because this blog is completely from my perspective, but at least they will know who their Momma was, warts and all, and that she loved them more than life.

I blog for so many reasons...this is just one more I thought of today.

When I am sick, I have time to think because I actually sit down. It happens a few times a year when my body says, "I am not moving any more, so get off your feet," and I am sick today. I have to admit that I did spend over two hours standing and folding laundry before laying down to type this post, but my body gave out. Going to the doctor at 4.

Glad God gave us the same silly sense of style...

2011-12-30T10:43:00.003-06:00

There are many times I walk as I walk around our house I am reminded at how amazing it is that God paired James and I together with our silly sense of style. It can only be called eclectic. We have no theme, but like the same things, decorations, furniture, paint colors...We are both attracted to the same oddities. If he were a different man or I were a different woman we might throw each others' finds in the garbage when the other wasn't looking or simply refuse to allow them in the house. But we are usually like, "That is awesome! Where did you find that?" It is especially evident in our kitchen where our knick knacks are displayed...antiques, pottery, pee wee herman on a chair, owls, unique quotes, strange figurines, you name it. Each piece loved by both of us. Weird.

It is almost like we never grew out of college decorating style, which is fine with me because I don't want to grow up and lose my personality to one of the big name furniture/decorating stores. It is fine for those who do, but it is not us, either of us and for that I am grateful. Here is a prime example: James called me from WalMart the other day and was like, "Do we have aqua marine in our shower curtain?" I asked, "What, why?" He goes, "Well, Our other liner is gross and we need a new one. There is this really cool aqua marine liner with a design on it that I think would look really good in our shower." Then, I said, "We actually have a navy blue one we have never used," and he was like, "No, I want this one." When I saw it, I knew why. Small pleasures, I know, but I have to admit that whilst showering I do enjoy the aqua marine textured shower liner. It is quite refreshing. Most people would be like, "I need new tile and a totally new tub to feel clean in that bathroom," but I am strangely used to it, not bothered by it, and the liner does make a difference.
The walls and sink are a different story, but even what we are doing with those will be unconventional because that's how we roll.

Here are two more small examples of the odd streak in my husband that I adore. When we had to move the sock monkeys from the stairs to hang the stockings, he immediately hung them from the entertainment center. Without packing them away to bring out after Christmas, or even a thought, he took them straight to the living room and hung them there for us to enjoy. I guess he is lucky I operate on the same wave length or it wasn't an accident we were brought together. I am so glad he is mine and I am his. We are just different enough to compliment each other and just alike enough to be best friends. You never know how important sharing a sense of style is until you are actually married. Let me tell you, it is. I have heard stories of couples not agreeing on decorating and it is sad. At least it seems sad to me, because I like for my environment to reflect my personality and brighten my day. If I had to live in a perfectly designed home straight off the showroom floor I'd feel like I lived in a museum and since I spend most of my life in this house, I'd be miserable.

Thankfully, that will never happen.

And, if it seems like I am bragging, I am not. I am the kind of person who defaults to negativity and anxiety over circumstances. I spent most of my youngest years with my grandma Shelby (while my Mom worked) who I adored, but who was always complaining, always depressed, and worried about everything. It kind of shaped my outlook on life for a really long time and I am trying to reshape it with the Lord's help. In order for me to focus on all of my blessings, I have to make a conscious effort. I do have so many blessings. Driving by my home, you might disagree, but God has richly blessed us with 4 beautiful children, a relationship that withstands all that life throws at us a roof over our heads and plenty of nesting dolls to go around.

I hope that if someone reads my blog who doesn't really know me, they don't see me as someone who thinks I have it altogether, know all the answers and live in the only "right way." I am so far from that it isn't even funny. I am passionate and I am real. What you see is what you get with me and it ain't perfection. I just try to find the good in what is around me and because sometimes it is hard for me, just like I posted a few posts back, I have to focus on the Light. And, I have to write about it. It helps gratitude take root in my heart. I want to leave a legacy for my kiddos...
A true story of how a broken person was transformed over the years through the power of the Holy Spirit coupled with intentional living. That's all, folks.

Living in a nesting doll paradise...

2011-12-29T21:20:00.004-06:00

We found these gems at a flea market in Grove last weekend. $4.50, jealous? Love them!

Then, we received this amazing gift in the mail a few days ago and it took me 2 full days to figure out who they were from. The card enclosed, shipped from LA {not Kansas}said "Merry Christmas from the Manymeisshoussen." I was all in a state of confusion until I saw the middle of the word "Meiss." Well, we call the Meiss Family "the Mice," so it totally didn't register. Long story short, they were from the Mice and my kiddos are dying to get their hands on them. But, I am not sure I want to share. I forgot to ask Helen today when we talked if they were for the kids or for me.

Probably for the kids, you say?

Oh, how I love nesting dolls. Why did they have to become so popular?

I wanted to horde them all myself!

Counting these, we now are proud owners of 4 nesting dolls. That is a pretty good start to a collection, I'd say. Heirlooms, really. Our kids will be so fighting over these after we are gone. Maybe we should keep it at 4 just to make it even and hope they agree on how to distribute them.

I have a feeling that one day very very soon our kiddos are going to reach the
"I am so embarrassed that my parents are so nerdy" stage.
Bring it.

We will have a house that looks like Juno's folks and be proud of it.

Look into the light Carol Ann...Get Radical

2011-12-28T08:47:00.004-06:00

It seems blasphemous to quote the movie Poltergeist (and post a picture of Carol Ann) considering the subject matter of the movie, but in all honesty, this season more than ever before I have had to continuously remind myself to look into the light...a different light, of course, The Light, instead of the haunted house TV light in the movie.

Our Sunday morning small group just got finished studying A Hole in Our Gospel, Radical, and then Courageous Living back to back to back while my Wednesday night class was simultaneously studying Victory Over the Darkness. On Sundays we were being reminded of the darkness and great need in our world, our communities and our families and how we ~~should~~ must respond. On Wednesdays we were being reminded of who we are in Christ and that we are not of this world...Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world...and if He overcame this world and is living inside of us, so should and so CAN we.

So, let me just start by saying, when I do a study, I DO it. It isn't just another social gathering to me. As much as I enjoy the fellowship and need the accountability and sharpening from my brothers and sisters in Christ, I need the Word to get into my heart more and more and be planted there, so I don't leave class and forget about it until next week. I want Him too much...I need Him too much. I immerse myself in it and take it seriously. I don't look at the bible or any bible study for that matter as "light reading." Devotionals or "pick-me-ups" are great for a moment but have no lasting impact and produce no fruit in my life. If I am going to devote my time to a study, I want it to take root. If I can read a book and there is no heart change, it didn't have enough of the Word in it, or I let the Word fly over my head by my own negligence. Point blank.

It gets me steamed when people dismiss others' passions because, "Well, you are just excited about that right now because you are reading THAT book." Talk about a discouraging statement. Because their fire isn't lit, they blow yours out. God gifts writers with the ability to use just the perfect words to grow us and move us into action. MOVE US. He doesn't send us messages for us to put the book back on the shelf and collect dust, while all we learned collects dust in our head and never makes it to our heart.

See how fired up I can get about this stuff. Well, that is exactly why I have to keep telling myself to "look into the Light" or focus on the Light instead of the darkness. I have been convicted and heartbroken over my own lack of zeal...my own lack of obedience to the GOSPEL...the true Gospel. And what is more is that it has moved me into action. I am nowhere near where I long to be, but determined to stay headed in that direction.

The only bad thing is that when that happens to me, I start to notice how many of the Christians I know don't even notice or care about the reason we were created...to glorify God and be Jesus' hands and feet here on this earth. That may sound really harsh, but we can have philosophical conversations all day about how to live out our faith and then NOT do it. There is no power in what we intend to do or know we should do, only in what we DO do. And, to clarify, I am not just talking about what we do around the holidays...we are to live out our faith all year long, but because of the Greatest Gift coming at Christmas, the hearts and minds of people are moved during this season...we can't ever really put our finger on what is moving us many times, so we put all of our energy into making others "happy." We are happy when we make others happy. But are we? Are they?

The Christmas season is supposed to be filled with JOY and it is filled with stress and selfish over-indulgence. Even in the name of Jesus we say we give gifts to others to glorify Him, yet many times we go into debt doing it. Would Jesus want us going into debt to spend more money on our kids, family, friends? Even if we don't go into debt, would he bless our overindulgence with the money He has entrusted to us? When I see Advent Conspiracy's video telling us that Americans spend $450 billion a year on Christmas WHILE only $20 Billion would solve our world's water crisis, or read about how families like the Voskamps celebrate Christmas, it does show the stark contrast between darkness and light in "Christian Living." And, I want to focus on the Light...what the Lichtenbergers can do not what other's are NOT doing. Why does my flesh want to cry out to my Christian brothers and sisters, "Wake Up!?"

Maybe it is because someone else "woke" me up, and I believe it is our responsibility to shake life back into our sisters and brothers. Once we read or hear the Truth, we are held accountable for it. Romans 3:19-20, and James 1:222 Corinthians 10:5

We can make a difference, but only if we look into the Light. When we catch ourselves feeling anxious or overwhelmed by the darkness around us we have only to look up...and we can. We must.

Right now, I am reading A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. I just now read a quote that he quotes saying, "In a storm, the fool looks at the lightning, the wise man-the road that lies-illuminated-before him." I want to look at the road, not the lightning. It has to be a concious choice.

{One disclaimer I will add to close is that the Holy Spirit brings about conviction in different areas of our lives at different times. I went to dozens of youth conferences where World Vision and Compassion International were spoken about and I was never moved into action. God used the reading material He placed in our hands this semester to move us...it is His timing when a message takes root, not our own and not something we can fabricate or just try out...When it happens, we know, and others see it because of the change they see in us. But if people like the writers of those books or even the writer of this blog remain silent, how are we spurring on our Christian brothers and sisters who have ears to hear?}

master accent wall reveal...

2011-12-27T14:46:00.003-06:00

Isn't that the same color of the living room, you ask? why, yes it is, but it happens to delight us and match our bedding all at once and so we decided to use it on the accent wall behind our bed. It is so dark it makes the yellow walls look almost white, so we are in deliberations about whether or not to paint the rest another color, but for now we will relish our new wall.

The collage of pics on the wall above James' mini-amp is what we "won" at the sibling gift exchange. I normally wouldn't have even thought twice about buying them had I seen them in the store, but they do match our bedding perfectly, so I am glad I picked them.

This is the headboard we found at...wait for it...YES, HOPE Outreach thrift store for $25. I am in love with it. I was planning to paint it, but I kind of likes it just like it is in our room.

I almost moved the picture collage above our bed to another wall, but James loves it there. It just belongs there because it has been above our bed since Kansas. We still haven't added a newborn pic of Preslie. I need my Momma to send me the newborn pics we took that are on her camera still so I can print one. Then, it will be complete. I do adore it with the scripture, pictures, and German illustrations I took out of a vintage song book and children's book and water colored over. That was a labor of love and it is special to us. Crooked on the wall or not. Yes, I know there are thingies you can buy to stabilize them, I just haven't gotten around to it. Soon. Hopefully!

Here is a shot from outside the room. It is interesting how depending on the time of day and amount of light in the room it can look like 4 totally different colors.

My favorite one is the daytime natural light one, but I didn't get a pic of that. Anyway, it is done.

Now, on to the bathroom. Anyone want to help??
Keep in mind this house is over 100 years old.
It is super cute, but we could use a little help from people who have been there done that!

See what I mean? James scraped...now he has to patch and we bought thick textured paintable wallpaper with a damask design to hang. SCARY. We have never ever hung wallpaper.

A few from my parents' house...

2011-12-27T08:34:00.000-06:00

Lazing around with Muncle Matt and Daddy.

My parents started a new tradition, "Guess the amount of money in the coin container and you get to keep it." I guessed Preslie's number for her and she won...I almost won the adult container but my brother barely beat me. I guessed like $62.50 and he guessed $65. There was like $75, so he won. Errr.

More to come when I get more pics from family.

A Very Woodlee Christmas...

2011-12-25T21:42:00.000-06:00

As far as I can tell the only differences in these two pics are that James and my Mom traded places and the my brother and son are making different faces. Lucy might be picking her nose in the first one too, but that's okay. We love Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa Woodlees and are so glad to be back in Oklahoma where we can see them every Christmas Eve, like I did the first 35 years of my life minus two in Arizona...We won't miss it again. Such great times!

So blessed...Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T09:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, and the day before we celebrated Christmas with my parents, siblings, Grandma and Grandpa Woodlee, and Jay and Jeff. (Family pics to come.) When we got home last night just in time for Christmas Eve service, James changed into dress clothes and hopped into his car to get there by 6:45, leaving us to finish getting dressed and follow him in the van. Well, I left my keys at my Parent's house, so the kids and I had to stay home. So, I decided to make the best of it and unload the car so James wouldn't have to mess with it when he got home and we could just have special Christmas Eve time together before bed. As I unpacked, I had the kids put all of the gifts we had all received on the couch. It almost looks obscene the amount of gifts we received. We really are overly-blessed. My reasons for taking this picture were two-fold and neither include bragging (Although, I guess I will brag that we have the most generous family in the world...so I did it anyway, proceed to judge).

But Seriously, here are our reasons:

1) I wanted them to see how very blessed they are even though they forfeited their Christmas gifts from us to give to Abner's family, and 2) this is our only scrapbook...I want to preserve this memory for them and the only way to to that is put it on the blogeroo.

When Daddy got home, he brought all of us a candle from the service. We turned out the lights and he read the Christmas Story from his bible, and then we all sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus before blowing out our candles. It was very sweet, and a little silly of course, because in true James fashion he had one surprise up his sleeve. He had downloaded a candle app on his phone and when he blew his out it went out on his phone. Technology. Crazy.

The candles made for a magical time for the kiddos. They were so sweet with their little faces illuminated like angels. Precious.

And, here is what Santa delivered last night in addition to stockings filled with art supplies. Jesse got a Hot Wheels garage. Shelby got the pink sequined Toms she'd been wanting. {Santa and Tom are tight} Lucy & Preslie got the Scentsy froggy and piggy they had been asking for {which both smell soooo good, by the way.) And, all the L kids got an Art easel that triples as a chalkboard and dry erase board along with the roll of paper they can create masterpieces on.

Santa must know that they are all artists!!

They were/are thrilled and busily playing with their gifts. They are also eagerly anticipating the photos we will receive of Abner's family with their gifts that will look very different...maybe a few goats and chickens, maybe crops, or shelter...maybe a way to have fresh water...The World Vision representatives will help them decide what they need most and what will continue to sustain them over the years. That is why we love and support World Vision. They don't just give money, food or clothes to people and leave them to fend for themselves. They teach them to raise and grow food and find ways to make income for their families. They provide life skills and work skills training. Our kiddos don't feel deprived nor do we feel that we slighted them this Christmas. Even if they didn't get the dozens of gifts from family in the top picture or the even more they will get from my Dad's parents today, they would be blessed. Blessed to have given. For the first time, they get to know what it feels like to be able to bless a family they will never meet thousands of miles away who are in need. Sure, they give to local charities all of the time. About once a month, I ask them all to go get 2 outfits and 2 toys from their rooms to donate, but there is just something special about the joy in their eyes this year. More joy than I have ever seen upon opening a gift for themselves.

Why did I share our plan this year? To pat ourselves on the back? To make others feel guilty who did not do the same? To show how perfect we are?

To insinuate that anyone who does it differently is wrong? NOT

I share because this is the FIRST time we have ever done Christmas like this and I never could have imagined the joy it would bring to my children's souls. If even one person reads this and considers the fact that their kids might actually enjoy giving more than receiving, it is worth it. We still did buy gifts...they still did get gifts...just fewer so that they could bless others with what would have been excess for them in all truth. Plus, like I said before, it is our blog...our only scrapbook. Of course I am going to share what we did this Christmas.

Soon we will go to Christmas service at church and then drive back to Tulsa to celebrate with the Jones family. We are so excited to continue our Christmas celebrations!

Merry Christmas!!

The Littles' Favorite Bible...or "Jesus Loves Me"

2011-12-22T15:36:00.000-06:00

My Grandma and Grandpa Woodlee gave our kids their very first bible. Actually, they gave it to Shelby when she was a baby and it has been a favorite ever since. The older two read the Jesus Storybook Bible and the Adventure Bible a lot now, but the littles still want this one...every single night. Just like Preslie says, "Sing Jesus love me!!" She also says, "Read Jesus Loves Me!!!" That is what she calls this bible. I love it. Her little voice requesting "Jesus Loves Me" is so sweet. This baby's first bible is great because there are little suggestions in the corners of ways to get them to interact with you and the Word. The thing I love about it most is that GiGi wrote inside of it. It is personalized just for our kids.So now it is a special bible we will always keep and read to our grandkids someday.

everyone needs some random clowns...

2011-12-20T20:04:00.000-06:00

Pretend play is how our kids roll around here. They have a Wii and some barbies, cars and littlest pet shops, but for the most part it is all about dress up and roll play with Shelby directing and bossing everyone around. Very fun, very lively and probably a precursor of things to come...drama or band ~~geeks~~ coolness for sure! I sure hope so. I am so not wishing for popularity for these kiddos...

I know how that turns out and it doesn't usually spur on spiritual growth.

Say what you will about clowns, but be careful.

We all agree that they are creepy, but my mom collects them and is very defensive about it. ; )

Christmas-time holiday fun...

2011-12-19T10:37:00.003-06:00

Noni and Papa brought mustaches with them this weekend.

Jesse needed the disguise most because he was wearing the wrong team's sweatshirt.

James and I had a church Christmas party Friday night and Noni and Papa babysat.
They made this glorious gingerbread house together.

I am amazed because I have never been able to keep the walls in a gingerbread house up.

So talented!

We tried Hershey kiss Hugs this time, so it was a hug for a hug. So sweet!

I love this picture!! Francie apparently loves Uncle Matt as much as the rest of them. Kristin was massaging the back of his leg because he just had surgery on his knee and it was hurting.

The twins.

Shelby and I drove to Wichita on Saturday for Janell's bridal shower.

She is going to be such a beautiful bride because she IS beautiful, of course!

Shelby's cousins Lauren and Brennah came home with me after Janell's shower on Saturday to spend time with their cousins and see Shelby and Jesse's performance last night.
I have to wait to post pics from that because in true Jeanna fashion,

I forgot my camera and have to rely on someone else to send me pics.

Brennah loved hanging out with James. When they are together, I see so much resemblance. She looks more like him than any of his own daughters, I think.

It was a short visit, but all of the cousins had some good bonding time.

Seeing them put this puzzle together makes me so happy! We have had this nativity floor puzzle since Shelby was little and it is definitely a tradition around here. I have a fear that Francie will chew it up, though, and I would not be happy at all. (understatement)

Here is the Muncle Matt (almost) Aunt Kristin "pancake hug" as Matt called it. I thought it was a sandwich or Oreo hug, but whatever...It is sweet whatever you call it!

I'll love you forever...embracing the camera 12-11

2011-12-16T08:54:00.002-06:00

Ok, so there is an adorable book that almost any parent owns and has read to their child called Love You Forever, see below. In it, the Mom sings the song,

"I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always
As long as I'm living,
My baby you'll be."

She rocks her son and sings it to him as a baby boy, and as he grows she rocks him sings it to her older boy, then teen, then adult and finally, at the end of the book he rocks her and sings to her when she is old and sick, then goes home and sings it to his baby girl. {Kind of like a country song.} It is a very sweet book, but I have to admit that it always creeped me out a little that she was rocking a teen boy and a man. A little freaky to imagine. Except, I could suspend reality when my first was a girl, because I could totally identify with the Mom rocking and singing this to her baby, child, teen, and grown adult, because I pictured me doing that with Shelby and it doesn't seem as weird with a girl.

Until...I had my man-child. And now, even at 7, I love snuggling with him. He gives the best hugs and especially when he is wearing footy pajamas, he is like a big teddy bear. I think his love language is physical touch because he loves to hug, sit close, snuggle and hold hands with me and James and his little sisters. {not so much with the big sister b/c they have entered the icky stage with each other}

Anyway, now I can imagine that as he grows even into adulthood, I will want to snuggle him. I doubt it will happen, but I can imagine the longing to do so. I will always see him as my baby in a lot of ways. I know I will see expressions on his face that remind me of him as a child, when I was the love of his life. Moms and their sons have such a special bond. It has to be hard to give your adult son away to a woman he loves more than you...But that is God's design and it is right and true and perfect...

My one and only son and I will always love his hugs. Ask him for one. He gives the best.

Embrace the camera and take pics of yourself, Moms and Dads...The kids want to know what you looked like when they were young! Step out from behind your camera every once in a while, y'all!

Join the movement. Click below.

Heaven is for Real and naming miscarried babies...

2011-12-15T12:23:00.001-06:00

So, unless you live in a cave and have no access to the outside world, you have probably heard of this book, Heaven is for Real. We don't have cable, read popular magazines or listen to NPR, so I am not sure if this book has caused any controversy out in the Christian or secular world for that matter, but I have to say that we love it. Shelby, Jesse and I are reading it together every night before bed.

Whether Colton died and went to heaven, caught a glimpse of heaven or just plain had a very vivid dream about heaven, this kid's story seems legit. What he saw is consistent with some of what is in revelation in the bible and his parents determined not to lead him in any of their questioning. I choose to believe this family. He was so young and innocent when it happened and the things he describes to his parents, things he knew about and could not have by any other means legitimize his experience. There are so many amazing aspects to his story, but what really hit us last night was when we read the part where he runs up to his Mom randomly and exclaims, "Mom, I have two sisters." After arguing with him about it for a minute he declares that he knows he has two sisters because he met his other sister in heaven. What he had never been told is that his mother miscarried a baby. He had no knowledge of that, so when he said this very matter of fact, his Mom dropped to her knees and started asking him all kinds of questions. One question she asked is, "What was her name?" He plainly stated back to her that she said she didn't have a name because they had never named her. AND, they had never named her because they didn't even know the gender of the baby they'd lost.

The reason this part was so significant for us is that I had a miscarriage between Jesse and Lucy. Yes, it was very early on, but we had already named the baby...Jami if it was a girl and Jayme if it was a boy. I love those names because they are forms of James. With the birth of Lucy and Preslie I just couldn't ever use Jami because I knew I had a Jami or Jayme in heaven. Something inside of me just knew that, so reading this part of Colton's family's story blew me away.

Then, if that wasn't enough, Shelby reminded me that when I was pregnant with her I lost her twin really early on. I had had some bleeding and when I had an ultrasound around 6 weeks or so the doctor said there was another sac, an empty one that had held a "vanishing twin," and that the bleeding was probably from that. I remember being shocked and amazed that I was pregnant at all after being told that we wouldn't have children and being sad that we had lost the twin, but since it was so early on and my first pregnancy, plus the fact that Shelby still had a strong heartbeat, the loss didn't impact me the way my later one with Jami/Jayme did. We didn't name that baby. I wonder if we should...

penpals...and awesome kids' magazines...another infomercial

2011-12-15T09:53:00.000-06:00

Our kids have subscriptions to these kids' magazines and they love them. One of their favorite things about them is that there is a form where you can send in your information and be matched with a penpal. They try to match kids based on gender and age. Both of my oldest kiddos got immediate responses after sending in their info and they are writing back and forth with penpals living in other states. It makes going to the mailbox so much fun!

If you click on any of the magazines, it will take you to the website where you can also find out all kinds of family information, like movie reviews, games, Adventures in Odyssey stuff and much more.

Also, if you order any of the kids' magazines, the parent one "Thriving Family" is free. It may be free anyway. These are all distributed by Focus on the Family. They are kind of the Christian version of Highlights and National Geographic mixed together.

We don't have a subscription to the teen one yet, but I thought I'd include the pic anyway.

a boy's star wars crafternoon delight...

2011-12-14T15:05:00.001-06:00

I stole an idea from my dear friend Emily's blog and ran with it today to my boy's pure delight. He is cutting and folding and singing The Eye of the Tiger to his heart's content and loving every minute of it right now as I type this.

This is what he is making and it is free. If you click the link to Emily's blog and follow the links therein, you can print them for free for yourself or your kiddos or their friends or your nieces, nephews, husband, whatever. Thanks Emily and thanks, toy-a-day.blogspot.com. They have all kinds of toys to fold.

So our printer was running out of ink a little...they still look great and my boy is learning hand-eye coordination, how to focus to completion, math and art all at the same time. Bam!

p.s. I can't believe I actually got a chance to use "crafternoon delight!" Since I am not crafty, I have few of these. Yeah!

what is it with boys and bodily functions?

2011-12-12T12:21:00.000-06:00

When I was checking the kids' chore chart this morning, I noticed that my son had

added a chore to the bottom of the list.

{no pun intended}

At least he spelled it right, right?

The other night after tucking he and Shelby in and saying their good night prayers I was leaving the room when I overheard Jesse say to Shelby, "Hey Shelby, if you ever have diarrhea and you feel like you have to toot, DON'T do it!" I stopped in the doorway to crack up and as I closed the door he was still explaining what he meant..."Sometimes, you really just think you are going to toot, but that is not what comes out." I just kept walking. Brotherly advice, gotta love it!

more Sneeple sneaks...2011

2011-12-11T13:40:00.000-06:00

The mischief continues...

The Night of the Meek...fits right in with the theme surrounding us this Christmas...

2011-12-10T17:55:00.003-06:00

(First Half)

(Second Half)

I know we were born in the wrong decade. It is pretty obvious when we are mostly attracted to thrift store finds and retro clothes, but it doesn't really stop there. We love watching the Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock, Little House, the Waltons, Andy Griffith, Leave it to Beaver and the Brady Bunch. We also branch into the 80s with the Cosby Show and Mommy and Daddy do enjoy an occasional Office, Lost, or FNL but other than that, it is mostly old. The funny thing about old shows is that they almost always had a moral or value to teach. Our media used to care about the general population and put more positive messages out there than negative. You got more than entertainment when you watched TV. You left the living room with a warm heart or something to think about. SO SO sad and different with today's media.

So, during rest-time today, after watching our daily dose of Elf {our favorite silly Christmas movie} and putting the littles down for a nap, Shelby turned this episode on.

She, Jesse and I watched it together. Yes, the fake Santa was a drunk, and yes we discussed it...that and so much more...there was so much meaning packed in this short episode illustrating how crazy Christmas has gotten (had already gotten in the 60s) and how far it has drifted from the true spirit that is supposed to surround the holiday.

This one brought tears because this year more than ever I feel like our hearts have been cracked open and need seems to be all around us. The stark contrast between the need we see and the astronomical spending on gifts is more apparent than ever. God is doing something in our hearts. Let it be done.

Winter is here!!!! A kiss for a kiss??

2011-12-06T23:11:00.002-06:00

One of our winter traditions is "A Kiss for a Kiss." Momma can't have dark chocolate and around the holidays they make peppermint candy cane white chocolate kisses, so Momma goes crazy...Did I just post on healthy eating, well, pretend kisses are healthy. So, I always have a bag and we have a deal. The kids and Daddy can have a kiss for a kiss. I LOVE this tradition because we get lots of both kinds of kisses. {Maybe that is why we get sick so much, but maybe it is worth it.}

Tonight, at Walgreens, we found choco-mint ones too, so we got them for the kids. Now we have a mixed bowl. Does anyone wanna give a Whoop Whoop for Preslie's LONG ponytail? She is rocking some long baby mullet action and I am proud! She is growing up!

Another winter tradition is the daily or at least every other day rendering of the nativity scene by the kids. This time it was during naptime so Preslie didn't get to be baby Jesus, but they improvised. They are such proud parents of their baby Lord. Shelby was Mary, Jesse was Joseph and Lucy was a shepherd with her yard stick staff and pillow case head covering. Can't you tell?

Shelby took these AH-mazing first of winter pictures of our doormat and new brick walkway Daddy made. We love how the snow settled in the cracks. Simple pleasures. Beautiful.

And, Miss Shelby always has to throw a diagonal artistic photo in the mix, so here is Miss P on our back porch. Loving, but also afraid of the snow.

trying to nourish myself & family better...infomercial time..

2011-12-06T10:59:00.002-06:00

{I want to preface this infomercial with the fact that if you are someone who suffers with chronic pain of any kind or the inability to lose weight, or you have a child who suffers with pain or other even behavioral issues and you haven't looked into your diet, DO IT! It took me years and years to get a diagnosis and when I did the medical doctors only wanted to medicate me. They did not suggest I look into diet at all. I am so grateful that God led me to a naturopath who taught me how to nourish my body and in turn helped me to move from a place of almost chronic pain to 3 or 4 bad flare-ups a year...If you have never needed to look at your diet, you will think I am a crazy psycho for spending so much time and energy researching food and its effects on the body. Think what you will, I am living proof that diet matters. If you knew me right after my 7 year old son was born when i could barely get out of bed or function in the real world because of the severe IC pain I was in, you understand why I am passionate about food...And you know what, it may sound completely loony, but I am actually thankful for my health condition, because without it, I'd probably eat and feed my kids without much thought of what we were doing to our bodies, just like most of the world...On with the show.}

This is my breakfast almost every morning now. Ezekial 4:9 bread, toasted with a little peanut butter and frozen blueberries. This or a smoothie made from Garden of Life's Perfect Meal, greens, fruit and coconut milk. Since I am on a gluten-free diet, my cereals were seriously limited. I would order Barbara's Cinnamon Puffins Cereal by the case from Amazon because it was so expensive in the store. What is it made of? CORN...What do they use to fatten up cattle and has no nutritional value what so ever except for a little fiber? CORN...I ate this for breakfast for 5 years...5 years. It tasted good, but did nothing to nourish me. {That being said, I do eat still eat corn more than I should b/c it is a common substitute when I am in public...corn chips, corn tortillas...and I love Mexican food, but I was doubling up on the corn with the cereal every day as well.}

So, I was convicted by a friend of mine who knows all things nutrition and was always telling me that feeding myself or my children boxed cereal was just about as bad a serving them pencil shavings...no nutritional value except for the synthetic vitamins they spray back over the cereal to "enrich" it. Hot breakfasts are the way to go...organic oatmeal or other hot grains, eggs, yogurt, a smoothie, or good toast... Most bread is not only not good for you, but actually pretty bad for you. I don't want to get into all of the science of it, but with GMOs and the way most bread (even whole wheat, if you are not gluten-intolerant) is processed, your body would operate a whole lot better without it. Research it yourself, if you don't believe me.

There are grain products, however, that are some of the healthiest things you can put into your body and they are called sprouted living grains. There are different brands out there you can get at health food stores or you can try to make them yourself, but there is a company called Food For Life that has dedicated themselves to creating the healthiest breads and other grains possible according to the biblical instructions for making bread. I know that probably sounds wacko to some, but there are actually instructions in the bible for how to make bread. Jordan Rubin who wrote The Maker's Diet and many more beneficial nutritional books for people like me who HAVE to watch their diets closely says that Ezekial bread is one of the very healthiest things you can eat. There is no sugar, and it is a complete protein, low glycemic, high fiber, multi-sprouted grain, nutrient rich bread. There are no preservatives, so it has to be frozen or refrigerated and eaten fairly quickly. The very best thing about it for me is that even though it has wheat, I can eat it because it is sprouted wheat. Most people with Celiac or even non-celiac gluten-intolerance can eat sprouted grains!!! And, they are way better than rice based bread.

One minor draw back about it is that it's about twice the cost of regular bread, but since it is 10 times healthier, it is worth it...or at least we have decided that. We have decided to only buy Ezekial bread for our fam unless we are in a serious budget crunch. Because our kiddos are little people and they eat so little, we want to be more intentional about what we feed them. (This comes after a few years of being way too lax on their diets and watching Lucy suffer through tummy issues that we know must be food related.) So now, we all eat it and James and Preslie mostly eat the cinnamon raisin Ezekial bread. It is better toasted, if not, it is a little chewy.

Our next step is to eliminate dairy...as much as our country tries to convince us that milk "does a body good," we need to pay attention to the research rather than the dairy industry's advertising campaigns. Commercial milk and milk products (besides organic yogurt) have proven to be harmful for our bodies in so many ways. Read this article. There are so many other ways to get calcium (the number one thing people argue) and the funny thing is that because of the way the milk is processed, our bodies cannot absorb the calcium from commercial milk anyway.

And in closing...as if anyone (besides my few fellow crazy food-researching friends) would be interested in this topic as much as I am and have fully read this post, I will conclude with another link to the benefits of Ezekial products below:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/267599-nutrition-information-of-ezekiel-bread/

by mennon... {not}

Lucy is convinced God is knitting a baby brother together in my womb...

2011-12-05T13:50:00.001-06:00

For the past several months, Lucy and the others have been praying for a baby brother. I can't tell them what to pray for, right? I tell them that God answers one of three ways, "Yes, No, or Wait," but He always answers prayers and that they can pray for whatever they want, and if it is according to His good and perfect will it will be done. Lately, I'd say the past 2 months or so, Lucy has been relentless about the topic. She wishes for a baby brother on every star and every night when I ask her what she'd like to pray for, she says, "A Baby Brother!" Not only that, but she tells me and pretty much anyone who will listen that God is making a baby brother in her Mommy's tummy. One night, my mom pulled up and as soon as she opened her car door, Lucy said, "Guess what, Noni, we are going to have a baby brother tomorrow!" I have to admit that it is kind of embarrassing, since I am not pregnant. Definitely not pregnant, at least now. But is all of this part of her imaginary play, or does she know something we don't? Does she believe in the power of prayer so much that she has no doubt it will happen and it is just a matter of time?

Pretty much everyone in our family and most of our friends know that we were both diagnosed "infertile" and told we'd probably never have children. We prayed for years for a baby and God gave us 4 beautiful healthy children. We did have one miscarriage early on between Jesse and Lucy, so technically we beat the odds 5 times. I have been pregnant 5 times after being diagnosed infertile. Can you say miracle X 5. In the bible it says very clearly that children are a gift from the Lord, and after being given these gifts following lots of prayer to open my womb, how can we ask God to close it or take it upon ourselves to slam that door shut that we prayed so hard to be opened? We can't. Most of the time lately, we feel like our family is complete. I am 38 and James is 41. Stranger things have happened, but our lives are full and we are getting older. In our minds that chapter may have closed, but we are not opposed to God surprising us. We would even welcome a baby with open arms if God so chooses. I have talked on this blog before about maybe adopting at some point, but we still don't have any kind of confirmation that that is the plan for us at this particular time.

This is one of those posts that is hard to put out there for everyone to read because I know some of my family and friends have strong opinions about large families and many people think 4 is crazy enough, so to even entertain the thought of more gets under some folks' skin. Why is that anyway? Why do people care if they aren't the ones raising the kiddos how many children a family chooses to have? I put in the "who am i" section on this blog that one thing that breaks my heart is the despisement of children and large families in our culture. We are one of the few cultures in the world that sees children as a financial burden and inconvenience to our lives. Almost everywhere else in the world they see children as a reward, a blessing, a fertile womb is seen as prosperous...this attitude aligns with scripture much more closely than our "American Dream" version of child bearing. Those of us with more than 3 children are faced with some of the rudest looks and comments you can imagine:

"Haven't you figured out how that happens yet?"
"Don't you think it is financially irresponsible to have that many children?"
"How will you pay for all of those weddings, all of their college educations?"
"You have your hands full, my goodness...{insert eyeroll}"
"Can you believe so and so is pregnant again?...{insert shaking of head and "tisk tisk"}.
"You are already so busy, how can you possibly have time for all of those kids?"
"You are robbing your kids of one on one time if you have more than a few."

I could go on and on with the comments I have either heard or had said directly to me and it is hurtful, hurtful and shocking, especially when it comes from Christians. Did Jesus not tell us that we must all become like little children to inherit the Kingdom of God? He must value children just a little, uh, no, A LOT.

Do you think Jesus would walk up to a woman pregnant with her 5th child and say, "How do you expect to provide the best home, education, furniture or clothes for your children...with 5, your budget will just be too tight. You really should have planned better." PLANNED better? Whose plan is it anyway?

Ok, I better stop before my soapbox gets tomatoes thrown at it, but seriously...God is the creator of life. Not one baby slips by his Hand. He actually knits them each together in their mothers' wombs...Even those with handicaps, He knits as extra-special gifts. Do all parents receive these precious gifts as they should? NO, and it is heartbreaking, but it doesn't negate the value in the child's life just because his or her parents decided not to step up to the plate and be the best parents they can.

And, how cool would it be to look back at Lucy's words that I documented today and see that her prayer was, in fact, answered with a baby brother?
Or, if a baby brother never comes, how cool will it be to look back and see what He had planned for our family instead, and to be able to have that conversation with the older and more mature Lulu bee?

more of that sneaky Sneeple...2011

2011-12-04T13:36:00.000-06:00

I don't know who has been having more fun, Sneeple or us! The kids race downstairs every morning to find him. Here are several of the places he's been and things he's done while we are sleeping.

Sneaky Sneeple! Glad to see he has been reading the bible, though! He is a godly elf, that Sneeple.

Grace for pride...

2011-12-03T16:27:00.001-06:00

{No, this is not me, but it illustrates today's blog point and I do love it. Thank you, Pinterest.}

Something I have come to realize about myself over the years, and it may be common for others, I can't say, but at least for me I have noticed that once God has done a work in my heart and convicted me of something new in my life, I immediately notice how others struggle with what I was convicted of. And, not only do I notice it, but I want to save them from the pain of having to go through the hard teaching that will inevitably come as God convicts and shapes them in that very same area. I want to shout from the rooftops, "HEY, I was just chopped off at the knees for having that attitude and it hurts...change your attitude fast, so you won't have to go through what I did!"

The hard part about that and the wrong thinking attached to that desire is that people cannot change without experiencing whatever God has planned to use to bring them to the point of conviction...realizing their own sin and acknowledging it before Him so that He can root it out of their broken heart.

Let me give an example...someone who has just been rescued or released from the bondage of sexual sin may see others going down that same path and want to save them from the consequences of their actions. They may feel a personal responsibility to tell them where they are headed and really believe that they can prevent them from the pain of having to learn the hard way. God tells us that when we see other believers headed in the wrong direction, we are supposed to warn them, so that is a good desire, but after we warn them and maybe even take it to another believer in our close circle to warn them, we have to let it go and allow God to work it out in their heart with grace and patience for our friend. We have to remember that we were JUST in the same place and we HAD to go through the yuck to get to where we are. We probably heard a hundred stories ourselves of what our sin might lead to, but until we experienced it first hand, we didn't change. Pain is sometimes necessary for change.

I have a friend who is so good about taking advice. If someone she sees as wise tells her to avoid certain pitfalls, she heeds their advice immediately and it has saved her from a lot of heartache, I am sure, but I kind of think she is in the minority. Maybe it is just because I am stubborn and most of the people I know are somewhat stubborn, but it usually takes a hard season to break us of a sin.

Well, I know I struggle with pride. Anyone with breath does on some level, but I think God took me through a humbling season that rooted a lot of that disgusting nastiness out of my heart. There really isn't much worse than pride when it comes to sin. After all, it is what got Satan kicked out of heaven, right?! So, while I still have to be constantly aware of its alluring power, I mostly have to be on guard that I don't judge other prideful people too harshly.

Laying it all out there on the table, and welcoming criticism, I will admit that I have a really hard time extending grace to prideful people. Smugness, unforgiveness, aloofness, arrogance, vanity, and haughtiness get my blood boiling and I know it is mostly because I have felt each of those things at one time or another and know how hard my fall was from that place where I had set myself. I didn't even realize it at the time. I had no idea that those were the things I was projecting into the world.

Completely unaware, I just thought I was sharing what I had learned, but my heart was not right and I had no idea until God held up that proverbial mirror. When I looked into that mirror I felt more disgust with myself than I did the first moment I realized I was a sinner in need of a Savior. It hurt so badly this time because most of what I had said or done was in the name of Jesus. I was teaching "for Him," and doing things "for Him." Without knowing it, I wasn't allowing Him to work through me, I was working for Him. Unless someone has experienced this feeling, they will not have a clue what I mean. When it happens and He holds up that mirror, you WILL know it, trust me and it will sear your heart. It is the same kind of pain of childbirth, though, because something much more beautiful emerges. It is worth the pain.

So why would I want to save someone from that pain when it is a "beauty from ashes" kind of pain...Why can't I simply have grace for the prideful people in my path knowing God is molding and shaping them in His perfect way and time? I am praying for my heart to be overwhelmed with that kind of grace and that means God will send me plenty of people to practice on...that is how it works, but it will be worth it. I want to see all of His children through His eyes. AND, I am so grateful for those people who had grace for me when I operating out of pride...they must have seen it, those who were closest to me at least. I am thankful they didn't walk away and write me off because I was pious at times. Below are some scriptures on pride I found on this website

25 Scripture Verses on Pride

I will break down your stubborn pride. Leviticus 26:19
The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’ Obadiah 1:3
His pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 26:16
In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4
For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. Psalm 59:12
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Proverbs 11:2
Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:10
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor. Proverbs 29:23
The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. Ecclesiastes 7:8
The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:11
I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. Isaiah 13:11
Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:19
The LORD Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth. Isaiah 23:9
But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. Daniel 5:20
“Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. 1 Corinthians 4:6
Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:4
Your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 8:14
Unleash the fury of your wrath, look at every proud man and bring him low. Job 40:11
Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Psalm 138:6
The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5
Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Proverbs 16:19
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor. Proverbs 18:12
The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled). Isaiah 2:12
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Corinthians 13:4

my sister's house...12 years and a driveway away

2011-11-30T21:47:00.001-06:00

My sister lives across the driveway from me and this is part of the view that I can see of her house from my kitchen window. She thinks I spy on her because she catches me looking out my kitchen window at her when she is out there with her friends or taking Baxter out, but it is my kitchen window...who doesn't look out their kitchen window when they are doing dishes if they have a kitchen window above the sink. Come on!

Okay, so sometimes I do check up on her because I care about her and her roommate and I want to make sure they are safe, but who wouldn't. She is my sister and my best friend and I guarantee she spies on me too if she senses I need to be checked on. Plus, there is the 12 year thing and even though we have crossed over into adult friendship in almost every way {when she has kids, we will reach an even deeper level} I still have that protective instinct over her. I did change her diapers after all.

You know, God knew what He was doing and I would never second guess His decision to bring my brother and sister 12 years after me, but sometimes I have mini-fantasies about what life might be like if I were their age right now...would we be roommates...get married close together...have babies at the same time...share all of the same struggles together, leaning on one another along the way? Or would we kill each other with our strong opinions and personalities? [Did I ever mention that when I was pregnant with my first I threw a basket of dumdums at her and she called me a fat *b and lunged like she wanted to push me down the stairs?] If we were closer in age it might have happened a lot more often. Would we even be able to give each other the special insight we can give one another now? My 38 year old "wisdom" matched with her 26 year old "zeal,hope, and fresh perspective?" No, I believe our reality is way better than my mini-fantasies of living together and sharing the same group of friends. She has such an impact on my kids, a unique impact that she couldn't have if she had little ones of her own when I did. And, she keeps me young in spirit and in body because we walk together, zumba together, talk all the time and pray together every day. Love that girl.

I guess a drive-way away is pretty close to roommates, even if she does work long hours. I get to see my beautiful sister's face every single day. SO BLESSED! Let me never take this time for granted...who knows how long it will last?

random latelies...end of November...

2011-11-30T15:38:00.001-06:00

We have all of the decorations up and have since Thanksgiving day. We were so surprised that this one actually still worked. A good friend of mine gave it to us several years ago when we lived in Olathe and they were going to get rid of it. Look closely and you will see it is a ball of lights connected with plastic dixie type cups. GENIUS, in my humble opinion! From the street, it just looks like a glorious Christmas disco ball. We haven't hung in in 3 years, so when we plugged it in and all lights worked we were like, "THIS ROCKS THE HIZOUSE!"

So lovely...I like to just sit outside in the frozen air while I am taking the baby dog out to pee in the middle of the night and stare at the beauty of the ball. I am not being sarcastic.

Call me WT, I don't care, I love it.

Posted one of these on facebook, much to James displeasure because his hair looks like Lloyd Christmas' hair from Dumb and Dumber after just waking up...It's about the dog, not the hair and the point is, he loves her even if he won't admit it.

This last pic is of the kids playing with one of their Christmas presents that they weren't supposed to get yet. I asked my friend who just had a premie if I could buy her premie clothes for my littles to use on their dolls when she was finished with them, so she brought them to the church and gave them to James, who unaware, sent them home with the bag. Merry Christmas, early! They are enjoying dressing up every doll and stuffed animal in the house.

So, yeah...that is our random end of November posting. I haven't been inspired to post anything thought-provoking lately because I have been feeling icky. I have been fighting a cold, we have all had stomach issues, and my mood hasn't been the perkiest...Hopefully I will be inspired to write soon. I welcome any ideas for topics.

Meet Sneeple...2011

2011-11-28T15:18:00.002-06:00

Sneeple arrived on our shelf the morning after Thanksgiving with a book explaining his arrival. Apparently, he will be watching over us to report back to Santa each night and when he returns each morning, he will be in a different spot, where we have to find him. He is a little mischievous, himself, so we are hoping he minds his manners while he is here. After Christmas Eve he will return to Santa and we won't see him again until next year. The kids have been having a blast searching for him each morning. I guess this will be a new tradition in our house. I have a strong feeling that Sneeple loves Jesus even more than he loves Santa, and he knows that Santa loves Jesus too, so I bet he'll find creative ways to remind our family of the true meaning of Christmas in his adventures.

only One...

2011-11-27T14:49:00.002-06:00

There is only One who will never disappoint.
Only One who can be trusted...always...in every situation...with our hearts, our lives, our destiny.
So, why then do we spend our entire lives trying to place others in His place...And being shocked with every disappointment?

Our Spouses,
Our Parents,
Our Children,
Our Family,
Our Friends,
Our Leaders,
Ourselves,

No one can replace the One.
Stop trying...it isn't possible.

Thankful even for the fleas...

2011-11-23T12:52:00.001-06:00

One of mine and James' favorite books is The Hiding Place a biography of Corrie Ten Boom. It is one of the hardest books to read because of the emotion packed pages recounting her experience during World War II, but also one of the most inspiring books we have ever read because of the amazing story of Corrie's family and their faith. They were a Christian family who hid Jews to protect them from the German army. Eventually they were all arrested for their "crime."

Corrie was taken to a prison in Scheveningen, along with her father, her sister Betsie and her brother Willem. Corrie's beloved father died in prison ten days after his arrest. Corrie spent the following months of prison life sustaining herself with the words of life she found in her tiny Bible, secretly given to her by a friendly nurse during an examination. In June of 1944, Corrie and her sister Betsie were moved to Vught, a labor camp in southern Holland. Conditions at the labour camp were awful, but Corrie was thankful that they had not been sent to Germany. She was also thankful that she was able to be with her sister and around people rather than in solitary confinement as she had been in Scheveningen.

Two months after arriving at Vught, Corrie was transferred to her worst nightmare: the notoriously infamous German concentration camp: Ravensbruck. If what Corrie and Betsie had faced before was in any way challenging, it was nothing compared to what they would go through at Ravensbruck. Corrie's one thought was how she could smuggle her Bible into the camp. She prayed that God would somehow make her invisible when it came her turn to be searched. Corrie would later relate with a shining face how God answered her prayer with a miracle! She was able to walk right by the guards without being touched.

Corrie was put into a cell with her sister Betsie. Her worry now was that the guards would see the Bible and take it away from them, the two sister's only source of hope and comfort. The place was so infested with fleas that the sisters could not move without instantly being covered with the bugs. Betsie constantly reminded Corrie that God says to be thankful in all circumstances. When she asked her what they possibly had to be thankful for, Betsie said, "We are together. They did not separate us. We still have your bible, so we can share the love of Jesus with all of the women surrounding us." She also told Corrie that they should thank God for the fleas, Corrie wasn't sure she could do this, but she and Betsie bowed their heads and thanked God for even the fleas.

Weeks later, Corrie was struck by the blessing that came for her obediene to thank God in all circumstances; Betsie had heard a supervisor say she wouldn't step through the door of their cell because of all the fleas, and neither would the guards. It was because of the fleas that Corrie and Betsie were able to continue to keep their Bible without the guards finding it.

Corrie endured all the cruelties inflicted upon her bravely, the ones she could not bear were the ones inflicted on her already weak sister. Betsie greeted each day and each trial with the same sweet smile, rejoicing in the fact that she could share Jesus' love with her fellow prisoners. Corrie did everything in her power to help her dying sister, but the horrible conditions, rampant filth and piercing cold overtook her. Before she died, Betsie said something to Corrie that would stay with her for the rest of her life "[we]...must tell people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here."

Betsie was not ever able to leave the camp and tell people, but her words still made it to the world through her sister Corrie.

Two days after her sister died, Corrie was released. She would later discover that her release was an "administrative error". One week after her release all of the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers. Only Corrie knew that there was no error, God makes no errors.

As we waited for James to return to the van while waiting for him in the Sams parking lot the other day, Shelby and I listened to a sermon on the radio about this particular story. It was such a great opportunity to have a discussion with my 9 year old about why we should be thankful in all circumstances...and such a great reminder to ME, who was feeling sorry for myself as we walked the aisles of Sams seeing all of these things we "need" and can't afford this season. We are blessed beyond measure. We have everything to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!! It is all about perspective.

(Part of the recounting of her life above was taken from the following website: http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b2corrietenboom.htm)

Preslie poo's latest phase...

2011-11-22T15:39:00.001-06:00

Preslie is going through another phase headed toward independence. Most of the time we hear, "My Do!" when we are trying to help her. It is always either that or, "Daddy Do!" when Daddy is around, Momma can't change diapers, buckle or unbuckle the carseat straps, brush her hair or give her a bath. Another Daddy's girl...I am not surprised. When he isn't here, it is always, "My Do," until she figures out she can't and then there is crying and panic until I tell her to ask for help and she will say, "Help, please." She is still such a baby in our eyes...baby face, baby mullet, diapers...but she is almost 2 and a half. Next year, she will be going to pre-school with Lucy. It freaks me out to think she will be a full blown pre-schooler next summer. Doesn't seem possible!

I may have blogged about this before, can't remember, but she reminds me so much of Jesse. Even when we tuck her in she says the same thing to me that Jesse did at her age. I start to sing her song and she will say, "NO, sing Jesus Loves Me!" or "Sing Sunshine." Sunshine is Lucy's song, but I sing it to her sometimes. But most of the time now she says, "Sing Jesus Loves Me!" and then, "Again, Jesus Loves Me again..." Jesse did the same thing 4 and a half years ago before we even knew we'd have any more kiddos. I am so thankful for how each of my kiddos are unique and wonderfully made, and I am equally thankful for the ways they reflect one another and other members of our family. But most of all, I am thankful God entrusted me and James with these 4 little souls. I can't imagine our lives without every one of them! Each one is a gift and my heart overflows with gratitude for them.

Be(a)ware of the GAP in Parenting...

2011-11-18T12:14:00.000-06:00

At Women of Faith we had the privilege of hearing an author/speaker named Andy Andrews who wrote a book called "The Noticer." when He described himself as a "noticer," I felt like I could relate because I feel like a "noticer" myself. I am a thinker, a feeler and a noticer. I notice things that others might not, and it is annoying to myself and others sometimes because I can't turn my brain off or refrain from analyzing anything and everything I come across especially trends of behavior. I should have been a social worker or counselor or something. I was a Psych major before I switched to education my junior year of college, so I have a minor in Psych...not that that qualifies me for anything...I was a noticer before I ever stepped foot into a college classroom. I notice generalities, and I am usually somewhere among them and I acknowledge that there are exceptions. Everything is on a continuum. So when I write there will always be people who can totally relate and there will be those who strongly disagree because they are the exception...I am not trying to spark a debate just raise awareness for myself and other parents who take our role seriously.

One thing I "noticed" several years ago as a teacher and is glaringly obvious now after teaching teenagers, working with youth and families at our previous church and talking to other parents as my kids get a little older is the "spiritual gap" in the timeline of Christian parenting. When our kids are preschoolers we read them bible stories, pray with them every meal and bedtime, talk about God naturally as we spend time with them in nature, and work with them on memorizing scripture. We read every book we can get our hands on about parenting and training our kids to be strong in their faith and we take bible studies at church about parenting to prepare ourselves for the work ahead of us.

Then sometime over that kindergarten or first grade year and throughout elementary school, many of us gradually and unintentionally move away from that particular "spiritual" role in their life and turn into their tutor for homework, chauffeur, coach, and disciplinarian. The busyness of life edges out those opportunities that used to be a part of our daily life. AND I am not just talking about parents who send their kids to school. Even we homeschoolers do it. We think that since we have them home we will have plenty of time to impart our spiritual values on our kids, but when life gets busy, we tend to do the same thing...focus on the basics of school and other activities and edge out spiritual teaching. Of course, there must be parents out there who have perfect balance in this area, but I haven't met them yet. (Maybe the Duggars do.)

Once our kids enter school we tend to stop focusing on how to direct our kids in the way that they should go and start focusing on ourselves (for a change, after all, it's been all about them for 5 years or so), and this continues for about 6 years...UNTIL they become rebellious teens and we wonder what in the world happened! Then, we panic and start reading parenting books again and doing parenting bible studies. We might even go to counseling or take our kids to counseling to figure out how in blazes our Christian kids became so rebellious all of the sudden.

That is the GAP. The elementary years are the gap. We step back and rely on our schools or our churches to teach our kids and we miss the biggest opportunity to really impact their lives. Once they are school-aged, they are finally able to process and apply the things we spent so much time teaching them as pre-schoolers, but we don't maximize our opportunities to use teachable moments to help them apply scripture to their lives. We simply "don't have time," or so we think (feel).

Thank God that the Holy Spirit does this for us many times, like when Jesse "got it" the other day as he was writing his memory verse, but I do attribute that somewhat to the fact that when we do read scripture we usually discuss how it applies to their lives or how we have seen it played out in the lives of others. On that particular day (like may days, honestly) we didn't ask them how the scripture applied to life, but on many days, we do, and so they are kind of in the habit of applying the bible to their lives...something I didn't do until my twenties, BECAUSE, I was also a product of the GAP. I had to figure it out on my own as an adult after several years as a rebellious youth. I knew some of the major bible stories I had learned as a preschooler, but didn't ever stop to consider how or if they related to my life. I sit here now, as a 38 year old adult finally seeing most things through an eternal and biblical perspective, but it is a struggle for me daily because I didn't grow up doing it. I had to retrain my brain and renew it with scripture practically daily to change my thought patterns.

If this weren't a problem in our society, movies like Courageous wouldn't be necessary or evoke so much emotion in our hearts. We know it is true whether we want to face it now or not and it is true in all homes, single parent or not, we have a responsibility to our kids to be more than their tutor for homework, chauffeur, coach, and disciplinarian.

God's command for parents is spelled out in Deuteronomy 6:5-9:

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Be(a)ware of the GAP and be intentional in your parenting, even through the elementary years...And, please hold us accountable to do the same. We try. Sometimes we fail and sometimes we succeed as it is with life, always. When we fail, let us recognize it and jump back on the right path...It's all about perspective, perspective and purpose and actually doing what we purpose to do.

Something Andy Andrews, the author/speaker I mentioned above also said that really hit home is that "there is NO power in intention." what we "intend to do doesn't matter, it is what we actually do do that matters." He wasn't talking about parenting, but I am applying the principle to it just as it can be applied in every area of life . It is kind of like Yoda's famous, "There is no try, there is only do."

So, while we need to be continually educating ourselves on how to be godly parents, we must put what we learn into practice to avoid the GAP and to make a real impact on our kids and ultimately on eternity through their little lives.

Embrace the camera...Lichtenfam...October Birthdays 2011

2011-11-17T16:39:00.000-06:00

Kristin took these pics of our fam last month at October Birthdays. Love them.

Close to the broken hearted...

2011-11-16T12:08:00.003-06:00

Yesterday morning we were in the middle of school (which is going much better lately, thank the Lord, it really is miraculous), and the kids were copying their scripture memory verse for the week when Jesse said something that took my breath away.

He was writing Psalm 34:18, "God is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit," when he stopped and said, "You know Mom, that is really true, because when Allyson had her babies and River's twin brother Archer died, God was close to her. Her spirit was crushed and he saved her." I am crying as I type this today, just as I did yesterday when he said it. Jesse "got" it.

It is true. Archer's little life, as short as it was, impacted my son...our whole family, in fact. The Cheneys are dear friends of ours and we were greatly moved by watching and experiencing the way God sustained them through that season. A season that we couldn't even begin to imagine how we would deal with were it us, yet watching them put one foot in front of the other with a super-natural peace grew our own faith. We had no idea what words to say or how to comfort them, so we prayed...and we prayed...and we prayed, as a family we lifted them up to God in prayer and in tears. At the time our prayers were for their family and for God to be glorified through the Cheneys' lives. They were answered all over the globe by people who have been impacted by their story, by Archer's life.

But more personally, and something I hadn't even thought of specifically praying for at the time, God was glorified in our own home and in our very own son's heart through it. A 6 year old connecting this scripture to something that happened over a year and a half ago, in context and applying it properly without me even asking the kids for an example of how this scripture applies to our lives proves to me without a doubt that God's Word is living and breathing life into us and transforming our hearts...The more of His word we get in there, the more transformation happens. AND, those who argue that God's Word is too complicated, boring or inapplicable to our modern culture obviously haven't cracked open their own bibles, because if God can speak to a 6 year old through His word and give him the wisdom and discernment to see God working in someone else's life because of it, we who are adults are without excuse.

May we all see the world through the eyes of a child, uncynical, trusting, faith-filled, innocent, compassionate eyes. God's eyes. Eyes that can see past the external and into the heart. May we see our circumstances and the circumstances in other's lives through these eyes as well and find comfort in His unchanging Word and unwavering nature. God is sovereign. No matter what we are going through...how lonely, ugly, horrific, beaten-down, broken, or confusing our life seems to be at any given time, He is close and He will save us if we place our trust in Him, just like our children do!

"Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God

like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-4

Love you, Allyson...Thanks for letting me share just a piece of God's amazing story in your life.

Allyson and River, this time last year.

Her words that day on being grateful.

8 key points I want to remember from WOF...

2011-11-14T13:58:00.001-06:00

Women of faith this weekend was amazing. Great worship, teaching and fellowship...all the way around it was impacting. One thing that completely blew me away is that 4 of the speakers talked about things I had actually blogged about over the past week. Not knowing what any of the topics were before hand, it was definitely a confirmation that God is moving in my heart once again {as always} but very specifically right now. So much was shared...so many stories {God's stories} were told, and so much practical advice was given. Here are just a few things that I want to remember. Maybe I already knew them, but hearing them again reminded me of their importance/application in my life and I decided to pair the concepts with scripture even if scripture wasn't given in the speaker's example:

1) We each have a will that is much stronger than our emotions. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 & No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

2) We need to stop asking, "Is it wrong," and start asking, "Is it wise," when it comes to our behavior choices. “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23

3) When looking for a friend if someone looks like they have it all together, perfect marriage, perfect children, perfect house...Run as fast as you can in the other direction because they are not a safe friend. They will judge you to the measure at which they judge themselves...harshly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. Proverbs 26:12 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

4) Don't expect a friend to meet all of your needs or you will drain her resources and ultimately lose her. Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you. Proverbs 25:17

5) Shut your mouth, in Jesus name. Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Psalm 4:4 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame. Proverbs 18:13

6) We are all either coming out of a crisis, in the middle of a crisis or coming into one, so have grace for ourselves and others. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13

7) Smile when you talk. People will pay attention and you'll be more likely to have success. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:13

8) If someone gossips to you, they also gossip about you. A gossip betrays a confidence,
but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. Proverbs 11:13 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
gossip separates the best of friends. Proverbs 16:28

What were your favorites...the things you learned that you hope are planted deep in your heart and take root to produce fruit in your life? Do share, if you are feeling brave.

Come Into My World...

2011-11-14T10:53:00.001-06:00

Another Amy Grant Song from WOF that I hadn't heard before that was so awesome...I have felt this before. I thank God that He came into my world and sent friends into my world who were brave enough to enter in...

Come into my world
Come crashing through the ceiling
And find the messy rooms, the scattered pearls
If you are brave enough then come into my world

Come into my world
So lovely from the outside
So dark in here the demons dance and twirl
And find their pleasure frightening this girl
If you are brave then come into my world

Cause I never saw the changes come
Or knew enough to run when this old house had come undone
And now I'm buried in the walls
And no one comes to call but you
Come into my world

Come into my world
I can not find the doorway
It's overgrown with vines that twist and curl
If you are brave then come into my world

Come into my world
There'll be no other invitation
Not another sound another word
Nothing more than you've already heard
Please be brave and come into my world

Cause I never saw the changes come
Or knew enough to run when this old house had come undone
And now I'm buried in the walls
And no one comes to call but you
Come into my world

Comparing milk...

2011-11-13T19:09:00.002-06:00

Comparing cow’s milk with coconut milk: I created this for my own information, but was so startled by the results, I had to share. We love coconut milk! It is yummy! Seriously, not bleck like soy or rice.
{in our opinion}
A naturopath recently told me to get all commercial dairy our of the house. Not gonna happen, but we can make small changes here and there and this is a start. {for those who aren't allergic to coconut}

The benefits of switching to coconut milk are evident!

	1% cow’s milk	Naturally sweetened coconut milk
Calories	100	80
Calcium	30%	45%
Vitamin D	25%	25%
Vitamin A	10%	10%
B12	0mg	50%
Sodium	120mg	30mg
Cholesterol	15mg	0mg
Fat	2.5	5
Sugar	11g	6g
Iron	0 %	4%

Amy Grant's Find What You're Looking For...

2011-11-12T21:20:00.001-06:00

Powerful Women of Faith Weekend...more to share later, but I had to share the lyrics to this amazing Amy Grant Song I'd never heard before.

What would they find if they uncovered all my tracks
Of roads I’d snuck down in darkness and never turn back
Well they’d find what they’re looking for
Secrets and so much more
What would they find if they searched for a heart of gold
They’d find sacrifices of time and money never told
Yeah they’d find what they’re looking for
Kindness and so much more

Cause there’s so much good in the worst of us
So much bad in the best of us
It never makes sense for any of us
To criticize the rest of us
We’ll just find what we’re looking for
We’ll find it and so much more

What would I find if I turned back the time on your face
Could I piece together the memories that have made you this way
I might find what I’m looking for
Understanding and so much more

Cause there’s so much good in the worst of us
So much bad in the best of us
It never makes sense for any of us
To criticize the rest of us
We’ll just find what we’re looking for
We’ll find it and so much more

Haven’t we all learned the best life lessons
By falling and falling down hard
If we’re looking for somebody’s failures
We won’t have to look very far
Cause there’s so much good in the worst of us
So much bad in the best of us
It never makes sense for any of us
To criticize the rest of us
We’ll just find what we’re looking for
We’ll find it and so much more

What would they find if they uncovered all my tracks

Poor Princess Preslie's Puking Party Pallet...

2011-11-10T18:23:00.000-06:00

Gotta capitalize on those Ps! As we were leaving church last night, Pres puked all over the floor in the hallway. One of our friends promptly ran to get something to clean up. Now, that is a good man! Most men run in fear from puke. But not him. He didn't even blink, and I really appreciate being able to rush her to the car because of his act of kindness. So when it happened she was saying, "My choking, my choking." She says"my" for "I'm," so we just thought maybe she choked on her snack or something because she was acting fine. But, as soon as we walked through the gate in our yard, bleck on the ground...a huge mess with a very large piece of gum in the middle. So again, I just thought she must have been choking on the gum. Not so. We pulled her toddler bed mattress into our room beside my side of the bed where she continued to puke every 30 minutes all night long until 4:30 when she slept to 6:30. She isn't to the age where she is able to make it to the bathroom or even use a bowl, so every time she threw up, I had to change the bedding and clean her up. It was a long night. It will be a miracle, a true miracle if I don't catch this thing as much puke as I dealt with last night. I am leaving in a few hours for OKC to go to Women of Faith with my mom, sister, future sister-in-law, her mom and my church sisters. I am praying that I stay well for it and that the kids and James are well while we are gone!

Preslie is feeling much better now, playing and eating like normal, but she slept most of the day away on her mattress in the living room with her towel sheet and blanket. Towels are much better at catching vomit and preventing leaking through to the sheets. I learned that pretty quickly last night after changing sheets several times. Isn't she so sweet with her little feverish rosy cheeks all snuggled up on her pallet?

I love Wednesdays...

2011-11-09T12:58:00.003-06:00

Every Wednesday morning, I arrive at the OAC at 6 am with my sister and one or two other ladies to pop a Yoga For Weight Loss dvd in and start my "work day/morning" of the week. I get to meet new people and interact with the coolest group of people who come for walking and coffee almost every morning. I am so inspired by these amazing people who are almost all the same age as my grandparents, some of whom have health concerns or even use a walker, yet they make time to come exercise and have social time every day. I look at them and know that I have absolutely no excuse what-so-ever to not take care of my health. If they can have surgery one day and be back on that track a few days or a week later, I can get my tail outta bed and walk or work out every day! They are hilarious too. I have had some side-splitting conversations with a few of my favorites. And, they love my kiddos, especially Preslie! There are a lot more younger faces coming lately too, so this place is really starting to hop and I have actually connected with a few people who don't go to our church but use our facility to work out every week or come to Tiny Town. It really is starting to feel like more of a community than a facility and I love being here. If a Wednesday morning is slow, I get to run upstairs and take a Zumba class too. They just page me if they need me. I actually got paged today for the first time to sell a membership. The system works.

Yes, I know that being a homemaker and teaching my kiddos is a full-time job and it IS my dream job (God always reminds me when I am having a moment), but this little break from the home and morning full of adult-interaction and being able to serve others is a refreshing and renewing time for me. Plus, James gets a chance to teach the kiddos on Wednesday mornings while I am here. He focuses more on the drill and practice stuff that I am not fond of and he enjoys. I think he has more of a competitive spirit than I do because he loves to see the kids get faster and faster at memory recall. It is like a game. He usually rewards them (if they have great behavior) with a trip to Leonardo's Discovery Warehouse or the library before coming to relieve me.

Wednesday is one of my favorite days of the week because we also have bible study in the evening and the first Wednesday of every month we have dinner together in the OAC dining room. I am telling you, it is crazy how quickly we felt like this place was our home...these people, our family. We were embraced with love and have already started to put down roots. Anytime I get to spend time with the people at Oakwood is a blessing.

We are in the middle of a study of Neil T. Anderson's Victory Over the Darkness with my Wednesday night ladies. It is all about discovering our identity in Christ. Tonight, we will cover chapter 8. I could write post after post about how God has moved in my life over the past 9 weeks through this study, the Word, and the ladies in the group. But, it is one of those times where I feel like God wants my experience to remain intimate, to share some of what I am learning/how I am growing with the ladies in the group, but keep most of what he has done and is doing in my life as a treasure in my heart...between He and I. Hopefully, as with any good study, the fruit in my life will reflect the change in my heart and no words will be necessary.

It is funny, because I started out the study by stressing to the ladies the importance of "sharing our stories" because, ultimately OUR stories are HIS stories. We learn about God through His word and the evidence of His work in our lives and the lives of others. We can sometimes rob others of His amazing goodness when we withhold the life-changing work He has done in our lives. That doesn't, however, mean that we need to share every detail or even every encounter we have with Him. Just like we have intimate moments with our husbands that we wouldn't want to share because they are treasures and memories we want to protect, sharing some moments can actually diminish, dishonor, or de-value the experience. And so, while I do still strongly believe we should share as much of our "stories" as we feel comfortable, I want to acknowledge that sometimes it is not necessary or even beneficial.

There are two extremes on this topic when it comes to personality type. I have a blog...so obviously, I am a "sharer." Sometimes, I may share too much. At the other extreme there are the "never-sharers." They are afraid of ever revealing any of their experiences or emotions because they are "private people." It may be that they are afraid of the opinions of others or the unintended consequences of sharing. But, just like I have to keep my tongue in check, the non-sharers need to grab some courage and use their tongues every once in a while for the benefit of their sisters and brothers in Christ if nothing else.

I love how my mind just naturally flows from one topic to the next and the words just run right down through my finger tips. It is all related to Wednesdays, though, right? So there is a common theme.

Could I be my own best friend?

2011-11-08T21:29:00.000-06:00

As I look back over the criteria I'd define a best friend as having or being, I have to ask myself if I could be my own best friend. Do I meet all of those criteria in anyone elses' life? I am always telling James when he gets lonely for a friend, "You have to be a friend to make a friend." I believe that is true. I know I meet some of those criteria in a few of my friends' lives. But I can't really think of anyone who would say that I meet all of them. We all fall short, even as friends, but when I am teaching my daughter who to choose to be her very closest friends I want her to set the bar high. I know there are people out there who will come close. They will disappoint her just like she will disappoint them sometimes, but if she can find one good friend who meets all of those criteria most of the time, she'll have a treasure. Many people never find even one...not even their spouse. That makes me so sad. It doesn't have to be that way. We have to be willing to give of ourselves and be that kind of friend to find that kind of friend, and I guess that is what I really want her to know.

She writes letters and draws pictures for her friends all the time. Most of the time she gets no response and it never seemed to bother her until lately. She asked me the other day, "Mom, why don't many of my friends write me back or draw pictures for me too?" And, then I asked her if she drew or wrote just to get a something in return. She said, "No." So, I just told her that she is a giver...God has given her the gift of encouragement and she loves to brighten people's days with little notes or drawings. I encouraged her to not expect anything in return and to start looking for ways her friends show her that they care because they might have a totally different way of showing their love. The whole Five Love Languages thing. Maybe we should go over the one for kids together.

I know I could just try to tell her how to play the catty girlfriend games if I picked up a teen magazine or something for a reference, but I am teaching her to be a godly young woman, and I want her to be a strong godly woman, not just a popular girl with good social skills and lots of friends.

I don't know how to be a girly girl or maneuver through girl relationships. I never knew how to play the stupid girl games with all the drama and gossip either, so I just chose to be friends with mostly boys. It made life a lot easier. Thankfully, I was blessed to have an amazing best friend all through jr high and high school. I'd have to admit that neither of us met half of that criteria for each other, but we'd have taken a bullet for one another. She is in love with Jesus now too and our lives both look drastically different than they did. She is my kids' pediatrician now too. {perk!} We aren't as close as we used to be at all, but if we could make more time for one another I bet we'd relate more on the level that I am talking about. Godly friendships just do.

Rambling now...this whole girl friendship thing has really gotten me thinking, obviously. I do have THREE girls to train here. With the Lord and their Daddy's help, maybe we can start a revolution with our girls...3 girls who meet that criteria in their friends lives. wouldn't that be something?!

Mom, how do I know who my best friend is?

2011-11-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

How do I answer that question? Grade school aged kids throw the "best friend" title around pretty freely. They are best friends with every one of their friends at first and then they reach an age where their friends start to hurt them, disappoint them, gossip about them or make them feel uncomfortable in a group. It happens to all of us and we all do it. We are human and some of us are girls. That means we hurt our friends, disappoint them and even make them feel uncomfortable or gossip at times. And so, the question remains, if this is true about girls, how do we know who are our best friends are? Is it based on the extent to which we feel like they do those things? Those who make us feel the most comfortable and we have the most fun with/least conflict with...Are those are our best friends?

Shelby was specifically asking me about gossip because she had been hurt in a friend situation where gossip was going on. We had a long talk about what gossip is and how when someone says something about you, you shouldn't automatically disregard it, or get mad at the person who said it, especially if it is a friend, because there is probably some truth to it...at least a little...even if it hurts to hear.

So, step one, I told her, is to examine yourself to see if what was said about you held any merit. So she did, and she decided that, yes, it in fact was true at times. So I asked her what she thought she should do about it, if anything. She decided to try to change the behavior and write an apology to her friend, because even if it wasn't said directly to her, and she was hurt by it, she valued her friendship so much that she wanted to apologize for coming across that way. I didn't coax her to make that decision, she just did. And, I am proud of her, because even though she was hurt by the words said behind her back, she chose to examine her own heart and humble herself. Instead of letting it drive a wedge in the friendship or pulling away from her friend. She took the initiative upon herself to mend a rift that the other girl may not even know was there. It may not be accepted in the way she hopes because what she wants to do is counter-cultural, and almost unheard of among girls, but I urge her to follow what she feels led to do, whether other girls would handle it the same way or not.

We went on to talk about gossip and she said to me, "Mom, WE don't gossip about people." To which I said something like, "Yes, we sometimes do. We shouldn't and we try not to, and when we talk about others we are usually trying to find a way to help them, but we are imperfect and we DO gossip sometimes...And YES, gossip is sin, it is harmful and hurtful and we should apologize or own up to it when we do it and ask God's forgiveness too because it makes Him sad when we do hurt one another or change someone's opinion about another person."

And, I also told her that just because someone gossiped about her one time in a situation where she admits there was some truth to what she was saying does not mean she can make the "best friend" decision based on it. Plus, why does she even need to have a "best" friend? Why do we feel the need to quantify every relationship in our lives even at 9 years old?

And so the conversation went and it is ongoing about what to look for in your very closest friends. You can be surface level friends with lots of people (acquaintances), but you should really only have a few in your inner circle. Proverb 18:24 says, "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." That particular scripture was brought up in the book I am reading for bible study and he went on to talk about how Jesus himself had 12 good friends, His disciples, and really only 3 in His inner circle, and you can bet they were chosen wisely. Peter, James sand John were his 3.

So still, how do we choose? As we continue the conversation, I have been thinking about it a lot because I want to give her sound advice. Here is what I have come up with so far, that at least for me, defines an inner circle or really close friend:

Someone who shows you unconditional love, is loyal to you, honest with you, and makes you want to be a better person. Someone who when you are around them you like yourself better because they challenge you and bring out your best qualities. Someone who will never give up on you when you have hard times, but press in rather than turning away...Someone who would try their hardest to never do something to make you stumble or tempt you to so something that was wrong. There really are very few people who meet these criteria and at 9 she won't be able to understand how to recognize these qualities, but I want to help her develop wisdom in this area because it is hard being a girl...at 9 or at 38, it is H.A.R.D. sometimes, especially when it comes to friends. (Friends and hormones...)

3-way birthday 2011...

2011-11-07T11:46:00.001-06:00

The kids had an awesome time with their new friends at their party last night! My parents, brother and sister and almost sister-in-law and James' Mom all came to the party and were swiftly put to work. I thought it was going to pretty much run itself, but it actually took a lot more work than we anticipated. It was worth it, though!

My Mom and Kristin helped the older girls decorate cake pops. She had already baked the pops in her Baby Cakes baker, so it was a matter of dipping and rolling. I think they enjoyed it.

Dodgeball in the racquetball court was a little too intense for the girls who watched from the window, venturing in a few times and promptly running out screaming.

We had a lot of people for the Pinata breaking...Not even half got a turn before it was broken.

James and Kyle did an awesome instructional demonstration. Wish I had it on video!

The younger kids loved the Tiny Town toys, especially the toddler roller coaster. Our good friends, the Andersons who not live in Georgia had one of these and we new we had to get one for Tiny Town. It is an amazing gift for a toddler if someone has the space for it. We do not, but the church does!

I didn't get any bounce house, dinner, cupcake or cookie cake pics and missed half the family and friends with the camera because I was running around like a crazy woman. I had not eaten lunch (we had pizza at "welcome to Oakwood" so I could only have the topping off one piece and then I forgot to get something else to eat. Then, I had a triple grande latte instead, (thank you Jeka). So, I was a little scattered and I kept forgetting my camera. Hopefully the kiddos will remember it so well they won't need pictures. We had a lot of fun, but I can tell you one thing, next year will be a little more low key, or I will have to figure out how to really throw a party without running around like a chicken with its head cut off before then. No, really, we have already decided that we will only do the 3-way party thing every 3 years or so and Preslie will need to be included as a half birthday. ; )

We are so thankful for all who made it a priority to come. It meant so much to our family. AND, the recycled gifts were amazing! Creative, generous and green!
{down with consumerism! just doing our part. ; ) }
Although, there is one particular parrot who might get recycled again very soon if it doesn't remain upstairs...(Bergdalls, you are sick!) and one extra complicated marble thing that the kids have been playing with alllllllll morning and the dog is trying to eat the marbles

that may have to be a special occasion toy. Ok...going to nap now.

fall party planning...

2011-11-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

I know I have already posted this pic, but I love it and I have no glorious party decorations to post.

Tomorrow is the three oldest kids' three-way birthday party. Maybe someday, I will be the party-spectacular mom who has a huge theme and elaborate decorations, but that isn't my gift and I can't afford to hire it out, so as complicated as having a party for 3 kids at once sounds, it seems a whole lot less complicated than trying to host 3 separate parties on 3 separate days all within weeks of one another. I don't try to decorate cakes anymore...any of my old friends can tell you why. So, Jesse picked out a cookie cake and Lucy picked out cupcakes at WalMart for their treats. Shelby's is kind of elaborate because my Mom made cake balls for her and her friends to decorate.

As for the party, we'll set up Tiny Town in the OAC which is essentially a bounce house and lots of kids ride-on and play toys, Jesse can play dodgeball in one of the racquetball courts or other boyish things and he and Shelby can share equal time with Just Dance or other Wii games in the theater room, before hot dogs and cake-pops/other treats. Shelby, Jesse and Lucy each invited all of the kids from their Sunday school classes along with their families. We really have no idea what to expect as far as number, so I may have over-bought hot dogs, but they freeze well, right?! We have some family coming into town too and wish some of our out-of-town friends could have made it, but we gave them really late notice. Not nice of me at all!

Shelby's actual 9th birthday was October 9, Lucy's 4th will be November 13 and Jesse's 7th will be November 19th. We did this once before when we lived in Kansas and it was so much fun. That time we did it on Halloween and all went trick-or-treating. We also allowed only used/recycled gifts. We have the same rule this year. We are trying to be as "green" as possible and really just want to get a bunch of people together to have a good time. Who needs gifts? The gift of friendship is enough!

speak truth...

2011-11-04T10:01:00.003-05:00

I found this picture on pinterest.com and I love it.

Truth is one of our highest values as a family. Discovering truth, wrestling with truths until they take root, revealing truth and speaking truth are all just a part of who we are as a family. Many people may put off by our honesty or feel threatened by it since we live in a world where everyone is politically correct and tells each other just what we want to hear so as to gain approval and acceptance for ourselves. That just isn't us. We will speak the truth no matter what. We have a bumper sticker on our fridge that is a quote from George Orwell saying, "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." Tis true. Did we not say that we were going to change the world?

Truth is all a part of that revolution.

Over the years, God has humbled us and taught us so much about how we should speak the truth. We still have a lot to learn, but we used to just speak it without much thought as to our approach or tone. We sometimes still do, and then feel regret because our hearts' motives are pure, but the way it comes out of our mouths may not always sound loving. Love. Without words seasoned with love the truth may not be heard. That's why God gives us instructions on how to speak the truth in love and tells us the importance of doing so in Ephesians 4:11-20:

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord,

measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. "

The emphasis on the bolded parts are mine. They aren't bolded in the bible. I just feel like it is part of our (Mine and James') "special work" to help our brothers and sisters grow in Christ. It isn't a part we would have necessarily chosen because it is at times a rather uncomfortable part. We also acknowledge that we are not perfect...we fall way short ourselves sometimes in different areas, so we do not ever want to sound pious or like we think we have it all together. Just as we speak truth, we receive truth from others in our lives when we miss the mark. (and appreciate it.) It actually bothers me when I am out of line and a friend tries to give me justification for my own wrong behavior by making excuses for me. If I am out of line, tell me, I will respect you more for it and know that you have my best interests at heart.

Honestly, speaking the truth is so much more challenging for me than receiving it most of the time. We aren't the crazy party favorites that we used to be in college or the ones people call when they want someone to feel sorry for them. We feel lonely at times too because when we feel the need to speak an uncomfortable truth to a Christian brother or sister, we do not know how it will be received or whether or not they will "wall us" or turn around and gossip about us because we have brought something to light in their lives that they didn't want to see.

So, sometimes, inside our voices are shaking, but we are so compelled by the Holy Spirit to speak the truth that we do it, out of obedience to Him.

The scriptures are clear on our responsibility to one another to speak truth...We can't ignore them. Here are just a few of many:

Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Galatians 6:1 says, "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself."

2 Timothy 2:24-25, "The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged. With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, And they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will."

Ephesians 4:25 "Therefore, rejecting all falsity and being done now with it, let everyone express the truth with his neighbor, for we are all parts of one body and members one of another."

I pray that we will be more sanctified each and every day, growing to look more and more like Christ. I know full well that He will use mostly experiences to mold us, but He will also use the words of trusted friends, even words that are hard to hear. And, I welcome them.

Wounds from friend can be trusted. Proverbs 27:6

Halloween 2011...lots of pics...

2011-11-01T09:54:00.000-05:00

Francie Lou's favorite toy...

2011-10-31T14:48:00.000-05:00

Who'd have thought it would be alphabet pal?

She seriously drags it around all the time just to make it play music.

Crazy dog!

There will come a day...

2011-10-30T16:12:00.000-05:00

...when we no longer find half naked barbies in random places all over the house.

I wonder if I'll miss them?

At present, I highly doubt it,

but the ones who went before us say we will miss all of these minor irritations one day.

We'll see.

October Family Reunion...Picture overload.

2011-10-27T13:45:00.005-05:00

This year, my parents rented a home overlooking Grand Lake for our October birthday celebration. If was the most beautiful location imaginable on the lake and we fell in love with the home. We are praying my parents will be able to buy it! It was built in the 50s or 60s probably and had the perfect mix of retro charm and tasteful updates. We loved our time together with our family and our soon-to-be new family, the Bernards, or "Nard dogs" as we might have to start calling them.

Lucy and Jesse spent most of their time collecting bugs, frogs, turtle shells, acorns and putting daddy long legs on people's heads. Yes, Lucy is holding a spider and smiling. EEK. All 4 kids spent most of their time outside exploring because the woods and the weather were beautiful. A perfect weekend.

Whenever Jeka and Kristin are around, Shelby always has to take advantage of their beauty tips and free make-overs. Kristin also did a model shoot with her. Shelby loves to model and Kristin is already an awesome photographer. She is going to send me all of the shots she got, so I am sure I will add them sometime soon.

This was Friday morning before everyone arrived...Despite the chill in the air, they were all about the outdoors.

Papa took them fishing, let Shelby ride the golf cart and showed them the house next door with a pool.

They have the coolest Papa ever.

Dance party and other random shots...

Hillbilly golf with GiGi and Papa Woodlee and the Bernards...

Shelby and Francie Lou.

Aunt Jeka with the 3 oldest kiddos. She is so stunningly beautiful and such an amazing aunt!

And the craft. No, we've never done a craft at this reunion before, but we made these in MOPS earlier in the week and James suggested we do it with the family. They turned out really cute. Just toilet paper wrapped in fabric with a stick and a bow. Easy Peasy!

It was a fabulous weekend. I wish we could do it more often. Pray my parents get the house so we can!

Embraced the camera with most of the fam in one way or another.

You should too.

Mornings with my sister...

2011-10-20T08:43:00.001-05:00

Posed "Morning Prayers" pic.

Almost every morning, my sister and I walk and pray together. We've been doing it since March and it is such an awesome way to start the day. We always have really good conversations that sometimes lead to debates, but always end with prayer where we refocus and re-gain perspective even when we don't completely agree on something. We are both advice givers so we have really great ideas on how to solve all of each other's problems...or so we think. We don't get mad at each other when we don't take one another's advice though. We've moved past that level of relationship and walked into a place of grace and complete acceptance. It was a long time coming and we both agree that living next door to one another was God's way of saying, "I am going to put you so close to one another that you have to learn to work through your differences and practice grace and understanding on a daily basis and in the process I will grow and sharpen you both using one another and you will experience a depth of love and friendship you never knew was possible."

I am 12 years older than my sister, so the first half {well, probably longer, actually} of our relationship I was more of a parent than a sister and no teenager or young adult wants two moms telling them what to do or giving them unwanted advice. I know she always loved me as much as I loved her, but she used to work to gain my approval because I had set myself up as a mother figure in her life and we just couldn't get to that "sister-friend" level. We are there now and it feels so great. The beautiful baby girl that I used to babysit, change her diapers, and go get her out of her crib to come sleep with me is now truly my friend and I don't see her as someone who needs parenting. I see her as a strong and capable adult...growing closer to God and discovering who she is in Christ, just like me. My equal. God uses her to sharpen me just as much as he uses me in her life. It is an answered prayer, for sure. I found an entry in my journal from 12 years ago where I was wondering if we'd ever really have a close relationship where she didn't see me as another person she had to work to please. We've arrived.

Even though neither of our lives look anything like we had imagined they would at 38 or 26, we know we are right smack dab in the middle of God's will for both of our lives and the fact that He is working on us together is such a blessing. I want to treasure the time I have her as my neighbor because nothing lasts forever. That's why I bribed Jesse with a PopTart to come out and take this fake posed picture of what it does actually look like most mornings on Jeka's porch as we sit and pray after our walks. Just ask the construction workers across the street working on the school who probably think we are crazy women sitting out here holding hands and swinging on a porch swing together.

One thing I love about this time of year is that almost every morning while we are praying the sun comes up. It is still mostly dark when we begin, but when we open our eyes after praying the light has come. It almost feels like God's presence with us...His pure pleasure in us crying out to Him together and thanking Him for all that He is doing in our lives, in unity.

I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. Matthew 18:19-20

Wiltse's fall visit...

2011-10-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

The kids wrote and acted out a Halloween play for Jenn and I yesterday. It had 10 acts.

We limited them to 5.

These creative kids destroyed the house to design the set, but it was worth it for the entertainment and a quick clean-up with all of us working. I love having them all together. Cousins, they are, and they fight like family sometimes too. All kinds of learning experiences...teachable moments. Staying together in this small house is a character-building experience all it's own and I love it. Love them.

I wish I could describe the plot of the play, but it was just simply too complex.

You probably wouldn't understand it like Jenn and I were able to.

You'll just have to enjoy the pictures instead.

In the picture below, check out Mojo and Francie snuggling. It was so sad separating them when they had to go. They played hard all weekend. : (

Wish we had them close-by all the time...but then, we'd never stay with one another and life would just eat up our time. At least we get quality time this way!

how in the world do we teach gratitude?

2011-10-16T14:51:00.001-05:00

Lately, around the L house the Mister and I have been discussing that very question. You see, we aren't wealthy and we don't spoil our kids. Even if we were wealthy, we {believe} we wouldn't indulge our kiddos every desire. We don't buy our kids all the latest gadgets. They have to share rooms, toys and clothes. They don't have cable or get to go on fabulous vacations like many of their friends. They don't have all brand new pottery barn furniture that all matches or extravagant decorations. Yet, sometimes it seems like that just aren't ever satisfied. They want more, better, longer...it's never enough.

Is it that God sized hole that we all have in our hearts already rearing its ugly head or are we bad parents or what? Ann Voskamp talks about how every sin can be traced back to the garden and ultimately to discontent. We are born discontented and always try to gain contentment through every other means but Him and what He has already given us. We seek it through wealth, status, sex, possessions, leisure, vacations, fashion, media, alcohol, drugs...the list is endless.

I know a girl, a special girl, one like no one else I have met. Her name is Veronica and she is the daughter of one of my closest friends. You could give her a clump of dirt and she would do a back flip, ooohhh and aaahhh over it and thank you forever. If one of her friends gets a gift, instead of feeling envious, she says, "OH, I love it! It is so beautiful! Aren't you so happy you got that?"

I also know that girl's parents pretty well and while they are grateful people, they are not demonstrative people. They will say, "Thank you," or buy you a microwave when they come to stay with you for a week...that kind of gratitude, but they aren't very gushy...actually not at all, so it isn't something they have taught her. Yet, she is the most grateful child I have ever met. It is a gift from God, truly.

So, as we analyze our failures as parents when 2 of our kids cry as we leave Silver Dollar City, one lets the door slam on a sister because he didn't get footie pajamas at JC Penneys, and another complains that since she is getting older she is getting fewer gifts on her birthday because what she wants is more expensive, we have to find a way to instill gratitude in these children even if they weren't gifted with it from the beginning. How? That is the burning question. We sponsor a child from Guatemala, Abner is his name. I decided we are going to learn everything we can about Guatemala and what life is like for Abner in hopes of planting seeds of compassion as well as gratitude in my children's hearts. We went to the library and got books about Guatemala including a fictional book about a girl growing up in one of the city dumps. This week, we've been frequenting www.aholyexperience.com and reading about Ann Voskamp's experiences in Guatemala with the child she sponsors through Compassion International. Shelby and I have wept over and over as we have read her words...seen her pictures...imagined Abner there. Yet, she can still turn around and yell at her brother for watching Spooky Buddies in the car without her on his trip to Wichita with Dad and get mad when she gets a picture in the mail that a friend drew her who is a very advanced artist...her first emotion was envy when she saw the drawing, not gratitude for the gift or for her friend being so blessed with this talent. And, Shelby is a truly amazing girl with a huge heart and 90% of her moments are positive, but this gratitude thing...It is something we all struggle with. But as parents, can't we help our kids to struggle less? Is that too much to ask?

It's gonna be a God thing, because I can't physically cut them open and force their hearts to be grateful. We can practice it, though, through being aware of what most of the children and families in the world really live like and through keeping gratitude journals and choosing to point out our blessings each day. Gratitude, I have come to believe is a discipline, so it only makes sense that it has to be practiced. May I practice it so much and so well that it rubs off at least a smidge on my littles...May the Lord open their eyes to the wonderful blessings all around them so that they will not always be trying to fill that God sized hole in their hearts with material possessions or other pleasures of this world.

Here are Shelby and Preslie watching Shaun Groves and Ann Voskamp on her blog...links below.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/02/what-really-happens-when-you-give-to-the-poor/

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/10/what-is-radical-faith-video/

p.s. after I wrote this but before I posted it, my friend Jenn showed me her amazing family pics taken by our incredible photog friend Allyson {here they are} and my response was, "UGH these are so amazing, I hate you! I am so jealous." Of course I was totally kidding about the hate thing, but not the jealous thing. I did exactly the same thing my daughter did. Our hearts...they need help.

The good old days...

2011-10-15T17:06:00.002-05:00

The only bikini pic of me you will ever see. ; )

Me looking just like Miss P on my second birthday party...

Jay and me (looking like Lulu bee), ready for a sleepover...

Me and Jay and Grandpa Gene (my first namesake my middle name Dawn was after my biological dad, Don and my other Grandpa Don. Jay's middle name is Don too.)...I would totally rock those curtains if I had them today. Their decor was amazing. Red velvet couches, curtains with balls, red shag carpet. Drool...Wonder where it all went!

More of me and Jay...

Preslie said this was here when she saw it.

Me and my stunningly beautiful young Momma...

I found this album today and was blown away by how much I looked like Preslie in most of the pictures, Lucy in a few and Shelby in others. I didn't really think Preslie resembled me at all, but she certainly does. I love the pictures of me and my cousin Jay. He was like a brother to me because my Grandma Shelby watched us both while our Moms worked. We were always together. I love him so much.

My Momma is 21 in these pictures...as beautiful as she still is today. It was just me and her for the first 9 years of my life after she and my biological dad divorced when I was just a few months old. She says I saved her. I say we saved one another and continue to do so in one way or another always leading each other in the right direction closer to God...together. She was so brave and so strong to be able to parent me on her own at such a young age. Such an inspiration! Her story is amazing. She really needs to write a book. If she does, it will be a Christian self-help one, though, because she is a lot more private of a person than I am. Too bad, because I think a lot of women would be totally blessed and inspired to read about her life...maybe one day I will convince her. I love my Momma!

WeLcOmE Fall...

2011-10-13T13:43:00.004-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much pumpkin picking
And hearts will be ticking
When love ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And frolicking out in the leaves
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Past times so hard to believe

It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be much turkey eating
And hearts will be beating
When love ones are near

It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time

It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time of the year

{Hey, I never said I was a poet or a song writer, but at least I tried! HA! & Fall is our very favorite time of year because James, 3 of our kiddos, Jessica, Matt, Janell, both Grandpas, Uncle John, & others I am probably forgetting all celebrate their birthdays in October or November. We also love fall colors, weather, food and festivities. The changing of the leaves is heavenly! Welcome Fall, we missed you so much when we were in Arizona!}

Daddy benchpressing littles and other antics...

2011-10-10T16:01:00.001-05:00

James is going to kill me for posting this, but I just have to...for the family. It is too cute. Reality at its finest {funniest}! Jesse banging on the piano, Francie attacking James' face, James bench pressing the littles and everything in between. Life in a "big" family...love it, especially in times like these!

There really is never a dull moment around here.

And here is just moments before that...Preslie dragging Francie around by the blanket and my text tone interrupting the madness. Sweet.

Milestone Birthday for Shelby...

2011-10-07T15:13:00.001-05:00

Last night, Shelby and I spent the night at a hotel together to celebrate her upcoming 9th birthday.

Her special gift was a Baby Be Blessed Doll specially personalized, hand-crafted and prayed over just for her. It may seem like a juvenile gift for an almost tween, but I had my reasons.

On this special 9th birthday, I wanted her to know all about how she is growing up to be a young woman, but that she'd always be my baby and God's child and that my prayer is that when she sees her doll she will remember that she is pure and innocent no matter what the world throws at her.

I chose this particular scripture for a few reasons. 1) the name Shelby means "little rock" and she is a rock. She is a strong girl with a confident personality, but I want her to remember who her strength comes from, The Rock. 2) It is one of our favorite scriptures to sing together from our Seeds of Courage CD 3) I want her to come to know Him as her Fortress, and Protector that she'd never fear for her future and know that since she is His, she is always safe...eternally safe. I also included the 2011 date because she was baptized this year, pledging to live her life for Jesus. She is a new creation.

She loves her doll and has affectionately named her "Shelbelle." We had such a great night. Dinner at Applebees, Ben & Jerry's with plastic spoons in our pjs while we talked girl talk, and then toe nail polishing, of course, before watching Food Network together and falling asleep around 10.

We've decided on important milestone birthdays for our kids and they are 9, 13, 16, and 18. We chose 9 for the first one because it is at this age that schools start health education highlighting the upcoming changes with puberty and more depending on the schools. Girls are starting puberty earlier and earlier and many girls are starting their periods as young as 9, with the average age being 11. Because of these two things, even though we still homeschool, our kids are starting to hear from their other 8 and 9 year old friends all kinds of ideas about body changes, boy and girl relationships and where babies come from. We want them to get the correct information first, to hear God's plan for our bodies and our relationships and we desire to be the ones who share it with them first, if possible. I actually shared the "God's Design for Sex Book 2" with her last night which was written for 5-8 year olds because I think it gives more than enough information for her little mind to grasp for now.

I was so surprised how informative and descriptive this book was without being too technical or too blunt like some I have seen. I'd highly recommend it. We had a great discussion after reading it together and I was thankful to know that she had heard some things from her friends, but not everything before I had a chance to have this important discussion. She was a little surprised to hear the intimate details about how babies are made, but not shocked or frightened by it. I know it is a topic that can be shocking or frightening if presented in the wrong way, at the wrong time, or by the wrong person. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to be the one to share God's design for marriage with my daughter. This night will go down as one of my all-time favorites.

Francie Lou and Preslie too...

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Jesse decided to use my Canon Rebel yesterday whilst I was busy preparing for bible study and unaware of their mischief. He actually got some pretty good shots!

Francie has stolen our hearts (and our sleep.) Lucy got to bring her for show and tell at preschool today. Can you say, "walking on air?" She was on cloud nine sharing her puppy with her friends.

She is a sweet puppy and training very nicely after a few rough days at first with the potty and kennel issues. She actually slept through the night last night in the kennel without crying! woot!

These are Jesse's artistic shots of Miss P. Love them. ; )

Branson Vacay...and Francie Lou

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My favorites...

Where we stayed, it was beautiful. This was the view from the balcony of the tiny A frame cottage we stayed in one morning where I sat and simultaneously drank my coffee, did a little of my bible study, and tried to keep Preslie from falling 100 feet to her death because there were no slats between the rails. The scene was serene, the moment was not completely. I wish our vacay would have been a little longer, but it was so nice to get away. Silver Dollar City was a blast. We opened and closed the park. It was homeschool weekend, so we got to see lots of long denim skirted families...one day I will have to ask the philosophy behind the denim skirt thing. We never have quite fit the stereo-typical homeschooling family...Most don't actually, but at SDC many did. We were so hoping to see the Duggars like we did last time we went, but we didn't. Something even better happened, though. On our way in, a couple with season passes and four $20 off coupons stopped us and offered them to us because they were so impressed with our well-behaved children on the tram. It's a good thing they didn't see them on the way out of the park, or we'd have had to pay them back. ; ) $80 they saved us! Such a blessing!

If I were a betting gal, I'd bet that this here little pup was the kids favorite part of the vacay. Jenn and her girls met us in Fort Scott to deliver Francie Lou into our very anxiously awaiting hands. I can't believe the things she does for us. She is so amazing! Francie is a cutie pie...no one can deny it, but I haven't slept in two nights and for that I am not a shiny happy person. I haven't had a real puppy in about 16 years, and I had forgotten that they are basically harder at first than a newborn baby. She is worth it, though, right? So adorable...