Days are flying by

Well, today I feel like I don't have much interesting to write about. We have just been doing our normal routine. Morgan's last day of 5th grade was today - he'll be a "middle schooler" next year. He'll be in the youth group for crying out loud! I can't believe it.

Now on to what's really been bothering me,
I usually rock Gavin at night (I know... some people say he's too old for that, but he's my baby and I can rock him as long as I want to!) while Chris reads Ivey a book. Every night I think to myself, "Wow. I can't believe another day has gone by already." It just seems like the days go by so quickly and that my kids are growing up too fast - right before my very eyes. Tonight I'm a little sad about it. I love the ages they are now. They have enough independence that we feel like we can go places and do fun things, but they aren't so independent that they don't need us anymore. Sometimes I just want time to stand still. I was just talking to Chris last night about a spirit of fear that I'm having right now. It's fear that something tragic may happen to one of my children. I think that it's because, in the past 2 years, I've known people or have read about people, like Steven Curtis Chapman, who have lost children. It's like every time I turn around I hear about somebody's baby passing away - whether it's a 2 1/2 -hour-old baby or a 26-year-old baby. It's depressing, but it's real. I know that God is in control and nothing that happens would come as a surprise to Him. I believe that there is no "Plan B" with God. But, if it really came down to it, would I be able to live out what I say I believe? Would I be able to live through it? I really don't know. I struggle terribly with thoughts about what I could've done to make things different. I could have done this, I should not have done that. Things would have been different IF... I believe that if something happened to my children or to Chris, those thoughts would eat me up inside.

I know these are thoughts from Satan. I know that he's trying to make me doubt my Savior and His sovereignty. But, it's hard. The other day I was doing my bible study "Motherwise" and the day's study was about fear. I have to keep repeating the scripture that was given: 2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Lord, help me to not be fearful. Help me not to be scared. Help me to know that the number of my days and the days of all the people I love have been known by you since the beginning of time. Help me to trust in you and to walk with you with a child-like faith. I don't have to understand everything about you, I don't have to know everything about you, I just have to remember that you love me. Help me to enjoy every moment that I have with my children, with my husband and my family. Thank you for the blessing that they are to me. I love you! xoxoxo

Bad doggie

This is what happens in our house when pets (or children) don't behave. Apparently "doggie" hit his mommy, so he got spanked and had to sit in the corner. My kids love imitating Chris and I - the good, the bad and the ugly. Shall I never forget that they're always watching... Even though they sometimes imitate the things that we don't want them to, every once in a while God lets us see that they pick up on the good things, too. This morning I was getting some clothes out of the dryer and I heard Ivey in my room praying. I tip-toed in there to see her because I thought she was probably standing in front of the mirror watching herself talk (her favorite hobby). But, she was on her knees in the corner of her room with her hands folded and her head laying on her hands. She was just talking to God. Among other things, I heard, "Thank you for my family. Help us to have good day. And I thank you for everything. Thank you for Jesus. Amen."

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to see this precious moment between you and my daughter. May she always seek you and follow after you. May she never stop praising you, bringing glory to your name and laying her troubles at your feet. May she always trust in you. Lord, please take hold of her heart and never let go. Amen.

A few pics from our day at the lake

Papa and my cousin, David, play a game of horseshoes. David is in the Army, stationed in Louisiana. His battalion will be leaving for Iraq in the coming weeks for a 15-month deployment. Please keep them in your prayers.

Gavin pets the fish that Daddy caught.

Ivey finally gets comfortable swimming in the water. The water was freezing cold, but she swam like a fish!

Chris loves to horse around. Here he is attempting a front flip. He almost got all the way around!

Since I'm always the one chasing everyone down with the camera, there aren't many photos of me. So, I decided to take a picture of my flip-flops. I LOVE flip-flops!

Memorial Day Weekend

Ivey playing in the pool with Davis and Sam

Gavin doing his favorite thing, pushing a truck

Chris and his BFF, Stu

Last night kicked off our Memorial Day weekend of events. We went to a cookout last night with our Sunday School class. It was a great time of fellowship. The kids played well together and the parents got a chance to sit and relax. Today, we went to a neighborhood cookout/party after the kids got up from their naps (not really. Ivey stayed in her room but destroyed it and Gavin only slept about an hour and a half.) It was fun as well, but a little overwhelming for the kids because there were so many people there. Tomorrow we will be going to the lake house for the kids to swim and to, hopefully, have a relaxing day. In all the fun and fellowship, lest we not forget the true reason for Memorial Day. We appreciate our troops and the selfless way they have served, serve and will serve our country. Many of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice and we are thankful for that and we are thankful to their families who, unfortunately, celebrate Memorial Day every day. May God bless America again.

Race #2

Today I ran my second race - the Holly Springs Memorial 5K. I ran it in 30:50 which I thought was pretty good. The race was somewhat hilly, definitely not flat. Mom ran the race too and shaved three minutes off of her previous time. Way to go, Mom! Chris and the kids tried to get there in time to see us finish, but I was already through so we cheered Mom on as she came to the Finish line. We had a fun time and got in some good exercise, too. I've been preparing for the 10K coming up in July (what was I thinking??). Right now, it seems impossible but I know I can do it. I'm pretty sure it'll be a walk/run race for me but at least I'm going to give it a try!

Just like old times

When I was a kid I used to get ear infections quite frequently. I remember days and nights of crying and screaming because my ear hurt so badly. My mom would try to ease the pain with a heating pad or whatever, but I always ended up in the ER for some antibiotics. As I got older, I would tell my parents that my ear was hurting and we would automatically head to the ER - no questions asked. Well, the last ear infection I had was when I was a senior in high school. Until now... I've had 3 since January. My ears have been "itchy" the past few days and I was afraid that it was coming on. I woke up last night about 2 AM with my inner ear throbbing and tons of pressure. OUCH! I got out of bed and found some ibuprofen (and I'll admit that I had some amoxicillin left over from a previous diagnosis, so I popped one of those too). I hope this isn't going to be a recurring thing because ear infections really hurt!! But, I'd much rather it be me than one of my kids. Now I'm off to being mommy... even in the midst of an ear infection!

Praise the Lord!

We found out today that Morgan passed his CRCT test in Reading and in Mathematics. It is now a requirement for 5th graders to pass both portions of the test in order to advance to 6th grade. Morgan has struggled in both of these areas, but after two Reading classes each day and afterschool tutoring in Math and Reading twice a week - he seems to have pulled it off. He didn't pass by much, but at least he passed. We can breathe a big sigh of relief and can now think about what we need to do for next year. Needless to say his summer isn't going to be all fun and games. He will definitely have work to do each day to stay on top of things in Reading and Math. I guess I'll be making a trip to Barnes and Noble this week to buy some books and workbooks for the summer.

We're not giving up!

Today didn't go so well in the potty training world. Gavin had 3 accidents plus an incident of peeing on the floor after bathtime. If I could just stay in the house for a whole week, I think he could get it... but that's not likely to happen! He loves wearing underwear which is good, but he doesn't always tell me when he needs to go potty before he actually goes. Sometime he does tell me that he needs to go which is another step in the right direction. I tried taking him to the gym today with big boy pants on... big mistake! I put a piece of tape on his back that said "Please take me potty" and I told the worker to try to take him often. When I went to pick him up he was wearing the same clothes, so I thought he had stayed dry. Not exactly... he had gone pee in his pants but they didn't know it. The worker said, "I asked him if he needed to go and he said 'No'." Needless to say she doesn't have kids and doesn't understand the world of potty training. You don't ask a 2-year old if they need to go potty, you just take them! So, I think we'll try putting him in underwear at home and pull-ups when we have to go out until he gets better at going potty. But we're not giving up!!!

Getting closer

I'm hesitant to say that we are "potty training" Gavin. He has gotten the hang of going number one in the potty, but that's about it. Yesterday around 9:00 in the morning, he told me that he wanted to go pee in the potty. So I ran with it. After he successfully went potty, I put him in big boy underwear - Thomas the Train to be exact! He did so well! He only had one accident the whole day. Of course, we have to take him potty every 45 minutes so that's putting a little bit of a crunch in what we do. If we go out I just have to remember to take him to the bathroom before he has an accident. He's a little bit shy of the adult potties. I think he's afraid he may fall in. I'm not sure if this is the end of diapers or not, but we're getting closer. YEAH!!!

Happy 7th Anniversary to US!

Today is my and Chris' 7th anniversary. Seven years just seem to have flown by.

Seven things we've done in seven years:

1. Bought/sold our first home and then bought our second home

2. Bought/sold/traded 6 cars - now we're sticking with what we have!

3. Given birth to two children

4. Quit Jen's job to be a stay-at-home mom/ Chris started a successful business

5. Gained 74 pounds (collectively) and lost 70 pounds (collectively)

6. Found a new hobby in running - ran a half-marathon and 3 5-K's

7. Prayed more, cried more and laughed more than we have in our entire lives

The past seven years have been awesome and I look forward to many more! I love you, Honey!

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Happy 30th Birthday to Me! Wow, I can't believe I'm 30! I remember thinking as a kid that 30 was old - it isn't!! I went out to dinner with my mom the other night and I asked her how it felt for me (the youngest) to be turning 30. She said, "It doesn't really feel any different. I think I'll really feel old when my children turn 50." I agree!

Last night, Morgan, Chris and I went to the Braves game. It was freezing!! The temp was about 60 degrees and the wind was blowing. We had to go buy sweatshirts by the 2nd inning because there was no way we would have made it to the 9th. We ended up leaving in the 7th because we were so cold. The whole point of us going on Friday night was to see the fireworks after the game, but we didn't get to see them this time. We are heading up to the lake house today to spend the day - hopefully it'll be relaxing. Tomorrow is my and Chris' 7th anniversary. This week has been a big week for us - Mother's Day, my birthday and our anniversary. Whew! Now I'm ready for the beach!!

Exciting times

Ivey and Gavin went down to the basement and then came up a few mintues later to get some baskets. I followed them back downstairs to see what they were up to. They were catching lady bugs...dead ones. Back in the fall, when ladybugs mate we were inundated with ladybugs - ladybugs were everywhere, especially in our basement!! Ivey and Gavin were having a great time picking them up and putting them in their baskets, so I just left them alone. To each his own, I guess!

For lunch I made hotdogs with cheese and BBQ sauce. This has been one of my favorite meals since I was a kid and was one of our dinner staples right after Chris and I got married. I remember the first time I made them. I had a cookbook for kids when I was little and decided that I wanted to make dinner for the family one night. Hotdogs with cheese was one of the recipes. To my family's surprise, it was actually pretty tasty. You just slice the hotdogs lengthwise, tuck in some cheddar cheese and pour a little bit of BBQ sauce on top. Broil them in the oven until the cheese melts and your done! YUM!!

Push...Pull...

I took this picture this evening while we were outside playing. Well, the kids were playing with Daddy while I sat, watched and worked on a gift for someone. Morgan was at the basketball court so that's why he isn't in the picture. I thought it was funny and ran inside to grab the camera.

Honey, I think you're too big for a ride in the wagon anymore... some people just never grow up!

I love "good" days

Today was what I would consider to be a good day. Even though I woke up long before I was ready to, I was able to start out my day on the right foot - having my quiet time with my Lord. Yesterday, I was in a little bit of a bad mood (for reasons that I haven't quite even figured out myself). So, this morning after I got up, I found my bible and my bible study book along with a pen laying on my bed - the doings of my husband. He knows that when I'm in a bad mood, it's usually because I need to spend time in the Word. So, I just smiled, chuckled to myself and appreciated the thoughtfulness. I continued reading in Psalms which is where I am right now and then did Day 5 of my bible study - Wisdom for Mothers. After that, we woke the kids up, dressed them and I waited for a little while before heading to the gym for my normal Monday morning class. After the gym, a friend of mine brought her daughter over because she and her husband are trying to work on his parents' house that was hit by a tornado this weekend. The kids playing together well. After doing a little refereeing and explaining the house rules, everything was fine. I actually even got a little bit of organizing done. Chris brought me lunch home, so after the kids went down for rest time we ate lunch together. After Chris got home from work, I headed back to the gym to run 3 miles with my friend, Kelli. She is an avid runner and I was able to sweet-talk her into training me for the Peachtree Road Race. And let me tell you - there is HUGE difference in running on a treadmill and running on the street - whew! Kelli is very encouraging and doesn't mind holding back for me. I know that it's not that great of a workout for her - but I'm usually dying by the end. She keeps me going by talking to me most of the time which helps me to keep my mind off of what I'm going. My new treat after running is getting a red Gatorade at the curbstore on the way back to the gym. Anyway, later on, Chris cooked dinner and the evening was spent playing, cross-stitching and making Rice Krispy treats. Nothing to exciting...just a good day!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to you, Mom!! And to all of my friends and family who are moms, too!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Watching the airplanes

We went to the Dekalb Peachtree airport today with some friends. It was the first time I had ever been there and it was pretty cool. We had a great time playing on the playground and eating lunch in the restaurant nearby. It's really neat because as the kids are playing and eating, they can see the airplanes taking off and landing. Even though they are the smaller private airplanes the kids don't care. They were so excited just to see the airplanes so closely.

Moms with small children can relate

I had an incident today that I thought was quite humorous. If you're a mom will small children, you'll understand...

Picture this:

I'm not even sure when I went to the bathroom last, but I now know I can't hold it anymore. Gavin wants me to read a book, so I sit down to read a book. After all, it should only take a minute. Then, Ivey wants me to get the stamps and stickers down for her, so after reading the book I go to the playroom to get the stickers. I am literally about to pee in my pants, so I finally tell them to "Hold on a minute!" and run to the bathrom. I sit down and, lo and behold, the toilet paper roll is empty. So I pull my drawers (that's what we call them in the South) back up and head upstairs to get more toilet paper. Gavin stops me on the stairs and wants me to help him put on his shoes. So I do. Ivey is trying to find her shoes, too, because she wants to go outside to play. I finally get to my bedroom and look around - I can't remember for the life of me what I went upstairs for. Oh well... it'll come back to me. And did it ever! As I started to turn around it hit me! I need to pee!!! So I run in the bathroom and grab some toilet paper for the downstairs bathroom and quickly sit down to use the toilet...FINALLY!

Motherwise Bible Study

Noteworthy saying of the day:



Ivey: "Gavin, I need to go potty. Do you wanna come and flush it?" Apparently she thinks he's her personal servant...





I've decided to teach an eight week bible study from the Motherwise collection in the Fall at my church. I first heard of Motherwise several months ago at a MOPS Conference and thought it would be amazing. I was thinking "Boy, I sure wish somebody would teach that class at my church." God was saying, "Yeah, I sure wish someone would teach the study, too. How about you?" So, I decided to give it a go. It's the first study of the series and is entitled "Wisdom for Mothers." It's not a "Twelve Steps to Being a Better Mom" kind of class. It is a class that will help moms "find biblical answers to important questions about marriage, children and work. In addition to the Bible study, you will learn how to improve your mothering skills and will find helpful mothering tips designed for moms of all ages. Based on Proverbs 31." I'm doing the study myself before trying to teach it (what a novel idea!) and am on Day 4. I really look forward to doing it each day and am finding that many of the verses I read help me to mother during the day (another novel idea!) If you live near me and are interested in coming to the Bible study, let me know. It will start in the Fall on Tuesday mornings after kids go back to school. Like I said, it's an 8 week study so there's no real long term commitment. I am really looking forward to seeing what God is going to teach me and how He's going to use me to encourage other moms.

Word of God Speak

In my quiet time the past two nights, I've been reading and re-reading this particular scripture. It just reminds me that God never leaves us, even in our deepest despair. I personally know a family who lost their son 2 years ago. He was a friend of Chris' from high school and I met him after Chris and I started dating. He passed away suddenly while playing ultimate frisbee with his friends on Saturday morning, May 13th, 2006 - the day before Mother's Day. Colby would have been 28 years old yesterday - those are pictures of him above. A guy that truly cared about others, wanted them to know his Lord and Savior and whose closing saying in his journal entries was "All of me for only You." I also know of several other families whose children have passed away within the last year. This Scripture speaks to me and I think it would be comforting to share with those who have lost children. I encourage you to send a note to those moms whom you know that have lost children to encourage them and let them know you're thinking about them. I can't imagine what losing a child would be like, but I can imagine that Mother's Day would be very difficult. I hope these Scriptures encourage you as well and that you'll remember them when you are in a very low valley of life.

Psalm 34:17-20
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles. but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

As Christians, we are not promised a great life. We, actually, are promised to have many afflictions, persecutions and trials. But, we are also promised that God will deliver us from those. We know that, in Him , we have hope and that he will bring us out of the pit, sometimes swiftly and sometimes slowly. Please remember those moms in your prayers this weekend who are struggling and waiting patiently for God to deliver them from the pain that must be so raw on days like these.

An addition to my last post

Well, first of all let me clarify... I DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST HOMESCHOOLING! I love my friends and family who homeschool their kids and I will gladly support them in their decision to do so. And, even if I did have something against it, it's not my business to burden others with my opinions. What I was trying to say in my last post is that I think whether to homeschool or not to homeschool is a very personal choice - and it should stay as such. I believe that the choice of what to do about childrens' schooling should be one that parents should pray earnestly and wholeheartedly about and that it should be catered to the child's needs. If one of my children needed to be homeschooled, another sent to private school and another to public school, I would do that in a heartbeat. I hope you know what my heart is and that I'm not trying to criticize homeschooling or public schooling. You know what you and your child's needs are, so please don't criticize anyone else for the decisions they make for themselves and their child. We all love our kids to the ends of the earth and want to do what is best for them. Just in case you're wondering, I don't remember anything particular that anybody said over the weekend. I just remember hearing the topic come up and I said to the person next me, "The sooner this conversation is over, the better." The conversation ended soon after that and we were on to another subject. So, these posts are not directed to any particular person or group of people. I'm just trying to be honest about something that all moms face. No one should be either criticized and looked down upon, or exalted and set on a pedastal because of their schooling decisions. None of us can take away the sins of the world and that is the real problem. No matter what, our kids are sinful and there's not a darn thing we can do about it. We can't protect them from it, we can't take it away from them, we can't even do the right things for them... we can only pray for them and teach them God's Word and leave the rest of it to Him.

I love honesty. It's such a beatiful thing!!!

Watch out! Your toes may get stepped on

This past weekend I was able to spend the night and most of the following day with some of my closest girlfriends. Since the "Girls Weekend" was to celebrate the birthdays of myself and another friend, we tried to invite people who were friends of both of us. So, please know that if you weren't invited it's not because you aren't my friend. (I have lots of AWESOME friends and each one of you are special to me in a very unique way.) I'm not sure why I'm trying to offer an explanation, but I know that, as women, we tend to get our feelings hurt easily... sometimes too easily. I think that jealousy and hurt feelings are part of the curse that God handed down to women when Eve ate the fruit of the forbidden tree. Another part of the curse is gossip. Of course, with more than one girl talking with another, I'm sure that we said things we shouldn't have. No specific thing comes to mind at the moment, but I'm sure that I did. I spent time with God this morning confessing and asking forgiveness for involving people in conversations that really had nothing to do with them. Besides that, we had a great time talking about family, church, school, children, husbands, marriages, makeup, clothing... all the stuff moms love to talk about. I can say that, by far, my least favorite conversation EVER is about homeschooling vs. public school. I have been involved in these conversations on numerous occassions and every time I can feel my blood boiling. When this particular conversation comes up, the sooner it is over the better. It doesn't matter to me either way what your preference is, but I hate talking about it. I don't know why. I guess it is because there are so many different views about schooling and I can't stand when someone tries to push their views, beliefs or convictions about it onto someone else. To be more specific, I don't feel that homeschooling is the best option for me and my children and I'm tired of feeling guilty about it. Now, that may change in future and if it does, then I don't want to feel guilty about that either. As women and moms, we constantly compare ourselves to other moms. We always think that someone does it better than us. That someone else is a better wife, a better mom, a better this, a better that and, some times, as moms we don't mind bragging on ourselves a bit here and there either - sometimes in inconspicuous ways. I think this is another reason why I hate talking about homeschooling vs. public school. You know it's true...there is a stigma attached to homeschooling moms. The stigma is that homeschool moms care more about their kids and are better moms than moms who send their kids away to school. You may say "I don't think so" but you know it's true. What do moms say when they talk to a homeschooling mom? They say "Wow. I don't know how you do it. I could never do that." On the same note, why is it that moms who send their kids to school feel guilty for NOT homeschooling and homeschooling moms don't feel guilty about NOT sending their kids to school? Do you see my point? I'm sure I'm stepping on A LOT of toes here, but it's just something I can't stand. I don't think that homeschooling is better than public schooling or visa versa. I think that each parent is entitled to what they believe is the right path for their child whatever the reason. And, to be honest, I think we should keep our reasons to ourselves unless specifically asked by another person.

May 1st

Well, it's officially May 1st, 2008. Sixteen more days until my 30th birthday!! I can't believe I'm almost 30! Time flies when you're having fun!!