What would you do?

I had a truly uncomfortable experience today that just got more uncomfortable when I went to church this evening.

I went with my friend, Ashley, to McDonald's today to let the kids play together and well, the lady at the register was very unfriendly. When I ordered my initial meal she made a couple of comments & faces when I was trying to order something because she put it into her register incorrectly. I didn't get exactly what I wanted but honestly, she seemed to be in a pretty sour mood and I didn't feel like getting into it with her.

Fast forward.

The kids are done with their meals and asked for ice cream so I obliged. I went back up to the register and she was still there and still in just as sour a mood. I wanted to order kid's size ice cream cones. Now, I didn't realize that they had tiny little cones, I thought that a kid's size ice cream was a regular cone but half the amount of ice cream on it. That is what I've gotten every time I've ever ordered it at every other McD's. When another lady started to get out the tiny cones, I asked if that was what I ordered and basically said that it wasn't what I wanted or thought I was ordering. I wasn't rude & I wasn't mean. She, however, responded VERY, VERY rudely and basically gave me tremendous attitude.

At that point I was NOT happy and decided that the ice cream cones weren't worth the hassle and commented as such and walked off. A manager was standing right there during the entire transaction.

Now, I was a bit hot about it and came back in the play area and spouted off a little bit. Probably should have controlled my tongue a bit around my kids (didn't say any cuss words, just expressing my frustration a bit strongly).

A few minutes later I asked to speak with the manager and she told me that she was sorry and that this particular employee had been involved in SEVERAL altercations with co-workers and with customers and that my little interaction with her was the third today and she told her to clock out & go home. I don't believe she was fired, just sent home for the day.

I thought that was the end of it.

Fast forward again to tonight. Morgan was singing in church and I take her in along with the rest of my family. As I was leaving the front area a lady says "Hi! Do you remember me? From today?" in a very "cheerful" voice. Condescendingly cheerful, not genuinely cheerful. It was then that I realized that I had seen this lady before EVERY WED NIGHT IN CHURCH. All I could say at that point was "Yeah - I do" and walk off.

So now, every time I'm in church on Wed. night and see her I will feel awkward. I probably should apologize for being a bit rude in how I walked off but honestly, it's hard to think of doing that when I feel that she was SO far over the line in how she treated me (and apparently others). With her fake cheerful tone it felt like she was saying "And you say you're a Christian" and quite truthfully that's exactly what I was thinking about her.

So - if you were me, what would you do? Should I ignore it and hope it ends there (she initiated conversation with me, I don't know if she'd do it again)? Should I apologize for my inappropriate response to her? If I do apologize, should I comment on how I felt when she treated me as she did? Am I dumb for even thinking about this further?

Oh & not that it probably matters but she is about 20 years my senior.

Our Oklahoma Trip

Here is a slideshow of our time in Oklahoma. We miss our friends so much! Thank you for spending time with us while we were out there. You are always welcome to come toTN and visit us too (hint hint!).

My little cutie

I am waiting on my slideshow of our trip to Oklahoma to be created and I thought I'd post this pic of O. I JUST LOVE THIS PICTURE! Isn't he adorable???

Tag!

I've been tagged by Becca & Megan so here it goes.

Here are the rules. Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven people to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. I lived in Germany when I was really young (yrs 1-4, I think) and I learned to speak German at the same time that I learned English. I even went to a German preschool where they didn't speak English.

2. I was a cheerleader for 2 years (I think) in jr. high. Our colors were yucky gold & brown. Hated wearing that uniform!

3. I was on the swim team my sophomore year in high school. I stunk at it! I did, however, like swimming and got my lifeguard certification in high school and helped out at the pool on the Air Force base that we lived on.

4. My "dream" when I was growing up was to be a famous movie director and to ride around NYC in a black, stretch limo. As you can see - I'm close to reaching that goal LOL!

5. I LOVE to play cards. Rook, spades, hearts, nerts, hands & feet, russian rummy - you name it. Good thing Eric likes to play too - anyone else like to play, maybe we can get together!

6. Panda bears are my favorite animal. I have two nicknames to go along with it too - Pandie and Andie Panda. I can't wait to go see the Pandas at the Memphis zoo!

7. I rarely actually sing in church or anywhere else that someone could actually hear me. I am normally mouthing the words. I can sing in tune (most of the time) but it doesn't necessarily sound good. If you stand next to me in church I can pretty much guarentee that you won't be hearing me sing. Get me in the car with my IPOD and just my kids and, well, I let loose LOL!

I'd tag 7 more people but everyone I know that blogs has already been tagged so this is it.

Chick-Fil-A!!!

Okay, if you've known me for any length of time then you probably know that I LOVE CHICK-FIL-A! It is one of my absolute favorite places to eat. I worked there for many years while in high school and early college and it was my pregnancy craving with Morgan (could that be why she hates it?).

Well, when we moved to middle TN, I was excited that there was a CFA about 15 miles up the road - much closer than when we lived in OK. I've frequented that store many times since moving here.

Imagine my excitement when I heard that a CFA was opening here in Smyrna!!!! WOOHOO!! It opened yesterday & of course I just had to go along with my other "Chicken Way" buddies!!!!

All we need now is for the Super Target to open and well, I've got my little slice of heaven. LOL!

And we're home...

Wow! Over the last 10 days we have done so much! We went to MO to visit Grandma & family and then on to OK to visit friends from our old hometown. Eric couldn't take off with me so he drove me to OK and then flew back to Nashville. We missed having him with us during the week.

I have SO much I can post but honestly, after driving 2 days with 3 kids by myself with very little good sleep at night, I AM EXHAUSTED!!!

G'night!

Silly prayer request

Okay, I know this is probably really minor and it's kind of silly to pray about it but if you could join me and pray that it doesn't thunderstorm on Saturday afternoon & evening that would be great. We are away from home for a short time and where we are is supposed to storm all weekend. There is something that our kiddos REALLY want to do but it won't happen if it's storming.

THANKS!

Great quote

I was reading a comment left on another blog and saw a quote that really struck a cord in me. It was on the back on a business card left by a technician:

"If you meet me and forget about me, you have lost NOTHING but if you meet Jesus and forget about Him, you have lost EVERYTHING".

I can't expand much on that as I think it says it all.

Why?

Okay, something has bugged me every since moving to TN and after driving today, I just have to ask.

WHY do they "do" the roads the way that they do here, I seriously don't get it.

You can be at a stop sign and if you turn right the road is under one name and if you turn left, it's another. Example - if you are at the intersection of Broad street and 96 it is Old Fort Parkway if you turn right (coming from Smyrna) or Memorial if you turn left. It is like that EVERYWHERE.

You can be driving on a road and it will change names for no apparent reason. Example - Nissan, Hwy 102, Lee Victory Parkway, Almaville Rd, and eventually Sam Ridley = ALL THE SAME ROAD!

Or, better yet, you can turn onto a new road but the name will be the exact same as the road you just turned off of. Example = One Mile Road, Rocky Fork (or whatever this road is named), etc.

Ackk! This makes a newbie to the area CRAZY.

Never thought I'd say this

I'm thankful for my insurance company!!! Dental insurance, that is. It's usually so much easier to gripe about insurance companies, I know I've had my fair share of gripes, but this time I'm kind of happy with them.

I went to the dentist this morning because I needed to get a crown on a back molar that I lost a filling from 3 weeks ago. After doing some work (basically whittling down my tooth to NOTHING), the dentist told me that I needed to be referred to an Endodontist for a root canal. The dr. they normally refer to was supposed to be really good and would probably be able to get me in today or tomorrow. Well, that didn't happen. I guess all the drs. in that practice were in PA for some kind of dental conference. Ughh. I sure didn't want to wait 10+ days to go get this root canal done as I imagine I'd be in some pain.

I started calling around and I called all the drs. that were in-network but none could get me in. I called another dr. and they could get me in tomorrow but they were out-of-network. Ughhh.

I called my insurance company, explained the situation, and they approved a one-time visit with this out-of-network dentist without any problem!!!! WOOHOO! I'm so used to having to fight with insurance companies for things that I was pleasantly suprised when they didn't give me any fight on this.

So - tomorrow I get to go have a root canal! YUCK. Good thing that dental work is the one thing that truly doesn't bother me that much. I guess it's from all those years growing up with a variety of orthodontic appliances in my mouth.

Glad I didn't have to wait 2 weeks as the numbing medication is wearing off and this thing HURTS.

OH & the dentist that I went to was great - Dr. Alissandratos. I wasn't overly impressed the first time I went there, I have to be honest, but today his staff was very friendly and he was very nice as well. I got to hear first hand how they interact with children and I am impressed and confident that they will do a great job with my kiddos.

Did you like the shovel & crackers?

Yesterday we went to Rock Springs Park with Suzanne & Nathan. It was a nice day out and we wanted to take advantage of the nice weather before the rain moved in. Nathan brought a purple shovel to play with and we brought a box of cracker sticks for a snack.

After playing on the playset for a while we decided to walk along the path for a little bit and left the shovel and the closed box of crackers behind, thinking they'd be safe. We were the only ones at the park so we didn't really think it was a problem.

We were gone for maybe 10-15 minutes and when we got back to the playset area the shovel and box of crackers were GONE! There was NO ONE else at the park.

What in the world?!

I was a bit freaked because I had left my car unlocked with a lot of valuable stuff in it but it was all still there.

It made me wonder if some lonely neighbor around there (this park backs up to a neighborhood) kept watch and decided to "clean up" when we walked away.

Who knows.

Hope who ever took it enjoyed the snack and has fun with the shovel.

Life of Hope Prayer & Praise Update

I've mentioned several times a ministry called LIFE OF HOPE that works with the street children in Latin America, specifically in Guatemala at this time. Here is their praise & prayer update, please say some prayers for the people below. Prayer is powerful so please join with us.

"Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you." 2 Timothy 1:14

Life transitions are always scary and difficult. God has entrusted us with His love and power to overcome the things that the evil one has done in our lives. This week a group of boys are leaving the streets and starting a new life as a family in the hostel home. This will be a time that God will speak to them more about His love and power. However, this will be a time that Satan will be at full battle trying to destroy these boys. They need our faithful prayers this week that God's angels will protect them from temptation and distractions. May the power of the Holy Spirit be extremely present within them blocking Satan from any earthly victories. In Christ, Life of Hope Staff

Please pray for the following throughout this week:

Jose Ernesto was very aggressive and reluctant to participate when he first came to the day center. However, he now has a positive attitude and takes part in a lot of activities. Thank God for this transformation, and please pray that Jose will continue forward in this way. Gerzon was at first very irregular in his attendance at the day center. However, he decided to continue with the process of leaving the streets, and is now at the hostel. He has a real desire to follow Jesus and to have a different life. Please pray that God will help him to achieve this. Jose Ricardo suffered a lot of bad treatment while on the streets, and was often in tears at the day center. He was encouraged to attend the day center by the love and attention he received there, and is now in the hostel. Please pray that God will heal Jose of the hurts from life on the streets, and that Jose will continue to know he is loved. Although at first Jose Antonio showed very negative attitudes and aggressive behavior in the day center, he discovered a love of carpentry. Because of this, he kept attending the center, and is now in the hostel. Although he found it very hard to stay off the streets, he has managed it. Please thank God for this transformation in Jose's life, and pray that he will stay in the hostel and away from street life. * Please pray for the protection of the street team as they work in dangerous areas: Cesar, Romeo, Dorita and Irma.

Ouch!

I was surfing through a few blogs that I've found and like to read and came across this entry that really, really convicted me for several reasons.

“Though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me”

I read this scripture in the dim earliness of this morning, and it lodged in my spirit like a splinter, poking and prodding me into active thought.

The Lord is speaking about His people, the chosen ones, the ones He has performed awesome deed after awesome deed for, only to see them continually flirt, court, and finally bed down with flashy impostors, all the while enjoying the fruits of His deliverance.

This speaks to me so profoundly. Israel didn’t leap into idolatry’s arms. It was the slow, gradual pull of easier things that led them there. Easy things. Moderate things. Don’t-rock-the-boat things. Why strive for the highest calling? Won’t the lower suffice? Why follow hard after His heart when a snooze in the hammock of apathy is so much more appealing? (ANDIE'S NOTE: Can I be honest and say that I struggle with this? Sometimes I get tired of pressing on and a "snooze" does sound more appealing. Satan & his footholds! Ughhh)

Israel wanted the shortcut to blessing, and so do I. But even when the outcome seems laudable (hey, I love my kids, my husband, my marriage), when it eclipses my love for God, it is idolatry.

Idolatry! It’s such an ugly word. Yet the definition is so simple, and like Israel I continually place the good above the best and reap the consequences.

The consequences? I speak lies about God. (OUCH!) When I set my children, or husband, or love of writing, or any thing above God, my perception of Him becomes skewed. I misrepresent Him, both to myself, and to the world. I view Him as colder, more distant, indifferent, and even cruel; someone who might at any moment inflict pain upon me for the sole purpose of watching me squirm. When I am in the midst of my idolatry I view the world as a terrifying place, one that is spinning out of control while God shrugs and mumbles “they asked for it.” Lies. He is not so, but I cannot see this through the haze of deception brought on by refusing to subvert the temporal to the Holy. His chastisement ceases to be that of a loving Daddy who cares about my eternal state and instead seems to be that of a harsh taskmaster who is determined to break me into pieces. Even reading His own words becomes difficult; I forget balance and see only the fire and brimstone.

When I view God inaccurately, my first response needs to be repentance. I need to examine my life and see what I have tried to place upon the throne where He alone belongs. He does not change. Yesterday, Today, and Forever, His character stands immovable and perfect: too wise to be unjust and too loving to be unkind. If I find His presence difficult to enter it is undoubtedly because I feel the weight of His sorrow at my prostitution.

Dare I hope?

Day two of NO ACCIDENTS for my little man! He was in undies all day long and did not have an accident - either pee or poop (if you know our history with poop then you will understand my joy about this one!).

WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally!!!

Finally for several things.

Finally - Sanjaya got voted off of American Idol!!!!!!! Nice enough guy but come on! Go Melinda!

Finally - Drew was in underwear and went ALL DAY without any accidents!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!!!!!! He still stresses over BM's and spent 30 minutes trying to take care of this today but, heck, it was on the potty and not in the pants.

Sweet Tea

I'm procrastinating putting the kids down for a nap and starting the clean-up process with random, stupid little thoughts.

So - what is it about sweet tea around this place? It's more like sugar syrup with a little bit of tea in it! Yikes! I like sweet stuff as much as the next person but I can't handle the sweet tea here. I tend to order 1/2 sweet & 1/2 unsweet and that's perfect.

Just a warning for all you "foreigners" who come to visit us in TN (and you'd better come!!!), be prepared.

He's got a baby in his belly

D that is. The kid is giving me lots of funny stuff lately which is good as it counters the bad stuff LOL!

So - we are sitting here at the lunch table and he takes a doll and puts it up his shirt and proceeds to tell me that he has a baby in his belly. Didn't know boys could have babies did ya?

Let me just repost this

Instead of retyping it, I'll just repost it.

I'm back in this place. I'm not suprised really. God has been doing some amazing things in my life lately.

So - if you think about it, please say a prayer for strength & focus. I really struggle sometimes and I just need peace tonight that I am having a hard time finding.

Satan - get thee behind me.

Blue

That is D's absolute favorite color. He's so funny about it. Today he was painting a picture and he only wanted to use the blue paints - no other color. He wanted his snack in a blue bowl and he wants to drink his water with a blue straw. BLUE BLUE BLUE. The other day he colored a picture and used every single blue crayon in the box of 96!

M was never overly crazy about one particular color, she just likes them all. D - well, it's all about blue.

Please pray

I am so sad. A family in our church has lost their little girl to cancer today. I did not know them but I know that they need all the prayers they can get right now. I just cannot imagine losing any of my children. My heart breaks for them.

Please pray for the family of Rachel Olerud.

Gotta love temper tantrums!

At the risk of being negative, once again, and hearing about it, I just have to recount the events of this morning/afternoon with my middle child, D.

We were at Christ Church with Becca & Tammy playing on their indoor playscape that is awesome. It had been a while since D had used the restroom and so I needed him to go. He wasn't excited about it but I truly did not expect him to throw a big fit over it. We get outside the play area and head to the bathroom (with Tammy, Braden & Eli) and D runs away from me. Now, we've had this issue before and he knows that it's not okay to run away from mommy but he kept doing it. I asked him repeatedly to stop running but he just kept going. He knows the consequences for running away - he gets a spanking (no comments please). I took him to a downstairs restroom, carrying him because he's crying, and we go in. He calms down, we talk, he gets a spanking, we hug, and then he starts crying again. I told him that he needed to control himself and stop crying. He continues. We go outside the restroom and once again he runs away from me. NOT COOL.

At this point it's obvious that we just need to leave. I got ahold of him and took him downstairs, throwing a fit and put him in the stroller so I can get O & M. Well, he just starts to lose it. He doesn't want to go home. I end up putting O in the stroller, having M push him while I hold D on the way to the car.

I was already embarrassed that my friends had to see my child throw a temper tantrum and I was getting looks from the other mothers in the play area but it got MUCH worse. D started hitting me, kicking me, scratching me, trying to bite me, etc. It took all I had to get him out to the car. On the way we had to pass a work-out room and a gym where there were guys playing basketball. D's fit was so bad that the guys STOPPED PLAYING BASKETBALL to watch, the guys in the work-out room came OUT OF THE ROOM to watch and it was all I could do to get my child out the door.

Can I be honest and say that it was VERY hard to control my temper and there was nothing I wanted to do more at that moment than to pull that kid's pants down and give him the spanking of a lifetime. Seriously.

I did not do that because regardless of how much he might deserve a spanking, I'm not going to act out of anger and frustration like that. How can I expect my child to learn to control himself if I can't do it myself. So, I held it together.

I finally get the kid buckled in his seat in the car and we head out. He got out of his seat in the car so I had to pull over and buckle him in with the buckle facing backwards.

We got home, he calmed down, I calmed down, we talked about self-control, obeying and making good choices and then he got a spanking. I made him call Becca & Tammy to apologize because he threw a fit in front of them and that's not okay, and then he went down for a nap. He has also lost his Friday night movie.

This is the second time this week that he's thrown a huge fit out in public and honestly, it's really the second time ever that he's thrown one this big. I remember that Morgan went through a time like this too. I think it's a lot about testing the limits. Yes, the easy thing would be to give in to him so that he would stop throwing a fit but it would be the hard thing in the long run because I'd be raising a spoiled brat. He has to know that he has to obey and control himself and that there are consequences for not doing those things.

This past week has got me thinking though. I don't want to over spiritualize things but my experiences with D this week have given me some insight on my relationship with Christ. God is my Father and He loves me and wants the best for me but He has expectations of me as well - God expects me to obey Him and His word. How often do I choose to disobey time & time again and throw a "fit" when things don't go my way. I know how much it frustrates me when D does not obey me and I've had to stop and think that I must really frustrated God sometimes when I choose to not obey. I must make Him crazy sometimes and yet He still loves me and wants the best for me. As with D, there are always consequences for disobeying, even for me.

I don't know, I can't express what I'm thinking very good today but if you're a parent, stop and think about how your experiences raising your children relate to your walk with the Lord and His role as your heavenly Father. It can be eye-opening.

A little bit of a vent

At the risk of being told by my husband that I gripe too much on this blog, I just couldn't resist this one.

I called to make an appt. for myself with a new women's Dr. that was recommended to me and I was told that the next available appt. wasn't until AUGUST, 4 months away. I was pretty surprised and asked a few questions before deciding whether or not to go to this Dr. While I am not having any issues, I don't want to go to a Dr. that can't see you forever if you did have a problem. I asked the receptionist (who wasn't very friendly) if I would have to wait until August if I was calling with a problem and she said that, yes, as a new patient I would.

Does that not seem ridiculous to you? The Dr. is accepting new patients but why the heck would anyone want to go to her with that kind of "service"?

So - as stupid as this sounds, I am just going to go back to my old Dr. in Bartlesville when I go out to visit later this Spring.

At any rate, that's my rant for the day. :) Sorry honey - couldn't help it.

Mary-tha

Tonight at church we were back in men's & women's groups. We typically do that all but one Wed. out of the month but it had been a while since we were in those groups b/c of Spring Break & Easter.

We talked about the story of Mary & Martha. Quick recap: Jesus was coming to Martha & Mary's house and Martha was busy doing the household things (cooking, cleaning, etc - all the stuff you do when you have guests in your home) and Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha got frustrated and talked to Jesus about it asking Him to have Mary help her. Jesus and basically commented to her that she needed to find balance & prioritize things in the midst of her many worries.

Amy then had us split into groups - those like Mary on one side, those like Martha on the other.

The "Martha's" outnumbered the "Mary's" by a lot. Not really suprising I guess.

I struggled to know where I fit. If I look at the story objectively and really look at myself, I guess I said I was more like Mary but so many of the Martha traits fit me as well. "Martha's" are more detail oriented, leaders, take-care-of-you type. They tend to be perfectionists and want things to be just so. Mary's are not like that.

Honestly, I think I'm a combination of both. I said "Mary" simply because I couldn't sit on the floor in the middle. I do tend to be a leader and I can plan with the best of them, I just lack the follow-thru at times. I'd like things to be "just so" but I struggle as it doesn't come naturally to me.

So, there you have it, I am a Mary-tha!

Easter Weekend

Just a real quick post as I am staring at a room full of laundry to put away.

Pics from this past weekend in Missouri. We had a blast!

The Cross of Christ

"I could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing around his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world, but each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hand and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering. The cross of Christ… is God’s only self justification in such a world as ours."

--John Stott, The Cross of Christ

"Mine"

That is the latest word in the ever growing vocabulary of my 18-month old son! Gotta love it when they learn the word "mine" and "no". LOVE IT! ;)

Had a check-up for each of the boys today and they are doing great! O is in the 75% for height & weight and doing good. D, well, I don't know what percentile he's in but he's doing good too. He threw a minor fit for the finger poke but that's okay, we got through it and I treated the boys to McD's afterwards.

Now they are all "resting" and I am obviously getting LOTS done around the house, better run!

The Barbarian Way - Again

Can you tell that I am really enjoying reading this book? If you haven't read it - YOU NEED TO.

And, you DEFINITELY need to read THIS book if you haven't - it doesn't get better than this.

Let me preface this by saying a few things. Yes, many of my posts as of late have been about the Lord and what He is teaching me. I'm excited about it and I want to share it. That said, I don't have it all together and I am FAR from a perfect Christian. I fail on a regular basis, just ask my husband and children. I'm not claiming by any means to have it all together, I just know the One that does have it all together! :)

Looking back on my Christian journey so far, I would say that my first year as a Christian was incredible. God had radically changed my life and I was SO excited about that. I was active in sharing my faith and zeal for the Lord. I saw God do some amazing things that first year.

It was my senior year of high school and I decided that it would be AWESOME to go to a Christian college. My naive expectation of a Christian college was that it was a place where EVERYONE was excited about God. I pictured going to my Bible classes and learning all kinds of new things, going to chapel and having an all around amazing time. I honestly didn't understand it when the Bible Dept. chair said that he really hoped that I wouldn't come out of my 4-years there with any of my zeal lost.

I understand now.

I think that McManus lays it out there in his book talking about how "domesticated" Christianity has become.

"Yet Christianity over the past two thousand years has moved from a tribe of renegades to a religion of conformists" (p. 5)

"Jesus is being lost in a religion bearing His name. People are being lost because they cannot reconcile Jesus' association with Christianity. Christianity has become docile, domesticated, civilized" (p. 17)

My first year as a Christian I was around more non-Christians than Christians. I was constantly aware that Christ in me may be the only introduction to Jesus that they got. I got to college and, of course, everyone was a "believer" so I let down my guard, I relaxed, I got domesticated in my faith and I lost my zeal. Oh, it came back in bursts but never lasted long as I would start to "relax" again. As ridiculous as this sounds, it was easier to be excited about my faith around non-believers. Even in the "Christian" world, believers excited about their faith are often viewed as crazy, fanatical - probably something you are thinking about me right now. For many years what ever people thought of me trumped what God wanted for me.

"If you are a follower of Christ and you have allowed yourself to be domesticated, you have lost the power of who you are and who God intends for you to be. You were not created to be normal. God's desire for you is not compliance and conformity. You have been baptized by Spirit and fire" (p. 82).

"One of the tragedies of a civilized society is that no one wants to get involved. What becomes appropriate is to mind our own business. When we join a community that lacks a passionate heart for the world, we soon find ourselves acquiescing to apathy. It is a painful tragedy to see a brand-new follower of Christ alive with a barbarian spirit soon conformed to the status quo" (p. 123).

While I am not perfect and I don't have it all together, I strive to be and do ALL that God wants me to be and do. That is my heart. HE is my heart. He saved me from the hell that I so deserve and He redeemed my life. He is an AMAZING God. He blows my mind. Here is the God that created EVERYTHING and EVERYONE around - from generation to generation, from here to the farthest point of the universe, HE made it, and yet He knows me, He loves me and He died FOR ME (and you).


Now that is something to be excited about.

Thank you Jesus for helping me to see that following you is a great adventure and is not meant to be a "civilized" experience. Help me to walk in Your ways without compromise and with an excitement about who You are.

Behind the scenes.

A couple of days ago I posted THIS and I quoted a good friend of mine, Todd Nettleton, who wrote the April 2007 Voice of the Martyrs newsletter feature article. He posted the original opening to this article on the persecution blog and I thought I'd post a link to it here. Please check it out!

VOM Newsletter: Behind the Scenes (original opening to April 2007 feature article)

Child-like

Lots of thoughts running around in this over-active mind of mine but I think I'll just focus on one.

I've been reading in the Gospel of Mark this week and this verse jumped off the page at me.


Mark 10:14-16 (New International Version)

14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

I've heard this verse numerous times since becoming a Christian but it has never had quite the meaning to me as it does now that I have my own children. Things are so simple, so black & white for them. You either believe in Jesus or you don't. They don't get caught up in the debates that many "enlightened" adults get into - they just believe.

Morgan asked Jesus into her heart last year, the Wednesday night before Easter. It was during her preschool time. We talked about how Jesus came and died for our sins. We talked about what a sin was, what Jesus did specifically and how we can get to heaven (we had been talking about this for a while at home too). When we got done talking about what Easter was about and what Jesus did for them, we asked the children if they would like to pray and ask Jesus to forgive them of their sins and ask Him to come into their heart. Morgan and 5 other kids raised their hands. We talked to each one to make sure they understood what they were doing and I remember Morgan looking at me like - "Duh - Mom, I know what I'm doing - I get it." It was SO SIMPLE.

It should be that simple for all of us - young & old. Jesus did all the hard work for us to have a place in heaven - HE DIED FOR US - all we have to do is ACCEPT IT. Isn't that easy?


I could go on & on with examples and I'm sure that those of you who are parents can probably add a few yourself.

God tells us that we need to receive the Kingdom like a child. It's so simple yet we make it seem so complex.

Thank you Jesus for my children and all the new things that you teach me about YOU through them.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt!

What a GREAT day. Today was our FIRST annual neighborhood Easter Egg hunt. It went AWESOME. I think we had around 40-50 kids and many, many adults - even some without kids who came just to meet their neighbors.

We divided the yards by age groups so that all the kids would have a good experience. We didn't want the little kids to get over-run by the big kids. We had 11 yards and over 600 eggs! WOW!

As people began to arrive we had them register to win several prizes (see slideshow below). It was a great way to find out how many people came and from what part of the neighborhood in a very easy & fun manner.

We scheduled the hunt to last 2 hours but in reality the "hunt" was over in 15-minutes. Those kids were EFFICIENT. After that we gave some time for everyone to talk and get to know each other before doing the raffle. It was SO nice to meet so many new people. We have a very diverse and interesting neighborhood.

Even after the raffle was over many stayed around talking. Several families came late and I was so happy to see that the other kids were quick to give up some of their eggs so those children could also parttake. WOW. :)

After everyone went back to their homes, about 5 households in our culdesac got together and continued the fun with a BBQ. The kids had a blast as did the adults.

This is what it is about - connecting with our neighbors. Connect - relate. Connect - relate. Share Jesus.

At any rate, it was a fun day.

THANK YOU to Chris & Susan's small group who came out to help us!!! You guys ROCK! Chris, you did a fabulous job leading this effort!!

Enjoy the slideshow!

Have you been crucified?

My new friend, Kristie, wrote a GREAT post talking about struggles with sin. It is definitely worth a read. It's nice to know that I am not alone in my daily, hourly, minute-by-minute struggle with sin.


LINK TO KRISTIE'S POST

Move over Sanjaya

D looks much cuter with a fau-hawk and he just may just give you a run for your money with his singing too :)

It was haircut day for D & Daddy. Victoria (at WestSide Salon) styled Drew's hair this way. It was pretty funny but I can't say that I'll do this on a regular basis. :)

The true barbarians

More taken off of what I've been reading in the book, "The Barbarian Way".

I've only read the first two sections but as I was reading this book I was hit with how I served in a ministry that is focused on the true "barbarians" for their faith each day - the persecuted church. Their faith is basic, pure & simple - it's all about loving Jesus and following Him, no matter what the cost. It hasn't been domesticated, prettied up, made "comfortable", it is raw and true. When they choose to follow Jesus, they are truly CHOOSING to suffer and often times die.


Philippians 3:10-11 says this:

I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may atain to the resurrection from the dead.

My good friend, and former boss,Todd Nettleton, authored the feature article in the April 2007 issue of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter and said this in reference to the verse above:

"It is sometimes easy to focus only on experiencing Christ's power through the Holy Spirit as a kind of guarentee that we will never have to share in His suffering. But, the two are inseparable. We cannot truly know the power of the risen Savior without being willing to walk all the way with Him. Our persecuted family members are witnesses that without the suffering and pain of Good Friday, there could have been no resurrection power on Easter Sunday morning."

I have to be honest, I don't want to suffer. In church on Wednesday night we spent some time focused on worship and prayer. We looked at verses talking about God's glory, His holiness, Sin & Repentence. We were asked to take some time and pray and ask God to show us any unconfessed sin in our lives and then repent of it. Some sin is so easy to identify, it's obvious, but there are those sins that are deep and sometimes not so easy to put your finger on.

I can't say that I liked what I learned about myself that night. I'm being a bit transparent here by confessing that what I learned is that what was separating me from God (a.k.a. - SIN) was a lack of trust that what He has planned for me is the very best. It's hard to explain but I have several friends that are completely sold out Christians - 100% - Barbarian Way Christians and their lives have been hard. They have experienced some incredibly painful times and some horrible losses. Honestly, I am afraid that God might require that of me too and it scares me and it's in the midst of that fear that I start to distrust that what God has for me is the absolute best (regardless of what that may be - good or bad).

I think I find myself often thinking exactly what my friend stated above that by "focusing only on experiencing Christ's power through the Holy Spirit as a kind of guarentee that I will never have to share in His suffering."

That is so wrong.

Tom White, Executive Director of The Voice of the Martyrs (USA), in his April 2007 editorial wrote this about the persecuted believers around the world:

"The victorious testimonies we encounter in our work are from believers who know the meaning of "take up your cross." They are living reminders that the whole gospel must include the possibility of suffering for Christ or we ignore the foundation and experience of New Testament Christianity."

Lord, help me to fully trust that what you have planned for my life is the absolute best, no matter what it is. Help me walk fully committed to serving you in every way that you ask me to.

The Barbarian Way

I just started reading this book during my morning work-out at the YMCA this morning. I first heard about this book while working at The Voice of the Martyrs - we advertised this book in one of our FREE monthly newsletters (you NEED to get this newsletter if you don't already).

So many thoughts but I wanted to post one particular quote that really stuck out to me.

"The original call of Jesus was so simnple, so clean, so clear: "Follow Me." He wants us to surrender our lives to Him and follow Him into the unknown. And if it means a life of suffering, hardships, and disappointment, it will be worth it because following Jesus Christ is more powerful and more fulfilling than living with everything in the world minus Him." (pp. 48-49)

Kids say the darndest things.

Kids can say the funniest things sometimes.

Here's a few that I want to remember from D.

MOM: D, did you pee or poop in your pants at church?
D: I didn't pee, I didn't poop, and that's the end of the story.


D to Dad during game of Snap!: I'm gonna beat you dude!

D after he pooped in the potty: Holy cow, look at that!

American Idol - Final 10

Okay, so I am a big American Idol fan so, of course, I was watching tonight. Apparently whoever decides when to do the monthly test of the Emergency Broadcast System isn't a big fan of the show because it cut in right in the middle of Jordin's performance! Grrrrrr.

Sanjaya isn't great and all but seriously, tonight was the WORST of all. I wish I could find a picture of his hair tonight. It was so many ways of wrong that I don't know where to begin. A pony-tail mohawk? WHAT???? His singing was as bad as his hair.

Phil Stacey - well he sang well but something bugs me about him. Not sure what.

Gotta say, Belinda is always wonderful. She's my personal favorite. Morgan likes Hayley and Blake Lewis. We'll see who wins.

Man, when did I get so judgemental???!!!


What are your thoughts on the show?

EDITED TO ADD A LINK: To see a pic of Sanjaya's hair click HERE

Easter Egg HuntS!!!

I was just thinking about this. My kiddos are going to be on an egg hunting craze here soon. On Wed. is the egg hunt with my Mostly Mommies group, Saturday is the underwater egg hunt at the YMCA, Sunday is the neighborhood hunt and then there is the hunt I'm sure we'll go on with family over Easter. That's FOUR Easter Egg hunts!

I also want to do the Resurrection Eggs hunt with the kids. My friend, Dina, gave us a set this year and I'm excited to use them. Check them out HERE.

A bunch of randomness

Several things running through my head tonight so bear with me.

NEIGHBORHOOD STUFF

Good day in the neighborhood today. I think I visited at least 40 homes today passing out flyers for our 1st Annual Easter Egg hunt next Sunday. It was really nice to meet so many new people. I have to say, while I get frustrated with certain things in this neighborhood, there are many things I love about it. I love that it is kid-friendly. Our other neighborhood was great but it was really hilly, had lots of trees, and lots of FAST drivers that made it nearly impossible for kids to safely play outside for very long - at least on my part of the street. The kids are having fun riding their bikes, playing with neighbor kids and playing on their playset. It's great. I am enjoying meeting lots of new people. Lots of opportunities.


ORGANIZATION

I am NOT good at keeping my life organized. It a character flaw of mine that seriously drives me nuts. I hate that I can't seem to be consistent in things for long - usually the things that I don't enjoy doing like keeping the house straight, laundry done, etc. If I enjoy it then I am WAY better at being consistent.

I used to think there was no need for a planner more than a monthly calendar hanging on the wall - after all, I am *just* a stay-at-home-mom. WHATEVER. I am a SAHM to 3 kids and we are busy, busy. I bought a monthly/weekly planner to use to plan our weeks. I intend to put the things we are scheduled to do on there, the household chores that I need/want (ya right) to get done on there and the meal planning. I'm hoping that helps me be more intentional in what I do with the kids & around the house. We'll see!

So - that's my random thoughts for the day. Aren't you glad you read it?

A visit from Flat Stanley

Morgan's friend, Adrienne, from Oklahoma is doing a FLAT STANLEY project with her Kindergarten class. We received Adrienne's Flat Stanley last week and today we took FS on many adventures. Here are just a few of the pictures:


Down by the Honky Tonks (is that how you spell that? And, no we absolutely did NOT take Flat into any of those places. But, hey, Nashville is the home of country music so we couldn't leave them out).



How wrong is it that my child had no idea who Elvis was? :)



The Batman Building (BellSouth Tower)


The Parthenon - exact replica in Nashville!


We went other places but that's a little highlight.

ADRIENNE: Flat Stanley enjoyed his trip to Nashville and will be on his way back to you on Monday! :)

Birthday Book (scrapbook pages)

I went to the church scrapbooking night last Friday and got 5 pages done. I'm almost caught up in Drew's birthday book (a book with pics from each year's birthday party)

The rest of Drew' s 2nd birthday (Buzz Lightyear). Click HERE for the first few pages.




Drew's 3rd birthday was a Cars party. A lady at the crop had her Quick Kutz letters with her and I used them to create the "license plate" look below.

Not completely happy with this page but it looks decent small :)

New words

It is so fun when little ones learn new words (well, most of the time it's fun). O is really starting to add to his vocabulary. In addition to "thank you", "mamma", "juice", and "ball" he added "please" and "more" today. He doesn't pronunciate perfectly of course - the kid is only 18 months - but it is so fun to hear him saying new words. Now I just need to get it on video.

Pop!

Did you hear that sound?

It was my nice, comfortable Christian "bubble" bursting.

It's a good thing - really!

Before moving here I would say that I was living in my nice, comfortable, "Christian" world. I worked at a Christian ministry, was active in my church, had Christian friends, and my immediate neighbors were also Christians. Nice & comfy cozy.

Too comfy & too cozy and far too easy to be complacent in my faith. I had become what I detested when I first became a Christian - a complacent Christian, content to live life in my "Christian" world without much regard for those that were lost around me.

I read this the other day:

150,000 people die every 24 hours—most without the Savior. We are deeply concerned that so few Christians reach out to the lost. Statistics show that this is as low as 5%

The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)

16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

As a believer, God expects us to go into the world and teach people who He is and show them just how much He loves them. It's not optional for any believer. You may not be gifted in the area of evangelism but that doesn't mean you get a pass on the expectation. If you have a mouth and can talk, you can "evangelize".

Build a relationship with someone who doesn't know Christ. You don't have to hit them over the head with the gospel, I'm sure they'd prefer it if you didn't. Get to know them and show them Christ in any way you can. At the very least (and very most) - pray for them. GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS.

I'm thankful for where I am right now. I have such a great opportunity to share the love of Christ, specifically in my neighborhood. While I definitely have a passion to start a ministry to moms, that's not going to happen right now so I need to focus on what I can do right now. I can get to know my neighbors. I can show them the love of Christ through my actions and eventually, hopefully, I'll get the chance to share directly about what Jesus did for me and for them.

My little Christian bubble is no more and I'm thankful for it.

How are you being intentional on reaching out to those that don't know Christ?

Miss. Robin's house

We went to "Miss. Robin's house" today. Robin, if you're reading this you are probably wondering how you missed us LOL!

"Miss Robin's house" is how Drew refers to Red Robin restaurant now. No matter how much I try to correct him he still refers to it as "Miss. Robin's house".

For those of you that don't know who Miss. Robin is, she watched all three of my kiddos while I worked while in Bartlesville. She watched Morgan from 6 weeks until 4 years old, Drew from 6 weeks until almost 2 years old and Owen from 6-9 weeks of age. She was/is a HUGE blessing to our family and is greatly missed. She has three kiddos of her own - Garrett, Madison, & Tanner and the kids loved hanging out with them as well.

So, Miss. Robin, if you are reading this. You are missed!!! The kids still talk about you & your family all the time.

Patience (or lack thereof)

Remind me never, ever to pray for patience. Seriously. How do I think I'm going to have to learn it?? LOL!!!

I've never been good at waiting, especially when I'm excited about something. I want it to happen NOW. I want to do it NOW. I don't want to wait. I hate being told that I have to wait, even when there is good reason. Drives me crazy.

I know that I need to be more patient, especially with my kids (doesn't everyone?) and I'm working on that as well.

PATIENCE - ughhhhh - I'm SO not good at it. Guess I'm going to have to learn to be.

Ministry Gifts

In Sunday School/Small Group we are going through a book and the current topic is spiritual gifts. We stopped this week to do a "Ministry Gifts Inventory" put out by Lifeway. Everyone in the class took it and it was interesting. I've taken these before while in college and again while in Bartlesville but hadn't taken this particular one so I was interested in what it would say.

Here is where it put me (top 3):

1. Administration (16 out of 18 possible)
2. Helps (15 out of 18 possible)
3. Leadership (14 out of 18 possible)

Here is what it says about each one:

Administration:
Persons gifted in the area of administration are goal-and objective oriented. They often have strong organizational skills and are able to coordinate resources to accomplish tasks quickly. They are motivated by accomplishing desired tasks and often derive great satisfaction from viewing the results of what they have accomplished. If you scored high in this area, you should consider being involved in an area of ministry in which you can utilize your organizational strengths to carry out the church's measurable goals. (Measurable goals are objectives such as numerical growth, ministries advance, missions expansion.)

What I find completely ironic about this is that while I do love to plan & organize things, I stink at it in my own personal life. Does that make any sense? I would love to be an event planner or start a ministry/program. It was perfect in my job at The Voice of the Martyrs because I was responsible for putting together the production schedules but didn't really have to do many of the actual tasks other than keep everyone else on task. Perfect for me. I think I struggle at home because I need to plan/organize/set goals but I also have to work toward reaching those goals, working the plan. That's where I struggle some.

Helps:
Persons gifted in the area of helps are motivated by a desire to further the church's ministry by meeting the needs of others, specifically those in leadership positions. They enjoy giving immediate help to key individuals in order to relieve them of their financial burdens and responsibilities. While these person are willing to do whatever is needed, they are motivated more by a desire to provide assistance than by a desire to accomplish a task. If you scored high in this area, you should consider being involved in a ministry in which you can provide assistance to someone in a leadership role to enable them to be more effective than they would be without you.

I think the line, "motivated more by a desire to provide assistance than by a desire to accomplish a task" is very true of me most of the time.

Leadership:
Persons gifted in the area of leadership have the ability to lead others toward spiritual growth. They often are considered visionary and have the ability to set goals and motivate others toward accomplishing the goals. They usually have the ability to communicate effectively to large groups of people. These persons often are chosen for leadership positions because of their ability to accomplish objectives. While giftedness in leadership is similar to giftedness in administration, persons gifted in leadership often are more concerned with the "big picture" than with the details of accomplishing tasks. If you scored high in this area, you should consider being involved in an area of ministry in which you can use your strengths to lead others in accomplishing the church's measurable and non-measurable goals. (Non-measurable goals are objectives such as spiritual growth, atmosphere, and attitudes).

Do I see myself as a leader? Sort of I guess. I do tend to step up but I just can't stand sitting around doing nothing. I am more than willing to let another lead but if someone isn't willing to then I tend to be the one to step up. I do enjoy it most of the time.

So - where does this leave me? Knowing where you are gifted is great but I think you also have to identify what the needs are in your church and what your passion is. I think that people too often volunteer in an area of service not because they feel called to that particular area but because they don't know where else to serve or because someone asked them to serve there. Just because someone asks you does not mean that it's where God wants you to be.

I know that I am not called to work in the children's ministry (preschool or otherwise) on a regular basis. I am more than willing to help in instances like VBS or the like, but I honestly can't see myself helping on a regular, reoccurring basis. Perhaps it's because of my previous experiences in children's ministry (not at our current church) but I also think it's just not where God would have me work.

I hesitate to put this "out there" but, if I could pick where I'd work, here's what I'd really love to do at our current church.

I would like to help start and lead a ministry to moms. As a mom that often struggles with my role, I need support from other moms. From talking to many other moms in our church, I know that there are others that also feel this need in our church as well. From what I can see, there is no formal ministry to moms going on right now and I'd like to change that.

A quote from a previous post:

"If you want to have a lasting influence upon the world you must invest in people's lives; and if you want to maximize your investment then you must invest in those lives while they are young."
-George Barna

Who is on the front line of investing in young lives? MOMS. Let's invest in them as they invest in the lives of their children.

Bugs be gone

Wow - the stomach bug and flu are running rampant here. It's crazy. I've never been overly concerned with trying to keep my kids away from everything. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to let them go play with someone who is sick with the stomach bug or flu but I also don't shield them to a point that they go no where and are therefore exposed to nothing. I try to keep a good, healthy balance.

I'm bordering on the keeping them quarentined at home though because the flu (7-10 day, high fever kind of flu) and the stomach bug (24-48 hour thing) is spreading like crazy here. WOW. Let's see - Becca's crew, Ashley's crew, Kim's son & boyfriend, Dawn's crew and now Tammy's Braden are all sick with one or the other. Yes, Drew threw up 2 weeks ago all night but the dr. later said that it was caused by pnuemonia and not the stomach bug plus no one else in our family got it.

Let's hope this all passes everyone quickly and gets the heck out of middle TN!

Wal-Mart vent

I just got back from a shopping trip to Wal-Mart and I just have to complain. First, I know I chose to go with 3 kids in tow but honestly, it's the only way to get grocery shopping done and not be there after 8 pm. They have those carts where I can have all three kids sitting down, you know, the blue ones that the older kids can sit and get kicked by Owen who sits in the seat?

I don't know what it is about this particular Wal-Mart but they always leave those carts outside. This morning they were all WET! I go inside and they have literally 20-30 of the handicapped and/or ride-on carts inside but NO FAMILY CARTS. It's always like this - rain, shine, snow, etc. NO FAMILY CARTS.

I commented on it once before and was told that they were told to keep those carts out there and that they would clean them off for me if I needed one. Fat lot of good that does me, the straps are still soaking wet!

So, I decided to complain to a manager today about it because it's just so stinkin' inconvenient to let my "spirited" 3-year old walk around. Her response - we don't have any room for them. WHATEVER. You have room for 20-30 of the other carts (which were obviously being used) but you can't bring in one or two family carts on each end???? Seriously?????

Can't wait for Super Target to come and I will NEVER go to Wal-Mart again!

Spring is in the air

Ughhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love spring but I hate the allergies that come along with it! NOT FUN. I had heard that TN was worse for allergies than OK was and so far I'd have to agree. I need to find myself a primary care physician (any recommendations?) and get some allergy meds!!!

What kind of investments are you making?

"If you want to have a lasting influence upon the world you must invest in people's lives; and if you want to maximize your investment then you must invest in those lives while they are young."
-George Barna


I really, really like this quote. It says a lot. We've been talking a lot at church about developing relationships with those that don't know Christ in an effort to share Jesus with them. Relate - Connect. Relate - Connect. While I know that people can come to know Christ through some random person coming up to them on the street (or whereever), most people come to know Christ through a relationship of sorts with a Christ-follower. Hence the reason that we NEED to invest in the lives of others.

While I think it's important to invest in the lives of adults, I think it's even more important to invest in the lives of children. The percentage of people who accept Christ drops significantly after they graduate from high school! Reaching our children is VITAL. It makes me absolutely crazy when I see ministries, churches, etc. minimizing the needs of children as if they are an after-thought. That is SO backwards. We have to be intentional about reaching them when they are young. WE HAVE TO.

As a mom, I have the awesome responsibility of investing in the lives of my children and hopefully maximizing every opportunity to share Christ with them. It can be a bit daunting and I feel very inadequate for the job. Thankfully I serve a God that is FAR more than adequate and He won't give me a job and not equip me to complete it.

Let's maximize our "investments"!

I don't want it to end!!!!

Well, it's the end of the 2nd full day that Dina's been here and tomorrow I have to take her to the airport!!!! :( I'm so sad to see her go but I've had such a blast with her here. It's been a much needed visit for me as I have really been struggling lately.

We have been busy while here. Poor kiddos, today none of them got more than 30 minutes to nap. Yesterday we went by the park, Chick-Fil-A, Scrappin'USA Superstore and The Rocking Horse consignment shop. We came home and Dina cooked us a Peruvian meal (she was raised in Peru and is an amazing cook) and then we went out to Chili's for a desert and some girl talk. It was FABULOUS!

Today we took the kids to The Discovery Center and then by The Sassy Scrapper. After that, another trip to Chick-Fil-A (it's our favorite place and there isn't one close to Dina), Toys 'r Us, Carters outlet, Once Upon A Child consigment (highly recommend), and then to Demos' for dinner (YUM!). It was a crazy busy day but was so great.

We've taken a bunch of photos but will post those another day (still working on pics from my mom's visit - I'm behind!).

RYAN - MOVE MY FRIEND TO NASHVILLE!!!!!!

Awake...

It's almost 4 am and I am awake. My head hurts a little bit and I just can't sleep. I'll be paying for this later I am sure!

Have you ever been woken up with the urgent feeling that you have to pray for someone right then? It truly doesn't happen often with me but when it does it catches me off guard a bit. I start to worry about what is going on that I am woken like that to pray. That happened earlier this evening (morning!). It's still on my mind and I am still praying for this family.

Lord, please be with____. Keep them safe and healthy in your arms. Protect them.

I have the best honey in the world!

I am in total shock!!! Eric came home tonight from "work" with my very best friend, Dina & her son Zachary in tow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH - I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am. They will be here until Wed. around noon!!!

This has to be one of the most thoughtful things that he has ever done. I have been really struggling lately and just wanted to spend time with my friend Dina. Friday was an especially hard day and I was really feeling down (despite the fun time at the zoo). They booked the trip that night!!!!

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY Dina is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

America's favorite pasttime?

Baseball, of course (St. Louis Cardinals basebal at that!).

Eric bought the baseball stand (what is the right word for this?) and played with the kids this weekend. They had a blast!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA!

A day late but...

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Grandma!
Happy Birthday to you!

We love you!!!!!!!

Zoo pics

I am working on editing LOTS of pictures that I've taken lately. I put together a slide-show of Friday's Zoo visit as there were a lot.

Enjoy!

Prayer request for a friend

If you have a moment, please say a prayer for a friend of mine who lost her father last night to colon cancer. She is traveling with her family to Iowa this weekend to be with her mother & rest of the family during this difficult time. In addition, she was just diagnosed with the flu (it seems to be going around lately) and just had gall bladder surgery. It's been a rough week.

Thank you!

What to say...

I think I've typed & retyped this post several times. There are a few things on my mind but not things I'd put here (nothing bad, just not blog appropriate).

So, random thoughts will have to do.

This was a GREAT day. The weather was perfect today - 70's for sure. Went to the YMCA this morning & then crashed Tammy & Suzanne's "party" at Suzanne's house. It was nice to see Tammy again with her crew, Braden & Aubrey. I got to hold Aubrey for a while and it was so sweet. I forget what it's like to hold such a small baby. Loved it!

Then it was off to get Morgan at school and home with a sleeping baby. Put Owen down for a nap and went outside to play with Becca's kiddos - Eli & Jonah. I think they had a good time outside between the play set in the back and the cars/rocks/etc. in the front.

Suzanne came back over and we had pancakes for dinner & watched some American Idol (Uggghhhh - at least they got one of the people voted off right!).

So, it was busy and fun.

Ohhh - it must have been a week for ER trips. My good friend, Dina, had her son in the ER with a cut on his head that required 2 staples!!!! :( DINA: Our boys need to keep out of the ER!!!!

I have to say, I am very blessed here. It takes a lot of time to develop good friendships with people, it took YEARS to develop the friendships I have back in Oklahoma, and I worried about that when we moved here. God has really blessed me with some awesome new friends. It's not easy to let someone new in when you have an established group of people you hang out with yet I feel like I have been very welcomed here. THANK YOU.

Life of Hope Ministry Video

Some friends of mine work for Life of Hope Ministries. Please, please check out this video for more information about their work.

BRYAN: Great job on this video. I think the work your ministry is doing on behalf of the street children in Latin American is awesome. WOW. Miss you guys!

Blessings!

What a beautiful day!

Wow - today is gorgeous! It was 70 degrees at lunch time and just beautiful. I wish it could be like this ALL YEAR LONG! This morning we went to the Mostly Mommies book study at World Outreach Center and then to the park to meet some friends. We were a little (okay, a lot) late but that's okay. The kids had a blast. Here are some pictures.

Throwing sticks in the water - shortly after Drew fell into the water, thankfully only his shoes & bottom of his pants were wet and he wasn't hurt.


Morgan & Eli collecting sticks

Drew looking at ants.

Morgan and her friend, John. How sweet. I have to say, when I told Eric about these pictures he wasn't too pleased - his daughter already holding hands with a boy???!!!! I tried explaining it was just innocent, they don't understand anything other than being friends (thankfully!). He still didn't like it. Dad's and their little girls - I tell ya!

Do you like silver jewelry?

Some of you may know about the website www.silverjewelryclub.com and may already buy from them. If you do can you go through my friend's website? My friend in TX is starting up her own business so she can work from home and while it is based in Houston, you can still help her out. With each purchase you make she gets $ .50!! Please visit www.northhoustonmetrowoman.com. Scroll to the bottom and click on the link to the silver jewelry club and she gets credit for any sale.

THANKS!

Drew's follow-up appt. w/pediatrician

I took Drew into a follow-up appt. with Dr. Eastham today. It went fine but it left me feeling very frustrated with the people in the ER. When I told him the reasons I brought Drew into the ER in the first place, the VERY FIRST THING he thought of was PNEMONIA! He said those were all classic symptoms and that he was very suprised that they did a cat scan when the normal procedure for diagnosing pnemonia was a chest x-ray and blood work. When I mentioned that they were concerned about the appendix he went on to explain that he would not have even considered that because, well, I can't remember his reasoning. He asked if they tested him for the flu as well just in case. I mentioned that they did do blood work but I never heard anything from it. They faxed him the information from that night and it did not include any lab work!

I'm glad that my baby is okay and I know that the drs. in the ER are good but they aren't drs. that deal soley with kids. From talking to Dr. Eastham, I think that's the difference in what they chose to do medically. I don't know. Just irritates me that now my child is afraid of drs. He screamed when the nurse wanted to take his temp in his ear and made me promise him all the way to Dr. Eastham's office that it wouldn't hurt. Ughhh!

Despite the frustration, I'm glad my kiddo is on the mend. Fever free for 24 hours now, puke free for 48 hours. AND HE POOPED! (TMI - I know!)

I feel like a drama queen

Sometimes I think I make life with 3 sound really, really difficult. It's not that bad, believe me! It has it's moments (like puking all night & the er visit) but all-in-all it's great. Lots of good moments - more than the hard ones - and that makes it all worth while.

Drew is doing great since waking up. He's slightly warm (99-100) but NOTHING like last night and is in a great mood. Still hasn't pooped though - maybe a Poop-Fil-A run is in order LOL! :)

Well, that was traumatic

I ended up having to take Drew to the ER last night about 9 pm. He was fine all day long, you wouldn't have even known he had been up all night puking by the way he was acting. About 5 pm he started to run a temp again. I gave him some tylenol about 6 pm and it didn't help. His temp just kept going up and then he started complaining that his right side hurt. I had visions of appedicitis running through my head so it was off to the ER we went. Thankfully my mom was still here so she was able to stay home with the other two kids as Eric was still out-of-town (flying back in late last night).

We got to the ER and Drew's temp was 104.2!!!!!! They gave him some Motrin and then later some tylenol to help bring it down. Took a long while but it did start coming down. The dr. told me that he wanted to do some blood work and get a catscan done to rule out the appendix. Ughhh... I understand that it was better to test him and make sure but I was't too thrilled with the idea of an IV - with good reason too.

The nurses came in to do the IV and by that time Drew was asking to go home as he felt better. This was about 11 pm. Eric wasn't there yet but on his way. OH MY GOSH. I about knocked those nurses out. Seriously. It took 3 tries in 3 locations to get that darn thing in!!! The first time was in him right arm. The poor kid, I was holding him as were 2 nurses and he was screaming, saying it hurt and begging them to take it out. The nurse sat there and DUG around in his arm for what seemed like forever before blowing that vein. Another nurse came in and they tried his right hand. Ughh. By this time I was in tears for Drew. It sucked seeing my child in pain like that!!!! Thankfully Eric came in about the time they were going to start try 3 in his left arm. I had to leave and they FINALLY got the IV in this arm!!!

Then they brought in this huge glass of "lemonade" drink that he needed to drink BEFORE the 2 hour wait to get the CT scan started. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It was about 11:30 and he was already EXHAUSTED from everything else this evening. We got about 1/2 down him before he puked it all up. Got a little more down him & he puked that up to. Thankfully the radiology tech decided to go ahead and do the scan and counted 2 hours from the time we started getting him to drink this junk.

Took him back to the scan about 1 am. Another trauma! Holding that kid still on his back was a challenge. Eric help his hands and I held his feet. Got that done and went back to the room to wait. Drew fell back asleep and all was good.

Dr. came in about 2:30 and told us that Drew was really "backed up" (stool wise) and then asked us if he'd been coughing a lot. He has been coughing but I would not have termed it as a lot. Turns out the kid has pnemonia in his left lung! They tried to give him a dose of antibiotics but the combination of the drink & the contrast they put in the IV caused him to puke it up. So, a prescription for antibiotics later and a suggestion for suppositories and we were home. I am relieved that it wasn't anything more - my mind tends to go to all the worst case scenarios.

Poor Eric though - we got home about 3 am and he had to leave to take my mom to the airport and go to work at 6:30 am. I'm tired but I can kick it around the house, minus the prescription run, so it's not that bad. I hope that Owen & Morgan take it easy on me though - I am BEAT!

So, that's our story!

Ughh - Stomach Bug

I know, it's 2:45 am and I am posting. Drew came into my room a short while ago with an upset stomach. He has thrown up a little once and is now laying in my bed watching Diego a la Comcast On Demand. Poor kid - has a temp of 101, an upset stomach and is STILL singing with Diego.

Please pray that no one else in the family gets sick!!! I hate the stomach bug!!!!!!!!

Our Mom-Mom rocks!

Okay, so I have to brag - Morgan, Drew & Owen have another Grandma, we call her Mom-Mom, that rocks! Aren't they lucky kids?

My mom is in town for a long weekend and we are having such a good time. Yesterday we just hung out at home as my mom was really tired (she got up at 3 am to get to the airport) and it was raining. We had a blast though and played games and just had fun together.

Today was really fun as well. We took the kids to the free playarea at Christ Church in Nashville along with Becca & Suzanne. It was a BLAST! If you have kids and haven't tried out this place, you NEED to go. I have several pics to share but it will have to wait until I have more time to edit them. After Christ Church we went to McD's and then we came home. Mom-Mom played games with the kids and then took them out to blow bubbles. They just had so much fun. I love it!

Thank you Lord for a wonderful mom and fantastic Mom-Mom for my kids!

It's raining, It's pouring

And, I wish I was snoring! It's the kind of day where you just want to stay under the covers and sleep. Oh well.

Mom-Mom comes today!!! That's my mom, she didn't want to be called Grandma so Mom-Mom it is. I am excited and the kids are beyond excited. I think Morgan has planned several things for them to do already. I have to say that one of the biggest perks about living in the Nashville area is that it is SO much cheaper to fly to see my family and vice versa! It was super expensive living in the Tulsa area so the visits weren't as frequent. She is here thru Monday morning so those in Sunday School will get to meet her.

Other than that, I have a cool update to share. Remember my post about the neighborhood stuff (click here)? Well, I have really tried this past week to pray for my next door neighbors every single time I started thinking negatively about them (they got LOTS of prayers this week) and it is funny how God works things. There were two things that were making me a bit irritated - the trash just thrown in the back yard for all to see as they drove past and the junk car parked on the side of their house. Well, this week they have finally gotten actual trash service that included nice, new trash cans so that's what they have out back (still against neighborhood policy but a heck of a lot better than a pile of bags) AND the junk car is GONE! WOOHOO!!!!

In addition, I just heard about a small group that is being started in our neighborhood as an opportunity to outreach to those around us. I thought that was cool and plan on introducing myself to the couple doing it soon.

Well, the bad weather is starting to pick up again and I need to go check the status of my mom's flight. If you read this before 9:40 am, please say a prayer for me as I travel to the airport in yuck weather and for my mom as she gets sick really easily on planes and I can't imagine flying in this would be fun.

Thanks!