Daddy's Home!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Dad took a vacation day for his birthday this year and I think we should make that a tradition from now on! It was so fun to have him here all day :)

Gift #1 -This awesome t-shirt!

You would have to love Disney to love this shirt ... and we do! We tried to get this when we were there last year but they were all out. You can order anything you see in the stores over the phone and they will ship it to you ;)

Gift #2 - New running shoes!

(Exclamation point is helpful to make running sound fun! Because running is fun!)

Gift #3 - The iPod touch!

(Exclamation point is not really necessary)

Baby boy is a helper ...

After our party at home, Chris and I left for a dinner date ... just the two of us. I had to confirm this audacious lie no less than 12 times.

Chris - "Are you sure it's going to be just you and me?"

Me - "Sure honey."

See? Just the two of us.

With just a few dear friends ;)

We enjoyed a good dinner with great fellowship. We say it all the time, but we really do need to get out more.

Happy Birthday Christopher! I hope we made your day special. We love you so much!!!

Thankfulness ... Day 6

You know what I have realized from this short little week of gratitude? That when you start to dwell on the things that you are thankful for, the list seems to grow by leaps and bounds!

I find myself trying to decide which things to post about, which that in itself is such an overwhelming reason to be thankful!

I am thankful today that Chris has registered for Together for the Gospel! What a privilege for him to sit under the teaching of such an awesome group of pastors who love the gospel! This conference is not until next year, but registration has already begun and the plans are underway for a group of men from our church to head to Kentucky together and share in the wealth of teaching that will take place there.

I also know a couple of these guys and I suspect there will be a good portion of tomfoolery and shenanigans going on too ...

Neil
(I stole one of these from you Jamie!)

Brian

And I'm grateful for that too ;)

My Husband the Comedian ... Part III

As we approach our 18th year of marriage we can only give glory to God above for seeing fit to bind our hearts to His ... thus being the only way we can then love one another with hearts full of grace.

God also saw fit to give us each a love of laughter and a ridiculous sense of humor.

For this to make any sense whatsoever, you need to know that I married a cowboy-lookin' fella. He wore a black Stetson hat, black Justin boots, & black Wrangler jeans. Since his roots were bound in the suburbs, he also wore a cream & white striped Guess shirt.

Hold up while I visit that memory for just a minute.

It was "the look", ya'll. And he pulled it off rather well.

He often sported a full beard but to mix things up, he would also don a Fu Manchu. It went well with "the look".

Over the last 18+ years he has made idle threats about growing another one and I have followed suit by threatening to kill him pretend I do not know who he is.

So it's funny. When he jokes about growing a cowboy mustache. Cause he's just joking.

He most always has some sort of goatee ... the very tame sort ... nothing long or braided.

Like this:

Then a couple of weeks ago I came home to my husband's handsome face sporting ...
the FU MANCHU!

I held my breath for what seemed like eternity a few minutes, waiting on him to tell me that HE WAS JOKING.

Which he finally did.

Because remember? He is a comedian.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day Christopher. Our children are blessed beyond measure to call you Daddy and this life is truly a gracious restoration from the Lord. I love you.

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten ..." Joel 2:25

The Daily Reception ... Daddy's Home!

Daily Reading

My Husband ... The Softy

From Dad's cell phone ...
His traveling buddy-courtesy our children

Happy Birthday

In the rare moments of solitude, when I hold my boys close, I love to close my eyes and marvel at the ways that God will someday grow them into men.

I can't help but think that as Chris' mother held her firstborn son, she had to prayerfully wonder those same things ...

Her fingers laced through the same tiny curled-up fists that would someday grow big and strong. They are now the calloused hands of laborious work that have tirelessly provided for his family.

As newborn babies often do, I am sure that his eyes would search for hers and and upon them meeting, find such comfort. With those same eyes, he has searched for discernment in God's Word and found the truths that have guided him as a husband and father who seeks to please the Lord.

Chris, on your birthday I am reminded that these last 39 years were mapped out strategically by the hand of God and I am in awe. Even before their precious lives began, he fashioned our young sons to someday grow into strong men who love the Lord with all their hearts.

While that truth is still beyond my realm of understanding it is a reassuring promise to look at my husband and their father and know that it is a promise to be claimed.

Happy Birthday Chris. You provide our family with the daily promise of laughter and love and the security of leadership from a man who loves Jesus.

I am grateful for the prayers of your mother who loved her boy so much and loved Jesus even more.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

***Chris' actual birthday was March 12th, but this post was lost in my drafts and forgotten during the notorious, "Stomach Virus of 2009".

My Husband The Comedian ... Part II

His disdain for "too many" pillows combined with his passive aggressive nature

My Husband ... The Comedian

The following is an e-mail from my husband about 5 minutes ago ...

Thank you for the burrito this morning.

Was just now able to eat.

I do have one small request.

Can you get one of these?

Love you!

Chris

Braggin' On My Man

We went to dinner at Texas de Brazil tonight to celebrate 17 years of marriage. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were led to our table in the corner where I had these beautiful roses waiting for me!

Every single day that God sees fit to bless this marriage with His grace is a humble reminder that He has plans....Glory-filled and Mercy-full plans.

I am so grateful.

....and stuffed.

Fishing with Jabber-Jaws

Dad got a boat. It is a bass boat which basically means it looks like a floating pier so that the angler can maneuver himself with ease on the deck. It also means that small children are more than guaranteed to take a swim.

It didn't happen.

But.

It's gonna happen.

He (the angler) took the kids to the lake yesterday afternoon. The weather was perfect for luring a large-mouth bass.

But.

He took Emma & Samuel. I always giggle on the inside when the angler thinks he might "fish" with Samuel keeping him company.

That is some crazy thinkin' right there.

Instead, he was able to suffer from brain implosion appreciate what I deal with on a daily basis, which is.....

The Chatter.

The non-stop, endless, relentless, never-ending stream of noise that comes from our son.

Non-stop.

He says things like...

"Otay guys. I hate to tell you dis...but you in the bottom three."
"Otay. Dat guy who says dat other guy is voted off I don't like dat guy he not a nice guy he says Jackezie is not a good singer but him is a good singer and I like Jackezie and want him to sing on American Idol cause him is a good singer and he sings I JACKEZIE BABY I BELIEVE."

One breath and in the span of 4.2 seconds with no commas or periods.

and this...

"Otay, here's da deal. It's like dis. You say Speed Racer is not a good movie but it is a good movie and I LOVE dat movie and I don't know why you say it is not a good movie cause the Speed Racer game is a good game and i want to play dat game on the compooter and you say that it can't work on the compooter so den I want to buy dat game at Target and I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, you say don't say dat again about to buy dat game at Target but please, please, please I can buy dat game......Mom?"

Here is where the brain implodes.

Here are pictures of "Jaws" in action.











Better luck next time Dad.

I guess I'll start here...

So. Far. Behind.

Too. Many. Pictures.

Busy.

Homeschool. T-Ball. Piano. Guitar. Church. Nurse the Baby. Field Hockey. Dinner. Wash Underwear. Nurse the Baby. Sweep Hairballs. Nurse the Baby. Gymnastics. Feed The Dog. Nurse The Baby.

Zzzzzzzzzz.

I am about to dazzle you with a mind-numbing view of our life over the last few weeks. You may need to break for coffee or errands or Christmas shopping...and that's fine. But....you have been warned.

The Ferguson Family Visit

Lea Ann (aka, La La or The Lurker) came from Maryland for a visit last month. We had such a sweet time! Remember these girls? Well, they all came over to my house for yummy food and some meaningful conversation.

I washed my hair and put on earrings.









T-Ball

Just before the *Worst Virus Ever* we had our first t-ball practice.

It's just plain cute. Our little guy is in the navy shirt and gray shorts.

When he overthrows the ball, he likes to yell, "HEY! YOU GOTTA MOVE TO GET THAT!"

He got his patience and tact from his momma.







We Bought Groceries

Hannah thought this was an impressive image, so she took a picture.
The thought of putting these groceries away made me gravely ill, so I took a nap.




Emma: The Gymnastics Saga

I have written about the process of the USA Gymnastics Program and where our Emma fit into that program. For the last year she has struggled with the practice schedule (4-days per week, 3-hours each day). This practice schedule is gravy compared to larger gyms and while we (mom & dad) were never exactly thrilled with this schedule, homeschooling seemed to allow more family time, so we continued on this journey.....as long as it was what she truly wanted.

Fast forward to the new year and several teary-eyed conversations later and we have reached a conclusion. Gymnastics (part of the team) required too much of her time away from family. She came to this place all by herself, which is a blessing to my heart because I knew we were approaching a time where we (mom & dad) would have to intervene.

So. She is now participating in the Rec-Optional Team, which means practice when you want, compete when you want, and best of all.....you can make up your own routine!!!!

Emma is more thrilled and excited about gymnastics than she has been in a long, long time.



So now, she has more time to learn the art of motherly multi-tasking. Here she is taking a History test, eating cinnamon rolls and comforting baby brother :)



U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition- Fort Lee, Virginia

We attended this cooking competition without any real expectations, but WOW! It was awesome! The kids & I were completely impressed with the skills of these chefs. Who knew that mess hall cookin' could look and taste so good?

This was my little crew's first day-long outing "by ourselves" and I think we did rather well.

That is, after the full blown panic attack that ensued following my wrong turn at the entrance of the base in which two very large men came along side of my vehicle and looked as though they might pick it up and turn it around for me.

Very picky with the safety out there.











We did get to sample what these guys were cooking (Emma sampled all, Hannah sampled some, Samuel sampled none, since they were not cookin' fruit snacks).




Hannah Turned 13!

I still cannot completely wrap my brain around this but according to her birth certificate, it's true. We celebrated together as a family and then Hannah and I spent an afternoon shopping. She was officially inducted into the world of "Clinique Cleansing Products" which for some reason makes her seem even older? We enjoyed our time together and had some beautiful talks about life and how glad we are that board shorts are in style this summer.

I am apparently swollen from some sort of allergic reaction that I developed shortly after finding out I was pregnant. Strangely enough, it has not gone away and appears to worsen after bouts of devouring cake and Dr. Pepper.





Colonial Williamsburg

We went to Williamsburg several weeks ago on an unseasonably warm day. We started off late but we still enjoyed our visit. They offer a special rate for homeschoolers during the spring and fall on particular weeks for a fraction of the regular admission price. Unfortunately, the spring special is during a time when several of the most popular demonstrations don't start for several weeks.



Homeschool Family Lovin'


We aren't sure what it is that our children have said to make this woman giggle and I'm not sure that we want to know.


I asked about picking up one of these for the house, but I think they thought I was joking.





How this lady held my son's attention is beyond me. He has a fondness for 18th century law.




Little Man Down

Samuel and Benjamin went for their well-checks together and received a combination of EIGHT SHOTS. Big brother did not shed a tear through the third shot, but threw in the towel at number four and pleaded for his life. Little brother cried enough for both of them.

The following week Samuel got very sick with Mono and ran fever for about 9 days.
Not fun.



Daddy's Birthday

We ate cake and had Japanese from our favorite place. That's about it.
Oh, yeah and he got a new bass boat.
So that means, "Happy Birthday forever & ever Daddy".



Emma's Birthday

Emma turned 11 years old and we held a sleepover party at the Homewood Suites so the girls could swim. Well that, and so that someone else could clean up the mess and make a hot breakfast. Dusty did this a few years ago with her daughter and she joined me as a chaperon this time. I have to say this idea is brilliant and I wish I had thought of it first. It is the most fun for the least amount of work and believe me, I have "worked" some birthday parties.

As a matter of full disclosure, we don't usually "do" sleepovers with the exception of one like this where I am present and AWAKE until all children are asleep. Our kids don't sleepover away from mom or dad. Period.

Do we sound like crazy, over-the-top protective parents?

Well, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment :)



Note to self:
Rabbit ears or peace sign is a very popular form of photo posing these days.



















Benjamin...He's Growing

Coo.




Well folks, aside from our regularly scheduled programming, that's about it. Life is good and really really busy. I am learning remembering how much little bitty babies love to cry from 7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. and how much they love to eat. All. Day. Long.

I am also remembering how much I love little bitty babies.