Happy fourth

This weekend was so much fun. My parents took the whole family to Pigeon Forge. We stayed in a brand new resort with a water park. We've never stayed anywhere like this place! And then we went and showed the kids my two favorite places in this busy little tourist town: Dollywood and The Apple Barn Restaurant. It was a fast-paced, action-packed weekend and we had a blast!

Jaybird loved the slides...

and suprisingly, Toot did, too! They went down them dozens and dozens of times.

The boys and I had great time together while Lydie slept this day.

This is Jaybird with his cousin. They are nine months apart, complete opposites, and best buds. This little guy has a heart of gold!

Toot hops in the stroller with Lydie to give her some love.

This is a picture outside The Apple Barn. Good, really scruptious, food and beautiful scenery. Doesn't get any better!

Our kids and two of our cousins. Our sweet girl cousin in this picture is only 3 months younger than Toot.

Both girl cousins together. My brother and sister-in-law have three kids, too...all born within a year of our kids. Lots of fun to be had!

Lydie in my shoes. She's always walking right in my path, sweet girl. What a great weekend! Happy fourth!

Busy, busy, busy

My mind is all in a frenzy. This is how my mind feels...We are travelling again for the next four days, but I agreed to teach Bible Study on Tuesday night. The topic? Each week is a different teacher, with the topic being the teacher's choice. So far, since I was asked on Monday, I have only decided the topic title. I have not written a s.i.n.g.l.e word. Did I mention I am leaving tomorrow? So, anyway, I am signing off until Tuesday.

The topic? "Cultivating a heart of worship in the day-to-day". Any ideas?

Pickin' blueberries

The old memories flood in with the new

For us, just before sunset is the best time to be on the beach. It is not crowded, cool, and you can see lots of wildlife.

We discovered that Lydie's hair becomes curly with humidity. Our boys' hair has never had a single wave, so it was fun to see her with a head full of waves all week.
This picture was taken by the Ripley's Believe it or Not place. Jaybird loved all of the exhibits. Toot and I weren't so sure. I felt like we were at a circus side show, and a little strange for paying to see it all. Some exhibits like the one below were very interesting.
Anyone ever seen the Coliseum recreated with matchsticks? Pretty impressive.
We had lots and lots of fresh fish and shrimp. If you have ever been to Panama City, I'm sure you have eaten at Capt. Anderson's. I ate at this restaurant with Mom, Dad and my brother almost every summer growing up. (Ignore my not-so-lovely beach make over...no make-up and wind blown, frizzy hair)
Walking the same piers as I did years ago, only as the Mama this time.
Old and new...we found a new favorite restaurant. Lydie made friends with the scary looking wooden tiki carving.

I am praising God that He has provided the resources for us to go on family vacations each year. These times of travelling and exploring with the children are so important and special to me. I'm going to stuff these memories into my little treasure trove and cherish them for years to come!

Vacation memories

We have always loved a week at the beach. I grew up going to the Gulf coast regularly throughout the summer, and it's a tradition I have loved passing on to our children. Last year was the only year that I can remember in our (almost) twelve years of marriage that we did not visit the beach. So we have been looking forward to our trip. My aunt offered her condo to us for a free week's stay. Normally we go to an island or Fort Morgan and rent a quiet house away from the crowds. But this year we went decided that free room and board was too generous to pass on, so we stayed right in the main hub of Panama City Beach. Our condo was away from the street and very quiet, but still in the middle of the most popular restaurants and hang-outs.

The kids enjoyed a week of indulging each night in trips to different restaurants and money-pit entertainment spots. We played mini-golf (three times), we rode go-carts, we visited "Ripley's Believe it or Not", the water park, and we played in an arcade...we were typical tourists. During the day we were in the sand or water. Normally, we have one night of hoopla, and the rest of the time we walk, fish, catch crabs by flashlight, read, and just relax. So this we are not used to all of the commercialism! But, all and all, we had a great time and the kids had a ball. Here are a few glimpses into our first few days:On our way down to the beach, we stopped and stayed for the night at our Alma Mater. There is nothing more surreal than walking the streets of your college town, steeped with memories of the bridge you took between childhood and adulthood, arm in arm with your three children and husband/college sweetheart.

My sweet little boy was overjoyed to go into the library. He has never been in a collegiate library and it looked so huge and exciting. (The library is one of "his favorite places on earth".) We missed the closing time by 10 minutes. Here he is just "sitting because he needs to be alone". Thankfully, his disappointment was nothing that a McDonald's milkshake...
and a visit to Toomer's Corner couldn't cure!

Lydie bug eats her first big-girl ice cream cone. Doesn't she look tiny in comparison?
My Dad gave the kids a big bag of change for spending money. It turned out to be $35 for each child. We went to this huge souveneir shop that had alligators and sharks inside. The boys are supposed to be squatting down to Lydie's size...but she insisted on squatting,too.
She is our first child to experience mountain snow before beach sand. Here are her 21-month old toes feeling the beach for the first time.

Back again

We have been away at the beach for the last 8 days. We had a wonderful trip. Lydie had never been to the beach before and was the perfect age to fully appreciate the beautiful Gulf. She loves the sand and the water. I'll post picture highlights tomorrow.


Our trip ended with the news that a very close family friend had died suddenly on Thursday morning. We made a detour through Alabama to attend his funeral. It was a very sad day for our family. We had seen our friend last Saturday on our way down to the beach. It is so much more difficult to mourn a sudden, unexpected tragedy. After so many days away and long hours in the car, we are so glad to be back at our own home.


Home, sweet home! It looked so beautiful in the moonlight as we drove up tonight. And God gave us so many small, gracious blessings on our trip. Thankful children, great sleep for every one, and peaceful car rides. Many new, precious memories... catching crabs, fish, jellyfish, and any other small aquatic animal that would fit into a sand pail, so many "Mama, look at me..." memories, tanned little faces at candlelight dinners, reading together, ice cream after mini-golf, their first trip to the water park, and so much more.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Job 1:21

Themes from our summer

"If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance."

Bern Williams

Enjoying the outdoors

Swimming

Fresh garden food

Visits to "the farm"Cooking

Country roads

A time to give

This is my Dad. He and my Mom have been there for me all of my life. But somehow, this year has been the best ever with Dad. I think maybe I feel that way because this has been the first time in my life that he has asked me for help. He has always been a source of security and strength for me, but that has only been received and really never given. Did I mention that this man is the most generous man I know? I could give countless examples of gifts he has given that are unbelievable. One example, is giving away his car to a family member that was in need. Another one is buying school clothes for a daughter of his employee every fall. The list of what he has done for us could go on and on.

What a joy it has been for me to serve my Dad for a change. I have had the bittersweet honor of walking closely with him as we watched my Grand mom pass on. Those days with him were heartbreaking and bonding at the same time. And recently, he has embarked on a brand new adventure with us as we look toward moving back to our home state in a year or two and living here. This land will simultaneously fulfill my husband and my Dad's life-long dreams. I can not wait to share that time with my two favorite men! I hope that with this experience and all the others in between, each year is full of memories like the ones I will cherish from this year with my Dad.

Happy Father's day!

At least the boys are happy Surprise, surprise, her mood changed :)

Dear Sweetie,

I am so thankful for you. When I try to pinpoint what makes you such a great Dad, I think it might be your humility. Thank you for being so gracious to us when we mess up, and for being broken and honest with your own sin in front of us. This seemingly small, but very significant trait is what sets the tone for our family. It gives us all the courage to be apologetic and concerned for one another. You, without saying a word, help us to strive to be like Jesus, leaving the old behind and forging ahead to what He has for us. Thank you for leading us faithfully, as a servant. We appreciate, admire and love you very much!

Would you pray with us?

We are assuming a new role at church. In addition to my husband's company and biology classes, he has accepted the position as interim youth director at our church. One of his best friends is our current youth pastor and has taken another position. He will leave next week and we will step in. I say "we" because every wife knows that with a husband's added responsibility away from home comes a wife's added responsibility in the home. I am very excited to see my husband serve the teens of our church this way. He has a gift and has been working with the high school guys for three years. God has been gracious to dole out blessings in many ways through this ministry and he is needed. He will work 15 hours a week to prepare for the Wednesday night "message", Sunday morning classes, student leaders, and social events. I am very thankful that our new homeschooling venture will lend more time for all of us to be involved in the socials and maybe a retreat. I am going to join him in participating with the high school Sunday school this school year and look forward to small group time with the girls.

My prayer requests would be that we would keep the hedges of protection up consistently to guard our family. (We have set aside certain times for family, time alone, time together as a couple, and will hire someone to help me a little with housework. We are also making time in prayer and the Word the first priority in the morning together.) I pray that our new target for the Evil One will be thwarted by the only One that can protect us from the effects of spiritual warfare. I pray for balance and good stewardship of time for my husband. And I pray that God's kingdom will be built by an increase in faithful followers and strengthened believers in our youth ministry. As I say a lot around here, "...here we go!".

Shaken up

I had a day today where I am forcing myself not to ask the "What ifs...". This morning the kids and I were all in the family room. We were just finished with breakfast and still in our pjs. I was having a quiet time and a cup of coffee while they watched cartoons and ran around. Jaybird and Lydie were in the oversized chair laughing and talking (jabbering). All of a sudden, I heard a quick, cry and loud gasp. Lydie had grabbed the pull string to the blinds and wrapped it around her neck like a necklace. She leaned forward and it pulled tightly enough around her neck to take her breath away. Thankfully, I was five feet away on the sofa and I picked her up and unwrapped the string. It was such a close call that it actually left a red burn around her neck.
When it was all over, I was shaking.

The spot

The Lord only knows how many times a day we come in harm's way. Maybe this incident could have been prevented with safer kid-proofing. But many such accidents are unavoidable. And the truth is, most things are completely out of our control (even with our precious babies). I am reading an incredible, life-changing book called Bold Love by Dan Allender. It addresses the situations in life that seem from our perspective to be injustices doled out by God. I love it when an author will go there, to that place that is uncomfortable and that we all stuff down deep because we are afraid of what the truth might be. This book invites us to actually wrestle with God over our anger and misunderstanding of these type of situations. It is fascinating. Here's a clip:

"A hint may now be offered as to why grace is so demanding in its free offer- all that's required in response is stunned silence and overwhelmed gratitude. A stunned and grateful heart is free to love because it has been captured with the hilarious paradox that we are unlovely but loved, and unable to love but free to try without condemnation. And all efforts to love are made lovely and useful by a great Lover who superintends all our bumbling efforts and turns the dross of mixed motives to the gold of eternal intentions.

If this is true, why do so many seem to love so poorly? Part of the answer is that few are that silent or that grateful to God for the work of the Cross. Instead, most of us are somewhat irritated with God that He has not done more to resolve our struggles with an outstanding mortgage debt- or with the debt that is owed to us by a parent who abused us. To be honest, few Christians are that overwhelmed by the power of the gospel to save our souls from hell, because the unpleasant consequences of living in a fallen world feel too much like a hell in which God refuses to intervene."

Uggg...it's swimsuit season

It's swimsuit season. I like the swimsuit that I bought this summer. It looks more like a tennis outfit than a swimsuit. But regardless, I dread swimsuit season. My I-will-get-my-pre-children-body-back-tomorrow attitude has left me a little nervous to sport the pool attire. I am glad that I am finally feeling up to trying to lose a little weight. Remember this post? I started a "diet" and just became more obsessed with food, with the calorie counting and fat-gram counting. I just kept putting it all off.

Finally, the day after Mother's day I set my goal. You know, I don't do a thing without a goal in mind. I don't even get out of bed without goals for the day. (Is this strange?) Anyway, I set out for a more updated version of the mommy body. I've lost ten pounds so far. It's not about getting more healthy, because I am healthy as a horse. Low blood pressure, perfect iron count, low cholesterol, etc. Praise the Lord for that gift! It's about looking at this area of my life and seeing that I am not giving my best to Jesus. I am not being the best steward of my body.

Even so, I will always be tempted to diet for vanity's sake. For that reason, when I saw the picture below, I shamelessly took more solice in it than I would care to admit.

See that tummy? I guess even Cindy Crawf*rd fights this battle! Who knew?

Poo-too in potty

Today my little toddler ran to find me as fast as her little one-foot long legs could go. I heard, "Mama, Mama, MOMMY!" I was in the dining room dusting when she found me. She sat down and stared for a minute and then said, "I fink...I fink I go poo-too." "You think you need to go poo-poo?" She nods her head up and down quickly. She has been telling me this statement for two days. I hold her hand and we find a restroom quickly. But she always goes in her diaper before we can get to a potty. But today was different.

I slowly peeled down her diaper, expecting it to be full. But it was empty! She said a little irritated, "I go poo-too!", and pointed at the potty. So I sat her down, no step stool, no potty seat. This was unexpected and I was unprepared. She is still so small, without help she could have fallen in with water up to her chest. So I support her under the arms and she did it! Her first time to tell me and go! She stood up and looked in, a little disgusted at first. The look was hillariously priceless as if to ask, "Is THIS what you clean out of my diaper every day?" But after a few seconds she starts giggling and clapping and yelling to her brothers, "I go potty! I go poo-too!" They both had to come and see, bless their hearts. And being the sweet, precious brothers that they somehow are, they clap and pat her on the back like she is the first human being to ever discover and use a potty. Then she found the phone and brought it to me and said, "I go potty. " I new she was too proud to keep the news to herself. So we called both Mimi and Nana and she shared the news, "Mimi. I potty. I poo-too."

If you are a mom, and you have potty trained one or more children, you know that this step, while wonderful, does not mean she will be in big girl panties next week. But after three children, and the small hint that we might be at the end of the diaper era, a girl can dream, right?

De-sus uvs me

Have I mentioned that I love the summer? This week has been uneventfully amazing. Swimming, apple pie, friends, cartoons, books, pajamas until lunch. I love it!

Tonight after a day at the pool and an evening of pizza and a movie, my little girl melted my heart. She is 20 months old now. Tonight as I put her to bed, she sang along to "Jesus Loves Me". She has been singing for a while, mainly humming. But tonight, she remembered almost every word, in her own baby talk. Those big blue eyes stared up at me from my lap in the rocking chair and she loudly sang her heart out. Every little part of her face was smiling.

Just for posterity, I want to remember what it sounded like. She has pretty good pitch and sings loud and proud. The words went something like this:

De-sus uvs me dis KNOW.

Foe da Biii-bu tells SOOOO,

Lit-uh ones he beWOOONG.

Dey weak...STOOONG.

Nes...wuvs MEEEE.

Fah Biii-bu tehs SOOO.

Poetry

In college, one of my sorority sisters turned me on to poetry. She was going through an odd stage as she was fascinated with death. During that year, she shared what the famous poets had to say about death with me. I knew quite clearly my view of death. Regardless, in those months I fell in love with poetry. I even secretly try to create my own from time to time. Today I was telling someone my favorite poem. I have not read it in a long time. I feel like I am in the dorm again!

Here is To a Skylark, by Percy Shelley. Enjoy!

Regarding choices

I read a series of posts from this blog recently regarding choices. Her words have sent my thoughts and prayers whirling. I have been asking myself and the Lord the same question, "Am I enjoying my portion and my cup?" I am experiencing that deep down conviction, the painful kind, that can so easily be mistaken for condemnation. But no, it is conviction; gentle and warm, from the hand of the Father. And it urges me to call out my sin, ask forgiveness, and be restored to Him. (Romans 8:1-2 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.")

This year has been wonderful for our family in many ways. My husband and I have been blessed with a vibrant, growing church. We have been able to serve and be spiritually fed in vast amounts. Our marriage is solid. Our children are healthy and growing. We are comfortable financially, really quite wealthy according to the world's standards. (Proverbs 30:7-9 "Make me neither rich nor poor, but give me my daily bread.") And we both seem to be carving out time for things that fulfill us. We are beginning to see God's timing come to pass on our deepest dreams. So why the struggle? Why the fight for joy, still?

I am realizing that every season will be marked with battle (Ephesians 6:11). There will always be something to fear, something to lose, something to doubt. Even in plenty and health, it always looms. For now, I am struggling through toddlerhood with Lydie. The whining and testing are much more demanding than I anticipated. Every day, every moment that she is awake, she is in need. Am I joyfully welcoming this challenge as from the hand of God, marked out for me and for her? Or am I reacting more like the Israelites in Exodus that complained and became faithless every time it was hard to follow God. Remember when Moses pleaded to the Lord, "What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." (Exodus 17:4)

We also have a big move waiting for us in a year and a half or so (future home site above). What will my attitude be as we prepare? Will I be fearful, rebellious against my husband's authority, worried, and doubtful? Will I be counselled by my fears or by the Spirit of God? Again, am I enjoying what is filling my cup? I know it is being poured out by the very One that graciously died to save me. Will I enjoy what He has chosen for me? Will I trust the uncomfortable, unfamiliar path that is marked for me? The choice is simply up to me. By God's grace, I can choose, no fight for, joy and find it and it can be good. (Proverbs 3:5-6, 4:25-27)

Our mascots

This little guy is our new friend. He and his girlfriend hop around our front yard and munch on our grass every day. We were going to name our little friend Peter (Rabbit), but we didn't have the heart. He is so thoughtful to leave our garden alone. We laugh at the little rabbits in our neighborhood. They are smart little creatures. They know that we are the only family that does not pay for our yard to be fertilized, and they love us for it! Weeds must be a bunny's favorite staple.

This little guy is particularly outgoing. He will let my kids get about ten feet away from him. The kids are determined to leave carrots, lettuce and water out for the bunnies at night. But I think their diet will hold them over just fine.

Project complete

I finished my wall collage and I love it! But...I can't share it until I figure out how to blur our names. But I can share my final, finishing touch to pull the family room together.

It's funny how a little thing like a rug's beauty can make you feel good. Here's the rest of the room. Now, I am DONE!

Moving on...this weekend I painted our play/school room. Normally I only like one room on my plate at a time, but the Memorial day holiday offered me a day to paint with my husband watching the children, as opposed to painting at night after they are asleep. Decorating this room is my big project for the summer. It will be a challenge because we are storing a baby grand piano in the room, which takes up a big chunk of the space and is a bit hard to work around. But, I am hoping to have an area for Lydie's toys, the boys' toys and our school room. Here's a hint at what the room will look like...

(middle column, third down).

Chit-chat

Our baby girl is quite the talker. Although she has grown in every area, her verbal skills are what stands out from the last few months. She is putting together words regularly. She asked her first full question last week, "Whe did Daddy go?" She also asks, "Is dat Ja-see?" and other short questions. And yesterday she began stringing longer sentences like, "Go dow swide". But sometimes she stills speaks in jargon, which is adorable. I love it when babies go on and on with hand gestures and head nods, just babbling away. I hope she doesn't drop her baby language any time soon. And best of all, she tells me every day, "I shove shoo, Mommy" with a big bear hug. Thank goodness she is so adorable, because her strong will and high energy level are completely exhausting!

Of course, the down side to her talkative personality is that she sometimes looks bratty compared to other toddlers (this is just my opinion, her nursery sitters as church always sing her praises). For example, there is a little girl that is seven days younger. When you ask her a question like, "Do you like animal crackers?" , she stares at you blankly or moves on about her playing. Lydie, on the other hand, will respond almost always with a "No!", just because she can. Or, if she is especially sassy that day she might say, "No, I no dat!" And her facial expressions are very...expressive. So I have been trying to teach her to say, "No, thank you." but it sounds like, "No, tink twou." You would not believe the discipline involved to have her say, "Yes, ma'm" when I ask her to do something instead of "No!". But unfortunately for her, I am just as stubborn as she is and I always win the battles I choose with her! :) So, there you have it, the pros and cons of a verbal little toddler. I can only imagine what challenges and joys we will face between the ages of 2 and 3! Even though she is normally involved in the biggest challenges of my day, I absolutely adore her!

Toot's progress report

The school year is over for Toot. He will be in kindergarten this fall. I have loved having him at home this year! Even though our schedule has been not as regimented as I would like, by God's grace, he has learned so much! A few of his accomplishments this year are:

-he received Christ as His Savior, fulfilling my biggest hopes and dreams for him!

-he has learned to read very well, reading most picture books fluently and at a normal speed

-he has developed (with mom's strong encouragement) the habit of doing chores

-he has become much more independent, taking care of his own teeth, hair, bathing, and gets his own drinks and snacks

-he has learned to enjoy his bike (training wheels still needed)

-he has learned that math is his favorite subject and can never, never get enough

-he has learned to enjoy the outdoors and play for hours on end in the woods and backyard

-he draws almost every day

-he is writing stories in sentences with a beginning, middle and end

-he has found that he really enjoys sports and played his second season of tee ball

-he got his first game ball at his last game...MVP with all four grandparents there to watch

-he has made his first set of "best friends"- 3boys and 1 girl -that he played with every Thursday (he is the second from the left, with the Indian* Jones hat on, of course)

This has been a great year! I can't believe my baby will be school age this year. It is a joy to share life with this little guy!