The Reason for the Season

I LOVE Christmas!! Its my favorite time of year! I love the decorations, music, baking, shopping, giving, and receiving that go along with it. But, my favorite part of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus. As a mom, I can't imagine giving the life of one of my sons for the sins of myself or others. Yet, God in his great love for us, did that very thing. Amazing!! I try to always stay focused on the Lord amidst all the busyness that the holiday creates, and I do my best not to stress out but to enjoy these times. Ayden and I have been busy the last week baking cookies and candy and I enjoyed making memories with him...even though it slowed me down. I look forward to the time when Landon and Camden are old enough to join in.

We had a particularly good discussion in Sunday school yesterday regarding Christmas. Each of the teachers shared our favorite name for God and why we feel like its a gift to us. I chose the name El Roi - God Sees Me. This name for God was only used once in the Bible, by Hagar after she ran away from Abram and Sarai. An angel met her in the desert and told her to go back. She then received a blessing from God and she gave Him the name El Roi. I love this name because it speaks of the intimate relationship God wants to have with each of us.
When I feel like I'm just one of many...He sees me.
When I've been hurt...He sees me.
When I feel like I'm all alone...He sees me.
When I rejoice...He sees me.
When I mess up...He sees me.
When I raise my hands in worship...He sees me.
When I put my face on the ground before Him...He sees me.
Do you know that He sees you, too? May El Roi reveal Himself to you during this Christmas season in ways he never has before. Merry Christmas!!!

It's a Good Thing His Head is So Hard

Man oh man, what a morning we had! We HAD to make a Wal-Mart/Target run to get a few groceries and gifts. Landon hates riding in the cart, but he has to because I can't steer the cart and hold his hand and shop all at the same time. He stands up a lot in the cart, and I always make him sit down so he doesn't fall. But, he's so short, I have a hard time seeing him over Camden's car seat. So, sometimes, I don't notice right away that he's standing. That was the case today. We were finishing up at Target and as I started to make a turn I saw, to my horror, that Landon was standing up...and losing his balance. As if in slow motion, I ran to catch him, but not in time. He fell headfirst onto the floor and immediately a crowd of onlookers gathered around to hear his wails. I felt like a terrible mother. I know it was an accident. I know I don't let him stand up in the cart, for that very reason. I know all of that. But the other shoppers don't. I'm pretty sure they thought I was a terrible momma. Luckily, Landy wasn't hurt and he stopped crying very quickly. He recovered faster than me...I shook for 30 minutes. Then, when we got home, he was sitting in Ayden's little Diego chair and lost his balance again. And fell on his head-again. This time it was just on the carpet, though. Poor guy.

Better Luck Next Time?

I have looked forward to tonight for the last few weeks. Sadly, it was a letdown. Tonight was supposed to be Ayden's big debut in the preschool choir.

He has walked around singing his songs for the last three weeks.

I tried to make today perfect so he'd be in a good mood.

I've been talking it up.

Telling him I'll take pictures and video it.

Getting him all dressed up in his new Christmas outfit.

Running into the church with him about 5 min. late.

Making a last minute bathroom run.

Getting him back onto the stage.

All of that for him to sit while everyone else stood. Sit while they opened their mouths and made a joyful noise. Sit while they smiled for their parents cameras. Sit while his daddy and I furiously motioned for him to stand up and sing. Sit, sit, sit.

When it was over he came to sit with us. Wanna know what he said? "Mama, I wanna sing in the choir. Can I sing in the choir now?" Then he looked up at me and smiled, gave me a kiss and hug, put his thumb in his mouth...and fell asleep.

Better luck next time?

Don't Cry Over Spilled Coffee or Broken Eyeshadow

I've been meaning to post for the last few days, but haven't had the chance to sit down!! We spent all day yesterday at Disney. It was the first time for everyone but me and we had a blast! We rode all kinds of rides, met Buzz Lightyear, ate popcorn, rode the monorail, saw some awesome shows, and watched Hollywood Studios Streets of America light up with over 5 million lights! It was a wonderful day!! It was also so nice to spend a day all by ourselves. We left the cell phones in the car, and so we were literally alone (in the mass of all the other people visiting Disney yesterday). The boys all crashed on the way home, Ayden first. We stopped just outside of Orlando to get some dinner (Chick-Fil-A, baby!), but he was already out and never woke up to eat.
Today was the Preschool Christmas Party at church and so we dropped all three kiddos off at 10 this morning and didn't have to pick them up until noon. For two hours Jesse and I wandered around the mall drinking coffee and buying stocking stuffers for the boys at Target. Its the longest we've been on our own since Camden was born. I can't tell you how nice it was to have one another's undivided attention.
But, the inspiration for the title of this post, is from Thursday. I have been dragging all week and haven't gotten up early enough to have my quiet time before the boys wake up. So, I've been going to the far side of the living room to read and pray and study...because its away from the main action, but I can still make sure they aren't destroying anything. On Thursday, the two older boys were literally running circles around me making all kinds of noise. As I was finishing, Landon walked over and as quickly as only toddlers can, dumped my coffee all over my bible study book. At least it wasn't my bible! Grr!!! Ayden apologize for him..."Mama, he's really sorry. Landon didn't mean to spill your coffee on your study book!" A few minutes later, I realized my bathroom door was open (I try and always leave it closed...you'll see why). As I went to shut it, I discovered Landon...in my makeup...I'm pretty sure he had eyeshadow on his lips...and some on his eyes...and crumbled all over the sink....and the floor...my brand new eyeshadow that I loved... *sigh* Such is the life for now! He even had the audacity to look up at me and smile....and of course I smiled back... The Little Monster!! I emailed a few friends about our morning, and one suggested I blog about it....she even suggested the title. So, LT, this one's for you!!!

Ladies Night Out

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend Ladies Night Out with some friends from church. What a sweet time it was! The lady that leads the group simply shares from her heart the things God has taught her about being a wife and mom. The focus last night was putting Christ back in Christmas. Some of the suggestions she made are things we already do, but others are something we want to put into practice in our family. One of the girls described these monthly meetings as "refreshing," and I think that is the best description. There are so many things I want to teach my children but sometimes feel at a loss because of they are still so young. She gave practical ideas and said things that made me think about the way I sometimes respond to the boys. Even if they aren't in trouble...do I coach them to do things the right way? Do I encourage and speak to them with respect? What tone am I setting for my home? How do I respond to my husband?
As I've gone through the morning, I find myself thinking about the things that were taught last night, and asking the Lord to mold me and help me to apply the practices into my life. Have a blessed day!

My Little Baby Jesus

Yep, you read right. Camden was Baby Jesus in the Trailblazers' program tonight at church. I know its not a big deal to most people, but his daddy and I were awfully proud. He was so good...he never cried. He got a bit squirmy but Mary and Joseph were awesome and would pick him up before he could have the chance to cry. It was a very sweet service filled with the Christmas story and Christmas carols. Even though Christmas is my very favorite time of year, I'm in a bit of a funk this year because our Christmas will be much different from those in the past. So, it was nice to be surrounded by traditional music and the timeless story of our Savior's birth. May you be blessed this holiday season as you celebrate the most important gift of all!!

Rainy Day

Well, back in Missouri its beginning to feel a lot like....Christmas. You know, cold weather with occasional chances of wintry precipitation...leaves no longer on trees...Jack Frost nipping at your nose.... And, here in Florida, I think fall has finally arrived. Temps in the 50s and 60s for the next week and rain for several days. It has rained most of the day today. We had a cozy day inside, even though we had planned to spend the day at Disney World but cancelled because of the rain. Today was Jesse's day off, and, for the first time in a LONG time, we were all home together all day. We had pancakes for breakfast and then all 5 cuddled on the couch to watch The Polar Express. Then, Jesse and I picked up the house while all 3 boys took extra long naps. Ayden woke up first and the two of us made cookies for dessert and to share with the students when they come over tomorrow afternoon. Then he helped me with dinner. Jess had to be gone tonight, but the boys and I found a Muppet Christmas movie on tv and finished our day like we had started it. All in all, we had a nice, rainy, inside day....sorry its boring to read about, though.

p.s. We'll try Disney again next week...

Pushing My Buttons

Grr.... That's me making a guttural noise similar to growl. Sometimes, being a mommy is hard work. There is one thing that Ayden does occasionally that pushes my buttons like nothing else. I had to discipline him for that thing last night. Part of his punishment was going to bed as soon as he'd eaten dinner. Consequently, he was up early this morning....and made sure everyone else was up as well. Now Mr. 'Tude is seriously pushing his limits again this morning with sassy responses and an ugly attitude. Seems like he does this every time someone from Missouri visits us or we visit them. I know deep down in his little heart that he really misses them....and that I can tell him we'll see them again in 3 weeks, and even make him a paper chain to count down the days...but he really isn't old enough to understand yet. So, while we weather the current storm, I'll pray that his almost 4 year old heart can understand in some way why so much in his world has changed. And, I'll cherish the moments (which are much more numerous than disobedient ones, by the way) when he wraps his little arms around my neck, gives me a kiss, and says "I love you Mama." And, even though I should start cleaning house, my little man is now asking me to sit on the couch and get "covered up" with him....how can I resist?

Thanksgiving 2009

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I was extra thankful for my family this year, and so grateful to be able to spend over a week with them. On Thanksgiving day, we went to Jesse's Uncle Scott's house in Pierce City. Scott and Lynette's house is gorgeous!! It used to be a Catholic church and they bought it and turned it into a house...need I say more? Okay, I will! The family room used to be the gym and has old wooden floors. It also has a fire pole that's about 12 foot tall. The kids always like to slide down the pole, and this was the first year Ayden was big enough to try. I thought he might be afraid, but he loved it!! We also got to see my brother and sister-in-law, Waylon and Amber. That's the first time we've seen them as a married couple, and it was really fun...they look very happy. My nephew Alex has learned to play the guitar for Guitar Hero behind his head, and demonstrated his talents for all of us. I spend a lot of the time making sure the boys were not breaking anything, because there are a lot of things for them to get in to, including a HUGE Christmas tree. We ended the day at mom and dad's house where I got to see most of the Griffith family, along with the Ellis'. It was so great to visit with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I've taken for granted my entire life that everyone lived so close to me, and so now that I live so far away, I find myself cherishing our time together. I've been so exhausted since we got home because I stayed up late every night we were gone, but I didn't want to waste time sleeping when I could have been catching up!! We'll make another trip to MO for Christmas in just three short weeks!! In the meantime, here are some of the pictures from Thanksgiving.

Attack of the Killer Dogs

Ahh, farm life. I'm totally not a farm girl, even if I grew up on one. We are on day 2 of our Missouri visit and having a great time. Today my sister Katie and I went for a jog/walk. I have a couple of crazy friends who are trying to get me to participate in the River Run in March, which is over 9 miles. Leanne sent us all a website that advertises going from the couch to 5k in 8 weeks. And so, Katie went out to do the workout with me. We headed out down the lane and remembered when we got to the corner that the neighbors have 6 or 7 dogs that like to chase cars and probably people. Being the brave ladies, we decided to only walk up and down the lane instead of continuing on the road. But, about the same time, the dogs showed up. I like to call them killer dogs... One of them started chasing after us. Katie was trying to keep it together, but I told her she was on her own and started jogging back to the house. My bro, Michael, heard the commotion and came out with the .22 ready to take the dog out (the dogs cause a lot of trouble...this wasn't the first time). He missed and then Katie and I finished our run in the field behind the house....with the cows. We were both laughing and I told her I hoped I didn't slip in a cow patty on the way. Good times, good times!

And We're Off!

In approximately 15 hours we will be on the road towards Missouri for a nice, looong visit with our family and friends. I'm so excited! I just can't hide it! I'm about to - oops, I got carried away. Back to the subject at hand. I'll leave for the airport in an just a little bit to pick up my dad who will then help me drive the boys to MO tomorrow morning. First, we'll drop Jesse off at the airport to fly to Arizona. He'll be performing his best man duties at the wedding of his best bud (do guys refer to one another as besties? :) ). Then, he'll meet us in MO on Sunday as we spend the week, including Thanksgiving, with our family. I'm totally psyched that I get to be there for Black Friday. For many years now, my mom, sisters, and I spend that day together shopping and the thought of not being there for the annual mother-daughter day would be hard to bear.
Of course, children only seem to get sick on weekends or before going out of town, and true to form, Landon had to go to the doctor today. She said he was on the verge of a sinus infection and went ahead and prescribed an antibiotic since we're leaving in the morning. Hopefully he'll be feeling better before we get there. Although, I have to admit, its nice that he's not getting into everything while I'm trying desperately to get it all done before we go. I'm pretty sure that makes me a bad mom....but Dr. G told me I'm a good mom b/c I'm so patient (2 of my children were crying at this point and one was making all kinds of noise), so I think the two cancel each other out and I end up even. Right? Besides, I didn't mention that I was on my best behavior because I was out in public.
Okay, I've had a nice blogging break, but now I must return to housework and last minute packing. Please pray for a safe trip for all of us and Landon to get over this illness (and the other two not to get sick). I'll leave you with some words of wisdom I had to share with a certain sassy three year old today when he told me he was NOT my friend anymore..."Well, Ayden, its not my job to be your friend. My job is to teach you to obey." Oh Brother!!!!

Family Prayer Walk

We have had such a great morning together. The church had a family prayer walk today and we loaded up the kiddos and hit the streets. Each family had a different area of Arlington to canvas and ours was near Terry Parker high school. We were instructed to knock on doors, introduce ourselves and the church, and ask if there was anything we could pray for. Most people were very receptive and appreciative and we had a great time. Jesse and I were talking about the experience and how glad we are that our boys have the opportunity to grow up participating in ministry. It won't ever have to be something they learn; it will just be a way of life. My prayer for each of them is that they will be used by God to do great things for Him! Have a blessed Saturday!

My God Story

So today I went shopping (I know...I could stop here and you'd know I had a good day!). And, we really didn't have the money for me to go and spend much, but I really needed another pair of jeans before we go to Missouri next week because I only have one pair. I also wanted to try and find coordinating shirts for all of us because my sister is going to take some pictures of us while we're there. So, one of my friends emailed me a coupon for 30% off your purchase at Old Navy. I don't have a printer so I forwarded it to Jesse yesterday and asked him to print it off while he was at work. Only...he didn't get it in time. Stick with me - I really am going somewhere. Anyway, when I left the house today and then again when we prayed over our lunch, I asked God to help me be a wise steward of the money He'd given us...to stretch it and let me find some good bargains. While I was shopping around Old Navy, this lady came up and asked me if I had a coupon. I told her no, and she said she had an extra and would I like to have it. Thank You, Lord. I got EV-ER-Y-THING that I needed today and even came home with a little extra moolah! Now...I'm out...off to hang with our Sunday School class and wrap our Operation Christmas Child boxes.

Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
In vain you rise early and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Wow!! You probably already guessed, but I studied this Psalm today. I needed it so much. I've been very much in "survival mode" with my boys lately. I've even been aware of the fact, but just haven't been able to get over the hump. Today, the Lord broke down the barriers and refocused my attention on the blessing of my children. I don't want to be in "survival mode." I want to cherish each second....even when I feel like I spend all day disciplining. I want to correct them with the mindset of training their little hearts and strong wills to yield themselves to authority. Right now, the authority of their parents, but eventually the authority of their Heavenly Father. I love how faithful the Lord is in teaching me, correcting me, and encouraging me. I find myself singing His praises with tears of gratitude in my eyes. That's not to say I'm having a perfect day. As I type Camden is starting to fuss and I've had to stop more than once to keep Landon and Ayden from doing something they shouldn't. But, my eyes today are fixed on Jesus, the author and PERFECTER of my faith. My prayer is that I would choose to live each day in such a way...that's my challenge to myself. Have a great day in the Lord!!!

p.s. Are you supposed to say p.s. in a blog? Anyway, for those of you following Landon's language progress. We've added a few more words/phrases: "right over there," "amen," "have good day," and "sure." His daddy and I are probably the only ones to understand them at this point, but its progress and I'll take it!

More Than Life

I still have this song in my head. I've loved it for a long time, but have found it speaking to me in a whole new way. This is my prayer....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs5cShQlDTM

So Tired...Must Sleep

We had a lock-in with the students last night. Jesse and I had cautiously planned on 20-25 teenagers, so we were shocked to see them keep coming, and coming, and coming. We ended up with over 60! 60!! Did you hear me? And students are good at staying up all night...until about 5am when exhausted adults get a twisted sense of pleasure from throwing things at them, taking pictures of their drooling, etc. You get the idea. I would say I'm getting old, but I've never been one to pull all-nighters. And I had all three of my children at the lock-in all night...and 2 out of 3 slept only about 4 hours. We all fell asleep when we got home and nobody moved for about 3 hours. And, even though I'm now awake, I'm counting down until bedtime. But, I did want to share that we have some really great students in our church, and I so appreciated and enjoyed the small group time I shared with a fun group of girls. I feel humbled by the fact that they feel like they can open up and ask honest questions about the Lord.

Okay...I don't think I can continue forming coherent thoughts...so I'll leave with this....Jesse and I played Knights, Mounts, Cavaliers with the students, and we were doing pretty good. But, Jesse's knee has really been bothering him lately and so the longer we played and he had to lift me, the more it hurt him. The last time he lifted me up he was literally grunting and gritting his teeth. Talk about motivation for weight loss!! Thanks, dear. :)

Thoughts on Worship

I experienced such a sweet time of worship with our students last night. They are beginning to take small little baby steps towards understanding what worship really is and how it goes so far beyond singing. I am doing the Beth Moore bible study "Stepping Up" with two other ladies, and am enjoying learning about the worship from the Psalms. In our video session last week, Beth talked about the way we respond during times of worship through music. She quoted some well known hymns and praise and worship songs and challenged us to think about the words. Of course this is something I already knew, but I so needed a refresher. I've found myself in the last week, stopping myself from just singing along without paying attention and focused on the words. Needless to say, I've had some amazing times with the Lord the last few days! Last night, as we sang praises to God, I found myself constantly praying for the words to be true of me. I can't get this one out of my head:

I love You,
And all of my hope is in You
Jesus Christ
Take my life, take all of me

Halloween Weekend Recap

First of all, thanks to my old friend, Abby, for giving me pointers on how to personalize my blog. I'm really liking my new background, even though it looks girly. I know I should have picked something that reflects the fact that I have three boys, but I thought this one was more "me." Anyway, we had a great Halloween weekend. This was the first year that Ayden really understood that when he says "trick-or-treat" his reward is candy. Landon didn't care as much and Camden slept through most of the fun, but they all still looked incredibly cute! And the best part? In the pictures, you can't see how sweaty they really were because it was like 90 degrees Saturday. I know its not always cold in Missouri on Halloween, but its never scorching! I had a lot of people say "Welcome to Florida." Enjoy the pics!

Sweet Hour of Prayer

We're home now after one of the sweetest gatherings I've ever experienced as a believer. About 75 people from ABC converged on our pastor's home and circled around it to pray. We began by praying at each of the corners of his house and went around the circle from there. It was such a sweet time as we focused on praying protection and blessing over Pastor Joe and his family. They are such a sweet family with hearts to serve the Lord through the people of ABC and the surrounding community. We are blessed to be part of such an amazing group of people.

On a lighter note, the boys were all very good during the prayer time, which is saying a lot, considering we were literally standing right in fron of the swing set and slide. Ayden mentioned a few times that the slide was wet from rain, Landon had to be passed between Jesse and I until he settled in on his daddy's shoulders, and Camden had the hiccups...but all things considered - they were great! We finished the evening at O'Charley's (you know, were kids eat for FREE!) before coming home. Once we got all the kids into bed, Jesse and I settled in to watch Game 2 of the World Series (ok, mostly Jesse - I just don't care since the Cardinals aren't in it). A few minutes later, out waltzez Big A with his laptop toy saying he really needed to to do his homework. I sent him back to bed and then went to peek in on him a few little while later. He was sitting at the end of his bed, in between the mattress and footboard, with his computer propped up, still working on his "homework." Oh well....at least he was in bed and being quiet...some battles aren't worth fighting, and his daddy and I got a good chuckle out of secretly watching him.

Night, all!

Landon Said "Choo-Choo!"

Okay, for those of you who know me well, you know I'm totally stressed that Landon won't talk! I know what you all say...younger kids don't talk as early, he'll talk when he's ready, blah, blah, blah (no offense). But, seriously, my teacher side is coming out (What if he has an expressive language delay?) and its so frustrating to hear all of his babbles and not know what he's saying. Anyway, yesterday he saw Ayden's Thomas stickers on the wall in the bathroom (a potty training incentive, and they're the peel and stick kind). He pointed and said "tane" (or something pretty close to that). I responded with, "That's right it's a train. A train says 'choo-choo.' Can you say 'choo-choo?'" AND HE SAID IT!! It's really a huge feat that he said two new words in the span of one conversation. Maybe we're getting somewhere after all.

p.s. I'm still working on the design and layout of this thing. I hope to have some pictures up soon.