Helpmate First

New Beginning

2006-08-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have begun a new and long journey. You can read about it here. Thank you all for the blessing of your prayers, concern and love over the last 2 weeks. It has blessed me beyond measure!

Sad ending, new beginning

2006-08-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

Several of you that read my blog already know the ends and outs of my life over the last week.
This week and its holdings changed my life...forever.
This will be my last posting on this blog. I will close it here and start anew somewhere else...some day. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'd love to talk with you, eventually. Call me next week sometime and I will update you on how to find me. I will not be putting that information here.
"Peace for today and bright hope for tomorrow,"
Tamra

My Brave Boy

2006-08-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

My sweet brave boy has wanted to jump off the diving board all summer long. Our pool doesn't have a board, so he hasn't had as many opportunities to build up his courage as I would've liked. But yesterday he mustered up the courage to jump. And once he jumped once, he couldn't get enough. He jumped like 20 times. It was great. It's so fun watching your kids try and do new things. Once it was time to leave he said, "Mom, all this time I didn't' know what I was missing by not jumping off the diving board. I want to do it all the time now."
Thanks to Pam, Conner and Erin who invited us over for lunch and swimming yesterday. What fun! And thanks to Amy for watching my children so I could go see her husband (Dr. Bean) about my troublesome tooth! What sweet friends I have!

Summer is nearing the end. Enjoy those hot swimming days while you can before it's time for long sleeves and cocoa. Have a great weekend everyone!

Rude Awakening

2006-08-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

This morning I was awaken...
rudely awaken by a 2 and 1/2 inch cockroach crawling across my neck.

Enough said.

Good News

2006-08-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say? God is good. He always does what is best for His children. We've walked the path of trial over the last year and half (has it only been that long?) of Chris working 70 hour weeks. I'm proud to announce that this time of trial is coming to an end starting September 2nd! Chris was FINALLY promoted to Assistant Manager! YAY! He deserves this. He has been deserving of this promotion for a while in my unbiased opinion, but those Starbucks people just had to figure it out!

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us. We so appreciate your love and concern.

Happy Birthday to 3 sweet friends

2006-08-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

July holds so many birthdays for so many special people in my life. Unfortunately, I kind of let them come and go without enough recognition. So better later than never...

Happy Birthday Ann!
You're a sweet, godly friend that I was so blessed to meet over a year ago. Talk about providence bringing 2 people together! Thanks for getting on the plane that day!
Love you!

Happy Birthday Mindy!
Words could never put our friendship in perspective. You are a sister to me. You have been used as an instrument in my life to sharpen me, encourage me and ever so gently rebuke me. I hate that we live so far away now, but we know that miles could never separate 2 sisters in the Lord. I love you my dear friend!

Happy Birthday Laurie!
Thank you for always being the friend that makes me and mine feel so loved and special. You are my scrapbooking buddy, my accountability partner and my sister in the Lord! I can always count on you whenever I'm in a bind. You define loyalty.
You know I love you and cherish our friendship. You are my dear sweet friend! You're the forever kind! Love you Laurie!

Make a wish!

Kindermusik

2006-07-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

Well, as of tomorrow my Kindermusik summer camps are over! What a relief to have one more round of classes completed and kind of sad all at the same time. Several of my students will not be returning until next summer because the mommies teach school and are about to go back to work. I am excited, however, to get some of my students back who took a break over the summer! I'm praying for another year of growth and blessing from the Lord on my little business. What an awesome job I have! I mean, it doesn't get much more fun than this! Here are some pictures of some of my classes so you can get a glimpse at what Kindermusik looks like in action.

Village Class
Birth-18 months

"Bubbles, bubbles, landing on your nose...Bubbles, bubbles, landing on your toes...Bubbles, bubbles floating to the floor...Pop them! Pop them! Now we'll blow some more!"

"Time to put the eggs away, eggs away, eggs away. Time to put the eggs away. Thank you, thank you! Thank you boys and girls!"

"Are you sleeping, are you sleeping brother John, brother John? Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing. Ding, ding, dong! Ding, ding, dong!"

Our Time
Ages 18 months-3 years

Imagine That!
Ages 3-5 years

This is my little summer camp class. This class is usually huge, but this summer it was only these 3 sweet girls and Benjamin. What fun we had! I wish you could hear them sing. One of the sweetest sounds on earth is a preschooler singing his or her heart out!

We went "camping" today and this is the campfire we made. Pretty cool, huh? Wood (rhythm sticks) were gathered in the woods, scarves made flames and flashlights lit it all up. We sang campfire songs as we sat around the fire!!

Worth One Thousand Dollars

2006-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well we just returned last night from West Columbia, Texas. That was the last stop on a whirlwind trip of the Houston area (really, what one of our trips is NOT a whirlwind??). It was great! Tuesday we drove in and met my parents in the Woodlands. We had dinner, went to a movie (Cars, which was super cute!!) and then went to see my granny afterwards. It made for a late night for everyone, but we had to pack it all in, ya know?

Here are the kids late that night with my granny Johnson. She always has Mardi gras beads for them to play with. Not sure why. She loves them so much!!

It was funny...in the theater while we were watching the movie, Cait tried to sit in one of the chairs. Because she is so little, her little legs couldn't hold it down. It was sort of folding up and closing her up in it. She started yelling, "Help me! My chair is bwoken!" We tried to tell her that it wasn't broken, but she insisted on visiting every chair on our row. She would climb up in it and say, "Nope, it's bwoken too." And every time there would be any upbeat music during the movie, she would get off my lap and start dancing right there in front of us. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen!
So, the next day, Wednesday, we spent inside because there was a monsoon in Tomball. You couldn't even see out the windows the rain was coming down so hard. Made the kids kind of stir crazy so we ventured out to the Chick-fil-a in Tomball. We let the kids play in the play area for over an hour. Mom actually sent me to go get a pedicure in town while she watched the kids. What a treat! Thanks mom!! I needed that peace and quiet.
We were supposed to go that night to Sugar Land to visit Chris's family, but they had been watching their other grandkids for the past 2 days and they were worn out. So we stayed another night at my parents.
Thursday we went to see Chris's sister, Aimee and her girls. Then we went to see my Granny Kemp and have lunch with her. We had such a great visit. What a blessing that time was to me! Afterwards, we headed to Sugar Land for dinner and to get the kids settled. I left Benjamin and Cait there with the Perkinsons that night so I could go to my sisters and set up for the garage sale early the next morning. We were up until 1 am finishing our pricing and signs and such. It was fun to hang out with Danyel, Ryan and my cousin Michelle though. The next day, in 130 degree weather with 98% humidity we had day 1 of our garage sale. We had a super turnout and made over $600 the first day! Day 2 my mom and the kids were with us and we had another great, but hot day. When it was all said and done between us we made over $1000 dollars!!!! Is that possible that junk could be worth that much money??? It obviously is to the people in West Columbia, Texas!
I came away with $300 for my stuff. I was pretty pleased with that! It was fun and totally worth it! I AM glad to home to my hubby though and looking forward to our normal routine this week!! Looking forward to catching up with all of you too!

This is just a portion of our "stuff". This is halfway through day 2 when SO much had already sold.

More STUFF!!

Aren't I lucky that I don't have to post what I looked like on that day if I don't want to. It's MY blog! My cousin Michelle, mom and Danyel. We all looked pretty rough. Hey! We worked HARD!

The kids swimming while the garage sale was going on. The life of a kid...all play!

On the Road Again

2006-07-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

Give me a break, right? Who travels as much as me?? It's been insane and yet I don't regret one trip I've made this summer. Several of our lakehouse trips have been for the benefit of my poor, sweet, overworked hubby. So I definitely don't regret the time spent relaxing there.
This time we are taking our one and only trip this summer to Houston. First Tomball to see my parents, granny J and a few friends, then Sugar Land to see Chris's family without Chris :-( , then ending up in West Columbia to see my sister and sweet nephew. We are hosting the world's largest garage sale on Friday and Saturday. Literally, like 10 people are going in on it. I brought down 3 van loads worth of stuff over 3 trips.
Anyhow, it'll be a fun, fast and furious trip and then home again to see sweet hubby on Saturday night. Honey, if you're reading this...doing something fun while we're gone! I mean it! Go out with your buddies or rent a movie that you know I would hate! You give us all your free time all the time and deserve some to call your own. I already miss you after writing all this out. Maybe I WON'T go....Nah, just kidding!
When we get home I'll update everyone with some pictures of the trip. Gotta get packin'!

It's Time

2006-07-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

I've been putting this off, simply because I have been in complete denial of the hard-core facts. However, I must face reality and let you know that my sweet friend Christi has moved. Not like to the next town over mind you. No....to Nashville, Tennessee! That' a really long way from Wylie, Texas if you didn't already know that.

What can I say about Christi? Have you ever had one of those friends that you loved? You loved them like a sister and hoped that you would be friends forever? Have you ever had a friend that is a lot like you, but OH SO MUCH BETTER?? Have you ever had a friend that you wanted to be around just in hopes that you would become more like them?? Yeah? Well, that's the kind of friend Christi is to me. Now I know...this is the 21st century. I can e-mail her, call her with my unlimited long distance, I can text her, call her on my cell, I could go and read her blog any day I want to see pictures of her family and catch up on the details. I'm so blessed that even though she has moved so far away (and so suddenly I may add) I still have her as a friend.

However, I must bring up the gloomy side of it all. Yes, I must! No more dessert at La Madeline's on a Sunday night. No more playdates with her sweet kids and mine. No more bringing each other meals when one of us needs one. No more Jack in my Sunday School class and no more Grant in Benjamin's class. No more Ramares clan to sit with almost every Sunday to share lunch with. No more cookie cakes!!!!!!

It's all sad and true. But Christi, (I know you're going to read this!) know that you're loved and missed already by all of us! You're one of the sweetest Christian sisters I've ever had. Don't forget about us!!!

Here is Cait at our super early yet traditional birthday party with the kids.
Cait will be 3 on Aug 6th.

Here's Jack blowing out his candle. He will be 3 on July 24th.

Here are all 5 kids together. They really love each other.
It's such a blessing for your kids to have sweet friends!
Come visit us soon!!

It's a GIRL!!

2006-07-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

My sister, Danyel just found out this week that she is having a baby girl. Here she is!! Mia Beth will join her big brother Eli sometime in mid-December. We're so excited!! This is important because, what if Cait never has a sister? That bothers me. I have a sister and I think everyone should have a sister. At least this way Cait will have a girl cousin that she will most likely be very close to. YEA! Baby Mia will make it here (D.V.) just in time for Christmas. Can't wait!

Happy Anniversary

2006-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago today I married my prince charming, Chris Perkinson. He has given me two beautiful children and has made me the happiest wife I could be. Thank you honey for these last 8 years (actually 12 if you count the courtship). Thank you for choosing me and loving me and serving me everyday. I couldn't be happier. I can't wait for the next 8!

Yours only,
Tamra

Home

2006-07-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

I went to the lakehouse this weekend with my children. We met my mom, sister, baby Eli, my aunt Shannon, aunt Sharon and my two cousins Angela and Michelle. This was our second annual scrapbooking/quilting retreat all together. What fun!! I seriously wanted to get a lot done on my scrapbooking, but ended up getting so much more.
My mom and my two aunts are woman that I admire. I could admire them for many reasons, but one thing that is common between the three of them is that they all have outstanding marriages. It is clear that they each adore their husbands, serve them, rarely speak ill of them and are very much in love. So I asked them. I came right out and asked what they would tell me, a woman who will be married 8 years tomorrow. What would you tell me as a young married woman on how to be a better wife and keep my marriage alive. They all seemed to light up as if I was talking to them about their personal favorite subject. The encouragement and ideas flowed from their lips onto ready to listen ears.
What they said specifically I've heard before. It wasn't mind-blowing wisdom. Dates nights, putting your husband's feelings about your own (even when he's acting like a "knot-head"), keep s-e-x interesting and frequent (yes, they said that!). BUT, even though the info wasn't new the point is that they encouraged me on what a tremendous blessing it is to keep your husband first in your heart after the Lord. There is blessing on that day when you suddenly realize that your youngest child is independent. There is joy in knowing that you still have a life. A life with your beloved.
It was a sweet time. It was a well-spent weekend with my family, and I got 16 pages done on my scrapbook!! Whoo hoo! I can't wait until next time.

Job Update

2006-07-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

Just to give everyone an update on where we are with the job...we had a little bump in the road as far as communication goes and so there is more waiting. We have to wait until Chris's district manager returns from her vacation on Sunday to get more answers. Please keep praying as we wait that the Lord would give Chris favor in these people's eyes and that they would want to hire him.

Thanks to everyone who is praying. So many of you have called or e-mailed to inquire, so I thought I'd let you know that we still don't know. We'll let you know as soon as we do!

Quote of the day

2006-07-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a quote from my friend Mary's blog. I found it to be very poignant...

"Humility is not produced by comparing oneself to others or by self-abasement. . .Humility is produced by seeing oneself in the light of who God is."

Have a great weekend everyone!
Tamra

1 Down...99 to Go!

2006-07-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started teaching Benjamin to read. Well...we've actually been working on letters and their sounds, forming letters, etc. for many, many months. But yesterday we did lesson #1 in "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." It is not what I would have chosen if I had every resource at my disposal, but hey, I'm sure it will produce the fruit of my son knowing how to read. He's so ready and I just didn't want to wait any longer!

The Girl Talk blog was an encouragement and a reminder to me the other day when talking about reading. They reminded me that reading alone doesn't cut it. You have to pray and ask God to help you learn and change as you read a book. Books give us good ideas or are good tools for our lives, but the Holy Spirit alone is what does the changing in our lives. I want to strive to lean on Him and rely on His grace as I attempt to teach my children anything. The first thing on the agenda is reading...but before I know it it will be Calculus and Chemistry. More grace please Lord!!

2006-07-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here is an article by John Piper called, "Husbands Who Love Like Christ and the Wives Who Submit to Them." Thanks to Mindy for sending me this article. It goes right along with our submission discussions of late.

For the glory of God,
Tamra

A Book Review: The Well-Trained Mind

2006-06-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

I finally finished reading the parts of this book that applied to me in the immediate future. This is a massive book and not necessarily meant to be read through, but read in applicable sections and then used as a reference. The classical school method has long interested me and I wanted to understand the philosophy behind it better as to determine whether or not it is for our family. Side note: You have to understand that I do not consider myself in charge of our children's education. My husband definitely gets the "say so" but he totally relies on me to do the research and bring the facts to him. He trusts my opinions on our childrens' educations to the utmost...too much I think. I feel pretty overwhelmed sometimes at the idea of being responsible for what and how our children learn. But then there are other days (thankfully more in frequency) when I just can't wait to dive in!!!

Instead of reviewing the book here and giving tons of details that most of you won't care to read, I decided I would put a link here to the "Well-Trained Mind" website's definition of Classical Schooling.

This systematic style of learning that is language-centered (which obviously appeals to my English Lit major husband) truly makes sense to my brain. I am a systematic thinker...I think. As of now, we are planning to forge into this new territory. I just have to remember not only today, but every single day from now until graduation day that I cannot do this task in my own strength. If I feel convicted that this is the road God desires our family to take, then I must take it with confidence in my Savior alone...not in my own abilities or lack thereof.

Same goes for almost anything, right?

Prayer Request

2006-06-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is it...again.

Chris has an interview with Starbucks for an Assistant Manager position in Allen.
We have a date, which is July 10th at 9:30 am.

Most of you know what we went through last December when we were disappointed by an ASM position that fell through. That meant for us 6 more months of Chris working 70 hour weeks. Guys, he's wiped out. He's functioning and God has protected him in an incredible way from illness. But after "paying our dues" for a year and a half now at Starbucks we are SO ready for a normal 40 hour/week job!! Chris has worked so hard!! I respect him so much for sacrificing so many things like free time, hobbies, writing, time with friends, trips home to see family (most of the time I have to go without him).
Well now, I would so like to see him reap what he has sown over the last 18 months.
Would you pray with me that Chris would be accepted for the job as ASM? The store is in Allen...about 15 minutes from our house. It is an amazing opportunity to break into this district which is much closer to our home.
Please pray that Benjamin, who has prayed so hard and so consistently that his daddy could have just one job soon, would see that God hears our prayers and he blesses us.
I would really appreciate it. We're so grateful to have gone through this season because we have grown in many ways, but we're hoping that it will be a memory next month instead of a reality.
Thank you!!!

Delighting in Your Imperfect Husband

2006-06-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is an article written by one of my favorite "older woman" out there. I hope it's an encouragement to you.

How to tenderly love a man with blemishes.

by Carolyn Mahaney

Your husband comes home from work, heads to the nearest comfy chair, and pulls the newspaper up in front of his face. What sort of thoughts run through your mind? Are they kind thoughts? Loving thoughts? Or thoughts you dare not reveal?

We frequently face situations where we are tempted to think harsh and critical thoughts. Sometimes as wives we are more inclined to concentrate on what our husbands are doing wrong than on what they are doing right. We are more aware of their deficiencies than areas where they excel. But if we submit to these temptations, they will only lead to the demise of warm affection.

Rather, we must choose to focus on our husbands' many commendable qualities. As we do this, we will be amazed. We'll start to discover more and more good qualities that we were failing to see because we were blinded by our critical thoughts.

Tender Thoughts

In her book Love Has a Price Tag, Elisabeth Elliot includes some very good counsel from her husband for wives:

A wife, if she is very generous, may allow that her husband lives up to perhaps eighty percent of her expectations. There is always the other twenty percent that she would like to change, and she may chip away at it for the whole of their married life without reducing it by very much. She may, on the other hand, simply decide to enjoy the eighty percent, and both of them will be happy.

The apostle Paul understood the influence of people's thoughts on their feelings and behavior. He exhorted the Philippians in this way: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 ESV). If we make it our aim to think these kinds of thoughts about our husbands, we will experience tender feelings for them. In Ed Wheat’s Love Life for Every Married Couple, Shirley Rice writes:

Are you in love with your husband? Not, Do you love him? I know you do. He has been around a long time, and you're used to him. He is the father of your children. But are you in love with him? How long has it been since your heart really squeezed when you looked at him? . . . Why is it you have forgotten the things that attracted you to him at first? . . . Your husband needs to be told that you love him, that he is attractive to you. By the grace of God, I want you to start changing your thought pattern. Tomorrow morning, get your eyes off the toaster or the baby bottles long enough to LOOK at him. Don't you see the way his coat fits his shoulders? Look at his hands. Do you remember when just to look at his strong hands made your heart lift? Well, LOOK at him and remember. Then loose your tongue and tell him you love him. Will you ask the Lord to give you a sentimental, romantic, physical, in-love kind of love for your husband? He will do this.

Let's heed Shirley’s advice: If we have forgotten the things that first attracted us to our husbands, let's change our thought pattern and start to remember them.

Tender Behavior

Tender thoughts are only the beginning! As Linda Dillow says in Creative Counterpart, “Now that you know your husband's admirable qualities, why keep them to yourself? It's good to admire your husband secretly but how much better to admire him actively!” We can admire our husbands actively by prizing them, cherishing them, and enjoying them.

Prize Him

Michelle poured her life and energy into her two small children. However, the demands and joys of motherhood crowded out her love for her husband. Friendships and service in the church even took precedence over her relationship with Peter. They didn't have any major problems, but their marriage certainly wasn't exciting anymore. Intimate communication and even daily expressions of affection had dwindled. After nine years of marriage, their relationship more closely resembled an amiable business partnership. Michelle was so busy raising her daughters, she didn't even notice.

Michelle had ceased to “prize” her husband. There was a time when Peter was the most important person in her life, but over time her children and friends had become more significant. However, according to Scripture, these are faulty priorities.

The Bible makes it very clear that, after our relationship with God, our relationship with our husband is to be our highest priority. In the creation account in the book of Genesis, we discover that woman was created to be her husband's helper (Genesis 2:18). The same is restated in the New Testament: “For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man” (1 Corinthians 11:8-9). Then in our Titus 2 passage we see that the list of instructions for the younger women begins and ends with their relationship to their husbands.

Notice from the aforementioned verses that we were created to be our husband's helper, not our children's mother. Certainly we are to love, care for, and nurture our children, but this love is to flow out of a lifestyle that is first and foremost committed to helping our husbands. Our husbands should always remain first in our hearts and in our care.

In fact, one of the most loving things we can do for our children is to prize our husbands. It provides a wonderful security in their lives, and it presents a biblical model for them and their future marriages.

Michelle was unaware that she was putting her children before her husband until several faithful friends from church brought it to her attention. “It was like waking up,” she said. “I was blind to it.” Michelle immediately began to make changes. She started by praying each day that God would give her greater love for Peter. But she didn't stop there. She began to express affection in creative ways—through cards and letters. She took time to think about things that would bless Peter. She sought his opinion first instead of going to her friends. In short, she made her relationship with her husband her highest priority!

Her actions had a tangible effect. As a couple they began to pursue interests and activities that didn't involve the children. “Things went so well,” Peter said, “that we began to look for more opportunities to steal away together and have fun and enjoy each other.” For their anniversary they spent a weekend alone. “The most enjoyable part was simply enjoying one another and our newfound romance. We had a blast!”

Let's heed Scripture's counsel and follow Michelle's example. We should do whatever it takes to let our husbands know that we prize them above all others!

Cherish Him

Remember that we vowed in our wedding ceremony “to love and to cherish till death do us part”? Do we even understand what we promised to do? To cherish means to hold dear, to care for tenderly or to nurture, to cling fondly to, or treat as precious.

So how do we make our husbands feel cherished? Who better to ask than husbands? I queried a number of men: “What is one way your wife cherishes you?” Here are some of their answers:

“If I'm sick in bed, my wife prepares tea and meals for me without my asking and waits on me hand and foot. It's as though her world stops so she can take care of me.”

“Each time Karin catches my eye in public with a smile and subtle wink, or greets me with a warm embrace upon my arrival home from work, or hangs on my arm when we go out on a date, the message comes through loud and clear: 'I enjoy being with you and want you to know that I love you.'“

“If I am struggling with a sin, Bonnie will communicate her love for me before bringing correction. Her care for me in those moments is when I feel most cherished because I know she loves me, even at my worst.”

“Valori cherishes me by regularly encouraging me in my walk with God and thanking me for pursuing Him with all my heart. This encourages me to persevere, even when I am walking through trials.”

“Julie is an astute observer of my life and my needs. She listens carefully whenever I express the smallest desire for something. Along with normal holidays, she will frequently pick up gifts that are relevant, timely, and special to me.”

May these examples spark our own creativity! Let's think of one way that we can cherish our husbands today.

Enjoy Him

Phileo is not a dutiful love; it is to be characterized by joy and delight. We are to find great happiness in our relationship with our husbands. We should prefer their company above all others. We should find genuine pleasure in serving them, and we should take an interest in what they enjoy.

Now taking an interest doesn't necessarily mean that we have to duplicate their enthusiasm or involvement. But the fact that we are even interested in what they enjoy will be meaningful to them.

Though there are some areas where I have not done so well at enjoying what my husband enjoys (sports being just one), I have come to appreciate one of his favorite pastimes. My husband loves to read. In fact, on our honeymoon he took one whole suitcase filled only with books! Now to his defense, he didn't actually read any of those books. But that gives you a clue as to how much he enjoys this activity. His habit, no matter what time we get into bed at night, is to prop himself up and read for at least twenty minutes before going to sleep.

When we were first married, this bedtime habit really irritated me. I would be particularly unhappy with the routine on nights when I was dog-tired but couldn't sleep because the light was still on. However, I came to realize that I was the one who needed to adjust. So I chose to join my husband. Now I prop myself up, get my book out, and read with him. And guess what? It has become one of our favorite things to do together.

Even if it's not our preference, we should make an effort to enjoy those things that interest our husbands. Who knows? God may surprise us. We may end up actually liking them!

God’s Grace

Our gracious God delights to honor our obedience. As we seek to prize, cherish, and enjoy our husbands, He will freely fill our hearts with love and affection for them. This will happen regardless of your circumstances—no matter how long it has been since you have felt or demonstrated affection for your husband, no matter how many times you have tried and failed. God is eager to impart fresh grace to you.

Adapted from Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney. Copyright 2004 by Carolyn Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries, page(s) 31-37. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, www.crossway.com. Download for personal use only.

Quote of the day

2006-06-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Quote by D.A. Carson

“So many Christians today identify themselves with some ‘single issue’ (a concept drawn from politics) other than the cross, other than the gospel. It is not that they deny the gospel. If pressed, they will emphatically endorse it. But their point of self-identification, the focus of their minds and hearts, what occupies their interest and energy is something else” (The Cross and Christian Ministry, p. 63).”

Thought on Submission

2006-06-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, the topic has been heavy on my heart lately. Maybe because I have read several books lately discussing the biblical wife's roles and then we also attended the Family Life Conference which encouraged me in this area. But the reason this topic has been on my heart is most definitely because the Lord needed to do a work in this area. How could I have gone through almost 8 years of marriage without having a good understanding of submission?
I bet you're thinking... "Wow, she's very unspiritual!" But really, up until 6 or 8 months ago, my idea of submission was letting your husband make the final call in a life-changing decision for your family after you had discussed it together thoroughly for 2 or 3 weeks. He could have the final call. It would be hard...oh yes, but I would submit.
Now, I still think that type of situation is one example of submission, but now I see it as so much more! After the recent teaching I've had on this subject I am seeing that submission is an ATTITUDE. It is an everyday thing. You may already know this and be thinking, "Duh?!" But for me, this was revolutionary! I can submit simply by my loving, supportive attitude.
My friend Jenni told me a long time ago about the 3 C's.
Don't:

Challenge
Correct
Criticise

All of these things are important elements in a submissive attitude. The Bible calls husbands and wives to different roles. We know this.

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Chris, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Eph 5:22-24
Also,
"...the wife must respect her husband." Eph 5:33

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her..." Eph 5:25-26

Husbands are commanded to love their wives. Wives are commanded to submit to and respect their husbands. Respect is a biggie! I think that respect has everything to do with the 3 C's. By not challenging, correcting or criticizing our husbands constantly, in public or private we show that we respect them. Think about it...if you were having a conversation with you pastor, would you be challenging everything that came out of his mouth? Would you look at him with disbelief at what he's saying, like he's stupid? Would you correct his grammar or his facts about a story he's telling? Would you criticize him for telling a particular joke or for doing a project in a certain manner or for wearing a certain shirt? NO! You would respect his decisions, his word choices and his freedom of speech. Our own husbands deserve that same kind of respect and more!!! Now granted, if your husband embarrassed you in public, or hurt you in some way, or is fashion challenged, I think there is definitely a place for going to your husband in respect and love and pleading your case. Most husbands would receive that type of plea with humility because it was done in love and in a non-threatening manner. In a way, you earn your right to go to him because it not often and he knows you love and respect him by the way you treat him daily.
Striving not to challenge, criticize or correct. It's an attitude. It's a way of life.

I am to submit to Chris as the leader in our home.

Why to submit?

Because God has placed the husband as the head of our family, even if I don't recognize him as the head, he is STILL the head. God says so.
Because BY submitting to Chris, I am submitting to Christ himself. I am submitting to my Lord and Savior by obeying His command to submit to my husband.
Because it sets an example for my son of what his role will be one day and the weight of his position in his family. He will be the leader and his wife will be submitting to his authority. That's BIG! He will also add this qualification to his "list" for a future wife. He will long for a woman with a submissive spirit.
Because I am THE role model for my daughter! Unfortunately sometimes, my daughter will look at me, her mom to figure out what the role of a wife looks like. She will mimic my attitude toward Chris with her own husband. She will go into her own marriage with a mindset of what a Christian wife looks like . I want it to be a biblical mindset.
Because it is the way God says we can live in peace and harmony in our homes. He has set up the plan. Who am I to think my plan is better than God Almighty's?

Why NOT to submit?

We should not submit to our husbands because they are perfect and know all. If you are married to human, like I am, then we all know that our husbands are far from perfect. We don't submit to them because they know all things as God does. NO!
We don't submit to our husbands because they are smarter than we are. Chris respects my thoughts and asks for my opinion all the time. His respects my ideas, and sometimes there is some wisdom in my advice. But it all goes back to my attitude. Do I act like I want to steal the reigns from him? Do I act condescending? Do I rant and rave that in a way threatens him to go my way or else? Do I manipulate him through my words or attitudes? Do I portray people and situations in an accurate light to him or do I manipulate the picture he has so as to get my way? The influence that a woman has over her husband is POWERFUL! I say this as a caution, not as a reason for celebration. You've heard the saying, "A man is the head of a family, but the woman is the neck. She can turn the head any way she wants." How true and how often misused as wives.
We do NOT submit to our husbands because they are always right, OR only when they are right!! One of the hardest things is watching your husband make a decision that you disagree with. Submission is supporting him even after you've advised him otherwise and doing so with a good attitude. This does not include, "I told you so." He will know that you were right. You don't have to remind him. BUT!!! Even better ladies...if he was right and YOU were wrong. How humbling! What an awesome reminder that not only are our husbands nor perfect, but WE are not perfect!! HELLO?!?!

This just barely skims the surface, I know. The reason I put all this up on my blog is because I want to hear your thoughts. What else can you teach us about submitting to our own husbands? What have you learned? How has God blessed you for being obedient?
This is all part of my pursuit to after God, put my husband first. I want to set my priorities in a biblical order and pray that God will bless our family because of it. I pray he will bless yours as well!

"Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret" Book Review

2006-06-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

From the back cover:

"J Hudson Taylor was truly God's chosen servant. From his early life in England, through the founding of the China Inland Mission, to reaching millions of pagan Chinese, his life of complete faith gives glorious testimony to God. His spiritual secret could change your life."

Hudson Taylor endured trials like we hope to never have to face in our lifetimes, but his philosophy was inspiring...
"All these difficulties are only platforms for the manifestation of His grace, power and love."

When talking with a recent convert, the Chinese man asked Taylor,
"How long have you had the Glad Tidings in your country?"
"'Some hundreds of years,' was the reluctant reply."
"'What? Hundreds of years? My father sought the Truth,' he continued sadly, 'and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?'
It was a moment, the pain of which Hudson Taylor could never forget, and which deepened his earnestness in seeking to bring Christ to those who might still be reached."

Another quote I liked. "An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power. Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs- an easy-going one for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?"

And this last quote, very convicting to this "Martha" heart...
When discussing how important it is to maintain regular, prayerful Bible study he said, "Satan will always find you something to do," he would say, "when you ought to be occupied about that, if it is only arranging a window blind."

An encouraging book to say the least. It makes you pray for God to make you a better servant of the kingdom. Thanks Jenni and Julie for the recommendation!

Creative Counterpart Review

2006-06-13T13:10:00.000-07:00

I was excited to read a sound book on being the kind of "woman, wife and mother you've longed to be." Linda Dillow writes from a seasoned wife and mother perspective. She offers encouragement, ideas, examples and most importantly scriptural truths that define who we are to be as women, wives and mothers.

Because I don't want to give too many good parts away for those of you who are about to read the book, I'll just put some of my favorite quotes here to wet your appetite.

In this quote, Linda is talking to an older woman and this is what she says about being a stay-at-home mom. "If I had it to do over again, I'd do it so differently. I was in my home all right, but I wasn't really there! I was on the phone planning a luncheon, organizing the Sunday School program or a tennis tournament. And when my children came into the room, I'd shove cookies in their hands and tell them Mommy was busy." Linda goes on to evaluate what this woman had said, "God used this discussion to challenge me to evaluate my time with my children. Was I really there-available for their needs? Or was I preoccupied with other things in order to avoid the pressure and responsibility of small children?...Even the tastiest cookie is no substitute for time and attention."
Here is a great list of questions to ask your hubby on your next date night (which is highly recommended)

What is the happiest thing that has ever happened to you?
What has been the hardest experience of your life?
What are your secret ambitions or goals?
What are your deep fears?
What about me do you appreciate the most?
What traits about me would you most like to see changed?
What man or men do you admire and why?

The Benefits of a Submissive Spirit:

She list several, but this one stuck out to me. Tension Releaser- often tension, tiredness and pressure are a result of a woman absorbing responsibilities that God never intended her to have. So we complain about having so much on our plate, but really ...how much of that was never to intended to be on our plate in the first place? Maybe we need to truly turn that area over to our husbands and let GO! (Like the FINANCES!!)

These just a few of the things that the author said that spoke to my heart. Things I hope to take away from the book and use to examine my life!

Clifford and my reading progress

2006-06-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ok...
So I have read 2 of the books on my list so far. I hope to start the third today. I want to do a tiny book review on each of them later today or tomorrow. We have VBS at our church this week and so we will be gone every morning this week, leaving only the afternoon to get everything done!

This afternoon, after VBS we met daddy for lunch and then went to the library. We turned in the kids' second level of reading log. They each got a stuffed animal and a new book. How cool is that??? Every time I read 10 more books to them they will get yet another free book!! And each time their name is also entered into a drawing for a grand prize... a Barnes and Noble gift card. Clifford was at the library today and the kids wanted to take a picture with him. Cait doesn't look too happy in the picture, but she was quite pleased with Clifford and wasn't scared a bit.
Now, finally, we are home and the kids are resting. Don't you just love that afternoon calm when everyone is resting??? Priceless!

Book Challenge

2006-06-07T18:58:00.000-07:00

Anyone up for a good challenge? I stumbled across this random blog the other day. The woman was a Christian, home school mom of 4 kids. She had set several goals for herself over the summer. She posted the goals on her blog as a way of being held accountable in a sense. One of her goals was to read 2 books a week! That is a lot of books! Even if I had a lot of time for reading, I don't read that fast...period. However, it got me to thinking about my own to desires to catch up on my reading this summer while I have a little extra time. I have made a goal to read one book a week for the months June, July and half of August. Now, some of these books I am already half-way through, so I simply need to complete them in a week.

My kids are participating in a Summer Read Program through the Wylie library. They've already "read" (or should I say "listened to") 10 books each. Today at the library they each got a mini-trophy, a star hung in the library with their name on it, a Sonic Wacky Pack gift certificate and a free ticket to a Rangers game. Pretty cool huh? Well, I can't give you prizes really, but I will certainly cheer you on!!

Who else is with me? Anyone want to set your own goal and list your books here for all to see? This way, if you read something really great and would like to share, you could tell us about it. It might make us add that book to our own reading list for the future.

I hope I'm not alone in this endeavor. Here is my list:

Creative Counterpart (complete it)

When You Don't Desire God

Excellent Wife

Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret (complete it)

The Well-Trained Mind (reread parts and complete it)

Shepherding A Child's Heart (reread and complete)

Mission of Motherhood (complete it)

War of Words (complete it) ... are you seeing a pattern here??

Heart of Anger

Shaping of Christian Home (yes Jenni...I plan on asking you if I can borrow it!)

Okay, so after making this list and looking at how big some of the books actually are...maybe I'll just keep my list at 10 book for the summer instead of 12. That's probably closer to realistic for me.

I'll sign off for now because I have some reading to do!!

Just a Suggestion

2006-06-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! I know I've mentioned the Girl Talk blog before on this blog, but I have to talk about it again. Today's post was entitled, "Just a Suggestion." It was such an excellent reminder of the differences between us as believers and how we like to segregate ourselves into little groups who are like-minded with us. I feel so convicted tonight!! Go check it out for yourself.

Quote of the day

2006-06-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

"There is nothing--no circumstance, no trouble, no testing--that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret--for I shall rest in the joy of what my Lord is!--That is the rest of the victory!" - Alan Redpath

Random happenings

2006-06-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

This morning I fixed a piece of peanut butter toast for my breakfast. After I was finished I wanted something else to eat. Not having many choices in my pantry or fridge, I decided to have another piece of toast with grape jelly on it.
After I was finished and sufficiently full I realized...
I just ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast!
Weird, I know.

The kids and I were playing around in the floor before naptime today. I was tickling Benjamin and feeling pretty helpless he put his hands out towards me like he was "getting" me with some secret force (something he inevitably learned from 'Star Wars' viewing with daddy). I said, "What are you DOING?" He answered, "I'm using the forest to get you." Like, duh mom! You know, the forest!
I was cracking up!

We took Cait to the dr. yesterday and found out that she has a urinary track infection. She started antibiotics today. Medicine is so expensive!!! We have good insurance, but not good prescription coverage. The bottle cost $95 and with our insurance we paid ONLY $50. Yikes! Thank God for insurance though even if it is not the best coverage!

Last night we had a Ladies Meeting with the Ladies from our church. What a blessing to be with such godly women. I was encouraged in so many ways. We discussed our Retreat that, Lord willing, will happen in November. I can't wait! Last year was so much fun! We really need that time with other ladies in our church, don't we? We need to learn from ones ahead of us and encourage those behind us in the walk or being a wife, mother, Christian woman.

Today is Friday and I love Fridays! Tonight I am cooking my husband a scrumptious meal. Lord willing, it will consist of:
Cheese enchiladas
Mexican rice
Refried beans
Homemade guacamole with chips

I'm already hungry! That PB&J and the half sandwich I had for lunch aren't enough to make it the end of this day!
Have a great weekend everyone. I am looking forward to my 3 weeks of no work. I've got a few projects planned that I want to work on during this time. I'll let you know how that turns out.
God bless!

A Nice Weekend with a Bi g Surprise

2006-05-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

We had a nice, brief trip to the lake for Memorial Day. We left Sunday after church and got there about 3:30. We hung around that afternoon and evening with nothing too eventful. The next morning it was thundering, lightning and then came the down pour. We kind of take for granted that when we go to the lake house that it might not be perfect weather! After the rain cleared off then the deer came up to the porch for their breakfast. Several baby (and I mean NEW) fawns were accompanying their mamas. It was so sweet.

Everything we do at the lake is just "good clean fun!" The kids run, get DIRTY, swim, study bugs, feed the deer, go fishing, boat riding, swing, run some more. It's so great to be away from the phone and TV. Chris pulled out the canoe this time and took Benjamin on a tour around the lake. Then he came back and picked up me and Cait. Unfortunately, I forgot my parasol at home or else it would have been the perfect boat ride!

That afternoon we went to the Lintelman's lake house (that is my parent's pastor and his wife, also my sister's in-laws). We had a fish fry and they made homemade ice cream. The kids swam, did slip-and-slide and also went fishing off the pier. It was perfect fishing for a 4 year-old. Every time you dropped your worm in the water, you had a fish within 10 seconds...no lie!! Benjamin caught at least 15-20 fish alone! I told Chris later that I hope that experience wouldn't make him an impatient fisherman in the future! We'll worry about that another day, but what fun it was in the moment! There off the dock all the guys went swimming. They were jumping off the pier and attempting to catch a ball in mid air. Such boys!!

Ryan, my brother-in-law

My husband!!!

Benjamin "pushing" uncle RyRy in the lake.
It was aunt D's idea!

The most memorable part of the trip however was when my sister showed us a roll of their most recent pictures. The very last picture was this one...

YAY!!!!! I have another niece or nephew on the way!!! She found out when she was 10 1/2 weeks, so she's already 12 weeks now! She wondered why she was feeling so sick and tired. Just FYI, the first test that she took weeks ago was negative! But is was wrong!!! Take note of that little detail. YAY! YAY! December 17th is her due date!

Princesses and Squires

2006-05-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

For any of you who have children I would like to recommend two books. One is for little girls called, The Princess and the Kiss: A Story of God's Gift of Purity. The other is for little boys called, The Squire and the Scroll: A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart. My friend Ann told me about these books and so Chris and I gave them to our children for Christmas. So sweet!

Since having the books I've seen a neat guide/study that goes along with the book. I thought you might want to check out their neat idea for a ceremony where you bestow a "special gift" on your daughter or son. Go here to read more about the book as well as the guide and ceremony.

Trip Report

2006-05-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

Well, the disaster plan turned out ok. *sigh*

Sunday morning we woke up at 4:15 and left our house by 5:15 for San Antonio. The kids woke up pretty much right when we put them in the car. We made it all the way to south Dallas until Chris had to stop to get some grub. After we were back on the road, 10 minutes later Cait said she had to potty (our fault for not taking her when we had an opportunity). We stopped at a nice truck stop and went potty as well as dressed the kids. It was here that I realized that I had packed Cait a pair of pink boots (for dinner on the town) and white sandals. Only problem...problem #1: they were the right shoe from two DIFFERENT pairs of white sandals! I must have been really out of it when I packed the night before! So poor Cait had to spend the whole weekend in either her water shoes or pink boots. We carried her a lot out of pity, so I say she got the good end of the deal!
At 10:30 we arrived at Sea World. My parents met us there and had already bought our tickets and were ready to dive right into my well-planned day. Problem #2: the schedule that my friend Jenni gave me of the shows...remember that? Yeah well...the show schedule was different for the day we were there! SCHEDULE foiled!!! It was similar enough though that we had only a few alterations and because of all that planning, I had the map of Sea World memorized. I led everyone around from one event to the next. We saw SO many cool shows! Shamu was my favorite as well as my kids. I think the mere size of the whales is what was most impressive to them.

Our brave boy holding a BIG snake! I can't believe he did it!

Honestly, Sea World is the only amusement park I've ever been to where I felt like you got your money's worth of entertainment. I recommend Sea World (when it is not scorching temperatures outside though).
At approx 4:30 we left Sea World and drove to our hotel in Market Square. Danyel and Ryan were waiting on us there. We all cleaned up and went to a restaurant nearby called La Margarita's. Live mariachi music, lights, neat atmosphere and yummy food. It was a good choice in my book.

Here are some pictures taken in Market Square

The newly mobile Eli trying to keep up with his cousins. They smother him, poor thing, with LOTS of love!

miss priss showing off

After a goodnight's rest we traveled to another nearby restaurant called the Guenther House. It is the home of Carl Guenther, who founded the Pioneer Baking company. His beautiful home sat at the base of the mill. They served a yummy breakfast in the quaint atmosphere of this old home. There were several rooms that you could tour and a gift shop where you could purchase their sweet cream waffle mix! I got several bags to bring home.

From there we went to the riverwalk. We took the boat tour and then eventually ate a super late lunch on the riverwalk.

Here are some pictures from the riverwalk

Remember the Alamo!

Last but not least, we went to go visit my great-grandmother (Benjamin and Cait's great-great-grandmother) and her husband. She is home bound, so we hadn't seen her in 4 years. Chris actually got to meet her for the very first time on this trip. (She's been holding a grudge against him for years that he has not come to see her!)
We left their house at about 5:30 and headed home to Dallas. We arrived safely at 10:30pm.
*sswhew*

It makes me tired just telling you all that.
Anyway, thanks to everyone for your many suggestions and encouraging words. We had a great time and I'm really glad the trip worked out like it did!
I better go start one of our many loads of laundry from the trip!!!

Major Boo-Boo

2006-05-18T14:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever done anything SO incredibly stupid that you just wanted to crawl under a piece of furniture and hide from all the endless repercussions of that mistake? Have you ever had to deliver the news of your VERY silly mistake to someone that it directly affected? Have you cringed as you said the words...as if cringing would protect you from the blast of disapproval you were expecting to receive in return? Have you ever wondered why...WHY do some things happen the way they do?
Well, I bet you're thinking that I must have made some sort of major flub-up. I bet you're thinking that you're about to get a good laugh at my expense. Well, you're right! I did make a major boo-boo, flub-up, screw-up, mistake, crucial error...

Chris and I decided that we really wanted to take out kids to Sea World this summer. We decided it would be a lot more fun if we invited my sister, her husband and baby, plus my parents (grandparents can be such a huge help when corralling small children through an overly crowded amusement park). So, several months ago we set the plans in motion. I checked on-line to get the details of the park, hotels, etc.

We made our plan:

Leave Sunday right after church.
Arrive in San Antonio. Visit great-grandmother and grandfather.
Eat on riverwalk.
Stay at Radison Suites in downtown.
Get up, eat free breakfast, go to Sea World (thanks to Jenni, who went last week, I have the whole day mapped out from which shows we will go to at which time to where we will eat, to what time we will leave. This plan is to minimize too much exercise of going from one side of the park to the other and back again. And of course avoiding those pesky, alluring and money-sucking games for ridiculously over-sized prizes.)
Leave San Antonio after dinner and head home.

This WAS the plan.

However, today I called the hotel to confirm reservations...check!
Got on Sea World website to confirm hours of operation for the park...EEERRRRRCK!
There it was in huge bold letters for anyone and everyone to see
PARK CLOSED

What??????? Park Closed? We have NON-REFUNDABLE hotel reservations! We have 9 people dependent on my plan! We have a small window of off time from work! We are on a budget!!! WHAT?? WHAT?? WHAT????????????

So, thus begins my afternoon.
This glorious news followed by "THE CALLS" to my "much-in-need-of-a-stress-free-vacation" husband, my "I don't like kink in the plans" sister and my "I've been talking and day-dreaming about this trip for weeks" mom. These calls consisted of much begging of forgiveness, cringing, sighing, shrugging and several phrases like, "I'm SO stupid! How could I have made this mistake!"

I have no idea how all this is going to work out. Sea World is open on Sunday, the day we planned to arrive. Ryan, however is preaching in Tomball that morning and they won't be able to get to San Antonio until dinner-time. We cannot not go to Sea World now, because we already told our kids about it. We have been talking about it day and night trying to prepare them for the fish and animals they will see there. They talk about the whale together and discuss whether or not he will splash them.
The cut-off day to transfer or cancel our hotel was today at 2:00. That's right about the time I discovered the issue. Bummer! Foiled!

I have to believe though, that God had a plan for this weekend. It obviously did NOT include Sea World on Monday. It is so hard when we make a plan for our life and it proves true that that is not the plan God had for us. We get so angry and want it our way. But maybe...just maybe God's plan will prove to be better that ours! Maybe? Of course it will be better! And I'm NOT just saying that to make everyone overlook my big boo-boo!!!!

You know you're a MOM when...

2006-05-14T16:30:00.000-07:00

You know you're a mom when...

You count the sprinkles on the cupcakes, just to make sure they're even.
You can catch vomit
Someone else's kid throws up at a party. You keep eating.
You have no sick days included in your job description
You never go anywhere without wipies, snacks and sippy cups
The best resturaunts to you are the ones with indoor play areas
You have either spit-up, playdough or snot on your clothes at all times
You no longer carry a purse. You resorted to keys, wallet and sunglasses only, stuck in the diaper bag.
You hide in the bathroom to be alone. And everytime one of "them" tries to enter you yell, "Give me some privacy, please!!!"
You cling to the high moral ground on toy weapons; your child chews his toast into the shape of a gun.
You hope ketchup is a vegetable, since it's the only one your child eats.
You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you.
You hire a sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night checking on the kids.
You use your own saliva to clean your child's face.
You can't bear to give away baby clothes - it's so final.
You tell your child that Toys-R-Us is a museum, not a store.

We have such important jobs as mommies! Happy Mother's Day to all of you tired moms out there!!

2006-05-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun, out-of -the-ordinary night last night. The kids both took super long naps, so after dinner we put pj's on, popped some popcorn, filled up the sippys and headed upstairs for a little movie night. The kids grabbed their pillows and camped in front of our portable DVD player to watch Sleeping Beauty. They've started to figure out that mom can skip over parts of the movie with her handy-dandy remote. I hate the part of the movie with the evil fairy and especially when she turns into a dragon! Anyway, they watched the flick and I sat right beside them on the computer. I got SO much done! I did all my lesson plans for next week, corresponded with parents inquiring about Kindermusik and I even posted a blog entry!
You know me (from my personality analysis) that I LOVE to get things done! That's why Thursdays are my favorite day of the week. I am home all day and I get so much done!
Sad and true.
We are thrilled, because Sunday night we are having company come!!! D, RyRy and baby Eli are coming for a 2-night stay. Eli and Danyel are coming to my Kindermusik class on Tuesday morning. I am super pumped about that. I wish they could be in my classes regularly. I will admit that it would be hard not to be partial to Eli though! Can you imagine? He always gets to explore the instrument first...he always has the most brilliant response to any activity we do...Think the other mommies would catch on? HA!
Anyway, it'll be fun to have them there when I can!

Have a great weekend everyone! Don't forget to enjoy your husbands' company this weekend. Think about how grateful you are to have him as your partner and committed friend!
Until next time...

Weekend Report

2006-05-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

Chris and I were so blessed to be able to attend this year's Family Life conference in Grapevine. The conference was held at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center. Because it was such a swanky hotel and the thought of spending $400 in lodging for one weekend was sickening to us, we stayed, instead, at the very nice Hyatt Hotel at the airport.

We left home Friday at 3:00. The kids were in the wonderful and gracious care of my sweet mom. Many conference sessions, a date night and 6 consecutive meals with no children in need of their food being cut into bite-size pieces or sippy cups in need of being replenished, we were flying high!
It was such a needed weekend for Chris and I. We have not made "date nights" a priority like we should. Instead, we let busyness and family time take front seat. But THIS weekend, we had each other all to ourselves. It was awesome!
I must say that the Family Life Conference has a wonderful ministry. They minister to the ground floor of the family...the marriage. There were 4,000 people at this particular conference so they were meeting needs on so many different levels. I'm sure there were marriages that were on the brink of divorce, marriages that just needed a little refreshing, and then marriages that had not even yet begun. There were several couples that were newlyweds. One couple had been married only 5 days at the start of the conference. Then there was also a couple there that had been married over 50 years! But I mean, come on! If you haven't figured it out in 50 years, I'm not sure there's much hope for you from here on!

But honestly...the speakers did not say one mind-blowing or life-altering, or even original thing to us the whole weekend. We anticipated that going in, actually. But that was so not the point! The point is, that we had this weekend where we went away together and we were intentional about our marriage. After being refreshed on the basic thoughts about marriage, communication, differences in the sexes, intimacy, roles of husbands, wives, moms and dads...then we took those newly refreshed thoughts and completed assigned projects together. We used those projects as a springboard to really discuss the cob-webbed corners of our union. To remember that ..."You are not the same as when I first married you. You have changed, and I have to keep up with that!" We used that time to pray together, sometimes cry together and always laugh together.
All in all, it was a perfect weekend with my best friend, Chris. I thank God for the blessing of my husband! Thank you for going with me this last weekend, Chris and for using your precious vacation time for just me! That speaks volumes to me, your helpmate. I love you!

For Mindy again (finally)

2006-05-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Mindy and I discussed her personality type several weeks ago and decided that she needed to re-take the test. She did and it came out that she was an:

ISTJ: The Duty Filler
About you:

People of this type tend to be: cautious, conservative, and quiet; literal, realistic and practical; careful and precise; logical, honest, and matter of fact; resistant to change and comfortable with routine; hard working and responsible.
The most important thing to ISTJ's is being of service, working hard, and being responsible.

How to Spot ISTJ's:

quiet, careful, and private
cautious, focused, and hardworking
serious, meticulous and very literal
neat, conservative, modest dressers

Tips for communicating with ISTJ's:

Be prepared and present ideas sequentially
Give them plenty of time to adapt to changes
Stress the practical benefits

Mindy, this does sound a lot more like you than the original personality type.
Regardless of what your type is...you're the most loyal and precious friend anyone could ask for! I love you! (and miss you too!)

2006-05-10T04:15:00.000-07:00

Happy (belated) Birthday
to my sweet friend
Amber Smith!

Amber, we miss you living right here near us, but we will always have that bond that keeps us as close as sister...and that is the Lord Jesus! Thanks for being one of the most sincere and encouraging friends I've ever had. You are genuine to the core and you spur me on to good deeds.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Prov 27:17

This is what your are to me. Every conversation I've ever had with you and every blog or e-mail I've read from you... I am so encouraged! Your life points right back to your Savior.
Thank you for being my friend and encouraging me in the Lord by your example!

A Weekend Away

2006-05-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are about to leave for a little weekend get-away! Yahoo! We are attending the Family Life Conference in Grapevine this weekend...a first for us. We are so excited! Please pray for us as we're away this weekend. We want this to truly be a Weekend to Remember!

May 4th

2006-05-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

May the 4th be with you!

Only day of the year you can say that!

Funny Stuff 2

2006-05-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

We teach Benjamin a new memory verse every week. He has picked a few, however, that he applies in his every day life. It's kinda funny.
For example, one day while we were driving in the car I overheard him talking to his sister. He was saying something to her with a low voice. I listened closely to understand.
He said, "Cait, you need to give me that book. Caaaiit. Don't you know what the Bible says? It says, 'Don't neglect to do good and to share what you have!' Now I think you should give me that book."
Wow! Talk about using scripture to your own advantage!

Another time, I told Cait that it was time to go upstairs to read books and then rest. She proceeded to show me her displeasure of what I was asking her to do. I sat down beside her and was preparing to correct her behavior. Benjamin chimed in and said, "Cait! You know what the Bible says! 'Do all things without arguing or throwing fits!' (should be "complaining") I had to laugh, but he's right!

Today, I was in the bedroom with my kids putting away clothes as they were playing. I saw that they both had their hands on a book, tugging back and forth. I was about to pour out correction on them both when I noticed that they were both smiling.
Hmmm... What was going on?
I listened and they were acting something out...saying
"I had it first!"
"No! I had it first!"
Both were tugging gently back and forth.
Then Benjamin said..."Hey guys! You know what the Bible says. 'Do unto others as you would have them do to you.'"

Then I realized what was going on! Do any of you have Steve Green's "Hide Em' In Your Heart" CD's? Well, one of the songs is based on this verse. Before the song they have these kids fighting over something and then another child comes in and reminds them of this verse. They were reenacting what they heard! SO FUNNY!

Boy Toys

2006-05-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

I know...this isn't quite "tomorrow" like I promised I would write about Boy Toys. A lot of friends out there that read this blog have younger boys than I do, but that doesn't mean that you don't already have great ideas for the kinds of things you want to give your little guy to play with.

What I Want to Teach my Son(s)
Chris and I want to teach our boy to one day be a man of God. We want him to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. We also want him to be brave, bold, gentle, kind, resourceful, to have specific skills that will help him through life and ultimately save him money. We want to instill in him a hard work ethic; educate him by example primarily, of how to raise and train up children in the way they should go. We want our sons to be leaders. We want our boy(s) to know how to hunt, fish, play sports, take things apart and put things together (just so long as it's not my toaster or vacuum), fix cars, etc., etc!

What a list! And honestly, I was just getting started and saw myself getting carried away...so I stopped myself.

So what toys can aid in accomplishing these goals?
Here is a list of REAL BOY TOYS that Chris and I have thought of separately or together. Please post your ideas too.

blocks, Legos, etc.
art supplies
armor, complete with sword and shield (Benjamin has 2 sets. One is red for the "bad" guy, one is blue for the "good" guy. They are made out of durable foam and almost impossible to cause injury)
Books about knights, cowboys, missionaries, hero's...
a pair of cowboy boots and a hat
a book to teach him how to tie knots
camping gear to go exploring and sleep under the stars with dad
fishing pole, tackle box...and someone to take the time to teach him how to fish and love it.
sling shot and bag of jumbo marshmallows
a ball for all sports: basketball, soccer ball and goal, baseball, bat and glove (2 gloves really. One for him and one for dad...or when desperate...mom!) football, etc.
a bug catcher
a microscope and telescope
One day...far, far away...maybe a pocket knife. Ya know, for when he's like...35!

So many other things I want my son to learn are things that he will have to learn by watching someone (like his dad, uncles, or grandpas). Fixing and maintaining a car, building something with wood, learning computers...all of these are things that he will probably just learn along the way as someone takes the time to invest in him.

What did I forget? What is important to you to teach your son? I want to know to make sure I don't leave anything out!

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children 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."
Psalm 127:3

Tea Time!

2006-04-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

Speaking of sweet little girls and fun ways to teach them to be "keepers of the home"... Cait and I went to a "Mommy and Me" tea today. She and I painted our toes, packed our pink purses, put on our prettiest spring dresses and headed off to "Into My Garden Tea Room" in Plano. You should've seen Cait's eyes as she caught sight of the tiny little tea cup, saucer and tea pot that had REAL pink punch in it. And best of all...she got to USE it!
Joining us for our tea time were 9 other mommy-daughter combos, almost all from our church. What a blessing to see all these sweet little girls trying their best to act like little ladies.

This tea room was in the back of a very large gift shop. They had an enormous amount of little girl toys and accessories. They carried the cookware that I mentioned yesterday in my blog. They also had a babydoll nursery set up where you could choose your baby. Then they had all the accessories you needed to go with the baby. Fun, fun!

My sweet friend Christi (who helped me plan the tea today) she shared with everyone about teaching your young daughter to be a future "keeper of the home." It is so good to think of those types of things and be intentional about what we want to teach our daughters. What a blessing to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. I realize how rare that is and I am grateful for it!!
Here are some pictures from our little outing:

Tea for 2
(or 25)

Cait drinking her "pink lady punch"

My dear friend Christi and her daughter Shelby

Our now "far away" and very much missed friends, Amber and her daughter Mary Alice

The little girls plates had a flower-shaped sandwich, cheese and fruit kebob and mini muffins.

This is the nursery where the babies are born and wait to be adopted. Right next to it is a clothing and accessory section (huge) where you can dress and deck out your baby. So funny!

Girl Toys

2006-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Okay, I want to talk about girly toys.
I believe that choosing what toys your children have and play with are a big part of the parenting job. It is super hard when Christmas and birthdays roll around and your kids receive toys that they instantly LOVE, but that you would rather them not have. I feel like I've had lots of opinions in this area, but I've been a wimp about doing anything about it.

Some of you may be wondering what in the heck I'm talking about. You know, choosing toys for our kids that will be valuable to them in some way...teaching them a skill (an educational toy), giving them a constructive outlet (Legos, blocks, art supplies) or helps mold their thoughts/ideals about the kind of adult you want them to be (in Cait's case, I want to teach her to be a loving wife and nurturing mommy).

When I think of toys that I want Cait to spend her time playing with I think of "Little People", baby dolls, books, her little kitchen and tea set. This is all appropriate for a 2-3 year old. But I have been thinking about what is up ahead. I'm not thinking about these things because I want my children to have TONS of stuff. I'm thinking about what toys would be best for them because I don't want to have a house full of less-than desirable stuff that I wish I could throw out! When grandparents, aunts and uncles ask what they can get for our little girl as a gift, I want to be ready with some great ideas.

What do I have against Barbie?
Is Barbie evil?...I think "no," but I still don't want my daughter to play with Barbie dolls. Why would I want my two year old to play with a doll modeled after an adult model? Is this what I want her to envy? Is this what I want her to use as her role model? Gosh, no! I want to ask, "What would be best for my little girl to play with? What would be a toy that she could play with that would reinforce the values I want to instill in her?"
Something that I heard John Piper say once when talking about his sons...they would sometimes ask,"What's WRONG with that, dad? What's WRONG with this movie or what's WRONG with this CD?" And his reply was, "You're asking the WRONG question son!"
The better question to ask is, "How will this help me treasure Christ more? How will it help me show that I do treasure Christ? How will it help me know Christ or display Christ? The Bible says,"Whatever you eat or drink (or let your kids play with), or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31

So you're thinking, "You sure are making a big deal over a doll. Your two year old doesn't know the difference between Barbie and the mommy doll from her Little People." But what it really comes down to is, what do I want my daughter to value? What do I want her to think is beautiful? A model with long legs, big breasts, almost non-existent waist, gobs of make-up and teeny tiny clothes? Or do I want her to look at a mommy caring for her baby and making meals for her husband out of joy and think that THAT is lovely and desirable? This is what I teach her. This is what I strive to model for her. Why would I give her a doll that pointed her in a different direction?
There are so many things in this world that can potentially influence our children that we have NO control over. But why wouldn't we seize the things that we DO have control over, like their toys, as an opportunity to mold their little minds. I wish for Cait to look at the Proverbs 31 woman and pray to be like her, not Barbie and her pals in heir plastic convertible.

So What Do We Want to Teach our Little Girls?

What does the Bible say that we should teach our daughters? In Titus chapter 2 it says to teach the younger women:

How to love their future husband (through modeling primarily, I think),

how to love and care for their children,

to be self-controlled

to be pure ( I think modest dress and speech fall in this category as well)

to be hard workers in the home

to be kind

and how to honor and submit to their husbands

So What Toys Are There That Can Reinforce What I Am Trying To Teach?

I was at Barnes and Noble today and I found the coolest toys for little girls. They had these kitchen accessory sets for girls ages 5-10 approximately. They had everything from a child's apron with matching oven mits to child sized rolling pins, measuring cups (these were accurate), and every shape and size of baking pan and muffin tin you could think of. These were not for their little play kitchen in their room. All of these pans were functional and can came with child-friendly recipes to make in those sized pans. I looked at Cait and sighed...she's 2, not 5! I want to bake with her and teach her to work in the kitchen and find joy in making a treat for someone (namely her daddy) to enjoy. I can't WAIT! I'm putting them on a future list for birthday number 5 so I don't forget about them.

Baby dolls are always a favorite with little girls...and should be! It's in their nature to nurture and care for little ones.
Craft supplies, coloring books, artistic outlets are always great for any child
sewing cards, bead lacing
A play kitchen with plates and play food for cooking and serving others
Doll house and little dolls that make up a family
pretending to be the "lady" in dire distress and call out for your brave knighted brother with a Ninja sword that he got from his last visit to the dentist, to save you! (Not sure how this reinforces what I want to teach her, except for the roles of a man and woman! HA!)
Books...with careful consideration to the content, obviously!

What else? I'm asking because I want ideas? What did you play with as a child that you have precious memories of that you consider of great value?

You know what's coming tomorrow, don't you?...Boys Toys!

Just Returned from the Land of Scrapbooking

2006-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, we had a great weekend at the lake doing what we love to do...scrapbooking and eating! My mom, my sister, my mom-in-law, sister-in-law, my friend Laurie and 5 of our children all caravaned up to the lake house on Friday evening. When we arrived we got right to work. The kids played and we scrapbooked ... (some of us) until 2 am! After sleeping in a little we were up and at it again the next morning. We all took our shifts watching the kids and prepping for meals, but mostly we tried to get pictures into our albums. I was working on Cait's album from when she was a baby (I'm a little behind!). I was sad to miss church on Sunday morning, but it was so great to have time visiting with these women I love so much! I forgot my camera, so I will have to get pictures from some of the other girls and post them later. I'm just glad to be home and back in routine.

Have a Magnificent Monday!

The Wedding

2006-04-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you Ann for reminding me to put up pictures from Sarah's wedding. Sarah is my friend Ann's sister. I met Sarah through Ann. Sarah now watches our children for us on Tuesdays while I go teach. She is wonderful! She is godly and sweet, loyal and kind. She is no longer "Ann's sister" to me, she is my friend!
We were so blessed to witness her vows on Saturday
to Lance Keeling...the husband she has been praying for all her life.
We are SO happy for her!
Here is a picture of Ann's kids (Judah and Truth) playing with my kids in the
Bride's Room (the nursery). They were so cute!

Truth was the flower girl and Judah was the "bubble boy"!

Benjamin and Cait with the radiant bride!

Oh happy day!

Check out this cake, will ya? My friend Julie Pate made this cake with her own little hands! Trust me when I say that it tasted JUST as good as it looks. Can you believe the initials in chocolate on the top of the cake? She is amazing!!!

What kind of car is this again, honey? I can't remember. This is Lance's brother-in-law's car (Peter Fay...Lance and Kelly Fay are brother and sister...this will matter to some of you). Awesome car, huh?

On a side note and COMPLETELY off the subject...Cait slept in her big girl bed again last night. This morning Chris found her sound asleep UNDER her bed...only her little legs were sticking out! Will she get used to it? Or do we need to help prevent her from falling out? I don't want to use those side rails because they're unattractive and she would need one for each side of the bed. Any ideas, anyone?

Sunday School, Easter pictures and a Big Girl Bed

2006-04-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Mr. Benjamin in his first tie. He's growing up!!!!!!!!!
Slow down please, baby!

Little girl of mine.
Easter Sunday on the steps of our church,
First Baptist Church of Parker, Texas

David Pate

Cait and her friend Anna Pate

I thought I would show you a few pictures of some kids from my Sunday School class.
Only about half of them were there on Easter Sunday.

The class playing playdough before we get started.
Luke Hamm with a big, big grin!

L-R, Jack Ramares, Darla Morris, Emma Bean (she's our newest addition to the class!),
Luke and Isaac Pettinger

Color time after our lesson about Adam and Eve

Cait's big girl bed right after it was assembled.

At 5:00 Cait is ready for bed...she's so excited about her big bed.
Can't wait for bed time!
The next morning we found her on the floor asleep...on the other side of the room!
She's a wild sleeper, so we weren't THAT surprised!

2006-04-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today was such a full and fun day. We started things out with mommy sleeping in until 6:30! Woo hoo! That felt good. Especially since yesterday I had a major set back in the mono department. I obviously had too much of a sugar intake and too little of a sleep intake over the last week or so. I paid for it yesterday with achy muscles, sore throat, swollen glands and a body I could hardly drag from one room tot he next. And climbing the stairs...ha! Felt like a mountain.

Anyway, today we got a lot done in the morning with no rushing around. The kids just got to play. They loved it. Then it was time to go to the dentist. We tried a new dentist this time, here in Wylie. I timed it. It is 1.5 minutes drive from our house. Besides the huge commute to their office it was a great experience. My kids were thoroughly entertained with almost life-size pony in the waiting room to ride, video games (Pac-man!) and a ton of other fun toys. Then when it was time to take a "picture" of their teeth they each got a tattoo (their first! Shoulda had my camera, right?). Benjamin got his first REAL cleaning today and he was a trooper. They put sunglasses on him so the water wouldn't splash in his eyes...how cool! Then he got a battery operated astronaut toothbrush, sugar-free candy and tons of other goodies in his little "take-home bag". When it was all over they each got to pick ANOTHER prize on their way out. Benjamin picked this 3 foot long plastic ninja sword in a sheath. WOW! You would've thought it was something really expensive. He has yet to put it down all day, except for when he got it taken away for "spanking" his sister with it. Uh-huh.

Then tonight we went for much needed haircuts. Benjamin got his first "little man" haircut and Cait got a trim. They were both so proud. I had to take their picture.
Here they are...

Good night everyone!

For Julie: The Inspirer

2006-04-12T12:29:00.000-07:00

Julie, you say you're an ENFP,
"The Inspirer"

You are the same as Chris. Well, he actually thought he was this type and then we discovered later he is really something different. Regardless...here ya go:

Here's the scoop on you...

People of this type tend to be: enthusiastic, talkative and outgoing; clever, curious and playful; deeply caring, sensitive and gentle; highly innovative, creative, optimistic and unique; adaptable and resourceful but sometimes disorganized.
The most important thing to ENFP's is freedom to see possibilities, make connections, and be with a variety of people.

How to spot ENFP's:

high energy, friendly and good natured
imaginative, fun loving and off beat
curious; discussions quickly shift from one topic to another
warm, concerned and eager to help solve problems

Tips for communicating with ENFP's:

Focus on interesting and innovative possibilities and new ways of solving problems
Don't overwhelm them with facts and details
Keep things relaxed, warm and flexible

For Amber: The Protector

2006-04-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Amber, this profile is of an INFJ:
"The Protector"

About you:

People of this type tend to be: creative, original, and independent; thoughtful, warm and sensitive; global thinkers with great passion for their unique vision; cautious, deliberate and planful; organized, productive and decisive; reserved and polite.
The most important thing to INFJ's is their ideas, and being faithful to their vision.

How to spot INFJ's:

reserved, proper and cautious at first
creative, visionary and complex
decisive with strong convictions and values
thoughtful, figurative language

Tips for communicating with INFJ's:

Present your idea in terms of your vision with an emphasis on the larger goals
Appeal to their creativity
Expect a careful consideration and then an in depth discussion of ideas.

Amber, this sounds a lot like you! This description sounds like the perfect homeschool mom- creative, thoughtful, cautious at first, organized visionary! WOW!!
You know, I think Julie has the same profile as you...I bet! We need to get her to take the test!

For Ann: The Performer

2006-04-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ann, you are an ESFP:
"The Performer"

Let me start by saying that this is you - 100%. I can't believe how this description is a perfect one of you!!! Here goes...

About you:

People of this type tend to be: warm, gregarious, and playful; impulsive, curious, and talkative, sensitive, caring, and gentle; social and unpredictable with a great zeal for life; active, responsive and highly aware of the physical world.
The most important thing to ESFP's is freedom to be spontaneous, have fun, and enjoy the company of others.

How to spot ESFP's:

friendly, approachable and easygoing
energetic, talkative and playful
curious, excitable and spontaneous
express concern about the problems of others

Tips for communicating with ESFP's:

Be friendly and yet straightforward
Emphasize how to help others in practical ways
Take action! Respond immediately to requests
appeal to their common sense

Let us know the verdict. Do you think this describes you? If you don't, then I know you better than you know yourself!! HA! Just kidding! Love ya friend!

We're Home

2006-04-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

We had a really, really great time at the lake house. It was so relaxing and yet full of fun things to do. My blog was starting to look a little wordy, so I have to post some pictures of our trip!
If you told me your personality type, be sure and scroll down to see the profile I posted for you!

Cait showing what is in her egg

Benjamin showing off his collection of eggs

First time flying a kite

Poppa checking out B's muscles

Late night swim

Swinging!!

Showing off their catch! 10 fish in just a few hours!

Going boating

My fish and B's fish that we caught on our boat ride.
When the fish hit Benjamin's line he threw the
pole down and said he didn't want to fish anymore.
Poppa reeled it in for him!

Cait's first lesson in fishing.
She's using her new "Dora the Explorer" fishing pole.
Cait caught the most fish of any of us!
Her pole had a rubber fish on the end of it, so every
single time she cast, she "caught" a fish.
She acted shocked and excited each and every time!!!
Our surprise began to wane after a while, however.

For Lori: The Idealist

2006-04-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lori, you think you're an INFP? Well that is:
"The Idealist"

Scroll down to Mary's posting. She is also an "Idealist". You can read about your personality type there! This is so interesting to me, because I would never have put you in that catagory. I think these tests help you learn more about those you love. You think you have someone all figured out...and then you read these profiles and learn so many new things about them! I love it! Thanks for sharing your results with me.

For Kathryn: The Nurturer

2006-04-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kat, If you are an ISFJ then you are what they call:
"A Nurturer"

About you:

People of this type tend to be: cautious, gentle, and thoughtful; hesitant until they know people well then affectionate and caring; very literal and aware of the physical world; uncompromising about personal standards and easily offended; diligent and conscientious, organized and decisive.

The most important thing to ISFJ's is living a stable, predictable life and helping people in real ways.

How to spot ISFJ's:

quiet, private and modest
hard working, conscientious and serious
gentle, thoughtful and sensitive
careful dressers with an eye for color and comfort

Tips for communicating with ISFJ's:

speak clearly and slowly; respect their privacy
Be explicit and map out the steps and details of your ideas
Honor your commitments and be prompt and thoughtful

This sounds a lot like you Kat! What do you think? Let us know! This sounds like a description of someone who is very loyal. That's a great quality to have!

For Mindy and Jenni: The Caregivers

2006-04-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Okay...two of my dearest friends with the same temperament! I am having a hard time seeing you two as having the same personality though! Well, let's see what the analysis says about the ESFJ:
"The Caregiver"

About you:

People of this type tend to be friendly, active and energetic; outgoing, affectionate and talkative; concerned about others and careful to be polite and cooperative; realistic, literal and conscientious; highly sensitive and easily hurt; organized, responsible and conventional.
The most important thing to ESFJ's is their relationships and helping people in real, and practical ways.

How to spot ESFJ's:

friendly, talkative, and concerned about others, even strangers
expressive voices, faces and eyes
speak with great conviction, using plenty of personal, value words
decisive, enthusiastic, energetic

Tips for Communicating with ESFJ's:

Respect their feelings! Look them in the eye and respond to what they say
Mention points of agreement first
Be clear and specific- lay out the steps whenever possible

Let me know if this sounds like you. If so, then I will take their advice on communicating so that I can be a better friend to you both!

Leaving Town

2006-04-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

We're on our way out of town this afternoon. Chris (and of course I am too) is in desperate need of some R and R. We will pick him up from Starbucks at 3:00, get hooked up with drinks for the road and head of to my parent's lake house on Camp Creek Lake (approx 30 mins. outside of Bryan). Hamburgers and an evening of fishing and porch swinging awaits us. Tomorrow we will have our Spring Celebration (scroll down to Spring Celebration) with the kids, more fishing, and porch swinging, followed by a fish and shrimp fry...YUM! Monday evening we will head home to start our week. Fun, Fun! I'll talk to you guys when we get back.

For Danielle: The Giver

2006-04-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Danielle, you are an ENFJ
"The Giver"

Yours is the same as my friend Christy who I posted earlier today. Scroll down and read the profile for ENFJ's.

It is so much fun to find out more about your friends and what makes them tick. Tell me if you agree or disagree with the profile.

Love ya!

For Christy: The Giver

2006-04-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

So you took the test and found that you're an ENFJ,
"The Giver"

Here's the scoop on you:

People of this type tend to be: friendly, outgoing, and enthusiastic; affectionate, articulate, and tactful; highly empathetic but easily hurt; creative and original; decisive and passionately opinionated, productive, organized and responsible.
The most important thing to ENFJ's is their relationships, and the opportunity to communicate and connect with others.

How to spot ENFJ's:

friendly, enthusiastic and empathetic
creative, original and articulate communicators
very expressive with strong, sincere, value-based opinions
decisive, organized leaders

Tips for Communicating with ENFJ's:

Express appreciation for their contributions
Avoid confrontations- be diplomatic and look for points of harmony
Respect their feelings and their need to be true to their values.

Wow Christy! I want to be more like you!!! As a friend, you are the model! Thank you for being my friend. I value your friendship so very much. Thank you for taking your time yesterday to share with me about homeschooling and answering all my questions. I know your time is precious and you shared some of it with me...thank you!
I love you friend!
(Enjoy your newly painted bathrooms!)

For Mary:: The Idealist

2006-04-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Mary, you say you're an INFP,
"The Idealist"

Here's the scoop on you:

People of this type tend to be: quiet, reserved, and kind; deeply passionate, sensitive, and easily hurt; loving and dedicated to those close to them; creative, original and imaginative; curious and flexible in small matters; nonconforming.
The most important thing to INFP's is their deeply held beliefs and living in harmony with their values.

How to spot an INFP:

idealistic with deep yet private passions
creative and imaginative
initially hesitant and cautious
original, even funky dressers

Tips for Communicating with INFP's:

Share genuine beliefs and values to establish rapport
Respect their slower warm time and need for privacy
Emphasize the ways ideas will benefit others

So what do you think? Does this sound like you? I definitely see things in this description that "hit the nail on the head" when describing you...but others, I'm not sure. I want to get your feed back on this. If this does describe you, then I just learned a few new things about you! Regardless if you find this description to be an accurate one of you or not, you are as they described...

"kind; deeply passionate, sensitive, loving and dedicated to those close to them; creative, original and imaginative."

Those are some of the things that make you so lovable! This makes me miss you all the more!!
Love you Mary!

For Chris: The Inspirer

2006-04-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Chris, you say you're an ENFP,
"The Inspirer"

Here's the scoop on you...

People of this type tend to be: enthusiastic, talkative and outgoing; clever, curious and playful; deeply caring, sensitive and gentle; highly innovative, creative, optimistic and unique; adaptable and resourceful but sometimes disorganized.
The most important thing to ENFP's is freedom to see possibilities, make connections, and be with a variety of people.

How to spot ENFP's:

high energy, friendly and good natured
imaginative, fun loving and off beat
curious; discussions quickly shift from one topic to another
warm, concerned and eager to help solve problems

Tips for communicating with ENFP's:

Focus on interesting and innovative possibilities and new ways of solving problems
Don't overwhelm them with facts and details
Keep things relaxed, warm and flexible

So there it is...my husband! I can see where my job as the keeper of our home would really come into play on the last line of Chris's profile: "Keep things relaxed, warm and flexible"
That's my job. "Cultivate Calm," as my pastor's wife describes it. This has been inspiring for me! Thanks for taking the test babe!

What is your personality?

2006-04-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

When I went to the Kindermusik conference this last weekend we took personality tests. The purpose of this was to identify the different ways people think and act...what drives them, what impresses them, what is important to them. Then we practiced quickly placing someone in a particular category. This is to help us know what this person is expecting to get out of my classes. How do I teach to them. Is it important to them for me to start on time, or is it more crucial that I create an environment filled with lots of time for cuddles and hugs? Do they want to hear the scientific research behind the activities that we do or are they just there to have fun...no more?
Well, I took this little test, found out what my "letters" were and then picked up a paper that supposedly told me all about myself. Well, the first problem I ran into was that I wasn't sure if I was an introvert or an extrovert. The questions of "Are you reserved or outgoing?" Answer, "YES." Do you prefer to be alone or with people?" Answer, "YES." I seemed to be right straight down the middle. I started wondering if I was born an introvert and had been encouraged to "put myself out there" a little more. Or was it the other way around? Had I come to a happy medium in my life? I honestly can say that I DO get rejuvenated when around people, but I also LOVE my down time. I love being out front and being the one with the BIG job, but I also LOVE the relief of NOT having the big job and working behind the scenes where my performance matters very little to others. When it came down to it though, I had to choose A or B, Introvert or Extrovert. I decided I was most like the extrovert category.

This made my letters....(drum roll please)

ENTJ =
Extrovert
Intuitive
Thinker
Judger

This combo of traits earned me the label of "Executive."
What? Me? Executive? Hmmmmm.....

Here's what they said about my type personality:

People of this type tend to be friendly, strong willed, and outspoken (NO!); honest, logical and demanding of selves and others; driven to demonstrate competence; creative with a global perspective; decisive, organized, and efficient.
The most important thing to ENTJ's is demonstrating their competence and making important things happen.

How to spot us:

High energy, take charge leaders
decisive, organized and productive
quick, strategic thinkers
move with great purpose and confidence

Tips for communicating with ENTJ's:

Get to the point - be organized and assertive
emphasize the innovative and creative aspects of ideas
Be prepared to defend your position with logic

So okay, that's me (supposedly) in a nut shell. I sound kind of scary, don't I?? IThe sad thing is, it sounds just like me. If I don't cross enough things off on my "To Do" list each day, then it hasn't been a very good day. I measure my worth by how productive I am. Think of the implications of that kind of thinking for my husbnad and children!! Poor things.

So what are you? Do you want to do the test? If so, post a comment and tell me what your letter combo is (i.e. ENTJ, ISTP, etc.) and I will post a little blurb about you. This way you can hear all about yourself!!!

Go here to take the 4 question test. It is so easy. Each question gives you a letter, that at the end, when you have all 4 letters, then you know what your personality type is.

Let us know what you are!!!

Disclaimer

2006-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

I need to clarify something about my last post...concerning my little Sunday School class. I was in no way implying that I am a good teacher, or wise in the ways of teaching little ones. I credit the blessing of these little lives obviously to the workings of the Lord. But in addition, I credit the parents of these little ones who teach them diligently day after day, morning, noon and night about the Living God. I also credit the wonderful curriculum that we are using form Children's Desiring God as well as the people in my life who have influenced my thinking about how to teach children about God. My thinking has been revolutionized about who He is and how we need not hide the deep truths about God from our children in their youth. They receive what we tell them about God with very little, if any question. They are soft clay waiting to be molded....OH! And they will be molded into something. But what? I want to help mold their little minds with the truth of what an awesome God we serve!

He is the ONE True God!
God is so powerful!
No one is as strong as God!
God always keeps His promises.
God made everything. Why? For His own glory!
God loves us!
Jesus is God.

I always ask Benjamin each night what he thinks we should pray about. We pray for family, friends who are sick or are in need and he ALWAYS, always prays that God would give daddy only one job so that he can be with him more. So sweet. But tonight I asked Cait for the first time what she would like to pray. She said, "Strong tower." So I said, "You want to tell God that His name is like a strong tower?" She nodded. So I prayed her little Bible verse. "God, thank you that your name is like a strong tower. Please make Cait one of the righteous so that she will run to you and will be safe (from Proverbs 18:10)" She smiled SO big! It was all coming together for her in that sweet little head of hers. Blessing upon blessing!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

General Update

2006-04-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

I really don't have much of anything exciting to say, just a little update on what we've been doing for the last week.

Last Thursday we had a great day at home, cleaning, playing, reading. We went to the library because we didn't get to go the day before for story time. Friday we had a fun day of preschool and then the kids went to the Clary's house for naps, etc. while I went to Day 1 of a Kindermusik conference in Garland. That was very refreshing!! I sat around and listened to these educators who had been teaching Kindermusik for 10, 14, 17 years. And they were struggling with some of the same issues that I was. What do you do when "Johnny" is running around the room while we're supposed to be seated in a circle playing instruments? How do you teach a child like that and still teach the others as well? I got LOTS of ideas and lots of encouragement. I was even able to give advice and ideas to some educators who have been in this for a shorter time than me.

Friday night we went to our first small group with our church. We had such a neat time of fellowship and prayer. We look forward to many more meetings like this in the future. Right about the time we were finishing up small group, my mom was pulling into our driveway at home. She came (at the last minute, per my plea for help) to help me on Saturday. I went to the second half of the Kindermusik conference while she spoiled my children. It was great for everyone involved. We treated her to a well deserved Mexican dinner that night and then we all went to bed early!

Sunday morning mom left to go home as we left to go to church. I was running late, but I am so glad that I was there this particular Sunday. My sweet little Sunday School class was such a blessing! I told Chris that I wish I could video our class and play it back for our church. They would be so blessed to see the enthusiasm for the Lord, their knowledge of who He is , their scripture memory bank and their obedience to their teachers. This week we started back at the beginning of our curriculum again. This go-around will be a little bit deeper and more detailed. Our theme was "God made everything!" What a blessing to know that we're teaching these children serious and crucial ideas about who God is and how He works. These truths will go witht hem for the rest of their lives as a foundation of doctrinal truths. WOW!! And to think that I just teach 2 and 3 year-olds!

Monday dawned in a new week and a refreshed Kindermusik teacher who was eager to make some changes. I wish I could say that my "Johnny" didn't run around the room as usual while we played instruments this week...he did. AND he decided he wanted to stand in the chair and dive off into the middle of the room. But...hopefully I handled it better and will continue to grow in this area.

See...I told you. Nothing big or exciting here, just a general update. I hope you guys are doing good out there. It's getting hotter by the day here. I love it!! I'm a southern girl, for sure!

Funny stuff

2006-03-29T11:28:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just had to write these things down before I forgot...and I guess you can read about them too.

Cait:
She's in big girl panties now and has been for almost 1 week. She is not potty trained, she is potty trainING. She still needs lots of encouragement, rewards and reteaching. Well last week, right before I put her in panties we were doing the pull-up thing ("poo-poop" as Cait calls them). Well, I smelled a stinky and I knew it was coming from a certain someone's pull-up. I said to her, in my most serious and disappointed voice, "Cait.....did you go poo-poo in your pull-up?" And she looked up at me with her most solemn disappointed face, shook her head and said, "No, bubby did."
Yea, uh huh. Bubby poo-pooed in YOUR pull-up. What a stinker (no pun intended)!

Cait lives from the minute she wakes up until the minute she drifts off to sleep as some imaginary character. She goes around asking all of us, "Who you be?" Then we must proceed to pick our character. Her favorites are Princess Leah and Queen Amadalah (if she is one, then I am automatically the other). She also loves to play Cinderella, which means by default bubby is prince charming (she thinks the prince is Cinderella's daddy! Isn't that sweet?) and I get to be the beloved "step-mutha". I say, "I don't want to be the step-mother because she is so mean!" But as my husband always reminds me... someone has to play the bad guy!

Cait and Benjamin DO love to play Star Wars, but it has been a good opportunity for us to teach them a few things through it. We tell Cait that girl's don't fight with the light sabers. The boys fight with the weapons and protect the ladies. Oh, she milks this!!! How many times a day do I hear this pitiful cry, with Cait dangling off the bed, park bench or couch, feet 1 inch from the ground saying, "Help me! Luke Skywa-kuh, help me!!!!"

Benjamin:
Benjamin goes with me to teach my music classes on Wednesdays. He loves being with all the kids and being with mom. One day I was teaching this finger play chant that teaches the names of the fingers, but also isolates them to help aid in their fine motor skill development. It's called, Tommy Thumbs. Anyone heard it? It goes:

Tommy Thumbs up and Tommy Thumbs down, (point up, then down)
Tommy Thumbs dancing all around the town, (wiggle that finger on both hands)
Dancing on your shoulders, dancing on your head, (wiggle on those body parts)
Dancing on your knees, now tuck them into bed. (tuck those fingers under your arms)

Well, the following verses are the "Mommy pointer" and "Baby Pinky".
Well in front of the whole class, the teacher and God, Benjamin said..."Mommy, we forgot the daddy one." Visualize this...his "daddy" middle fingers pointing up isolated. He wants me to lead the class in a verse about the daddy finger. Of course, we left out the daddy. We have Tommy, baby and mommy...where's daddy? So the other kids think it's a great idea also and start to get their fingers in place for the new verse. AHHHH!!!!
"Oh...we're all out of time kids! Sorry, maybe another day!
I can hear it now. "Honey, what did you learn in music today?"

Sweet innocence!

Right now Benjamin is going through a lullaby phase. He wants me to sing the same two lullabies to him every night before bed. Do you know the words to the traditional lullaby? It's so victorian sounding. I love the eloquent wording. I've had to explain it to Benjamin over and over again, but he still loves to have it sung to him. I thought I'd post it here.

Braham's Lullaby
Lullaby and good night, with roses bedight
With lilies bedecked is baby's wee bed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed
Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

Schlaf, Kindlein, Schlaf (Sleep Baby Sleep)
Sleep, baby sleep
Your father keeps the sheep
Your mother shakes a little bough
A dream falls gently on you now
Sleep, baby, sleep

Sweet dreams everyone!!!

Life with mono and my new chef

2006-03-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Chris has decided that he wants to start getting up much earlier every morning so he can be less rushed and actually have something resembling a life at home. This is week number 2 of Chris getting up at 6:15. He showers first and then gets on the computer. My new favorite habit of his is that he has been cooking these awesome breakfasts for all of us. This has included, eggs, bacon, toast, and today...omelets with turkey and cheese!!! What a treat. I told him that he's been holding out on me these last 7 1/2 years concerning his culinary skills. I am definitely digging it!

On a different note, I am learning to adjust to life with mono. Less sugar, more sleep, more aches, more headaches, lots more pills, less commitments...it's been pretty easy so far. I feel pretty good with the exception of my back that has been in knots for a week now. I have woken up with a "
kink" in my neck for the last 6-7 days....yeah, getting old. Or maybe I'M getting OLD! If 30 is old, then we have a lot of bad news up ahead.

I hope everyone has a great week. It's supposed to rain here in Dallas everyday this week. Yea! I better pull out the ideas for inside activities. We're gonna be going stir crazy come Thursday.

More Belated Birthday

2006-03-23T12:11:00.000-08:00

I hope my sweet friends don't kill me for putting up these pictures....buuuutttt, they'll get over it if they do! HA! Two of my dear, dear friends had birthdays last week. One, on the day I left for my trip and the other on the day I returned. How could I let those days go by without reminiscing how far both of those friendships go back.

I'll start with Kathryn Byrum (Sowell for those of you who met her in the last 6 years). Kathryn and I were in the same year in college and had several mutual friends over the course of our first two years at Univ of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She was a Remschel (spelling) girl and I was a Burt girl (Burt Babes as we called ourselves! So modest!). Kat and I were majoring in the same thing and both in choir...and everything else (it's a really small school!) but we never got to know each other very well. Because of our mutual friends Lori and Melissa, we became roommates our senior year of college. We cooked meals for each other every week. The 4 of us each had a night that we were in charge of feeding all 4 girls a decent home-cooked meal (I still make her Ritz cracker chicken casserole and chicken pot pie for my family). We carpooled together everyday to our education classes to save gas. We studied together, cleaned to avoid studying for finals together, we climbed in dryers and washing machines together just for the sake of a picture, we became Calvinist together (thanks to her future hubby, Eric), we cried together about boys and graduation, which we also did together...Then we were bridesmaids in each other's wedding and eventually celebrated the birth of 4 children between the two of us together. We now attend the same church and are still able to share our daily lives with one another. This is what is called a lifetime friend...through many changing seasons you know you will remain friends.

Happy 30th birthday Kat! Love you!

Now for Danielle Hudspeth (now Danielle King)...
Danielle and I also met because of mutual friends at UMHB. She was very smart and I wasn't so much. She was a Spanish and Literature person, and I wasn't so much. Spanish nearly killed me...mainly because I was not diligent in college. Many regrets...oh well! I think it was about my junior year in college that Danielle and I really started to become good friends. She and I were never roommates, but we considered her an honorary one!! (You know what I mean, don't you Dani?) She was the dearest and truest of friends. Now tears...we shed lots of them together! Danielle is such an encourager. I still remember some of the sweet encouragements that she gave me in our college years that have stuck with me all this time. We did so many crazy things together! We were "Charlie's angels" together, we were cute primitive cave women together, we smoked cigars together (is that TMI?). I witnessed her getting chosen to receive the "Loyalty Cup" (which is a tremendous honor) and she was and is still my class president (class of 98!). She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and the gift she gave us for our wedding still hangs in our bedroom today. We have celebrated the birth of 3 children between us and that has been such a blessing! She still is an encourager to me in the faith. She sharpens me and does so with so much humility. Thank you for that example, friend!

Happy 30th birthday Danielle. I love you! Your friendship is so dear to me!

The picture below shows us having a Chinese feast on our apartment floor. The picture after that was taken on a girl's trip the 5 of us took to Galveston island just weeks before I got married (I was the first of the 5 of us to tie the knot. Everyone else followed closely after).

Me, Danielle, Kat and Lori

Kat, me and Danielle outside our condo in Galveston

Happy (Belated) Birthday to YOU!!

2006-03-22T12:15:00.000-08:00

This is a "shout out" to Miss Aisha...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY friend!
I hope your day yesterday was perfect!

Much love,
Tamra
(for the whole fam)

Home Again....continued

2006-03-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from my trip. The last half consisted of time at my sister's house with baby Eli, time in Sugar Land with Chris's family and then back again to West Columbia for Eli's birthday party! He's a big 1 YEAR OLD!!! He had his first sugar...his cake and he LOVED it! He clapped and smiled at us because everyone was watching him eat his cake and videoing and snapping picture after picture. He was adorable!

After the party we left straight from Danyel's house to go back to Wylie. After hitting two different traffic jams and a huge rainstorm, we finally made it home at 10:30...a 6 hour drive! Thank God for DVD players!!
We are SO very glad to be home!

I LOVE CAKE!!!

Cowboy Benjamin

Benjamin having breakfast in bed...green pancakes!

a sweet moment

Eli's party table

Mom and Dad with their grandbabies

Home Again

2006-03-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm so glad to be home!!! Our trip was wonderful, with only a few minor kinks. We arrived in Tomball on Tuesday, right on schedule and met my parents at Chili's for supper. As we were eating our meal, one of my best freinds from high school, Sandi Quire...now Sandi Crawford walked in with her hubby. They were there celebrating their 8th anniversary and sonogram news of baby #3 being a girl. I sang in Sandi and Chance's wedding 8 years ago and witnessed their vows. It was neat to see them on their anniversary so happy. Actually, they had baby #1 seven years ago and then couldn't conceive again for years. They decided to adopt and welcomed a precious baby girl into their home almost 2 years ago. Low and behold...she found out she was pregnant with #3 just a few months ago. God is so good.

I had a great time with my sister, her little boy Eli and my parents. We scrapbooked a little, watched "Pride and Prejudice" (great flick!) and just hung out. We went one day to visit my granny Johnson in her new assisted living home. We hung up pictures, unpacked boxes and straightened up her new place while she loved on her three great-grandbabies.

Thursday I met Chris's sister Aimee and my neices at Chick-fil-a. The kids played and played and played! They were so happy to see each other. After lunch and about an hour and a half in the indoor playground, we went back to Aimee's house. The kids were playing in the dress-up clothes when Benjamin found a court jester's hat. That hat holds MUCH sentimental value for me and my little guy had no idea. You see, my junior year in college Chris and I were broken up. We were off and on throughout our college years, but we had been off most of the Fall of 96 semester. It was November and time for the Miss Mary Hardin-Baylor Pageant. I was Director of Contestants that year and Chris was the entertainment. He was an emcee dressed as a court jester who did little interludes in the pageant and was VERY funny, of course. He also gave this amazing monolog that he had written about the woman of his dreams that he had been waiting for. He described her very poetically and in great detail and ended with saying that he wanted to marry a "daughter of the King". I sat watching that monolog and I was overcome with jealousy. I wanted to be that girl...the girl he was talking about. Without telling him or persuing him I knew he was the one for me. One week later he called me up and said that he felt that I was the one for him. We got back together and were engaged one year later.

When I saw Benjamin put that hat on I was rushed back in time and flooded with sweet memories of that semester when the Lord opened our eyes to each other. Here is a picture of me, my roommates and Chris at the reception following the pageant that night. Who would of known that I would have a picture of our precious little boy wearing that hat 10 years later.
More on the rest of my trip later.....

Bon Voyage

2006-03-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well the kids and I are leaving today for a trip to Houston. It's Spring Break and so I am not teaching music at the preschool this week. We're taking the opportunity to go see our family for an extended amount of time. Here's the itinerary:

Tues - leave around 1:00
Visit granny Johnson in her new Assisted Living home
Go to my parents in time for dinner

Wed - go pick some berries at the King's Orchard in Magnolia
Visit with GiGi and Poppa, aunt D and baby Eli some more (Ryan is out of town on a youth trip)

Thur - Go play at aunt Aimee's with cousins Mikaela and Macie
Back to GiGi and Poppa's for dinner and sleep

Friday - Go shopping, maybe have lunch in town with GiGi
Head over to Aunt D's house in the afternoon to help her get ready for Eli's birthday party and stay the night.

Sat - Visit some shops that aunt D has been wanting to take me to. End up at the iron shop (where Nonni works). Go home with Nonni to stay the night.

Sun - Go to church with Nonni and PaPa
Go back to aunt D and uncle RyRy's for baby Eli's first birthday party!!!
Head back home around 4:30 or 5:00

I won't have access to the internet for most of the trip, so if any of you need me you can reach me on my cell!!!

Love you,
Tamra

Daddy date with Cait

2006-03-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

While B and I were in Kindermusik class today daddy took some pictures of his girl. She's wearing her new pink boots, which she is very proud of!

The Lanyard

2006-03-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

My husband exposed me to a poet named Billy Collins. He was Poet Laureate of the United Staes from 2001-2003. His writing is very witty and often quite humorous. I thought this funny poem would be especially appreciated by the mothers out there...

The Lanyard
The other day as I was ricocheting slowly
off the pale blue walls of this room,
bouncing from typewriter to piano,
from bookshelf to an envelope lying on the floor,
I found myself in the L section of the dictionary
where my eyes fell upon the word lanyard.

No cookie nibbled by a French novelist
could send one more suddenly into the past-
a past where I sat at a workbench at a camp
by a deep Adirondack lake
learning how to braid thin plastic strips
into a lanyard, a gift for my mother.

I had never seen anyone use a lanyard
or wear one, if that's what you did with them,
but that did not keep me from crossing
strand over strand again and again
until I had made a boxy
red and white lanyard for my mother.

She gave me life and milk from her breast,
and I gave her a lanyard.
She nursed me in many a sickroom,
lifted teaspoons of medicine to my lips,
set cold face-cloths on my forehead,
and then led me out into the airy light

and taught me to walk and swim,
and I, in turn, presented her with a lanyard.
Here are thousands of meals, she said,
and here is clothing and a good education.
And here is your lanyard, I replied,
which I made with the help of a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and beating heart,
strong legs, bones and teeth,
and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,
and here, I said, is a lanyard I made at camp.
And here, I wish to say to her now,
is a smaller gift-not the archaic truth

that you can never repay your mother,
but the rueful admission that when she took
the two-tone lanyard from my hands,
I was as sure as a boy could be
that this useless, worthless thing I wove
out of boredom would be enough to make us even.

"And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9
And what we will reap from the Lord will be far greater than the sweet gift of a homemade lanyard!

A thought on a lazy Sunday afternoon

2006-03-12T15:24:00.000-08:00

Today it is so hot here in Dallas. I love having the windows open, fans on in the house and wearing shorts and flip flops. Chris and Benjamin took a daddy-son field trip to the high school. Chris wanted a big open space to throw the ball to Benjamin. They took along the football, soccerball and the baseball, bat and gloves....no telling when they'll get back. Such a good feeling though to know that B is getting some much needed daddy time!

I sat down for a minute here at the computer to write out something that I started thinking this morning about the fruits of the Spirit. We know that as believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit bears spiritual fruit in our lives. This is the mark of a true believer. A person who confesses Christ with their mouths and also lives a life characterized by the fruits...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The fruit that the Spirit bears through our lives is beautiful, pleasing to the Father and also appealing to those around us.

So, this got me thinking...as wives we strive to make a home that is comfortable, clean, calm and accepting, filled with good tasting foods and appealing smells. We strive to have things in order and in their place. We know that these things bless our husbands and children and all those who enter through our door. But what about the wonderful-smelling, appealing fruits of the Spirit that are being cultivated in our lives? Aren't our husbands and families so much more blessed by the cultivation of these things in our lives? Oh, to be the recipient of love, patience, kindness and gentleness. What a blessing to share a home and life with a woman that is at peace, that is faithful, good and self-controlled. Oh to share in those fruits with her...isn't that so much greater of a blessing even than the tremendous blessing of a well-kept home?

So when thinking about cultivating the fruits of the Spirit in my own life, the thought crossed my mind that of course it pleases my Savior and yes, I will be blessed by the fruits immensely...but so also will those around me. I can bless my husband with these beautiful, appealing and pleasing fruits. By grace alone...through the Spirit will I be able to bear much fruit for his glory and the blessing of those around me.

What Is WRONG With Me???....Mystery Solved!

2006-03-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well, after many persistent back and forth phone calls to my doctor's office, I finally got the call back this afternoon around lunch time. The nurse told me that my blood work came back...and I have mononucleosis. YAY! Mono....I always wanted to have mono! Aren't you jealous?

Well in the few short hours since I found ou,t I have done some research. It turns out that lots and lots and LOTS of people have or carry the Epstein-Barr virus. Most people never experience any symptoms from this virus, but can pass it from person to person infecting others without even knowing it. About 15-30% of infected people, however experience a season of low immunity, low, low energy, sore throat, swollen glands, body aches etc. called mononucleosis. This "mono" can be triggered by one or a combo of things such as being overly tired, stressed, eating too much sugar (sweets or carbs), consuming too much caffeine, etc. This little season of mono can last 4-8 weeks usually. It is most common in people 15-35 years of age. Once you've had "mono" you're unlikely to have it again full-blown, but you can experience some of the symptoms again and again through time because of still having the Epstein-Bar virus. Flare-ups can be triggered by the same things that caused mono in the first place.

So basically, if I want to stay well:

I need to stay rested and get plenty of sleep
I need to have sugar in moderation
I need to keep caffeine in moderation
I need to go to the Lord with my anxieties and cares instead of stewing over them and letting them affect my body physically! Wretched man that I am...

Thanks to all of you who gave your ideas, tips and encouragement to me on how to boost my immune system and get well. It does feel good to know that I was not crazy! My immune system was compromised greatly and I wasn't doing all that I needed to do to get better. Now I know a little better and I plan on honoring my husband and those who depend on me day to day or week to week by taking care of my body so that I can be well and strong and able. This is all dependent, of COURSE on God's grace in my life. Thank you God that I am dependent on you for breath after breath...day after day...year after year. Thank God for the limitations that He puts on our life...ya know? It's such a good reminder of the fact that we are human. God is God. He is the CREATOR and we are the creatED. We need food, sleep, shelter, health. God needs nothing. He is God! And it's also good to remember that this earth is not our home. Heaven is our home!! No more pain, no more sickness, no more cares. I can't wait!!

For Benjamin

2006-03-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

by Chris, "Son of Fog"

To My Son

you, me, the irony
of listening to the crash test dummies
at the auto shop

and the realization that re-do's
don't come in your size shoes
makes me stop

and take stock of this brief moment . . .
that time won't wait for what i meant
to do, fly with you, make you into

the kind of man i was supposed to be
having wisdom, knowing responsibility,
leading you, teaching you, believing you

will grow up, but don't rush, let's pretend
while we can, that super-heroes always win in the end
and chase our shadows where time ticks

away in the darkness of a crocodile's belly,
if it's gonna tick, why not let it go silly
in a land where i can pick

you up and throw you into
the air a thousand feet up, and always catch you,
hitting the ground never in view

because here, where time ticks on the wall,
i cannot bear the weight of letting you fall . . .
re-do's don't come in your size shoes.

~sof

To My Daughter

2006-03-09T04:41:00.000-08:00

I had to share this poem that Chris wrote for Cait a few months ago. I love it. The picture he took of her, posted along with the poem, is the icing on the cake. I don't really understand his ability to put life into words as he does so beautifully, but I'm grateful to get to share in his work. Benjamin's poem coming tomorrow...

To My Daughter

everytime you make me tea
i have to remember to drink your smile
and remember that your tea is always best
with a little sugar.

and i have to remember mondays
and blueberry coffeecake
and being home to hold you
with your arms around my neck.

because i'll need to reach back
when i come home to see you
making tea for someone else,
with smiles and sugar, or

sitting in my chair on friday night,
while you're out getting coffee,
planning your cake,
your arms around his neck.

~sof

2006-03-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

Psalm 100

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving
and His courts with praise;
give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations."

What Is WRONG With Me???

2006-03-06T13:40:00.000-08:00

Either I am a hypochondriac, or I am going through a really rough patch of my body falling apart. Is this what t feels like to get old? If so, I'm doing something really wrong, because I'm too young to get "old"! Here's the scoop.... (for some of you this is a little bit of a repeat.)

Since November, I have had the stomach bug 3 times, I've had allergies, I've had a cold that turned into a sinus infection and had the cough that never dies, I've had pink eye in both eyes and now I sprained my ankle (today) and my doctor tested me for mono last week! Hypochondriac? Maybe, but vomiting doesn't lie...trust me and colds, allergies, coughs, and pink eyes are evident to all as well, right?

Hhhmmmmmmm.....

I think I'm sickly. Meaning I'm in a short period of sickliness. This, to me, is most unattractive! When my husband thinks of me, the last thing I want him to think of me as is sickly, weak, fragile, frail. Sexy, huh? And what about you guys? Who wants to invite the sickly, snotty, hacking coughing, eye oozing family over for dinner or a play date? Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating just a little, but you get the point.

So here's why I need YOUR help (visualize a white-haired patriotic man aiming his pointer finger right at you)!!!!
I need help to get well. Maybe I have forgotten everything from Biology class (who am I kidding? Of course I've forgotten everything from Biology class!) and learning about bacteria and viruses and how to avoid those nasty little critters. I'm doing what I know to do, but I HAVE to be missing some things! Help me!!!

Here's what I DO know (this will be a short list, because I do not know much):

wash your hands with antibacterial soap long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" 2 times.- Okay, I wash all day everyday, my hands are chapped, cracked and bleeding. I rarely wash long enough to make it through stanza 2 of the Birthday song.
Avoid touching public doors knobs, railings, faucets, and other's hands. I go to great lengths to turn off the faucet with the paper towel, not touch the rail, etc. but I cannot avoid holding/shaking other people's hands. I am a music teacher who teaches circle songs, greets parents, gives high fives (instead of hugs) for a great job, etc. I did invest in MORE antibacterial gel to rub all over my hands in between each class or whenever I feel the icky germy feeling
Eat right - Sugar lowers your immune system drastically. The sugar in one soda is enough to shut the immune system down for 24 hours. I do LOVE sugar and see how this might have played a part in my sickies. I also know nutrition through your food/vitamins build up your system and enable you to fight off things.
Secret Weapons - Jenni told me about her secret weapon "Airborne" that she and Jeff take. Yeah well, the day after she told me all about it she got a terrible cold (from me I think) and so I don't have much faith in that product. Second, Mindy told me about her secret weapon called "Cold-eez" that lines the throat with zinc to prevent bacteria from being able to grow there. Does it work? Mindy says it does for her, but she is so healthy already! Would it work for me? Not sure. I'm gonna get some.
SLEEP! Thanks to Mindy I got 4 and half hours of sleep last night (I love you Min and the conversation was worth the lack of sleep!!). So, I'm tired. Here's my problem on a day-to-day basis though. I work hard all day to do chores, lesson plans, tidy house, care for kids, etc and say I will go to bed early. But, at 10:00 I think..."In only 2 hours I could see Chris if I found 2 more hours worth of stuff to do!" And who can't find 2 hours worth of stuff to do, fun or work? So I do wear myself out at times. But I can't complain, my husband gets less sleep than me and the worst he's had all winter is a cold. What is up with that? Don't get me wrong...thank God he has not been sick, we are so grateful!!!! God knows we need Chris to stay well.

(Excuse me, I have to blow my nose)

Okay you people out there, what am I missing? Help me. I'm ready.

On a little side note, my doctor gave me this mega vitamin shot in my hip last week...wow! That was not fun. Great concept right? So painful! Even more so afterwards because the vitamins deposited right at the sight of the injection and my hip swelled up bigger than a softball...HUGE! She told me it might "knot up" a little. I had to rub and rub and rub it to make it disperse into my body. Pain.
That's gonna be good incentive for me to pop the pills daily so I don't have to get another one of those!!

I love you guys and I hope all of your families are well! I hope we're right behind you on that road. Can't wait to hear your ideas!

Monkey Fever

2006-03-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

Today we went to the Fort Worth Zoo. What a fun trip! It was "Homeschool Day" and the place was packed with children and their moms. I kept overhearing conversations between moms and their kids. This was definitely an educational trip for most of these families. I just took my kids because I thought it would be cool to see some animals up close and personal. Maybe I need to get with the program next year!

We went with my dear friend Christy from church, her mom (Jen Jen) and Christy's four children (Shelby, Grant, Jack and Michael, her baby is only 3 months old). Benjamin, Cait and I were discussing our fun, fun trip tonight when Benjamin said, "Mommy, I want to have a little baby at our house like baby Michael. I said, "Well, we'll have to talk to daddy about that one." Then I asked Cait, "Would you like to have a baby at our house?" She lit up immediately and started to dance as she said, "YES! I want a baby MONKEY!!"
What a silly girl!

Here are some fun pictures from our day. Hope everyone has a great Friday!!

A young elephant playing ball

Christy and the kids

The "gang"

Zebras!!

Me and the kiddos

Light Sabers

2006-03-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

If you know my boy Benjamin, then you know that he is fastinated with Star Wars. He discovered it a few months ago when he found an old magazine that his daddy had with lots of pictures from the movies and such. Chris had given him all his old Star Wars figures probably a year before, but Benjamin had no idea what they were really. Well now he knows and he is hooked! He got a light saber for Christmas (and so did daddy). This was his all time favorite gift (and the cheapest, go figure!) for the year. He plays with it from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to bed. If he's in a good guy mode he is Luke Skywalker or Qui Gon Jin (spelling?) He has his little sister hooked now and she walks around the house pretending to be "hincess Leya".
Today was a GORGIOUS day here in Wylie. We were outside eating our lunch at the playground. Benjamin wanted to let Cait have daddy's light saber so they could both have one to fight the bad guys. She didn't seem to have a waistband to hang the saber on like he did. So Benjamin raised up her dress and hooked it on her diaper. She was walking around the playground with a light saber hanging off her already about-to-explode diaper. What a hoot!
Chris was home today and able to witness their funny antics. Unfortunately, the reason he was home is because he has pink eye in both of his eyes. He feels fine, but we know he is contagious for 24 hours after starting the medicine. Bummer, but nice for him to get some extra sleep and a day to be at home with us and getting stuff done.

War on the Home

2006-02-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

I was reading one of my absolute favorite blogs today called "girl talk". What I read there got me all fired up about being a mommy that stays home. And you're thinking..."But wait, don't you teach music classes outside the home?" Yes I do! And this schedule we've devised is still good for our children with not too much time away from mommy. It works for us. They stay with daddy one morning a week and then join me at class. They spend one morning a week (4 hours) with a godly young woman named Sarah that teaches them scripture songs and reads to them from the Bible. (She is a blessing...a jewel...and no you can't steal her!) And one mrning a week they go with mommy to teach where Cait gets to go play in a class with friends and B gets to go to a gymnastics class taught by a man that went to seminary with Chris. I teach 9 music classes a week and I still call myself a "stay-at-home mom". It feels good to type that out for the world to see. I won't lie that I have struggled with guilt and questions of whether or not this is the right thing to do....But you know, God has made it abundantly clear that it is the right thing to do. And do you know what else I've learned...STOP judging people. Their situation is not like yours. They have to answer to God, not to us. I'm so blessed to have friends and an amazing husband that have encouraged me and affirmed that I am doing the right thing.
Go check out this blog today. It'll renew your fire for being a mommy. As soon as someone teaches me to list my favorite blogs on the side bar of my blog, I will put this one at the top. Have a blessed day everyone....and go wipe a nose or something!

Our Weekend

2006-02-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well we ended up having a great weekend afterall! We went to Friday Fellowship and had a great time visiting with our church family there. My parents came on Saturday afternoon and they went with us to a birthday party of a "little" friend of ours. It was a really neat time. THEN...Saturday night Benjamin's eye started gooping in the corner and looking a little pink. YUCK! I had a sinking feeling that what we had on our hands was pink eye. Sure enough, in the middle of the night B woke up crying because his eye was matted together and he was scared. I am so grateful for small town, close to home doctors. I called our kid's new pediatrician (in downtown Wylie, 1 minute from our house, YAY!) and she said she had already called in 4 prescriptions for pink eye since the weekend started. It is going around. And if it is going around, we are going to get it! Anyway, she called it in right then from her church on Sunday morning. What a blessing! I think we caught it really early on and by Sunday night he was acting like his old self with no pink in his eyes at all.
We took the kids to see "Curious George" on Sunday afternoon followed by dinner at Texas Land and Cattle for Chris's birthday dinner. We all loved the movie. George was the cutest little thing! You just wanted to squeeze him! Cait keeps telling us that she's a monkey and her name is "Goge". She's funny.
This morning I was so excited to have my mom come to one of my Kindermusik classes. She brought Cait and they participated in class. We got quite a workout! That meant a lot to me to have her there. Then my dad came and sat through my second class (Benjamin's class). What fun! Today we were explorers out on the sea. I would sing, "(Child's name), what do you see?" and they would sing back, "I see a whale (or whatever)". It was so funny! Benjamin has been singing it all afternoon. He sings..."Mommy, what do you see?" It does my heart good to hear my baby boy singing and learning and growing up. He's got really good pitch for his age (not to brag!). He sang the question to daddy tonight. Chris looked at me and said, "Do I have to sing it?" He got the nod. Daddy saw a shark!

Maryland Friends

2006-02-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

I met my dear friend Mindy 6 and 1/2 years ago. It was August 8th. We had just moved to Dallas for seminary. We had just visited Believer's Chapel for the first time and left in our little 4-door Saturn. Eric and Kathryn Sowell were with us as we drove away discussing the sermon and the people we had met. Then it happened...CRASH. We were side swiped in the middle of an intersection. It wasn't good. Kat and Eric had bonked heads and were both unconscious. Out of nowhere these kind people came to our aid. They called the police, helped direct traffic, calmed us down and stayed with us. Their cars were behind ours as we left the church that day. Little did we know that God was introducing us to four of our future best friends...the life-long kind!! The couples that came to our aid that day were Mindy and Jeremy Mayhew, and Kris and Julie Pate. We ended up going to the Chapel with these couples for several years. But sadly, a year and a half ago God took the Mayhews to Gathersburg, Maryland to live. They are thriving there and are certain this is where God wants them. I miss them! I really miss my Mindy time.
On a brighter note...the Mayhews are here in Texas right now for a visit. YAY!!! We had such a fun reunion last night. It was just the girls and the kiddos, but how appropriate. It was the two girls who were in a wreck (Kat and me) and the two girls who came to help us during our scary moment (Mindy and Julie). What a fun time! it's just like she never left. She's the same "down-to-earth" friend that God blessed me with over 6 years ago. I look forward to so many more reunions like this in the years to come. I love you Min!

Homeschool Blog

2006-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

If you are homeschooling or interested in it, you should go check out this blog. My friend Julie came across it a while ago and told me about it. I feel more informed now about the homeschool circle since I began reading it.

Happy Birthday to You!

2006-02-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a most sincere birthday wish for the love of my life...my husband.

Chris,
Happy Birthday babe! I am so grateful that God brought you safely into this world 31 years ago today. I am so blessed that God chose you for me and me for you. Thank you for being the easiest man in the world to be a helpmate to. You give me so much grace. Thank you for all the laughter that fills our home because of you. Thank you for giving me two sweet children to raise and train and love. Thank you for the last 11 years together as a couple (4 dating, 7 and 1/2 married). I pray that we have many more to come.
I love you honey!

Seeing things

2006-02-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

Benjamin and Cait were brushing their teeth.
B said, "Hey mom, look! Cait has music on her pants."
I said, "What?"
B- "Right there...on her pants. There's some music."
Me - "I don't see anything. I don't know what you're talking about."
B - "Mom. It's right there."
I bent down until my eyes were about 1 foot from Cait's pants. A drop of water had splashed on her pants from her wet toothbrush. This is what I saw. It was about a quarter of an inch in length.

Can you tell his mother is a music teacher?

Chores

2006-02-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

Ok, some of you have asked me about my weekly chores. I got the idea to break my house cleaning into little daily segments from my super organized and efficient friend JENNI!! I have a weekly list of chores that need to be done. I check them off as I go through the week. My chores are assigned to certain days though so I don't let them build up. My house has never been cleaner than in this last year after adopting Jenni's idea. I don't let certain chores slide anymore. I used to never dust. I used to always forget to scrub the tub. I really wanted to get on top of things and honor my husband with keeping a clean home. So here's the list:

Monday - recover from weekend. Put everything back in its place.
Tuesday - clean bathrooms (mirror, sinks, toilets, tubs), at night I iron (Chris works on Tues nights)
Wednesday - dust and vacuum
Thursday - sweep and mop, clean kitchen sink (because I make mop water in sink)
Friday- change all linens, clean appliances in kitchen
Saturday - start laundry and continue through Sunday folding and hanging up as I go. Vacuum the downstairs again at some point over the weekend.

This schedule works for ME. I know that most women would not want to do laundry on the weekend or iron in the evening when their husband is home. This is just what works best for us in this season of our life.

Bummer!

2006-02-22T13:55:00.000-08:00

Chris's parents can't come afterall. What a bummer! Well, at least if I don't mention it again, maybe my kids will have forgotten that Nonni and PaPa were coming. And, Chris is still taking off half a day for his birthday, so we can celebrate together AND at Friday Fellowship that night. And one more thing...I get to put off cleaning my house for another day or so. I haven't done my daily chores all week because I wanted to do them all the night before our company was coming. Now, all my chores have piled up on me, but I'll get it done! We still have a fun weekend planned with Chris's birthday on Friday, Friday Fellowship that night and MY parents are coming on Saturday and staying through Monday. They want to come watch my Kindermusik classes on Monday morning. Isn't that neat of them?
We are especially excited to go to church this Sunday! Our church services were cancelled last week because of the icy weather. Talk about a bummer! I've never gotten so much done in any given day in my life....but I still would have traded that to be with our family at First Parker. There's no place like home, right? Well, I'll let ya know how the weekend pans out. I'm sure it'll be great fun still. We'll just have to look forward to Nonni and PaPa's next visit!

What is this world coming to?

2006-02-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

You must go check this out!!! One bad case of parenting!

http://lostcamera.blogspot.com/2006/02/camera-unlost-but-not-quite-found.html

To infinity and beyond!

2006-02-21T19:47:00.000-08:00

My kids have the sweetest game that they play with me these days. If I say, "I love you" to one of them then they rush to say "I love YOU to infinity and beyond and BACK!" Then, I begin to pretend like I'm trying to beat them to the punch line. It's much more fun to let them win so I get to say, "You got me!" I could play this game for always. I pray everyday that God will show me how to "keep" my children's hearts. I want us always to have a loving relationship (yes, even through the teen years). I hope there never comes a day when my children stop telling me, "I love you to infinity and beyond...and back."

I have to be honest...

2006-02-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have to be honest...I am scared of homeschooling. The task ahead of me seems so overwhelming and impossible. I know that people all over the world with less education than me homeschool their children. I know that some of the smartest kids I've ever known were homeschooled. I know that the thought of sending my kids into the public school kills me. My reasons TO homeschool are strong and Chris shares my zeal to walk this path. I couldn't have a stronger support system. Five or six of my closest friends at church also plan to homeschool their children (or already are!!). So why am I so scared? Is anyone else out there scared? We all talk about it like it's so natural, but it doesn't feel natural to me!! I wasn't homeschooled, so I'm constantly pondering what it's going to look like for us.
I think one reason I'm scared is because I know deep down how selfish I am and how hard it will be to commit so much of MY time and efforts to schooling my children. I won't get all day to run errands or clean my house or go to lunch with friends. I'll be at home teaching my kids how to multiply, how to set a table for supper, and how to diagram a sentence, how to be a helper with the chores, and helping them love to read. It is such a scary thought! I will have to be on my knees daily asking for enough grace to make it through this day. I know the Lord will give it and bless my efforts because I know this is what He has called OUR family to do, but....
I have to be honest, I AM a little scared.

Company coming!

2006-02-20T12:25:00.000-08:00

We are so excited! This weekend we are going to have company! No one has come to visit us since October (for my birthday). Now Chris's parents and sister, Katie are coming for a few days to celebrate Chris's birthday. This is the big 31 for Chris! Last year was somewhat anticlimactic in nature. The day of a huge surprise party that I had planned for Chris, Cait got some nasty tummy bug. We were quarantined and the party was called off. What a bummer!!! We don't have anything very exciting planned this year to take it's place, but it'll be fun just to have family here to celebrate with us.

So anyway, after Chris's family heads out of town on Saturday, then my family is coming up to visit. They are going to stay until Monday. Mondays are big days for us because I teach Kindermusik that day and Benjamin is in my last class. Chris and Cait have some daddy-daughter time at Starbucks while "bubby" is in music class. Cait is a big fan of Starbucks" blu-bewie pohtcake". I shall translate: blueberry shortcake (or coffeecake). She also has a strawberry shortcake doll that she calls "blu-bewie pohtcake". It's the cutest thing ever!!! These are fun memories that Chris is getting to make with his little girl.

What am I sitting here gabbing about? I've got company coming! I better get to work cleaning!
Have a great day in the Lord!

Potty Training

2006-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we are finally potty training after all this time. I have made many unsuccessful attempts to get Cait to wear "big girl" panties exclusively over the last 6 months. I kept thinking she was ready. Then, after 5 changes of wet panties in a one hour period, I would give up and resolve to wait 2 or 3 more weeks. Well, I came across this article that I had torn out of a magazine who know how long ago and I adopted a new plan. I stopped trying to decide that we were officially in panties and never looking back. Per this article's advice, I decided to just let her wear a diaper and take her to go potty at several planned times during the day. After just a few days, she started using the potty every time I took her....which was never the case before. Then this morning she told me, "Mommy, I need to go tee tee". YAY!! Now... I know the motivation behind her wanting to go potty is not to please her mommy, but rather to earn a skittle (an extra one for flushing and then washing our hands). But hey, whatever works, right? The reason this whole process is a big deal to me is because Cait is potty training totally different than the way Benjamin did. It reminds me that I cannot be on parent autopilot. My children are different from one another. They will potty train different, they will need to be disciplined differently and I'm sure many more differences are still up ahead. That's a good thing and I'm so excited to see what's up ahead!

2006-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Before I go any further into my journey of the land of blog, I must post pictures (because I really love pictures) of the people I love the most in my life. My sweet little family! More on them later...

Always a little behind...

2006-02-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

Well...I finally broke down and created my own blog. I'm a little excited and also a little embarrassed. I'll never forget the first time my husband told me about blogging. I argued with him over whether or not blogs were prideful. "What would make someone think that what they have to say is important enough to others that they would want to take time out of their already jam packed day to read your deepest, innermost thoughts?" Well, over this last year I have been so encouraged by some blogs that are out there. I read 4 or 5 blogs every single day. After I check e-mail, that's where I go next. I love keeping up with people via blogs and I especially get excited when there is a picture posted. So I've decided that no...the WORLD may not be interested in hearing the daily happenings of this stay-at-home, music teaching, house cleaning, Sunday School teaching wife and mom of two. BUT...maybe some people already in my life might be interested a little bit. And maybe this is really for me anyway, and not for them at all. Whatever the answer, the fact that I started this blog when I did tells you a lot about me already. I usually get on board with the times...I'm just usually always a little behind.