Thursday, March 31, 2011

Two Short Stories

I've been a lazy blogger this week.  I just haven't been feeling well this week.  Too bad stay at home moms don't get sick days.  The more I try to rest, the more Ella "needs" my attention.  Oh well.

I wanted to share 2 little stories about my kids...who never cease to make me laugh.

#1:  The Man Eating Bat and Pink Foot

When we were in Arkansas, my dad was scaring the kids with tales of Big Foot in the woods.  So now, any time Ella hears a noise, her eyes get big and she whispers, "is that pink foot?"  I don't know how she got "pink foot" out of Big foot, but it makes me laugh.  Never one to be out done, Ella made up her own spooky story.  Her telling of the story went a little like this:
Ella:  My story is about a giant bat.
Pawpaw:  Where does your bat live?
Ella:  In a cave.
Pawpaw:  What does the bat eat?
Ella: Us, but it's favorite snack is chips.
Pawpaw:  Does he walk or fly?
Ella:  Pauses, gives her pawpaw a very serious look and says, "It's a bat."

Come on, everyone knows that bats fly.  What kind of question was that?  The look on her face and the tone of her voice were priceless.


#2:  Jesus Speaks Through Wii Fit

Aidan has his own Bible.  As is the case with many Bibles, all the words spoken by Jesus are red.  We have talked about this before.  The other night, he was at his Pawpaw and Nana's house playing Wii Fit.  Some of the words from the game were highlighted in red.  Aidan gasped and said, "Look!  Jesus said that!"  It took me a few seconds to realize he was talking about the red words.  Maybe I should explain to him that not ALL red words are Jesus' words...only the ones in the Bible.  Otherwise, he could get seriously confused!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Monday Motivation: The Lord Sings

Does anyone else ever buy into the image of God that he is frustrated with us?  Disappointed in us?  Do you ever feel like all you do is let God down, and he must be tired of your constant mucking things up?  I feel that way sometimes.  But, when I really get into the word of God, I see that this just isn't true.  Take this verse in Zephaniah:

The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you, 
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing. 
Zephaniah 3:17

I love that.  It speaks to my mother's heart.  I understand this, because I delight in my kids.  They bring me joy.  I love the thought of an all powerful God singing over me.  I sing over my kids...You Are my Sunshine.  They bring me such delight.  I am always singing little songs to them...sometimes real songs, and sometimes goofy songs that I make up on the spot...like when I see Ella in the morning I sing, "There's my baby girl...the prettiest girl in the world!"  Or, "I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day...when it's cold outside, I've got the month of may."  Since Aidan was a tiny baby I've sang to him, "Aidan you are my shining star, don't you go away.  I wanna be right here where you are until my dying day."  Now, he sings it back to me.  It's silly, but it just bubbles out of me because of my great over flowing love for my kids.  

And God feels that way about me.  Even when I say the wrong thing, or lose my temper, or have a little pity party for myself.  He delights in me...and in you.  He sings over us.  Can you wrap your mind around that?  We are His.  What an awesome thought to grasp.  What a wonderful, loving God we serve!

Have a great week!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Dear Mark,

It is a beautiful day today.  It is sunny and warm, but with a cool breeze.  The windows are open today, and Ella and I can hear the birds outside.  This morning, we snuggled in bed watching cartoons, until Ella decided she wanted to hide under the covers and pretend she was in a cave.  When she got tired of that, she sat at Aidan's little school desk and drew pictures for about half an hour.  We had lunch together on the living room floor.  Then we played dress up with her Nina Ballerina doll that she got for her birthday.  Later, we're planning on painting our toe nails.  Right now, she has every toy she owns in the living room and has been playing non stop.  We are listening to praise and worship music on the radio.  Soon, she will take a nap, in her own bed, surrounded by all the things she loves.  And, I will be the one to tuck her in and read her a story.  I'm hoping that while she is asleep (and after I pick up every toy she owns!) that I can finish the top for Aidan's quilt, and maybe make him a pillow case too.  It won't be long before Aidan gets home from school, and I will be standing out in the drive way waiting for him.  He'll want to have a fruit smoothie as soon as he gets home, so I already have the blender out.  The dishes are finished, the bed is made and the laundry is caught up.  Dinner is in the works.  It is peaceful here today.

Thank you for today.  I am so blessed to be here with our kids...loving on them all day, teaching them, playing with them.  I know, I couldn't do what I'm doing if it weren't for you.  Thank you for sacrificing so much so I can be at home.  Thank you for working so hard and for budgeting our money down to the very last blessed penny.  Thanks for being okay with not having extra money...to travel, to build that cover for the patio, to go to concerts, to buy new shoes!  Thanks for coming home and helping with the kids right away when I know you're tired after working all day.  Thank you for this life you are providing for us.  The kids and I will be eternally grateful to you.  I love you.

Love,

Jessica

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Spring Break 2011

We spend almost every spring break in Arkansas.  It's paradise for children and dogs...with woods, and creeks and ponds...tire swings, wooden swings in a tree, lightning bugs and fishing.  It is so peaceful and quiet there.  It is one of our favorite places to relax.  We love getting to spend the week with Mark's parents.  This year we had the added bonus of my parents coming out for the weekend also.  It was a great time of much needed relaxation and family togetherness.

So, here's how we spent our spring break:

We went fishing...Aidan caught around 20 fish on this trip.  I think he had the most out of everyone.

















We went hiking and shot guns in true Arkansas style...well some of us did.



We did not wear a watch the whole week...and never knew what time it was.


We saw a sign on someone's property in which they had spelled "notice" like this:



We played with our blue eyed super dog.


We did not put our kids to bed by 8:00.



We did go out to eat at Pier 27 with the whole family.  Aidan declared it the best catfish ever.





We never got tired of this view:



We laughed at how the kids thought riding in the back of a pick up truck was the best treat ever...when I was a kid, that's just how we all went places.

We spent lots of time with grandparents.





We played on the swings...A LOT!


















We went to visit the home of Aidan and Ella's great-great-great grandmother:

We pushed each other in carts...again, only some of us did this:

We acted silly when we were supposed to be posing for pictures:

We raced the dog and each other around the house:

We rang this bell...the kids can't resist ringing this bell:

We did whatever this is:


We rode on the tractor...(and Aidan even drove it!).

We played in creeks and on bridges:




We had picnics in the woods:



We had a great spring break.  It was over too soon.  The night before we had to leave, Aidan cried because he didn't want to go home and neither did his dog!  We are hoping to go back soon before it gets too hot.  I hope everyone got to relax and have fun over spring break!












Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Arkansas Adventures of Sam the Wonder Dog



He may not realize it, but Sam had a big test over spring break.  See, we're a traveling family.  We drive all over the place.  Before Ella was 3 months old, she had been to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, New Mexico and Colorado.  Road trips with our kids are easy, because they don't know any different.  If you're going to fit into this bunch, you've got to love to travel and be good at it!  So, spring break would be Sam's first road trip.  We were a little nervous, because he can be a little high strung.  And, while he's mostly house broken, he still has the occasional accident.  But, Sam passed his test with flying colors.  At first, it didn't look good.  He was nervous about being in the car.  So, he paced back and forth, from my lap to the very back of the van.  But, finally, he settled in and went to sleep.

Once we were in Arkansas, he was in dog heaven.  He proved what a super dog he really is.  With acres and acres of woods to run through, and creeks and ponds to conquer, he was the happiest I've seen him.

Here he is showing off his lightning speed...don't be fooled by Aidan being in the front...Sam was just about to over take him in a dramatic photo-finish to one of the many races they ran together around the house:

Never fear menacing butterflies when Sam is around...or bumble bees.  Our super mutt, spent hours chasing away butterflies and protecting us all from these dangerous minions.  He is loyal and brave like that.  Here he is leaping through the woods after a particularly dangerous species of tiny yellow butterfly:

Sam, we found out on this trip, is also an expert on fishing.  I'm not sure what disasters would have befallen us down at the pond, if it weren't for Sam's careful guidance:



Sam also proved to be a water safety expert, being sure to clear all creeks of sticks, leaves and pine cones:



And, Sam never rested.  Here he is protecting the back porch from enemy air craft:



Yes, Sam really showed what a doggie hero he is while in Arkansas.  In fact, he showed himself so loyal and brave, that my mom and I decided to take him with us on a morning walk to protect us from whatever might be lurking in the woods.  When we were approached by a very large Husky, we were glad our fearless dog was with us.  I have to admit, we were a little perplexed when instead of standing and preparing to fight off anything that might try to hurt us, he took off with lightning speed.  But, it only took us a second to realize, he must have run to get help.  Just like Lassie.  However, once he was home, his super dog senses told him we had fended off the dog alone, and there was no longer any cause for alarm, so instead of getting help, Sam took a nice long drink of water and laid down on the porch.  Which is where we found him when we finally made it home.  Good dog.

Sam loved Arkansas.  In fact when it was time to come home, we expected him to hop in the car with the kids.  Instead, he sat and stared at us and refused to get in.  When Mark tried to pick him up, he trotted around to the back porch.  He wanted to stay.  He's been a little restless, here in the city, without creeks to romp through, or pine cones to demolish.  I think we will have to take him back soon...or find him some doggie therapy.  Super dogs just weren't meant to live in the confines of the city! 




Monday, March 21, 2011

Monday Motivation: The Hiding Place

I was going to post all of my spring break pictures today, but I have not gotten around to loading them on the computer yet.  We spring break-ed until the very last minute, getting home from our trip with only enough time to eat dinner and get ready for bed.  We had a great time.  I have a renewed appreciation for how wonderful my children are and how much I enjoy spending time with them.  I was truly sad to watch Aidan walk into school today.  I sure do miss him during the school year.

Since I didn't get the pictures loaded, I wanted to tell everyone about the book I read over the break.  I finally got around to reading Corrie Ten Boom's, The Hiding Place.  If I had to describe this book with one word, it would be:  wow.  What a powerful, miracle-working God we serve.  The way that God led and sustained Corrie and her sister while they were helping Jews hide and throughout their life in a Nazi concentration camp was awe inspiring.  If you are ever struggling in your faith, grab a copy of this book and prepare to read it in one sitting, because you won't want to put it down.

There were several points in the book that have motivated me in my life and in my faith, and I have listed them here for you...so you can be motivated too.  (But, don't just settle for the points I've drawn out...seriously read the book!  It's amazing.)

1.  Being a parent is a job to be taken seriously.  We don't know what our children are going to face in their lives.  We can't be accidental parents.  We have to parent with vision...and that vision should include teaching them to live and breathe for God...that is their only hope.  So many times when Corrie and her sister were facing unbelievable circumstances, they drew on the things their parents had taught them...self-sacrifice, having no prejudice toward race or age or social status, hiding God's word in their hearts.

2.  You can't accomplish #1 if you are not daily seeking God and following Christ.  Corrie's parents LIVED their faith.  They took in orphans, cared for the sick, shared their home, they didn't speak ill of anyone, they were known throughout the community for their kindness, and they were respected by everyone, even those that did not share their faith.  They made hardly any money and were just barely able to scrape by, yet they shared everything they had.  Their example prepared their daughters (and their son, who also died trying to protect Jews) for the good that God had called them to do...and many people are now in Heaven because of it.

3. We are so fortunate to have access to the Word of God.  Under the Nazis, Bibles were not allowed in the concentration camps, and people were killed and persecuted for reading it.  However, by miraculous intervention (read it!) they were able to sneak one into the camp.  They led daily reading and teaching of the word of God in the concentration camp, and many came to faith in God during this horrible time.  We need to be in His word daily...hiding it in our hearts...we are not guaranteed to always have such free access to it.

4.  We should not be afraid to do what is right.  If more people had stood up for what was right, the holocaust would have been much less devastating.  Corrie's father was arrested for hiding Jews, but when they saw how old he was (in his 80s) he was told he could go home if he would promise not to do it again.  He replied, "If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door again to any man in need who knocks."  That takes courage.  He died in that Nazi prison.  But, I know his reward was great.

5.  God gives us what we need, just when we need it, and not a moment too soon...and never a moment late.  He is a good father.  He is our provider.  There are many incredible stories in the book of God providing strength, discernment and even vital medicine in miraculous ways.

6.  God still works miracles and speaks to his people.  If you doubt that, read the book!  :)

7.  God uses all of the happenings in our life to prepare us for the work he has for us to do.  Corrie ten Boom said, " Childhood scenes rushed back at me out of the night, strangely close and urgent.  Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future.  I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do."  What work has God given you to do?  How has he already prepared you to do it?

8. and finally, I learned, that no matter what is to come, God is my hiding place...whatever comes, he will sustain me and protect me until it is my turn to go home.


As you can tell, I loved the book.  I read it in one day...I couldn't put it down.

Spring break pictures are coming soon!  Have a great week.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Spring-y Chicken Salad

No, it won't make you bounce, or walk with an extra spring in your step!  But, it's spring, and time to put away the creamy, warm, high fat, make-your-kitchen-hot recipes and opt for some lighter fare.

This is my favorite recipe for Chicken Salad...I love it on those new sandwich rounds...the flat ones.  So yummy.

2 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 c. Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise if you prefer)
1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Serve with your favorite crackers or rolls.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Warms My Heart

Every once in a while, your kids do something that makes you think, "maybe I'm not totally messing them up."  Last week, we had one of those moments.  Ella was sitting on the floor watching cartoons when Aidan got home from school.  He plopped down in the chair and entered his cartoon-induced stupor.  Ella crawled up beside him and said, "I missed you bubba.  Did you miss me?"  Aidan smiled and said, "yes."  Ella snuggled up to him and said, "I love you bubba."  I just about choked on the lump in my throat.  Usually, they are typical siblings...they know which buttons to push and they push them over and over, the only toys they want to play with are the ones the other one has...that kind of thing...so when they have a moment like this, it really warms my heart.  When I was pregnant with Ella, I feared they wouldn't be close, being 5 years apart in age and different genders.  But, they are thick as thieves most of the time, a fact I am most grateful for, except when they team up against me!  There is something indescribably precious about seeing two people you love so desperately loving each other.

Ella adores Aidan.  And Aidan pretends like he hates that...but I know he secretly loves it.  Sometimes during the day, at completely random times, Ella will say to me, "Aidan's my brother.  I love him." (sometimes she gets confused and says "sister"...Aidan says that's because his hair is getting so long). Whenever she does something that she thinks is particularly funny, she says, "I'm funny, just like Aidan."  Of course, she also calls him a "stinky boy."

 Aidan is a little too cool for all this mushiness, but sometimes when I catch him doing something nice for her, he'll shrug and say, "well, she is my sister."  I fear for Ella's dating possibilities, since she will have a large, over-protective big brother.  No one is allowed to say or do anything mean to Ella when Aidan's around.  More than once, I've over heard him saying, "hey, that's my sister!"  Aidan also takes it upon himself to make sure I am fair to Ella.  He almost came unglued when he mistakenly thought I wasn't going to allow Ella to go to a friend's birthday party.  Apparently, he reserves the sole right to drive his sister crazy.  No one else is allowed.  I am so glad they have each other (except when Aidan is annoying his sister in the back seat of the car and Ella is screaming, "NO!!" so shrilly that I worry the windows will shatter).  Even though they invest great amounts of time and energy into driving each other crazy, when they have a moment like the one last week, I know they will be such a blessing to each others' lives.  I pray that they will always be close.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

God Works at Minute Clinic

Thanks to various calamities of late, we've been a little low on cash.  Which, wasn't that big of a deal, since everything had already been paid for this month.  But, we're traveling over spring break, and it is always nice to have a little extra traveling money.  So, we thought it was no small coincidence when we got an envelope from Minute Clinic in the mail on Monday.  Mark was positive it was a bill.  He had gone in about a month ago for strep throat and they had only charged him $20.  We thought that was odd since we have a high deductible that wasn't met, so he just assumed they had finally realized that and were sending us the bill.  I laughingly told him, "hey, it could be a check."  He laughed when he opened it, because it was indeed a refund check from Minute Clinic...so that took care of the rest of our traveling money!

Monday's incident made me think of another time, when I had to go to minute clinic due to an extremely painful UTI.  As usual for us, we had no money in the bank, and I wasn't sure how we'd pay for this visit, but I had to go.  I prayed on the way there that God would work it out.  Sure enough, at the end of my visit, the computers wigged out and she could not enter any information.  She couldn't charge me.  Some people may assume that both of these instances were just coincidences.  But, I have learned to give God the glory in all things.  He never ceases to blow my mind.

I am so thankful that God is not susceptible to budget cuts, or high gas prices.  We simply need to focus in on Him and get our mind off of all that the world has to offer.  A great book to read is A.W. Tozer's, The Pursuit of God.  I borrowed it from my mom last week and it is excellent.  The chapter on The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing is life changing.

And, on another note (sort of)...we had another answer to prayer this week when it came to getting our car fixed...the Honda Dealership was quoting us a price that could potentially empty our savings.  I prayed that God would help us figure out another way.  My mom, off-handedly mentioned that she heard some people talking about a great mechanic in Keller at her dentist's office one day.  So, Mark drove around trying to find him.  He was great.  He agreed to look at the car for nothing (unheard of) and let us know what needed to be done.  Ultimately, he was able to fix the problem for a less than what we were quoted, and have it ready for us to leave on our spring break trip.  God is good...all the time.  If you need some auto work done, it is Paul's Total Auto Care on Kroger Dr. in Keller.

I hope you're all enjoying spring break!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Cowgirl BIrthday Pictures

Ella's 3rd birthday party was yesterday.  We had so much fun.  The weather cooperated, thank goodness, and we had a great day at the farm.  We had our party at Homestead Farms in Keller.  For a very small fee, you get to feed the animals, have a hayride and use the picnic tables for your presents and cake.  It was the most stress free, easy to put together party I've ever done.

Here's the cake:


I always make the kids' cakes myself, because I just can't bring myself to pay $30-$60 for a cake when we could use that money for something more permanent.  Plus, the kids really like it when I make their cakes.  I am no where close to a professional, but it's fun to do.  I got this idea from Betty Crocker.  It was very easy, and Ella loved it.

These pictures are of Ella with one of the baby goats at the farm.  There were 3 brand new baby goats; they were triplets...only 1 day old!  There are no words to express how cute they were...and the little squeaky sounds they made--I felt an irresistible need to sell all my worldly goods, buy a farm and several goats.  And that dog in the picture...he's only 16 weeks old...still a puppy.  That is going to be one HUGE dog.  He was very sweet though.



This is Aidan checking out the bunnies at the farm.  I love it when Aidan wears this cowboy hat.  I could just eat him up.  I don't know why I say that...it's kind of weird if you think about it...so, I just don't think about it...because he's so sweet I could eat him with a spoon. 


Chickens!





Feeding the goats...this was ONE hungry goat.

This donkey followed us for a good portion of our Hayride.

The horses and dogs followed us for a bit too.

This horse wanted to get a closer look

Time for some Cactus Punch!

To drink, we served root beer and cactus punch.  To make the cactus punch, I mixed 2 liters of Ginger Ale with 2 packets of lemon-lime kool-aid.  It packed a punch, but the kids loved it.  You could also use Sprite and Kool-Aid, or just Sprite died green with food coloring.

Ella got so excited when everyone started singing, "Happy Birthday."  I love how she clasped her hands together...so sweet.








Baby Goat Triplets...did I mention they were CUUUTE??

Sweet Birthday Hugs on a Tractor

A few more notes about the party...the cake isn't very big, so I also made chocolate cupcakes with a cream filling.  They were yummy.  I didn't get a picture.  But, I found some boot decorations for the top at Hobby Lobby.  The kids really liked those.

For goody bags, I bought pink bandanas at Hobby Lobby, filled them with some little horses, sheriff badges, candy, and a couple of other trinkets.  I tied them with Jute cords (also from Hobby Lobby).  I covered the cake board with a pink bandana also.
You can see the goody bags in this picture of my sweet little nephew, Hayes:


It was a great and easy party.  Here are a few more pictures from the day: