Every year at Christmastime, Mom makes the most delicious "trail mix" ever. It's funny, because it's one of those things that's sooo easy to make...yet we wait for this time of year to have it. That's probably a good thing, though, cause I can eat my weight in that stuff. And man, that's a LOT! :)
Anyway, last night the boys and I were snacking on some of that yummy Christmas treat, and I noticed Tony being very careful to only eat the Chex out of it. Typical. I mean, we all have our favorite part of the mix! But then I had one of those sweet moments that only a parent can have, when your kids aren't killing each other and some special little similarity shows itself. Their differences are consistently clear, but I so enjoy the little moments where I can see one in the other...when I see them as...brothers I guess. Duh! :)
But it was nuts. Tony stuck his chubby little hand in the bag to grab a piece of cereal and said with a grin, "pillow." Suddenly my mind flashed back, and it wasn't Tony at all. It was my little, blonde haired Tyler standing there, still with his precious baby fat, saying "pillow." I guess it seems silly, but so much went through my mind when my baby used the same word for Chex that his big brother did when he was a toddler. He'd never heard Ty call cereal a pillow. It was his own word as much as it was Tyler's own word a few years ago. And for whatever sentimental reasoning, it was enough to make me squeeze them both just a little tighter last night. Perhaps it was the thought of how quickly they grow, or maybe it was just one of those moments overwhelmed by love for the little guys. Whatever. It was precious. And I'm still smiling about it today!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Pluck it!
Interesting expletive, huh? :)
What do you do to relieve stress? Do you have a stress plan? I mean, do you consciously turn to a certain activity or ritual or habit that soothes you? Or do you just find yourself doing a certain something in stressful times?
I've noticed over the years that one of my most effective methods of stress relief is the otherwise much dreaded deed of shaping my eyebrows (or, as I mentally refer to it, the completely insane, unnecessary, and incredibly painful ripping out of the hair in my delicate eye area!). Yep. I'm certifiable. It works though. I've never ever actually done this on purpose to relieve stress, but I noticed once that I was just plucking away, and I couldn't even feel it. Normally I'm one of those total weenie girls that can't help but form tears as the hairs are jerked from their rightful home on my brow. I don't actually "cry," of course, but there's definite watering of the eyes. :)
Anyway, I was stressing over something at the time I made this strange observation. Out of curiosity, I did a little digging through photos, and I found that I tend to get a little bushy when the stress level is low. Yet, in the pictures taken at the most tense times of my adult life, I'm sporting some seriously sexy eyebrows!
Now this really only works to a certain degree. I've had a couple of total down and out lows that certainly couldn't be detected by the thickness of my brows, but for the most part if you're wondering how I'm really doing just take a closer look...not into my eyes, but above them!
What do you do to relieve stress? Do you have a stress plan? I mean, do you consciously turn to a certain activity or ritual or habit that soothes you? Or do you just find yourself doing a certain something in stressful times?
I've noticed over the years that one of my most effective methods of stress relief is the otherwise much dreaded deed of shaping my eyebrows (or, as I mentally refer to it, the completely insane, unnecessary, and incredibly painful ripping out of the hair in my delicate eye area!). Yep. I'm certifiable. It works though. I've never ever actually done this on purpose to relieve stress, but I noticed once that I was just plucking away, and I couldn't even feel it. Normally I'm one of those total weenie girls that can't help but form tears as the hairs are jerked from their rightful home on my brow. I don't actually "cry," of course, but there's definite watering of the eyes. :)
Anyway, I was stressing over something at the time I made this strange observation. Out of curiosity, I did a little digging through photos, and I found that I tend to get a little bushy when the stress level is low. Yet, in the pictures taken at the most tense times of my adult life, I'm sporting some seriously sexy eyebrows!
Now this really only works to a certain degree. I've had a couple of total down and out lows that certainly couldn't be detected by the thickness of my brows, but for the most part if you're wondering how I'm really doing just take a closer look...not into my eyes, but above them!
Friday, November 23, 2007
Party Moments
So, check me out...I finally did a little slide show deal for ya. :) Wanted to share a few of the sweet little moments from Tony's 2nd birthday party. In case you haven't noticed, it's over there on the right. ;) I guess black and white is probably a little odd for a crazy toddler's birthday party, but I think the photography of the day kinda reflects the nostalgia Steve and I were feeling. Still can't believe my baby is two.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
I Two!!
This picture was taken yesterday...or at least it seems that way to me! Little Anthony Thomas turned two last week, and he's been busy reminding me of that fact, both in word and deed! :) I'll try to get some birthday party pictures up soon, but since I've been reminiscing over his birth day pictures for a week now, I just had to share this one.
Monday, November 5, 2007
And Finally, Our Halloween Party!!
Sorry for the delay. We've had some computer issues that have kept me from getting the pictures to the blog. Here are a few of the cutest. Hope you enjoy!
Spidey-Zach enjoying every last bite of his yummy cookie treat...
Elmo-Nathan making his latest favorite face. How cute is that?!
Our very own collection of Tiggers...
Brianna, who was "supposed" to be Tinkerbell but wanted nothing to do with her costume while she was at my house. She wasn't the only stubborn one though. This is Tony's costume, and he went running and screaming from Mommy at the first request to put it on. Bri made a pretty cute Tigger too though, don't you think? :)
And my dear Tony, the true owner of the Tigger suit. Once Bri had it on, he could hardly wait for his turn! That's Tony for ya!
And yet another Tigger...Dillon came with his own Tigger costume to bounce around in! What a sweet face!
Halloween is just not complete without a superhero or two! Tyler and Zach were ready to protect us in their spidersuits. Those two boys are so much alike. It really fit for them to be twins for the day! :)
Okay, how perfect is this?! I mean really! Garrett's Daddy is a mechanic, and Garrett's already a car guy just like him. Amanda has a picture of the two of them in their "work" clothes. Love it!!
I wasn't able to get a lot of action shots of our day, since I'm pretty much engulfed in the action around here! The kids had a lot of fun seeing each other all dressed up though. And we read Halloween books and did Halloween crafts all day. We practiced saying Happy Halloween and trick-or-treat. I wish I'd gotten some video of that! They were soo cute!
Somehow I failed to get a picture of the sweet little pumpkin, Ian. He was a total doll in his orange and white outfit. Sorry I can't show you. :(
It was a great day for sure. The kids are at a wonderful age now. We just have so much fun. Thanks again to you mommies and daddies who share your little ones with my family and me. We love them!!
We had a lot of fun here on Halloween! Here we are making lots of "music" with our shakers and dancing to the beat...
Spidey-Zach enjoying every last bite of his yummy cookie treat...
Elmo-Nathan making his latest favorite face. How cute is that?!
Our very own collection of Tiggers...
Brianna, who was "supposed" to be Tinkerbell but wanted nothing to do with her costume while she was at my house. She wasn't the only stubborn one though. This is Tony's costume, and he went running and screaming from Mommy at the first request to put it on. Bri made a pretty cute Tigger too though, don't you think? :)
And my dear Tony, the true owner of the Tigger suit. Once Bri had it on, he could hardly wait for his turn! That's Tony for ya!
And yet another Tigger...Dillon came with his own Tigger costume to bounce around in! What a sweet face!
Halloween is just not complete without a superhero or two! Tyler and Zach were ready to protect us in their spidersuits. Those two boys are so much alike. It really fit for them to be twins for the day! :)
Okay, how perfect is this?! I mean really! Garrett's Daddy is a mechanic, and Garrett's already a car guy just like him. Amanda has a picture of the two of them in their "work" clothes. Love it!!
I wasn't able to get a lot of action shots of our day, since I'm pretty much engulfed in the action around here! The kids had a lot of fun seeing each other all dressed up though. And we read Halloween books and did Halloween crafts all day. We practiced saying Happy Halloween and trick-or-treat. I wish I'd gotten some video of that! They were soo cute!
Somehow I failed to get a picture of the sweet little pumpkin, Ian. He was a total doll in his orange and white outfit. Sorry I can't show you. :(
It was a great day for sure. The kids are at a wonderful age now. We just have so much fun. Thanks again to you mommies and daddies who share your little ones with my family and me. We love them!!
To school or not to school...
That is the question! Tyler will be starting kindergarten next year (wasn't he JUST born??), and Steve and I are seriously considering home schooling. I know several of you have school aged children, and even those of you who don't may have a well-defined opinion on this. So I'm asking to hear them. Let me know what you think...public school or home school? And why?? I just want to really think thru all the issues. So maybe you've thought of something that hasn't crossed our minds yet. Please share! If you don't want to make a public display, that's perfectly fine. You can also email me at kristiemknox@yahoo.com.
Thanks for sharing!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The Beauty of Discipline
Since I just know you've all missed hearing from me on my blog (all 2 of you!), here's something special for you...another glimpse into my ugly heart. I'm sure you can just hardly wait! :)
God's been revealing to me, over and over, and in so many creative ways lately just how serious is my deficit when it comes to self-discipline. Being a disciple of Christ happens to require an enormous amount of discipline. Ever notice how those 2 words are ever so similar?! Yeah, that's probably a clue. :)
Steve and I are participating in a family and parenting class in our Sunday School hour this quarter at church. We're learning how to parent from a strictly biblical perspective. We're realizing just how much of who we are and who we've been teaching our children to be is, at best, cultural. It just blows my mind to think how many things we simply accept as true just because it's what we've always heard or how we were raised. It's been a very interesting class, and though I'm pretty sure I'm known all over the church now as the crazy woman who can't control her children, we're learning a lot! And it's slow going, but the Lord is so faithful to bless us when we truly desire to honor Him through obedience. As we obey Him in our parenting, we pray we'll be teaching the boys to do the same in their own lives.
I spent most of Sun morning thinking about how all these little rules we're learning to teach our children really apply to me and my own obedience, or lack thereof, in my walk with the Father. For example, delayed obedience is disobedience. Dang. How often do I put stuff off, you know? And I don't mean years, but just a moment's delay is disobedience. Ouch! And the biggie for me was that if I do what He requires, but I'm kicking and screaming on the inside, then I'm actually being disobedient. Double ouch. I guess somewhere along the way I deceived myself into thinking that as long as I'm doing what He requires then I'm being obedient. I don't have to like it, I just have to do it. He's been showing me in all kinds of ways lately that I really need to be, I guess, more transformed by the renewing of my mind, as we're told in Romans 12:2. So that my HEART is obedient. Sounds like a no-brainer, huh? But there you have it. My loser confession for the week. :)
The beautiful thing, though, is what God showed me Monday as I continued through this battle with Tony. I decided I should try the advice I'd been given in SS, because I've been having some pretty serious behavior problems out of our sweet little 2 yr old. It was suggested that I require him to verbally respond to me when I've given him instruction. I know, that seems like the only logical way to do it now...but I guess we hadn't thought about how powerful it could be. Remember, I'm already known all over the church as the crazy woman who can't control her children, so at this point, who cares if you think I'm dumb, too! :)
So...after about half an hour in time-out and several spankings (sorry if that makes some of you want to have me arrested!), he finally responded to me. The very first time he said, "K, Ma," it was nothing more than a sad, defeated whisper. It nearly broke my heart along with his will. But by bedtime, when I'd instruct him from across the room, he'd walk all the way over to me, get eye to eye, and say with a sweet smile, "Ok, Momma." Each time was a small moment of total bliss and understanding between us! I can't help but think, as I embrace that little guy, how much joy must the Father have when I come to Him with a desire to please and obey, and no matter the instruction I've received, I say with a smile, "Okay, Father." Beautiful. I'm a visual learner, and God knows it! Seriously though, what a beautiful way to teach my heart what my head already knew.
God's been revealing to me, over and over, and in so many creative ways lately just how serious is my deficit when it comes to self-discipline. Being a disciple of Christ happens to require an enormous amount of discipline. Ever notice how those 2 words are ever so similar?! Yeah, that's probably a clue. :)
Steve and I are participating in a family and parenting class in our Sunday School hour this quarter at church. We're learning how to parent from a strictly biblical perspective. We're realizing just how much of who we are and who we've been teaching our children to be is, at best, cultural. It just blows my mind to think how many things we simply accept as true just because it's what we've always heard or how we were raised. It's been a very interesting class, and though I'm pretty sure I'm known all over the church now as the crazy woman who can't control her children, we're learning a lot! And it's slow going, but the Lord is so faithful to bless us when we truly desire to honor Him through obedience. As we obey Him in our parenting, we pray we'll be teaching the boys to do the same in their own lives.
I spent most of Sun morning thinking about how all these little rules we're learning to teach our children really apply to me and my own obedience, or lack thereof, in my walk with the Father. For example, delayed obedience is disobedience. Dang. How often do I put stuff off, you know? And I don't mean years, but just a moment's delay is disobedience. Ouch! And the biggie for me was that if I do what He requires, but I'm kicking and screaming on the inside, then I'm actually being disobedient. Double ouch. I guess somewhere along the way I deceived myself into thinking that as long as I'm doing what He requires then I'm being obedient. I don't have to like it, I just have to do it. He's been showing me in all kinds of ways lately that I really need to be, I guess, more transformed by the renewing of my mind, as we're told in Romans 12:2. So that my HEART is obedient. Sounds like a no-brainer, huh? But there you have it. My loser confession for the week. :)
The beautiful thing, though, is what God showed me Monday as I continued through this battle with Tony. I decided I should try the advice I'd been given in SS, because I've been having some pretty serious behavior problems out of our sweet little 2 yr old. It was suggested that I require him to verbally respond to me when I've given him instruction. I know, that seems like the only logical way to do it now...but I guess we hadn't thought about how powerful it could be. Remember, I'm already known all over the church as the crazy woman who can't control her children, so at this point, who cares if you think I'm dumb, too! :)
So...after about half an hour in time-out and several spankings (sorry if that makes some of you want to have me arrested!), he finally responded to me. The very first time he said, "K, Ma," it was nothing more than a sad, defeated whisper. It nearly broke my heart along with his will. But by bedtime, when I'd instruct him from across the room, he'd walk all the way over to me, get eye to eye, and say with a sweet smile, "Ok, Momma." Each time was a small moment of total bliss and understanding between us! I can't help but think, as I embrace that little guy, how much joy must the Father have when I come to Him with a desire to please and obey, and no matter the instruction I've received, I say with a smile, "Okay, Father." Beautiful. I'm a visual learner, and God knows it! Seriously though, what a beautiful way to teach my heart what my head already knew.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Evil
Yep, pure evil. That's what it is. What you ask? Well, I'll tell you. It is simply evil to sell grapes advertised as seedless when, in fact, they contain seeds that I must pick out of them before I can send them in my boys' lunches! Evil I tell you!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Few Sweethearts
Tony takes a break from his story to cheese it up
for Momma with her camera! :)
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Night night!
How precious are sleeping children?!?
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Ian with Tyler
Ty loves being the "big brother" to all our little ones!
And the little ones love getting his attention!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
But I Don't Wanna!!
Is that a quote from my 4 yr old or his mother?? Well, there's really no wrong answer here, because Tyler certainly says it often enough. The sad thing, though, is that it's also been my response for quite some time now to my own Abba Father. Not consistently, not at every corner, not to every request or demand He places on my heart...just here and there, just when it's the stuff my humanity holds to the tightest. But just as I want the best for my Ty, God wants the best for me. I can't accept that answer from my son, and my Father won't accept it from me.
I'm a little hung up lately on just how stupid I am. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I have. I know it. I believe it. Or do I? Really? For some dumb reason I still want to hold onto the hopes and dreams and well...sins, I guess, if you wanna get right down to it...that I think make (or will someday make) me happy. Yep, that's me. I'm trading in my real, honest, nothing compares to it JOY for some form of happy. Hello??!! Why can I sit here and write this and know that it's completely stupid yet walk away and still be suckered into it.
Ugh. I ramble. C. S. Lewis is so much better at this. I've read so much of him that I'm not sure which text this comes from, but it was in my devo last week. Here...my heart, his words:
"When we want to be something other than the thing God wants us to be, we must be wanting what, in fact, will not make us happy. Those divine demands which sound to our natural ears most like those of a despot and least like those of a lover, in fact marshal us where we should want to go if we knew what we wanted.
"He demands our worship, our obedience, our prostration. A man can no more diminish God's gory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word darkness on the walls of his cell.
"But God wills our good, and our good is to love Him. That is, whether we like it or not, God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want. Once more, we are embarrassed by His intolerable compliment to us, by too much love, not too little."
Lord, thank you for not letting me settle. Thank you for being altogether good and determined to fill me with only the best...YOU! Thank you for your unmatched patience as I stumble and whine, "but I don't wanna..." Thank you for your love and grace. And for your voice that calls me back time and time again.
I'm a little hung up lately on just how stupid I am. I've tasted and seen that the Lord is good. I have. I know it. I believe it. Or do I? Really? For some dumb reason I still want to hold onto the hopes and dreams and well...sins, I guess, if you wanna get right down to it...that I think make (or will someday make) me happy. Yep, that's me. I'm trading in my real, honest, nothing compares to it JOY for some form of happy. Hello??!! Why can I sit here and write this and know that it's completely stupid yet walk away and still be suckered into it.
Ugh. I ramble. C. S. Lewis is so much better at this. I've read so much of him that I'm not sure which text this comes from, but it was in my devo last week. Here...my heart, his words:
"When we want to be something other than the thing God wants us to be, we must be wanting what, in fact, will not make us happy. Those divine demands which sound to our natural ears most like those of a despot and least like those of a lover, in fact marshal us where we should want to go if we knew what we wanted.
"He demands our worship, our obedience, our prostration. A man can no more diminish God's gory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word darkness on the walls of his cell.
"But God wills our good, and our good is to love Him. That is, whether we like it or not, God intends to give us what we need, not what we now think we want. Once more, we are embarrassed by His intolerable compliment to us, by too much love, not too little."
Lord, thank you for not letting me settle. Thank you for being altogether good and determined to fill me with only the best...YOU! Thank you for your unmatched patience as I stumble and whine, "but I don't wanna..." Thank you for your love and grace. And for your voice that calls me back time and time again.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Four Year Old Charm
My Tyler is full of it! We went for haircuts this evening, and I'd had a kinda rough day so I wasn't totally excited about having to take him out anywhere at all. But he was a total sweetheart. Total. As we were leaving the salon:
Mom: (exhausted) Thanks for being so good tonight. I really appreciate it.
Ty: You're welcome, Mom. It was my pleasure.
Mom: You're so cute. (sigh of relief that the day is coming to an end)
Ty: You sure do look beautiful with your hair all curly and that pretty pink shirt on.
The real beauty of it all--he wasn't buttering me up for anything. He's just that sweet. Sometimes I find it impossible to believe even my husband when he says I'm beautiful. I guess I've just spent so many years calling myself ugly that I actually find it nearly impossible that he could really think I'm anything but. Preschoolers are honest though! May be silly, but he totally made my day. What a great son. What a lucky Mom!
Mom: (exhausted) Thanks for being so good tonight. I really appreciate it.
Ty: You're welcome, Mom. It was my pleasure.
Mom: You're so cute. (sigh of relief that the day is coming to an end)
Ty: You sure do look beautiful with your hair all curly and that pretty pink shirt on.
The real beauty of it all--he wasn't buttering me up for anything. He's just that sweet. Sometimes I find it impossible to believe even my husband when he says I'm beautiful. I guess I've just spent so many years calling myself ugly that I actually find it nearly impossible that he could really think I'm anything but. Preschoolers are honest though! May be silly, but he totally made my day. What a great son. What a lucky Mom!
The Strength I Need
Here's a portion of my devo for today. It encourages me beyond words, so I thought I'd share with you:
from A.B. Simpson (1843-1919), Missionary and pastor...
"A precious secret of the Christian life is to have Jesus dwelling within the heart and conquering things that we never could overcome. It is the only secret of power in a believer's life. People cannot understand it, nor will the world believe it; but it is true. God comes to dwell in us and is the power, the purity, the victory, and the joy of our lives.
This enables us to say with Paul in that beautiful passage in Philippians, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'
With this knowledge I go forth to meet my testings. It keeps me pure and sweet, as I could never keep myself. Christ has met the adversary and defeated him for me. Thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. What will your day bring?"
from A.B. Simpson (1843-1919), Missionary and pastor...
"A precious secret of the Christian life is to have Jesus dwelling within the heart and conquering things that we never could overcome. It is the only secret of power in a believer's life. People cannot understand it, nor will the world believe it; but it is true. God comes to dwell in us and is the power, the purity, the victory, and the joy of our lives.
This enables us to say with Paul in that beautiful passage in Philippians, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'
With this knowledge I go forth to meet my testings. It keeps me pure and sweet, as I could never keep myself. Christ has met the adversary and defeated him for me. Thanks be unto God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ. What will your day bring?"
Simple, I guess. But true...and what I needed today.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Happy Labor Day
What a fun 3 day weekend! What a nice break from the ordinary! Sometimes that's all it takes to feel refreshed, just something out of the usual rut of a routine. A little "extra" time to enjoy some of the people we love most.
That's what we did with our weekend. While some may see the long weekend as a chance to get extra work done, I happen to be really thankful for the chance to use those extra moments just to "be" with some special people...
Friday evening we took the boys and met Steve's parents in the park we always played at when we lived with them in Mt. Juliet. We had some fun times on the playground, took a nice walk, and enjoyed some great conversation. I had the opportunity to learn some things about my father-in-law that I never knew before. It was a blessing to have the chance to just talk to him and Steve's mom, too. I look forward to the next opportunity to get really get to know them better...just as people rather than in-laws, if that makes any sense! :) I guess after almost 6 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to relax and quit worrying about making sure I have their approval. I know that sounds dumb, but I guess I'm just dumb like that. After all, their son and I have created the 2 most adorable boys in the world...how could they NOT love me, right?!
We came home Friday night and watched Arthur (Ty's favorite show for the past 2 1/2 years!), as that's just part of our nightly bedtime routine. Tony actually watched with us for the first time, so that was fun. He talked the entire time, but he sat still. And that was a first, too! That wild child doesn't sit still to watch anything on TV...yeah, yeah, I guess that's good and all, but it sure has always been nice to get that 30 minute break TV could provide when it was just Tyler! Bad Mommy, bad! :)
After we got the boys to bed, Steve and I spent some time playing one of our favorite video games. How romantic, huh? It actually can be, though, cause we played a racing game...and those of you who know me at all know that cars kinda "get my motor runnin." Hehe! Seriously, we had a nice, fun night together! I'm glad we put off doing the things that probably should have been done in order to just enjoy some silly fun together. That's really good for a relationship and so easily squeezed from our busy lives and stressful days.
Amanda and I spent the day out together Saturday. We shopped and had lunch. And periodically called the men to make sure they were being good, as they were wonderful enough to keep the boys with them while we were out. How perfect that we have sons, huh? They get to hang with the daddies while we ladies do girl stuff for the day!! Manda and I had a great time!! We've GOT to make sure we get out alone together more often. We spent the day making fun plans for what is about to become a preschool in my home rather than just kids running around all day. More about that later, though, cause I haven't addressed all my parents yet about the amazing changes in the works!
You can all be in prayer for that, though, for a smooth transition to what I wholehearted hope to create in our home for "my" kids. For now, I'll just say that I've always known I wanted to be a teacher. I've always thought I'd teach highschool or college, but God is continually opening my eyes to the potential I have to be a "real" teacher here and now, where HE has placed me. And to be quite honest, I actually feel like if I can pull this off it might BE my life's work. This may not be the waiting ground. This may be IT! I am sooo excited and will no doubt be talking more about it as it all unfolds! (Believe me, I'm even more shocked than you are...but I do serve a God who can do ANYTHING thru ANYONE!)
Okay, so, the weekend. Saturday night we had dinner at Amanda and Darrell's house. Then Sunday morning they picked us up, and we all went to church together. I got to spend the whole day with my best buddies...and the night, actually. Yep, we played highschool and had a sleepover! How fun! We put the kids to bed and watched scary movies till we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. We didn't make it to sunrise like we could back in highschool though! Go figure! :) And I sure did need my nice long nap this afternoon. Man, I'm getting old!
Now it's bedtime for the boys again. And the long weekend is winding down. Time to be a responsible adult again. I've got a lot to do tonight to get ready for a new week. Normally at this point I begin to wish I'd spent more time doing the "important" stuff during my weekend so I could relax before it all starts over. But tonight I'm just thankful. I really enjoyed taking the time to nourish all of these important relationships this weekend. I think it was a beautiful way to spend our "extra" time.
That's what we did with our weekend. While some may see the long weekend as a chance to get extra work done, I happen to be really thankful for the chance to use those extra moments just to "be" with some special people...
Friday evening we took the boys and met Steve's parents in the park we always played at when we lived with them in Mt. Juliet. We had some fun times on the playground, took a nice walk, and enjoyed some great conversation. I had the opportunity to learn some things about my father-in-law that I never knew before. It was a blessing to have the chance to just talk to him and Steve's mom, too. I look forward to the next opportunity to get really get to know them better...just as people rather than in-laws, if that makes any sense! :) I guess after almost 6 years of marriage, I'm finally starting to relax and quit worrying about making sure I have their approval. I know that sounds dumb, but I guess I'm just dumb like that. After all, their son and I have created the 2 most adorable boys in the world...how could they NOT love me, right?!
We came home Friday night and watched Arthur (Ty's favorite show for the past 2 1/2 years!), as that's just part of our nightly bedtime routine. Tony actually watched with us for the first time, so that was fun. He talked the entire time, but he sat still. And that was a first, too! That wild child doesn't sit still to watch anything on TV...yeah, yeah, I guess that's good and all, but it sure has always been nice to get that 30 minute break TV could provide when it was just Tyler! Bad Mommy, bad! :)
After we got the boys to bed, Steve and I spent some time playing one of our favorite video games. How romantic, huh? It actually can be, though, cause we played a racing game...and those of you who know me at all know that cars kinda "get my motor runnin." Hehe! Seriously, we had a nice, fun night together! I'm glad we put off doing the things that probably should have been done in order to just enjoy some silly fun together. That's really good for a relationship and so easily squeezed from our busy lives and stressful days.
Amanda and I spent the day out together Saturday. We shopped and had lunch. And periodically called the men to make sure they were being good, as they were wonderful enough to keep the boys with them while we were out. How perfect that we have sons, huh? They get to hang with the daddies while we ladies do girl stuff for the day!! Manda and I had a great time!! We've GOT to make sure we get out alone together more often. We spent the day making fun plans for what is about to become a preschool in my home rather than just kids running around all day. More about that later, though, cause I haven't addressed all my parents yet about the amazing changes in the works!
You can all be in prayer for that, though, for a smooth transition to what I wholehearted hope to create in our home for "my" kids. For now, I'll just say that I've always known I wanted to be a teacher. I've always thought I'd teach highschool or college, but God is continually opening my eyes to the potential I have to be a "real" teacher here and now, where HE has placed me. And to be quite honest, I actually feel like if I can pull this off it might BE my life's work. This may not be the waiting ground. This may be IT! I am sooo excited and will no doubt be talking more about it as it all unfolds! (Believe me, I'm even more shocked than you are...but I do serve a God who can do ANYTHING thru ANYONE!)
Okay, so, the weekend. Saturday night we had dinner at Amanda and Darrell's house. Then Sunday morning they picked us up, and we all went to church together. I got to spend the whole day with my best buddies...and the night, actually. Yep, we played highschool and had a sleepover! How fun! We put the kids to bed and watched scary movies till we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. We didn't make it to sunrise like we could back in highschool though! Go figure! :) And I sure did need my nice long nap this afternoon. Man, I'm getting old!
Now it's bedtime for the boys again. And the long weekend is winding down. Time to be a responsible adult again. I've got a lot to do tonight to get ready for a new week. Normally at this point I begin to wish I'd spent more time doing the "important" stuff during my weekend so I could relax before it all starts over. But tonight I'm just thankful. I really enjoyed taking the time to nourish all of these important relationships this weekend. I think it was a beautiful way to spend our "extra" time.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Oh wait...
Guys, I totally forgot to tell you THE best part about the DHS story...so if you don't know what I'm talking about read the previous post first!! Trust me, you will NOT appreciate this otherwise!! :)
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Just as the nice little invasive lady ( I know, she was just doing her job or whatever, sorry!) was walking out the door, and I had sufficed her suspicions about us hiding children...my can't-keep-his-mouth-shut-for-half-a-second Tyler says, "Momma, are we gonna keep those other babies?" I just about died. I said, with a look of total disbelief, "WHAT other babies?" I had NO idea what he was talking about, but the chick turned around and gave me this "caught ya" look. Turns out Tyler thought the lady was here asking all these questions because she wanted me to keep HER babies! Oh my gosh! So, needless to say, I probably haven't seen the last of her. I'm expecting a follow-up visit (or 2 or 10) just to be sure we didn't have additional children lined up for care here! Thanks, dear son, for helping Mommy look like a panic stricken liar!
-------------
Just as the nice little invasive lady ( I know, she was just doing her job or whatever, sorry!) was walking out the door, and I had sufficed her suspicions about us hiding children...my can't-keep-his-mouth-shut-for-half-a-second Tyler says, "Momma, are we gonna keep those other babies?" I just about died. I said, with a look of total disbelief, "WHAT other babies?" I had NO idea what he was talking about, but the chick turned around and gave me this "caught ya" look. Turns out Tyler thought the lady was here asking all these questions because she wanted me to keep HER babies! Oh my gosh! So, needless to say, I probably haven't seen the last of her. I'm expecting a follow-up visit (or 2 or 10) just to be sure we didn't have additional children lined up for care here! Thanks, dear son, for helping Mommy look like a panic stricken liar!
In Hiding
Guess that's where I've been. I've been a terrible, slacker, loser blogger lately, huh?! So very sorry to the 2 of you who may have noticed. The thing is, my lack of writing has so not been due to a boring existence. Sometimes I wish that were the case! :) Life with kids is never boring though is it?
To be honest I don't think I've actually been able to call myself bored since the day I met Jesus. Does that sound dumb? Maybe to some of you. But it's altogether true. Knowing Christ rearranges every part of a person, and somehow that massive reorganization redirects the impulse of boredom toward thoughts of eternity. Seriously, how could I be bored when I serve an omnipotent, omniscient, completely beyond my bounds of understanding, kind of God? There's so much to ponder!! Not that I've had time lately though. No, once I had kids I was all discombobulated again, and now I have the mind of a Mommy.
My thoughts are now consumed by things like...
What my dear, ummm, creative 4 yr old has decided to wear for the day. As some of you have noticed, the child is in utter denial of the 100+ degree weather. He is determined to wear fleece pants and shirts daily, because they are "soft." And "soft" is all that matters. I have decided, in all my motherly wisdom (haha), that this particular battle is just not one I'm willing to fight. Sooo...when we leave the house, if my kind suggestions have gone unnoticed as they do on most days, Ty heads out in a fleece suit of some kind and Spiderman sandals or flip-flops...because it IS summertime, after all! :)
Unfortunately we've been battling a variety of viral attacks at our house this past week, so I failed to capture a picture of THE outfit. I was too weak/sick/lazy to take the picture! Anyway, I do have to share...one night this week we all ran out to grab some cheap pizza for dinner. We packed Tony up without shoes, and I convinced Steve to just let Ty wear whatever he wanted to since he wouldn't be getting out of the car anyway (which Tyler totally agreed to). Well, we get there, and (of course) Tyler wants to go in with his Daddy. Steve's eyes grew to the size of saucers as he shook his head no. Immediately, the 4 yr old emotions take over, and Ty's whining and his feelings are hurt and all this, right? And I shut my dear, sweet husband up just before he tells him that he looks ridiculous, and I say, "Just let him go. Please don't say a word!" Ty was so proud of his outfit, and he thought he was just adorable. Besides, I was safely hiding in the car! Haha! Now, picture it: Batman PJ shorts-far tighter than the recommended "snug" fit, sleeveless argyle sweater vest, the infamous Spiderman sandals-on the wrong feet, and Daddy's black cowboy hat to finish off the look! Oh, I really should have taken a picture.
Now don't get the impression that I spend tons of time worried about what my preschooler wears. I think I'm pretty easy going about it, and I try to let it amuse rather than worry me. After all, I have bigger things to worry about. For example, our surprise visit (read: totally unexpected, unwarranted search of my entire house!) by some lady from DHS Friday!! Holy cow! Apparently someone reported me for running an illegal childcare business. Nice. It's a good thing there's no way to find out who, cause I'd be tempted to rub a dirty diaper in their face and DARE them to try to spend their days taking care of a houseful of crazy toddlers and be looked upon as illegal while I'm working my tail off to take care of my family, not to mention the youth of 5 others!...and completely legally, by the way!!
I don't know what kind of situations this poor lady has walked into before, or what the heck whoever called told them!! But she was here to prove that I was a liar and hiding children in my house. She checked bathrooms, closets, behind everything she could look behind, trying to find the hidden kids. The whole time I'm telling her the names and ages of everyone I keep and trying (though frazzled!) to convince her that I am not breaking any laws, I've simply decided not to keep enough kids that would require a license. I prefer to keep my sanity rather than increase my enrollment at this point! :)
Soooo...convinced that I wasn't hiding any additional children, she informed me that I will need to supply proof that my niece and nephew are indeed related to me, within 10 days, or I will face a $500 fine. Oh, and then she thanked me for taking such good care of the children in my home. Uhhh, yeah lady, no problem. Thanks for noticing. Anyway, here's hoping I can get my hands on the 6, count 'em, six, necessary birth certificates to accompany my marriage license to prove that my niece and nephew are who I say they are. Sometimes it's more than difficult to adequately remind myself that I'm doing this for good reasons.
And so I hide...myself, not kids!! :)
To be honest I don't think I've actually been able to call myself bored since the day I met Jesus. Does that sound dumb? Maybe to some of you. But it's altogether true. Knowing Christ rearranges every part of a person, and somehow that massive reorganization redirects the impulse of boredom toward thoughts of eternity. Seriously, how could I be bored when I serve an omnipotent, omniscient, completely beyond my bounds of understanding, kind of God? There's so much to ponder!! Not that I've had time lately though. No, once I had kids I was all discombobulated again, and now I have the mind of a Mommy.
My thoughts are now consumed by things like...
What my dear, ummm, creative 4 yr old has decided to wear for the day. As some of you have noticed, the child is in utter denial of the 100+ degree weather. He is determined to wear fleece pants and shirts daily, because they are "soft." And "soft" is all that matters. I have decided, in all my motherly wisdom (haha), that this particular battle is just not one I'm willing to fight. Sooo...when we leave the house, if my kind suggestions have gone unnoticed as they do on most days, Ty heads out in a fleece suit of some kind and Spiderman sandals or flip-flops...because it IS summertime, after all! :)
Unfortunately we've been battling a variety of viral attacks at our house this past week, so I failed to capture a picture of THE outfit. I was too weak/sick/lazy to take the picture! Anyway, I do have to share...one night this week we all ran out to grab some cheap pizza for dinner. We packed Tony up without shoes, and I convinced Steve to just let Ty wear whatever he wanted to since he wouldn't be getting out of the car anyway (which Tyler totally agreed to). Well, we get there, and (of course) Tyler wants to go in with his Daddy. Steve's eyes grew to the size of saucers as he shook his head no. Immediately, the 4 yr old emotions take over, and Ty's whining and his feelings are hurt and all this, right? And I shut my dear, sweet husband up just before he tells him that he looks ridiculous, and I say, "Just let him go. Please don't say a word!" Ty was so proud of his outfit, and he thought he was just adorable. Besides, I was safely hiding in the car! Haha! Now, picture it: Batman PJ shorts-far tighter than the recommended "snug" fit, sleeveless argyle sweater vest, the infamous Spiderman sandals-on the wrong feet, and Daddy's black cowboy hat to finish off the look! Oh, I really should have taken a picture.
Now don't get the impression that I spend tons of time worried about what my preschooler wears. I think I'm pretty easy going about it, and I try to let it amuse rather than worry me. After all, I have bigger things to worry about. For example, our surprise visit (read: totally unexpected, unwarranted search of my entire house!) by some lady from DHS Friday!! Holy cow! Apparently someone reported me for running an illegal childcare business. Nice. It's a good thing there's no way to find out who, cause I'd be tempted to rub a dirty diaper in their face and DARE them to try to spend their days taking care of a houseful of crazy toddlers and be looked upon as illegal while I'm working my tail off to take care of my family, not to mention the youth of 5 others!...and completely legally, by the way!!
I don't know what kind of situations this poor lady has walked into before, or what the heck whoever called told them!! But she was here to prove that I was a liar and hiding children in my house. She checked bathrooms, closets, behind everything she could look behind, trying to find the hidden kids. The whole time I'm telling her the names and ages of everyone I keep and trying (though frazzled!) to convince her that I am not breaking any laws, I've simply decided not to keep enough kids that would require a license. I prefer to keep my sanity rather than increase my enrollment at this point! :)
Soooo...convinced that I wasn't hiding any additional children, she informed me that I will need to supply proof that my niece and nephew are indeed related to me, within 10 days, or I will face a $500 fine. Oh, and then she thanked me for taking such good care of the children in my home. Uhhh, yeah lady, no problem. Thanks for noticing. Anyway, here's hoping I can get my hands on the 6, count 'em, six, necessary birth certificates to accompany my marriage license to prove that my niece and nephew are who I say they are. Sometimes it's more than difficult to adequately remind myself that I'm doing this for good reasons.
And so I hide...myself, not kids!! :)
Friday, August 3, 2007
Seefood
Tony & Garrett
I often wonder if these two will get themselves in as much trouble together as their mommies did growing up! I think they're off to a fine start! I just pray they are also blessed enough to find in each other the unconditional love and support of a true friend...just as their mommies have.
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