Molly

Many of you know that my oldest daughter got a new puppy 2 weeks ago. It was her Christmas present. She was beside herself with giddiness. Things began unraveling with Molly pretty quickly. I have never taken care of a dog, so it was a big wake up call for me. Middle of the night wake ups, early morning wake ups, watching her all day to make sure she didn't "go" all over my house, etc.

It was really tough! Needless to say, I was quite emotional about this new addition. If I'm truthful, I would have rather a new baby than a puppy. Anyway, we were managing along, even with my breakdowns and occasional fits.

It got interesting when I took my middle daughter to the allergy doctor where she was put on 4 new meds and an inhaler because she is allergic to Molly. The doctor said the puppy must go!

I really struggled with this decision... make one daughter emotionally miserable or make the other physically miserable. I know what needed to be done, but it was hard. I think the clincher was when I was on the phone Friday morning and my 3 year old and Molly were playing on my rug in the foyer. All of a sudden, Lyla says, "Mommy, there's poop on the floor." I quickly get off the phone to clean it up. I must have said, "Molly, no no." Lyla immediately responds, " No, Mommy that's my poop." Seriously, I cannot potty train a daughter and a puppy.

Molly went to her new home on Friday! We are all sad, especially Layne, but it will be ok. The bright side is that Emma can breathe and I don't have to clean up poop all over my house... well, at least from a dog!

~A

Just What The Doctor Ordered

Got something in your life that's wearing you out today? Me too.

Hop on over to Beth Moore's blog for some really great words of wisdom. (www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com)

"Jesus is so worthy of our trust no matter what has taken us by surprise. Picture that, when the enemy asks for a little extra access to you, the only reason why God may have given him permission is because He knew you'd prove faithful. Do the thing. In the unseen realm, angels are cheering and demons are jeering. You are in the stadium and the bleachers are full. (Hebrews 12:1) Take one for the team if you have to. Be strong and courageous. Be willing to show people how it's done. Don't look for a leader. You are the leader. People are looking to you. Be deliberate. Make sure they see Jesus. We're not here all that long and then there's BLISS. Forever bliss. Till then, we're over our heads. But we can dang-well decide what kind of over-our-heads we're gonna be."

That is just what the doctor ordered for me today. I have been really whiny this week. Today I'm going to buck up and DECIDE to trust the Most Trustworthy! Will you join me?

L

ADVENT CONSPIRACY

"Everyone wants Christmas to be meaningful...but instead it becomes shop, shop, shop! Credit Cards, Traffic Jams, To Do Lists, Useless Gifts. Then off to church...Noel, Noel, Noel. Sometimes we're just glad just to survive it. Did you know Americans spend 450 Billion dollars on Christmas every year...EVERY YEAR! So, I ask...How did Jesus celebrate? Jesus game himself...relationally, incarnation, time, space, presense. Do you see where this is going? What if you bought fewer gifts (that sweater she won't like, that random gift certificate, that toy he doesn't need), and instead of buying that gift, give something valuable...like your time! Talk, Eat, Sled, Bake, Bike, Read, Play, Create, Craft ~ TOGETHER! Make gifts like when you were a kid. And remember...that money you didn't spend? What if you gave some of it away??? To the poor, the hurting, the lonely, the hungry, the sick, the thirsty."

For more information on making this Christmas different, please visit www.adventconspiracy.org It's an awesome website who's moto is WORSHIP FULLY~SPEND LESS~GIVE MORE~LOVE ALL

Make this Christmas the most memorable ever!

J

Jailbait

So if you happened to be hanging at Toys R' Us Friday night you might have observed the following scene:

S: (Squatting down by the exit with her coat pulled tightly around her waist trying to hide the candy bars she has tucked under both arms) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I WANT DEM!!!

Me: You cannot have this candy- we haven't paid for it!!!!!

S: BUT MY TEETH WILL NOT FALL OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

L

3 or 13?

My three-year-old daughter's list for Santa:

1. A firetruck

2. Pink and black pajamas

3. Chocolate chip cookies

4. Ice Cream

I like a girl who knows what she wants.

L

How About This One?

I promise I will get back to writing about the drama of ordinary life soon, but I do think it is good for us to go deeper on occasion. Thank you to all of you for your comments on the Focus Action letter from a hypothetical Christian in 2012. I just can't leave the subject without commenting that if Christian leaders do not help bring political matters to the public square, who will? Most of us see a ruling on the news and have forgotten about it by the next day because it doesn't directly affect us. We don't see the scope and sequence of court decisions being made left and right that will span generations. If we didn't have passionate Christian leaders who feel CALLED to speak out on political issues, we would be left scratching our heads and wondering how it all happened. Now granted, not everyone is called. But I believe some are and for them I am thankful. If you have known me for any length of time, you know that one of my greatest passions is that I must PAY ATTENTION to what is going on around me and not grow complacent. That does not mean I do not understand or relish in God's sovereignty. I do, oh I SO do. It just means that I want to be aware socially, politically AND spiritually so I can know how to pray. If I don't stay current on the issues, how can I have a conversation with someone who is keeping up? I have been called to this time and this place and I am here for a purpose. I want to glorify God with what He's given me and I don't want to gloss over truth because it is politically incorrect. Some of you may like the following words from James Robison better than the stronger wording in the Focus Action letter. I personally think they can coexist. I believe Christians should be involved in ALL aspects of politics and should speak the truth even when it is painful. But at the same time, we have to recognize that we are dealing with issues of the heart. And stay on our knees.

L

Let The Church Be The Church

by James Robison

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

People often ask questions when difficult circumstances overcome our world. With the crumbling economy, multiple wars and new direction in political leadership, Christians must understand the proper role of the church to impact our world.
Though Christians can and should be involved in the political process, the church was never meant to be a partisan power base. Our role transcends earthly structures. We are to lift up the light of the world, Jesus Christ, not the hatchet of the political party. When the church attempts to play the role of the government, it tends to corrupt one or both of the institutions. Even Israel failed as a theocracy. Modern theocratic regimes are actually controlled by mullahs and similar men who claim the divine mantle, but frequently abuse it for personal gain. Likewise, when the government attempts to supplant the role of the church, it becomes a perverse imitation of the real thing, mocking prosperity, peace and the principles of God.

For example, the Christian concept of charity involves a sacrificial giving in order to help meet the needs of someone else. But when the government forces you to take what you’ve earned and give it to the poor, it is vastly different. God loves a cheerful giver, not a cheerful taxer! Without a connection of love and concern between the giver and the recipient, the meaning of charity is lost. Instead, it is man’s counterfeit, which we call socialism. The church must demonstrate to the world how God’s principles work, so that they can witness the power of His ways.

Christians should seek to penetrate society, not polarize it. There will be a level of polarization when we stand up for what we believe those who were not “for” Jesus were “against” him and crucified Him for it but if you receive the love that Jesus offers, your life has the power to transform the world. Light penetrates darkness. When the church is a light, it dispels darkness. Changed people change the world, so we must first allow God’s light to drive the darkness out of our own lives before we can shine His love into the lives of those around us.

Our country will only change when the people change. Government does not legislate morality so much as it reflects the morality of the people. Right now, our government desperately needs change. So does the media, Wall Street, Hollywood and everywhere in between. But practices and policies will only change when people change. That is the role of the church.

I am not suggesting that Christians stay out of political matters, but understand that politics are meaningless without a transformation of the heart, mind and spirit. We can make every form of abortion illegal, but it won’t go away until every pregnant woman values the life of her child. Government focuses on people’s actions, but God focuses on people’s hearts. In the same way, the church should move beyond legislating people’s actions and strive to transform their hearts and inspire them to respect and value all life.

The model for the modern church is found in the book of Acts. When Jesus appeared after his death and resurrection, he appeared to His followers in Jerusalem. They asked, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Isn’t this typical of people in the church? After everything they had heard and seen, they wanted Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom. If Jesus lived in the flesh today, we’d probably want Him to run for president! But we could have a perfect president and as long as we still have rotten, rebellious people, we will have problems. Jesus’ purpose was and is beyond such earthly things. Instead, he told them to wait until the Holy Spirit empowered them so that they could be witnesses all over the world. They wanted to conquer Jerusalem with force, but Jesus wants to envelop the earth with love, joy and peace.

This is still His desire. Our world will never be perfect until He comes, but he can perfect His will in our individual lives, if we will allow it. So ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to care about others, reach out, be involved and pray…in essence, be the church.

Be the church. Set aside political battles and engage in spiritual warfare. Focus not on others, but on yourself. A light does not have to be forced to shine; simply allow yourself to be filled with God’s light, then release it.

“Father, fill me with your spirit so that I can be your witness on this earth.”

Black and White or Gray?

Have you heard about the letter that Focus on the Family's Action Committee released? It is a HYPOTHETICAL look back at four years of an Obama presidency. It discusses legislation that could potentially be passed based on Obama's current voting records.

I read it and it is scary.

Many people are calling it outrageous and are criticizing Focus on the Family for using scare tactics.

I would really like to know what you think. Are we so desensitized to absolute truth that we criticize an honest assessment of what our future could look like? Or have we gone too far in our criticism and abandoned moral decency? Is it scare tactics or is it a fair projection? Are we as Christians to boldly venture this far out into the political arena, or are we to quietly watch and pray for our leadership?

As of this morning, there is a Facebook group 5500 strong and counting (after only being in existence for three days) of bipartisan Christians against the Focus letter.

I have many thoughts, but am anxious to hear yours. Read it and let us know what you think. (Couldn't figure out the link- just copy and paste the url) http://focusfamaction.edgeboss.net/download/focusfamaction/pdfs/10-22-08_2012letter.pdf

L

Hmm

Ok, I really feel it necessary because of L's latest blog to tell you what I found in my new, frontload, HE washing machine...

23 white socks! Where did I find them? Caught inside the rubber part of the spinner. Whatever that really means!

Of course I think they were white socks. They are now dark gray! I wonder how long some of them have been there. Hmmm!

Did I mention 23 socks???

That's all I have to say about that!

~A

Musings of a Tuesday

Things I don't understand......

Where all the white socks go

Why I have 500 channels but nothing to watch

Why I can put stacks of "stuff" on the stairs to be carried up but my entire family just steps over the stacks

Why more credit is offered to people already deeply in debt

Why some people see truth so plainly while others are easily deceived by smooth-talking lies

L

Good Times

Hello my friends. Remember me? I'm the one who makes you realize how FUNCTIONAL you really are. Well, here goes my last seven days recap. Tuesday, I was in Anniston taking my grandmother to lunch. Got a call from Layne's school saying she had a headache, so I sent some Advil via a friend. I then got a call from Emma's school ten minutes later asking if I had washed her hair with LICE shampoo? UMMM... is it just me, or is that a stupidly ridiculous question? Anyway, I say no and hung up. Twenty minutes later the nurse calls back in a little hysteria saying, "We found nits in Emma's hair. Come get her."

I took her to the doctor that day, and he said she had Dermatitis. So Wednesday morning she goes back to school. That afternoon I call the school to tell them she was ok, and the nurse tells me that she just saw Emma and she does have nits in her hair. I proceed to tell her that my physician said she didn't, and she said, "Well, he is WRONG." I called the doctor, spoke to him, and he said for that nurse to bring him a nit and he would believe it! Seriously, my pediatrician and school nurse are in a fight! CLASSIC!

For the first time ever, I marched to the school. I had a meeting with the Assistant Principal and nurse...blah, blah... and I took Emma home again. This time I did stop and get "the shampoo" and got busy on her hair. How about this... they were both right. She did have Dermatitis and lice! Whatever! She stayed home with me on Thursday and by 8:00 am Lyla was throwing up on the kitchen floor. Good times!

So this weekend I pulled tons of nits out of Emma's hair, accidentally scorched MY scalp trying to make sure I didn't get LICE, cleaned my house so good you could lick off of the floors (not that I would recommend that), washed everything that could fit in my washing machine, and pretty much knew I had lice because my head has been itching all week.

I just knew this week would be better, and then I get the call to come get Layne because she is throwing up at school.

Is it too 80's to say... CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY...???

~A

For All My "WICKED" Friends

I'VE HEARD IT SAID
THAT PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES FOR A REASON
BRINGING SOMETHING WE MUST LEARN AND WE ARE LED
TO THOSE WHO HELP US MOST TO GROW IF WE LET THEM
AND WE HELP THEM IN RETURN
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE
BUT I KNOW I'M WHO I AM TODAY
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM ORBIT
AS IT PASSES A SUN
LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A BOULDER
HALFWAY THROUGH THE WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

IT WELL MAY BE
THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN
IN THIS LIFETIME
SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART
SO MUCH OF ME
IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU
YOU'LL BE WITH ME
LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART
AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END
I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MIINE
BY BEING MY FRIEND...

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING
BY A WIND OFF THE SEA
LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD
IN A DISTANT WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?

BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD.

If You Can't Say Something Nice...

Part 2 - If you've not read "Not My Finest Hour" a couple of posts back...stop now, scan down, read that first...then return here. If you have read "Not My Finest Hour", then you need to know this is the next morning...right after the girls were picked up for school...

I walk into the bathroom, where my husband is in the shower...

Me: Do you know what your oldest daughter (H) just said to me?

Paul: What?

Me: I told her not to wear the sweatshirt she had on so I could wash it. She said, "It's not a sweatshirt, it's a hooded jacket." Ummm, no it's not...it's a sweatshirt...a Gap hoodie zip-up sweatshirt! I just said, "Whatever." And then do you know what else she said?

Paul: What?

Me: I asked K (younger sister) to find her stripped shirt to wear to school...she did, waded up in H's drawer. Not only is it a shirt that should be hung up...but when K put it on, it was dirty! I mean like food on the sleeve kind of dirty. So I asked H why in the world would she put dirty clothes in her drawer? And she said, (in a know it all sassy voice), "Well, you TOLD me to put the clothes away that were on the steps." UGHHHH!!! Why does she do stuff like that????!???

Paul: So, what's her consequence?

Me: (annoyed to be questioned on my sub-par parenting skills) Well...Ummm...her consequence is that I like K better than I like her...that's her consequence!!! (playing on the drama from the night before)

Paul: (in a really sarcastic voice) Oh, Okay...

Me: (beginning to rant) And now I'm picking up wet towels from the floor! I haven't even taken a shower yet, but there's wet towels to be picked up. I wonder who's towels these are? And do you think you could strike a match in here? Or get the dirty clothes actually in the basket, instead of RIGHT beside it?

Paul: Ummm...is there anything else positive you'd like to say?

Me: (really annoyed) YES! One of K's fish died this morning and I just had to flush it!

Paul: Lucky Fish...

Some Wise Words

My devotion today from Chris Tiegreen was on wisdom,and I'd like to share part of it with you.

"At all costs, do not passively let the word of God go in one ear and out the other. Do not read it so casually that it is forgotten the next day or even the next hour. THERE'S POWER IN IT! It is a gift that will craft us into the person God wants us to be, the person we were designed to be from the beginning. Let it soak in, completely and deeply. Let it do its powerful work."

What a great meditation for today. Happy Monday!

~A

NOT MY FINEST HOUR...

Yesterday was hectic to say the least...and when did I start raising teenagers??? I have a 9 and 10 year old for crying out loud!!! Anywhooo...last night, the threat was made by their father, "Rooms clean tomorrow after school or else..."! Then I get a friendly reminder phone call after school from their father (he also happens to be my lovely husband, but in this story he is definitely playing the role of their father) that their rooms BETTER be clean by the time he gets home! Not sure if that was directed at me or them, but since we were sitting at Brewster's Ice Cream at the time with friends, it may have been directed at me! So, I quickly devised a master plan consisting of cleaning and homework and all would be done before 7:30 so that we could go to School's Night Out at Chick-Fil-A! The girls would be on 30 minute shifts alternating between homework w/ me and cleaning upstairs...2+ hours to get it all done! Plenty of Time...OH HA! Cleaning was done at a snails pace with little regard to future punishment...Homework was a ridiculous display of apathy and stupidity (is that okay to say?!?)...I was thrust in between two worlds, cheerleader and executioner...not pretty! Now, 2 + hours later and my oldest (H) was in Shock and Awe over the fact we were out of time to go to Chick-Fil-A..."Now That's Just GREAT Mom!"...was one comment...others followed that were equally disrespectful and mind boggling that she really didn't understand where the time went (Ummm...it went on you playing upstairs, filling up Ziplocs with water and poking a hole in them and then squeezing them on your sister...WHY? you might ask (I did ask)..."Ummm, because it was fun." Hope a belt on the butt is fun too! Yes, I did say that, which then was followed by a dramatic flow of tears and "That's not fair" and my favorite..."You love K (younger sister) more than me, she's your favorite!" At this point I should have been deflated, but instead found a renewed sense of anger...it really really really made me mad. OKee DoKee, let me get this straight…This was MY fault…not hers…if only I just loved her more…blah, blah, blah…moving on. So, there are other sorted details to the evening and ugly things that were said...then their father came home. RELIEF, ESCAPE...neither! He was, needless to say, out done...seemingly a little irritated at me as well...which did not sit well with this already irritated woman. He wanted to know what was for dinner and I exclaimed loudly, "NOBODY EATS UNTIL THE ROOMS ARE CLEAN!" He didn't exactly like that idea, or my tone...so he made more threats to my oldest, (K was done) and then went to the grocery store to see what he's going to get for dinner. Well, of course, my oldest then can magically clean the rest of her room, the landing, the stairs and the bathroom all before he gets home. H and K both ate cheese biscuits for dinner(because their rooms were then clean), brushed their teeth and got into bed. Their father gets home and calls the girls downstairs to clean their stuff out of his car. WHAT??? They are in bed after a horrible day with their mom and it's after 9:00 p.m. They both run downstairs and out the front door. Now, I'm even more irritated...get a bowl of cereal and eat it for dinner...who cares that my husband just went shopping...I have a point to prove, that I'm angry, treated unfairly, unappreciated and have had a no good, very bad day!!! After a ridiculous amount of time outside, I walk into the kitchen and say to their father, "Okay, seriously! Unless they are out there bagging a cheetah and trying to bring it inside, this is ridiculous! They've been out there FOREVER!!!" He just turned and looked at me. Just then the front door burst open and my girls fly in with a bouquet of sunflowers and a card that they've written in with accolades, and apologies and loving sentiments for their mom! My husband then smirked and turned back to his dinner he had been cooking on the stove! I love that man!.....and those girls (sometimes)too!

J

Psychic Friends Network

Are any of you psychic? If so, could you tell me who I have lunch plans with on Wednesday? I know it's a girlfriend who I haven't seen lately, we wanted to catch up, I'm looking forward to it, etc. However, I have no idea who it is. I think the scariest part is that I made these plans within the last 3 days.

If you succeed in this psychic mission, you are invited to go on the lunch date with us, MY TREAT!

I'm not asking much... just be my brain!

"That's What Friends Are For" ( ha! little Warwick tie in)

~A

Just Checking

Just checking to see if anybody out there has ever driven away from the bank window with the tube that you are supposed to leave AFTER taking your money out.

And I'm wondering that if you have ever done it, if people were honking at you telling you to bring it back so that they could actually send their money in the tube to the bank teller.

Or if half the people who go to your church were in the line of cars at the bank rolling down their windows and laughing as they said "We didn't know that was YOU!"

Not that this has ever happened to me on a Thursday. I was just checking.

L

Craziness

We are living in some crazy times! The economy stinks, the election is worse, politicians in general are clueless, and my favorite part is HOLLYWOOD'S involvement with it all because they think we need them to make informed decisions. The scary thought is that I fear that some people do need to be told what to think! It amazes me how many people listen to the media, hollywood, and randomness around them. Actually, it frightens me. When did America, the greatest nation on earth, stop thinking for themselves?

Could you imagine going through all of THIS and not having an understanding of our creator and that He is sovereign? God is so moving and shaking right now. We need not fear because HE is so in control.

I so want to be Daniel! In times of fear, I will trust in God alone! Those of you going through Daniel right now... is it not rocking your world?

I am putting on my shield of faith!

~A

My Little Enigma

I have a daughter who is nothing like me. It fascinates me because she comes up with things at age 6 that I would never dream of. She is prissy and girly and the kid can absolutely accessorize. She wears extra-slim jeans and they still fall off. Nobody in my family ever shops for extra-slim anything!

Sunday night I had to leave for church early so I left out clothes for her to wear. It was your basic jeans and a striped polo shirt. When I saw her at church later she had tied a ribbon around one ankle with some beads hanging on it- an item I had never seen in our house. When questioned, she said "Oh I just thought it would look cute." And it did. She had also ditched the shoes I picked for some plaid pink tennis shoes and partnered it with a silver sequined purse. Seriously we're just talking about jeans and a shirt here.

Yesterday was "watch-me" day at dance so like the dutiful Mom I am, I went to watch E twirl around. Not only was her leotard the lowest cut leotard in the class, but she pulls it down so even more of her skinny self is showing. We are going to have to start locking her in her room in about 4 years. Oh, and now I know that "watch-me" day consists of the curtain on the window being pulled back slightly farther than it is on other days so the moms can peek in and wave. Obviously I was new to "watch-me" day because all the smart moms hit the road as soon as they dropped their kid off. And did I mention that the recital costume fee is $150 because there are THREE costume changes for her class during the 10 minutes she will perform? I've been known to wear the same outfit for three days in a row so this is all very confusing to me.

Many experienced moms I know give this advice: "Let your children be who they are." I really try to heed this and to steer clear from pushing my opinions on my girls, but it's hard when they are foreign to me!!! The Bible tells us we are "fearfully and wonderfully made." I know that's true in E's case because there is nothing about her sweet little self that is familiar to me. God made her exactly who she is and He will use her to accomplish His purposes. I mean, there's lost people at all the Paris fashion shows, right? Sigh. I just hope I can keep her from dancing on tables in the meantime.

L

Something I'm Learning

Webster's dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." I so long to be a courageous person, but this seems really hard. So here's what God has been teaching me....

The kind of courage that the world admires emulates bravado. It is almost a swaggering, proud bravery that can stand against what is wrong. But I am here to tell you that I don't have mental or moral stregth. I really don't. Not one bit as a matter of fact.

What I do have is a source of strength to draw on. In my Bible Study recently, God has taught me that a child of God must have the kind of courage that is different from worldy courage. "God's child must have the courage that carries on for God in spite of difficulties, hardship, and rebellion, and to do so, if necessary, for many long years."

Wow.

Do I have what it takes to make a "long obedience in the same direction?"

L

Unexpected Blessing

Today I had an unexpected blessing. My middle daughter E had a fever and had to stay home from school. Granted, when I first realized that my well-planned day was shot I did not see it as a blessing, but I tried to make the best of it. After the medicine kicked in and E was feeling better we decided to go to lunch together. This in and of itself was special because she generally has to share her time with her sisters.

As we were eating, I told E I loved her. She told me she loved me back and then we began playing a silly game we sometimes play comparing my love with her with her love for me. I always tell her there is no way she can love me more than I love her. Suddenly her eyes well with tears and she tells me "Mommy I love you so much that it makes me cry." OK, I lost it. We both sat there with tears streaming down our faces, with her telling me she wished she could have a fever every day so she could spend more time with me, and how she was so thankful for me being her Mommy and for all the things I do for her. We ended the meal with her snuggled up next to me, still crying and talking about how special our time together was.

Now, more than likely she was too heavily medicated.

But still.

And I really needed the encouragement after S poured green food coloring into every possible crevice in her body last night. (And I do mean EVERY possible crevice). Fortunately, she went to preschool today with only one green toe and slight traces of green under her fingernails.

The Lord reinforced to me today the verse from Proverbs 16:9- "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." God wants to be in charge of our day every single day, and His purposes will prevail, even we have carefully made plans. So many times He has to stop me in my tracks so that I don't miss what he has to show me.

Thank you Lord for my interrupted day and the gift of extra time with my daughter. May I always seek to use my time wisely and for Your glory.

L

WHY ME?

Those who know me AND STILL choose to love me is beyond my comprehension. I think I get more dysfunctional, strange, clumsy, etc. as time goes by. Can I still blame this on 3 kids? Anywho, I must tell you all of the things that I've done this past week, and you be the judge!

1. Had a birthday party with scavenger hunt/race for my 11 yr. old. So much fun! At the end of the race, I decided to race my husband's car home. Why? Not really sure. So my team of 6 girls jump in the car. I speed off from 0 to 80 in 2 seconds.
Emma, who is 8, screams in horror, "Mom, Katie B. just fell out of the car." I slam on the brakes and get out to find Katie, and she is 50 feet behind my looking scared to death. I race to her to find out what happened. Well, she and Emma decided for the first time the entire evening to get in from the back hatch of the Expedition. Katie was trying to close it, and I speed off! You can fill in the rest of the blanks. So get this...she has a little scratch on her heel! THAT"S IT! Could have been a disaster, but God was so there. Anyway, love you Katie, and I would never purposefully try to run you down with my car.

2. If that wasn't enough, Tuesday night I helped with my daughter's cheerleading squad at the ballpark. You know the ballpark I speak of... all mom's looking happy, cheering on their team, dad's hollering at the refs, yadda yadda!!! So I am walking onto the field and fall on my rear end down to the ground. I mean a goodie!!! I hear gasps from the stands and realize that I had an audience. There was a timeout on the field so I was the entertainment. Whatever!

3. I take my 3 year old to MDO. Now, I've been doing this since my 11 yr. old was little, so this is really nothing new to me. I go in, drop her off, get in the car, head out for the day. Apparently, I took in her backpack with her lunch and diapers when I dropped her off and then took them right back with me to the car. I go to pick her up 4 hours later and they are like, "She didn't have a backpack, but we made do." I just knew it was somewhere in that building and asked them to look for it.
Guess where it was? In the front seat right beside me and I never noticed.

That's all I have to say about that!
~A

Babylon on NBC

It am not so surprised, but frustrated by watching PrimeTime television tonight...my daughters and I LOVE watching The Biggest Loser! I mean we really love it! And tonight we had to contend with "...open up a can of Whoop A**", "Beat the Crap out of them", "I'm real pi**ed off" and "Hard as Hell"...and these were the words they didn't bleep out! Both my girls reacted to these with the appropriate "Whooo, mom, did you hear what they said?!?" But then I was SO shocked by what one of the trainers said to one of the contestents. Evidently, one of the contestent's parents got divorced and she was really upset talking about it. Well the 'pep talk' from the trainer went like this...(and I quote b/c I do have the TiVo)... "So, your mom and your dad are together, she falls out of love, she leaves him for another man...Your mom did the best thing she ever could have done getting out of that marriage. You know why? She wasn't happy...If she wasn't in love, then she wasn't in love...For once in her life, she put herself first. Have you ever done that?...It could be the greatest gift she'll ever give you. The truth of the matter is that you need to take care of you." So then I just had to pause it...and explain...we don't believe that...that's what the world tells us ~ we should be first, we deserve to be happy - no matter who it hurts...I asked them what God's Word says...so we really talked about it...how we are set apart, marked by Christ to be different! It's amazing to think that God has chosen us and expects us to be in this world, at this time, in these circumstances, and be obedient to His Word...How awesome is that, and how hard.

Can anybody say "Daniel".

"J"

Where does the time go?

My baby turned 9 today. I can't even believe it, 9...that's crazy! I remember her birth like it was yesterday...I was almost 8 months pregnant...I came home early from work because I wasn't feeling super great...I was pulling ALL of my things out of the kitchen cabinets - I mean like every Tupperware bowl and lid, every Pyrex casserole, all my plates, cups, bowls, everything...and my water broke! Yet, right then and there, right in the middle of watching Oprah (at least I have changed some things over the last 9 years)...I called sweet Paul and said, "You're not going to believe this, my water just broke!" And then he said, "I really doubt it." Well, there you have it - cause he'd know! Well, about 10 hours, a fainting husband, and one push later...was Katie B. Oh, what a beautiful girl! She's been amazing ever since. Her Poppy says she has an old soul. He is so right. Tonight saying her prayers she asked God to "turn the bad men to good, to believe in You and go to church"..."help the soldiers protect us and not get killed"..."Keep us safe through the night and wake us up with the morning light"...these are all part of her "ritual prayer" that she says every night...but she ALWAYS adds a fresh prayer to the end...tonight’s made me cry. "Thank you for giving me my parents, and my sissy, and for making my life so good, so far."

Thank you Lord for giving me my Katie...and making my life SO good, so far. Amen.

"J"

Random

Am I the only one who can't get rid of piles in my kitchen? I have spent all morning moving them from one place to another. And you may think, "Why not use a drawer?" And to that I would say "They're all full, including the garbage bag full of kitchen drawer stuff I dumped last Christmas to go through later." Or you may say, "Get a bulletin board to organize your papers." And I would say "I did that and now I have piles on the refrigerator AND the bulletin board!" I need an intervention.

And also, is it too late in the season to wear flip-flops? I need to know these things.

And last but not least..You know your mother-in-law is a martyr when.............. she calls your six-year old daughter the night BEFORE her birthday to wish her well because she is going to be too busy to call on her real birthday.

And that's all I have to say about that.

L

He Blows Me Away!

Last night we were at the Living Truth Conference at HSBC. I was so blown away by the obvious emotion Dr. Grudem and Dr. Dever feel for all of us to grasp the Glory of God. I so hope everyone there felt God's love and power as we searched His character. I am so excited by God and by the people in my church who are also excited about our journey as Christians. Can you even begin to imagine when we get to heaven and see Him face to face in all His glory? There are no words!

~A

Look Ma...no chin!

the pic on the right is new...it was taken at a Beth Moore Conference in San Antonio this summer...she rocks btw...i'm "J", i'm the one in the middle...we took this pic ourselves...i was told that if you press your tongue up to the roof of your mouth while you're smiling, it will make your double chin go away...i was obviously concentrating on this very very hard while i took this picture...i think i actually gagged myself...that's all i'm saying.

"J"

An Oldie, but a Goodie

I'm trying to put some of my "Loretta Stories" together...for a future bestseller...so here's an oldie, but a goodie...

The year, 1991...the season, Christmas...the boyfriend, Paul, new since September...the mother, same ol, same ol... Paul and I had been dating for about 3 months when I asked him on Christmas Eve, when I got off work at the Galleria (pause for groaning at the thought of working Christmas Eve at the Galleria) if he wanted to come home with me for Christmas. He said he would, I called home and checked with my parents...all was set. Now keep in mind, it's after 8:00 p.m. the day before Christmas. We get to my parent's house really late and go straight to sleep...Santa's coming! The next morning I spied 3 wrapped gifts under the tree with "Paul" on the tag. PANIC!!! I whispered in his ear, "Just so you know, those gifts weren't bought for you..." "Huh?!?" So I explained...my mom has a long tradition of re-gifting and wrapping random 'male' and 'female' gifts untagged under the tree...she keeps the tags along with a pen under the tree skirt so that when that impromptu visitor comes by with a gift she can run and "grab theirs" from under the tree. So, knowing the stores close earlier Christmas Eve, that she didn't even know he was coming until late the night before, and that she's cheap...I knew there was no way those 3 gifts were bought for him. The opening of the presents begins...his first gift, a cologne gift set - GUCCI - sealed in plastic overlay from Eckerd Drugs (tacky, but not too bad)...his second gift, a Precious Moments kitchen towel, beige, with the little boy and girl sitting back to back on a stump with "Love One Another" written underneath (YIKES!!! He's a 21 year old man...he has an apartment with another guy...WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?)...the third gift, a Hallmark ornament with two mice dancing on a piano with the caption "Our First Christmas Together 1990" (HELLO...It's 1991!!! Where did she even get that?)...but the good news is that we've been hanging that ornament on our tree every year for 14 years as our Christmas tradition and laugh...I highly recommend the laugh!

"J"

"Come 'n listen to my story..."

All 5 of us went to a 3 yr. old birthday party today.  Of course, we were in a hurry!  As we run out the door, I ask my husband, "Hey, do you know where Lyla's shoes are?"  He responded with a quick,"Yea, they're in the car."  So off we went.

We arrived at the party and had to park 6 blocks away (not really, but felt like it) because there were so many people there.  I get Lyla out of the car and guess what?  NO SHOES!!!  We get inside and there are 30 kids and all of their parents.  Oh yea, forgot to mention that all of these people go to our church!

 I know what they were thinking... "Oh look, here comes Jethro and Ellie Mae and all their chitlins.  Bless their hearts!"

~A

"Babbits"

"You got babbits, Mommy?  I got babbits, you got babbits, Mommy?"

What on earth could this possibly mean coming from my barely 3 yr. old?  It took me lots of time going through every word she knows to find out what she's talking about.  

Finally, she told me about seeing my nephew and he had "funny babbits."

Well, what she really means is, "You got privates, Mommy."  Whatever... please tell me life gets easier with 3 girls!  Seriously...somebody just tell me this to make me feel better.

~A

You've got to be kidding!

This morning there was crying over clothes...yes, you heard me, clothes! Did you cry over clothes when you were young? I don't remember crying over what to wear to school. I rememeber crying when I got caught cheating on a test in 4th grade, crying when I got caught stealing the car at 15, crying because I wasn't allowed to go to the prom in 11th grade because of my grades! But she's crying over her clothes...Not world hunger, not gas prices, not sheet wrinkles on my face, but clothes! CRYING BY MY 10 YEAR OLD! She was crying because she didn't want to wear the outfit that was out for her to wear. Now, please let me clarify so I don't get comments with great ideas on how to avoid morning drama...like having her pick out her clothes the night before...she did that. SHE DID THAT!!! She did that and still she is crying over the outfit that she chose the night before because it was not the right outfit this morning! WHAT? Okay...and then to add to the drama, she decided that she need to bring a change of clothes to wear to P.E. because they are doing gymnastics this 9 weeks...so she picks out a skirt! HUH??? She has on a pair of shorts and needs to bring a skirt to do gymnastics in so she'll be more comfortable. I don't even understand this...I tried to explain that she could grab her soccer shorts, so she grabbed her tennis skirt. I tried again to explain that you can't do gymnastics in a skirt because you can't split your legs to kick up to a handstand with skirt on...she then tried to explain to me that hers was a skort not a skirt, it has shorts under it...so I then said, "Then just wear shorts." More tears! Lots of moaning and groaning...this, my friends, is a very big deal! So I said, "Just go get your gym shorts out to bring." And then she yelled, "Mom, this is not GYM, it's GYMnastics!!! You just don't get me!!!" And what I didn't say is that I pride myself in that! I can't wait till she gets to be a teenager...GOOD TIMES AHEAD!!!

"J"

Sheet Wrinkles on my face...

I cannot make them go away! When I was younger, they were endearing. There for a few minutes reminding me what a good, hard sleep I had just had. Then they were gone. Now, not so much! Now, they are there for hours, reminding me that I have no more elasticity in my face and that I'm getting old. This morning I massaged them, lotioned them, steamed them and even tried to stretch them...you see, I didn't have the time to wait for them to just leisurely disappear...I had places to go, people to see, PTO meetings to attend. Do other PTO moms have sheet wrinkles 3 hours after they wake up?!?! I DON"T THINK SO! You know why? Because they are AT LEAST 5 years younger than me...they are all Kindergartener's moms...not 5th graders moms! And you know why? Because after you've had a child in school for 5 years, your desire to be on the PTO (let alone the treasurer...I don't even balance my own checkbook) has faded...like your sheet wrinkles use to when you were in your 30s! Whatever!

And to make me feel better about my age, I will, from time to time, remind my girls that I am 40 - so I have some credit, a little clout...like they're not the only ones who know everything. Like I need to boost their confidence (or mine) that I just might be smart enough to carry on an intelligent conversation with an almost 9 and 10 year old. Do your kids question everything you say? Do they ask you after you give them an answer, "How do you know?" Or try to make sure you're catching on to their conversation by asking, "Mom, do you get me?" So, this weekend, my almost 9 year old was telling me something and then said the infamous..."Mom, do you understand what I mean?"...and I, rather defensively said, "YES...I'm 40! There's not going to be anything that you know that I'm not going to know." And then she said, "Well, You don't know all the moon phases." She's got me there...

"J"

Let's Potty!

I seem to have a blog theme going!  Anyway, I'm really struggling with potty training my now THREE YEAR OLD!  You would think that I would've figured this out by now...she is my third child.  

So... this morning I finally say, "No more pull-ups in the house.  They are all gone, and the store has no more to buy.  You must be a big girl and wear panties like all of your other friends and your sisters."  She stood there a moment and looked at me, little wheels turning in her brain.

She becomes hysterical and yells,  "I not a big girl- I the baby- I can't potty- I not like it- it's not fun- no mommy, I the baby- I the baby."  She then spreads out on the floor in dramatic fashion crying for 20 minutes.  

HELP ME!!!!!!!!!

~A

Labor Day

This entry is for all of you moms who sometimes think you aren't worth a flip!  After reading this you will say, "Wow, at least I'm better than she is."

Labor Day with my fellow chix and a few other families.  Shall I set the stage???  Swimming pool, lake to fish, Bobcats to drive, lots of land to run free-you get the idea.  Well, not 5 minutes after we arrived, I got all of my clothes soaked jumping in the pool to rescue my 3 year old.  Then, 15 minutes after that I see something brown at the bottom of the steps and the bottom of the shallow end of the pool.  What was it????  POOP!!!!  Seriously, can this be happening to me? She had on a swim diaper.  I proceed to get that big 20 ft. long net to "fish it out" without everyone knowing what was going on.  However, my 10 yr. old and J's 10 yr. old begin the chant,  EWWWWW, GROSSSSS, that is so NASTY, etc.  I am mortified and L calls her husband from the lake to help.  He sees me and says," Get in the pool right now."  He and I jump in and he swims to all of the people on the side of the pool not going in or letting their children in the water and gets a huge mouthful of pool water and spits and.  He says, " Were good, get in the pool."  

Can I tell you how much I love L's husband?  That was classic.  Also, another friend's husband said later, " Hey, some people eat that stuff to survive when out in the middle of nowhere."

I tell you, men are so great when women freak!!!

Anyway, I'm better now.  Should I mention this is the 2nd time this has happened to me with the POOP?  Maybe not.

~A

When You Marry A Hunter....

You do things you never thought you'd do.

Like pulling dead, bloody birds from your 8-year-old daughter's hunting vest and storing them in ziploc bags in your refrigerator.

Because she killed them and is proud.

That is all I am saying.

L

Seriously

Seriously you cannot make up the stuff that happens during my days. Often I am convinced there is a hidden camera somewhere and that any minute somebody will junp out and say "Gotcha!" But it hasn't happened yet so it must just be me.

So today was going pretty well early this morning when I got everybody off to school, including S who started preschool today (can anybody say "PRAISE THE LORD?") and went and worked out. I was proud to fit that in because I have really been making an effort in that area. After working out I volunteered at the elementary school where my oldest child did not speak to me when she saw me and my middle child chose to be in another line from mine when given the option during a vision/hearing screen. So glad I gave up my free time to hang with the girls. Oh well, at least they are independent.

Then I busted into tears while talking to my friend in front of a room full of suburban housewives because I saw three girls (B, S and P for those of you who know that story)who have been mean to my daughter and I wanted to choke them all. Apparently I had some hidden emotional crisis and just decided to let it all out in the middle of asking 4622 children which car had the broken wheel. Who knew?

Then as I was rushing to pick up S from preschool, I was extremely convicted to go buy lunch for a homeless man on the side of the road. "OK, Lord," I thought, "I will be obedient to Your Spirit and buy this man some lunch." So as soon as the lady in the drive-through handed me his drink the cup busted all over me and the car and the seat and the floor and the 4622 items that were in the car and on the seat and on the floor. Oh well, I tried. And did I mention that it was a very large drink? So I drove back to the man and handed him the food and a bottle of water I had gotten at the vision screening that I may or may not have taken a sip out of. I couldn't remember, but I figured some water was better than no drink, right?

Then I picked up S and couldn't wait to see her and hear about her day. Absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. However, she screamed all the way home about how hungry she was so I finally gave in and gave her some applesauce. This was not a good idea. And by the way, the reason that the applesauce was still in her lunchbox was because I am apparently not allowed to bring spoon-fed items to school, only finger foods. But don't worry, because I got a cute little reminder note from the teacher letting me know exactly what to pack in her lunch "next time" since I apparently did not listen during the parent meeting, nor did I read the handbook that I signed and returned today saying "Yes, I have read the handbook and understand what is expected of me." I am a train wreck.

So anyway, the applesauce being the messy item that it was ended up all over S's night-night, baby doll and dress. So I, while trying to navigate the exit ramp onto I-459, am holding the applesauce while trying to find a napkin for her that has only been used one or two times. Meanhwhile, I hit a bump and the applesauce ends up inside my make-up case which is always in the car because I never have time to put make-up on at home.

So by the time we get home and I have finished trying to wipe smeared applesauce from the lip gloss tube, I am done. Wiped out. Over it. Ready to take a break. But instead I chase S around the kitchen while she is screaming "NOT TAKE A NAP NOT TIRED HUNGRY NOT NAP MAMA" 4622 times. So here I sit, blogging, even though I have a 47-page theology chapter to read by 8:00 tonight and two other kids who will be home any minute. And by the way, I hear S throwing things out of her bed, but I am not going up there, no I am not.

L

What A Weekend

I feel like I need to write but I don't know if I can put what I need to say into words. Anybody ever feel that way? Have you ever had an experience so incredible that you feel like anything you say about it won't do it justice? That's how I feel today.

This past weekend, my fellow chix, along with about 20 other ladies from our area, traveled to San Antonio, Texas for the Living Proof Live Conference and Siesta Fiesta event. It was a weekend that I will not soon forget. The worship and teaching were absolutely incredible, as I expected them to be. But the element of the weekend that I did not expect was the amount of fellowship and relationship-building that happened with the women from my church, as well as their friends and family that came with us.

As relational creatures, we women desire intimacy in our relationships. And developing that intimacy is a good thing. It gives us the communication we crave, builds us up, and helps us to build others. It helps us learn, grow and expand our horizons. In short, it is important to invest in people's lives and spend time with them. I know for me, there are days when I would much rather curl up with a good book and not answer the phone than make a phone call to a friend or check in on someone who may need a personal touch. Now of course there is nothing wrong with that every once in a while! But as believers, we are called to be relational. And you know why? It's because our precious heavenly Father is the most relational of ALL! He craves relationships with us, desires to spend time with us and wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. So as His children created in His image, it is important for us to do the same.

One of the most precious times that was spent this weekend was an impromptu gathering of us all in a hotel conference room just talking and sharing and getting advice from each other. Some of the ladies who came were a few steps beyond most of us in their parenting and life experiences, and they spent sweet, precious time sharing their wisdom and encouraging us in our journeys. It was a true example of an investment with unlimited returns.

It was also wonderful to spend time with ladies from different circles and get to know new friends. We talked about how important unity within the body of Christ is, and how we need to get to know each other at deeper levels rather than just surface "hellos" at church. In short, we NEED each other and I am so thankful that I now have a wider circle that I feel close to and can share this life with.

Lastly, I just had an awesome time with my Lord this weekend. He wrapped his arms around me and blessed me over and over. I needed it. I am refreshed and overwhelmed and thankful and emotionally spent all at the same time! My heart's desire is to know Him more and to spend my life giving glory and honor to His precious name. I want to dig so deep into His word that I can't ever climb out. I want to be a light to those around me.

And I know that anything else I pursue pales in comparison.

L

Hairy Day

Those of you that know me know that I'm a "hair" girl.  I love hair!  Therefore, I change my style up a lot.  I change my color every 3 months.  Well, the first day of school was my recent change in hair color. He put in shades of really blonde, brown, and almost jet black.

 Looking back...not the best day for a change!  My oldest just started 5th grade and will be 11 yrs. old in 3 weeks.  Needless to say...I think she may be close to...DUH,DUH, DUH...

THE CHANGE!!!!  Anyway, she returns from the "worst day of her life" and sees my hair.  Her response was priceless.  "Mom, you look goth. I need for you to have your hair changed back to the other color by the time I get home from school tomorrow or I'll be the most embarrassed person in the world."

Whatever!!!  I at least thought I had until she was 13 until I embarrassed her.  And anyway, I thought I was cool!  Oh well, I guess I should just welcome my "goth" self to the not so popular role of raising a preteen!

~A

Happy Back-To-School

Today was a bittersweet day for many Moms in my little corner of the world. Today was a day for rejoicing mixed with sorrow. Tears mixed with sighs of relief. The first day of school was today, and with it came a variety of mixed emotions.

We have had a great summer. My family has gone to the beach several times, the pool a LOT of times, and simply spent good, quality time together. Well, except for the day I told S that I was going to smash the DVD player in the car with a baseball bat if she asked me if we could watch a movie in the car one more time. That probably wasn't the best example of quality time, but we'll just forgive and forget. (By the way, she responded, "Dat makes me SO MAD when you say dat Mommy!"At least the girl is in touch with her inner emotions)

So today as I sent my oldest to 3rd grade and my middle daughter to Kindergarten, I was happy for them, but sad for me. I am going to miss the flexibility of summer schedules, not having set bedtimes and homework deadlines, and being able to stay in pajamas as long as we want to. And I have to admit that the thought of S and I having an entire month alone with no sisters to play with and no preschool scares me A LOT.

But as I was thinking about all of this today, I ran into a Mom who reminisced with me about her youngest child's first day of school. She remembers vividly calling a friend when he got on the bus and saying cheerfully, "Do you know what today is??? The FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!" She was so excited to have everybody in school she didn't know what to do. And then she looked at me and said, "Seems like just yesterday." Then she asked me, "Do you know what today is? Today is his last day at home. He leaves for college tomorrow." As we wiped our tears we were reminded how swiftly time passes and how precious each day is.

So happy-back-to school for all you readers out there. It's a wonderful time to reflect on the new beginnings we have each day with our sweet Savior. Take time to reflect on memories made, and ones yet to come.

And for all you Moms w/preschoolers still at home just counting the minutes until Labor Day because PRESCHOOL STARTS THE NEXT DAY, hang in there and know that I feel your pain. I especially felt it when S took the new shampoo bottle and "washed" her hair with it in the den this afternoon. But just remember that all too soon, we'll have clean houses, new-looking furniture, peace and quiet.....and we'll be looking back on these school days and wishing we had just a few more.


L

THE TALK

Well, I did it...I had "The Talk" with my daughters. I knew this would be the summer it would have to be done. My oldest daughter (10 1/2) is starting 5th grade this year (well really, this week) and she'll be watching the Health video and I knew I wanted to talk to her before that, so I did it. I also ended up talking to my youngest daughter (almost 9) too, because I knew that the info she got from her big sister would be a little confusing, so I talked to them together. We were on the way to Target when the "sex" questions started...I wasn't exactly prepared. I just prayed and thought that I would just answer questions until they stopped asking. I wasn't sure exactly how far the questions would go, but I would just let the questions and conversations dictate how far into the explanation we'd end up going. The answer to that is...ALL THE WAY! Now, I need to give a little background...most of my closest friends know this, but it does need to be explained for this topic. I've always been a mom who has used the atomically correct words when talking about our body parts...we don't have nicknames or say things like "front bottom and back bottom". An elbow is an elbow...you get it. Most of my friends cannot stand it; which to be totally honest probably just encourages me to say it more...but I digress... So I started to answer the questions and really talked a lot about sex being a gift from God meant for marriage...Adam and Eve...How the world will try to tell us things that are different, but we need to look at what God's Word tells us. It was really an amazing conversation. They were interested, appropriate, and kept the conversation going. I used as little actual explanation as was necessary and then if they asked a specific question or needed details I would fill in the blank...at some point my oldest daughter looked puzzled and then asked me the question I was dreading the most...and I quote from her, "But, where does the hotdog go?" and I answered her as with as much grace as I could muster on the spot..."Into the bun." Not my proudest moment, but she got the point. The conversation progressed and was met with all the expected "EWWW" and "That's Gross!"... All the way to how mommy got pregnant and that's where babies come from! Whew! I told my husband later that day that I had "the talk" with the girls...he said that he knew, our oldest had told him and that she was planning to adopt!

J

Cardboard Testimonies

Incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

L

Thank You Marketing Execs

Why is it that every time we shop in a certain store, my mostly modest (two out of three) daughters turn instantly into hoochie mamas when we walk in the doors?

Seriously you'd think they were 13, 16 and 18 rather than 2, 5 and 7. There's something about the lighting, the MUSIC and the atmosphere that starts their hips twisting and their bottom shaking. These girls who are otherwise uninterested in shopping are all of a sudden drooling and dripping with "This is SO cute" and "Mom, this ROCKS." I am looking at them like "Who are you people and what have you done with my daughters???

They get silly, sappy looks and walk a little taller. They put one hand in the air and the other on their hip as they slip into "shopper mode" and all of a sudden have opinions on things I didn't even know they knew about.

Yesterday my simple goal was to buy some new shorts for camp since the ones we bought in April are now too small for my almost-eight-year-old. She is on the tall side so it's hard to find shorts that aren't INDECENT and don't have "I'm adorable" pasted across her rear end. And I have given up all hopes of finding anything without a rhinestone of some sort glued on the fabric.

When we got to the dressing room, things just went from bad to worse. There's nothing like a full-length mirror and some spaghetti straps to make your daughter feel "hot." Which, by the way, should only be a temperature to them at this age.

We did manage to find some cute things that we agreed on, but it just makes me sad that our girls are faced with such tough choices at such an early age. Their modesty is so crucial and our culture counters every single modest bone in their sweet little bodies. And it happens simply by walking into a store or through the mall. You can't get away even if you try.

So I guess I'll just continue to stay on my knees for the next eighteen years and pray that they will make wise choices. And I just might start checking out affordable convents just to be on the safe side.

L

Funny For The Day

This cracked me up. Although we don't have big brothers, we are inundated with Polly Pockets. Never seen one quite like this though!

L

When a Girl Has Big Brothers...

Press on!

I am in a Bible study on the book of Daniel.  I must say that it is really changing my life.  I've never done a study like this before, and with such an interesting group of women.  It thrills me to see how God is working in this small group.  I am constantly in awe of our Savior!

  I encourage you to find a study on God's word and dig deep.  It will change you!

~A

On Getting Older

It used to be that when we had friends over to our house, we did fun, young things. You know you are getting old when your friends come over and they say, "Can we see the new...........................................................................................

mattress?"

Yes, that's right. I said mattress.

And sadly enough, we all ended up laying on the mattress giggling about good it felt to our backs, meanwhile discussing the merits of Tempurpedic pillows(I have no idea how to spell Tempurpedic). We even played with the mattress remote control. A lot. For a long time.

Add this to the fact that I secretly watched an entire episode of "Wheel of Fortune" while at home by myself today.

Sad stuff.

I think I need to go get something pierced.

L

Hypothetically Speaking, Of Course

Hypothetically speaking, if I borrowed, say, a watch from a friend with elf-like wrists, then it is POSSIBLE that it might get stuck on my slightly larger wrist.

And I suppose that if that were to happen, it would then be POSSIBLE that my skin would get stuck inside the watch and no matter how I tried or yelled at my children to try the watch would not come undone.

And I guess at that point, it would be theoretically possible for me to go in search of a neighbor to undo the watch, all the while staying cool and collected trying not to panic while my children simultaneously rolled in the grass and threatened to call 911.

That is, if this were a true story and something like this had really happened to me.

If it were a true story, one scenario could be that the pool guy who happened to be in the next door neighbor's driveway MIGHT have heard me yell for help and tried to pry the watch off of my wrist.

And he might have been successful and told me to have a nice day while staring strangely after me as I walked away.

Maybe.

And the watch COULD have ended up slightly bent.

But maybe not.

It's hard to tell.

Who knew there were those nifty little buttons that you press to make the watch pop right open?

Certainly not me or the pool guy.

Question of the Day???

Have you ever let someone borrow something and when you got it back it just wasn't  the same as when you let them borrow it?

Just wondering...no reason...just curious.

Has that ever happened to you L? L.O.L.

~A

We're Back!

WOW! It's been two whole months since we've blogged. I can't believe we have been away so long, but we have been BUSY! You know how it is...May is just..well..you know..May, and then June is here and the kids are out of school and we just simply have been too busy to blog. I guess you'd say our priorities on the homefront have had to take precedence these last few weeks. And that's OK. When things get out of balance, everybody suffers. So hopefully we're back for a time, and will do our best to stay connected.

It has been most surprising to all of us chix that we have been missed in the blogosphere! Many of you have told us you missed us and asked us to continue to blog. We can't tell you how much that means to us!! This site is just a picture of our lives, the good, the bad and the crazy!! (Mostly crazy) So that being said, let me give you a brief rundown on my life these past two months.

Two months- eight weeks- 56 days. During this time, I had a neighbor killed in a plane crash leaving a precious wife and three young daughters behind. I had one daughter graduate from preschool and one finish the second grade. I potty trained a two-year-old (not to mention introducing her to the terrifying world of automatic flush toilets..more on that in another blog), walked in a walk for an eight-year-old with cancer, watched my beautiful neice come into the world, and watched as her mother suffered debilitating nerve damage during the birth. I prayed for my friends who were suffering, rejoiced with my friends who were celebrating and learned more about God's character during both. I lost a dear friend and surrogate grandfather to my daughters and watched his precious wife honor him with her attitudes and actions during his last days. I visited a friend whose son tried to take his own life, and I prayed with a precious fifth grade boy as he asked Jesus to come into his heart. I wiped noses, dried tears, apologized and asked for forgiveness. I started a Bible Study and read five novels. I didn't clean my house much, and I folded approximately 127 loads of laundry. Needless to say, life has been happening, even while being absent from blogland.

So what's the point?

I guess the point is, God is sovereign in all things..the big events as well as the seemingly small details. He is sovereign in the good, the bad, the hard and the easy. He "has a plan and a purpose for his world." "History is not a cyclical process of endless repetition; history is being moved toward the predetermined end."

And the Creator of the universe allows me to be a part of it.

How cool is that?

L

A Shining Light!

We all have special people in our lives.  People you can count on for anything.  I lost one of those special people this week.  Tim Bradley.  He meant the world to J.T. and me.  He was our Sunday School teacher for many years, and taught us so much about God, worship and loving people.

I hope that when it's my time to go home to Jesus, people say that I did things to further the Kingdom of God.  This is my wake-up call!  I want to do things each day to bring glory and honor to my Savior. I want people to see Jesus in me.  I want to be what Tim Bradley was to me...a shining light for Christ!

I will miss you my friend.

~A

 

Life Lessons

So I've been thinking a lot lately about commitment. It's a word that we toss around a lot and we think we understand. After all, we're supposedly "committed" to lots of things- our marriages, our churches, our jobs, our kids are "committed" to a number of activities, etc.

I've been thinking about commitment because my oldest daughter P has expressed great interest in joining a swim team. When she first learned to swim she looked like Phoebe on "Friends" in that episode where she is jogging through Central Park and Rachel is embarrassed to run with her. You know the one where she is flapping her arms and waving wildly. Thank goodness she has come a long way since then and has been told swimming would be something she could be successful in! So we, being the dutiful parents that we are, began to check it out.

In reading the "commitment" to swim on a team you see sentences like this:

Only for the most dedicated swimmers.
A commitment to the sport is mandatory.
Practice is 6 – 9 times per week with additional dryland work.
If attendance becomes irregular, the swimmer will be moved down a group.
MEET PARTICIPATION IS MANDATORY.

Yikes! I have visions of our lives being consumed by driving back and forth to the pool, eating dinner in drive-throughs every night and being a slave to the calendar instead of having leisurely summers of little or no plans. So we have decided to wait on the swimming.

That is not to say we won't decide to pursue it another time, or another similar activity with one of our kids at some point. Because I really do get the equation: Dedication + Commitment= Success. It really does. The more you practice, the better you get. And I am in a profession that demands commitment so I really do get it.

But here's what I've been thinking.

What if we began to see that Dedication + Commitment= Success is really true in ALL areas of our lives. And what if we began to see that the success the world offers is SHORT-LIVED in comparison to eternity? And what if we took that same equation and applied it to our spiritual disciplines? What if our rules for the Christian life were written out for us like the swim team rules? What if they said this:

Only for the most dedicated followers of Jesus.
A commitment to studying scripture is mandatory.
Read the Bible 6 – 9 times per week with additional work any chance you get.
If church attendance becomes irregular, the Christian will be disconnected.
MEETING TOGETHER AS A BODY OF BELIEVERS IS MANDATORY.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm glad that the Christian life is not a legalistic list of do's and dont's. But my point is this: If we took our spiritual lives as seriously as we take other wordly things that will not last, then we would have success that DOES last! Our rewards (success) would be the affirmation of our Creator when He looks at us and says "Well done, good and faithful servant." We would have the joy that comes from abiding in Him and a knowledge of His word that is applicable in every situation in our lives.

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" -Phillipians 3:14

Success in this life does require commitment. But so does the gift of eternal life. It requires a full-out life-changing Jesus-following commitment.

So as I contemplate how I want to spend my time, I'm gonna go w/the long-term. To me that's a prize that's really worth it.

L

THE LORNA ROAD MINI-MALL

It's Saturday morning and I'm hanging at my yard sale!  This is the same yard sale that we decided to have Wednesday afternoon.  Whatever!!!  It's raining...it's been raining since yesterday.  Here are a few yard sale quirks...

One...when it rains.

Two...the yard sale is advertised to start at 8:00 a.m.  You start pricing your items the night before around 10:00 p.m.  You go to bed around 2:00 a.m. and people show up at 5:00 a.m. to talk you down on your prices so they can take them to their house and sell them at their yard sale!

Three...Someone offers you .50 cents for an item that's priced $1.00 (that you know you spent $25.00 for originally)...and you say yes, feeling filled with the Spirit...and they hand you a $20 to pay for it which is sitting next to 2 $100 bills in their wallet and they drive away in their shiny Cadillac Escalade!

Next time I decide to have a yard sale, please remind me that it's much better to give than receive!

Bring it on Hannah Home!!!

~A

T.G.I.K.J.

I used to be a good mother.

There was a time when no one would have left the house without perfectly matching clothes, shoes and bows.

There was a time when everyone was bathed every day and diaper bags abounded with healthy snacks, full juice cups, plenty of wipes and two extra matching outfits with perfectly coordinated bows clipped to them.

That was a long time ago.

Fast forward eight years, three kids, one dog and an aging husband. Well, maybe I'm aging too, but that's beside the point.

This morning upon arrival at school, my two-year-old's bag had no diapers and no juice cup. It did contain, however, one wrinkled jacket, a Dora phone and a few random smarties. Plenty to make it through a hard day of preschool, don't you think?? Luckily her teachers have become used to me and refrain from talking behind my back until I am around the corner.

This is S.



I love her and it is a good thing. She is God's way of curing me from my perfectionism and anal-retentiveness. She does things like this.


Whose idea was it to teach her her alphabet anyway? An ignorance of letters would have kept her blissfully unaware that my laptop keyboard contained all of those letters just waiting to be popped off. And rearranged. To the point that they can't be put back on. Because apparently the little plastic things that hold them in place are big fun for the dog to chew on.

The sad thing is that I don't even fight it anymore. Possessions? They will just rot one day anyway. (I had to get to that place after the sharpie-meets-car-leather-interior incident of 2007)

Another day, another drama.

Thank goodness I know Jesus, that's all I'm saying.

~L

Different "Strokes"

I went to one of these new little painting places w/ 3 girlfriends Monday night...it was a blast! They had 75 people sitting at 6 long tables, no credit card machine, and the "instructor" didn't have a microphone. Seriously. That aside, an evening full of fun! The picture they were painting that night was...oh let's just call it modern; contemporary. It was 9 squares, like the Brady Bunch intro, but instead of the faces of our beloved Carol and Mike, et al; we had multi-colored, funky shaped circles. Well, although the colors were spot-on to match my den; it was a bit of a stretch in the ultra-funk category...so, I hung it in my bathroom. Fast forward two days and add to it a impromptu visit from my mother. She asked me, "Where did you get that painting in the bathroom?" (Now, let's keep in mind that it is signed by me in the corner...hmmm...a bit suspicious...but I didn't think of that at the time.) I was actually impressed and excited that she noticed it was new. I quickly said, "I painted it!" She said, "WOW! That's sure a lot to look at! I couldn't get my eyes to even focus on it, it was so wild." Paused a moment and then added, "You couldn't be too proud of it, you hung it in the bathroom." Instant deflation...until I remembered that this is the same woman who owned an ultra suede couch with a large giraffe print on it...so, I just smiled.

J

My Confidence Booster!

Oh, how I love my best girlfriends! You know the ones I'm talking about. The girls that shoot you straight, even when you really don't want them to.

Well, I have that friend in Stac. She has been a close friend since we were 11. We met when a bully shoved me in a huge puddle of water, and she came to my rescue. She's been a true blue friend since that day. The sad news is that she now lives near L.A. (that's not Lower Alabama)

Anywho... she called me yesterday after my very long shopping venture to find the perfect thing to wear to that reunion I'm O.C.D about. I tell her I found a great pair of jeans. The rest of the conversation went like this...

S: "What kind are they?"
A: "Citizens of Humanity."
S: "Those are great, but tell me you did get the kind that pull you in, right?"
A: " Goodness, I sure hope so."
S: " Are they dark denim or a wash?"
A: "Actually, they are white jeans because I found a cute blue shirt that wouldn't be good with darker denim."

S: "Oh! Can you pull off white jeans?"

Needless to say, I'm taking the jeans back tomorrow!

A

My Treadmill was a coat rack...

...so I sold it at my last garage sale...I needed the money to buy bigger jeans.

I'm afraid that if I lose weight...well, let's face it...I just might be...the full package! What do they call it...a triple threat! Personality, good looks and great body! Right now it's safe...Two out of three, everyone can handle that. It's hard to be friends with someone who's perfect...so I just look at it like this...I'm doing my friends a favor. Imagine how hard it would be to be Me...and a size 2! It's too much!

So my prayer is this...Lord, if you won't make me skinny...would you at least make my friends fat.

J

Conundrum

Why is exercise so hard? I mean, I have all the tools I need..a treadmill two feet from my bed, a recumbent exercise bike in the basement, a set of weights, a Pilates DVD, and even some oldies like a step and a step aerobics tape and even ...and this is the truth...a thighmaster ala Suzanne Somers! I know what to do so why don't I do it? I am what you might call a bipolar exerciser. I am either manic about it, or depressed about it. Why oh why can't I be consistent????????? I can hire somebody to do everything else, but not exercise. Nope, that's something I gotta do on my own. So why is it that I will watch Denise Austin exercise for 30 minutes on television? I don't think watching her show is really the point. Hmm....maybe I could have been exercising in the thirty minutes I have been blogging about exercise! OK clearly I have issues. Somebody please come help me put my tennis shoes on!!!!!!!!!

L

WHOOP, there she is!

L is celebrating her birthday today.  Everyone send out a big WHOOP!  Have a great one!

A and J

Tenball Anyone?

So this morning I remind E that her very first tennis clinic is this afternoon after school. Don't forget, blah, blah, blah, hugs and kisses, blah, blah, blah..and she runs out the door. She calls back over her shoulder, "Mom, do you think I'll get to pitch?"

Bless her heart.

Tennis comes and goes, she does a great job and I think maybe she's getting the hang of it and was just confused this morning, since some of her other friends are playing t-ball. (Not that she'd get to pitch in t-ball, but let's just give her the benefit of the doubt.)

In the car ride home, I overhear her proudly announcing ".....and I hit it over the fence every time!"

We don't get out much.

So tonight on the way home from dinner she asks me "Mom, what was my coach's name?" "E, did he not tell you his name?" "Well, he did but I couldn't hear him because I had on my sunglasses."

Thank goodness she's beautiful, that's all I'm saying.


L

Why can't my hair stylist live with me?

Why can't my hair stylist live with me?  I know I really don't have the room, and my husband may not want another man here, but seriously...

I got my hair cut 2 days ago, and he styled it using a flat iron.  So I go to church that night and had 423 compliments on my hair!!!  

 I heard, "Hey, love the hair."

 "OMG, your hair has never looked so good."

"I need the number to your stylist."   Etc.Etc.Etc.  You get the picture! Needless to say I thought I looked hot!!!

Well, the next day rolls around and  I fixed my hair just like he did.  I used the flat iron, spent lots of time on it, etc. I go back to church for a women's bible study.  Do you know how many people commented on my hair?  ZERO!  Not one!  Are you kidding me?  Do you know what that did to my self esteem and the ability that I thought I possessed to style my own hair.  I mean, I have a flat iron.  How hard could it really be?  

Whatever!  I  just think it would be better if David just lived with me and made me feel good about myself every single day, don't you?  

A

Must Read

Have ya'll read the latest post from Beth on hair? You'll die. http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/2008/03/baffled.html

LOCKED OUT AGAIN!!!

Seriously...to know my husband and me is to love us or quickly run far away.

We built our house 4 years ago and the builder made us 5 keys.  Did you see that correctly? 5!!!

Well, for some reason we now have 1 and it stays in a drawer INSIDE the house.  Not really sure why!  Anyway, we do have garage door openers AND keyless entry pads outside of the garage.  So we are set up, right?  

Well, you tell me why we had to rip off the screen on a window and send our child through it to go and unlock the door for us the other day.  And tell me why I had to go through that same window this morning after carpool with my 2 year old standing outside the house saying, "What cha doing mommy?" 

I guess I should just call a garage door company and get them to send someone over to fix the openers and entry pad.

That sounds reasonable to all of you, but I failed to mention that my husband OWNS a garage door company!!!

Can you say Dysfunctional? A

Are You Kidding?

If you are follow our blog long enough you will come to grips with the fact the three chix can generate some drama. As a matter of fact, drama seems to follow us even when we are minding our own business. Take this morning for example.

This chick woke up with all kinds of plans to start the day. I was feeling good, ready for the day and excited about what was to come. Then drama.

As I was putting the kids in the bathtub, E says, "Mama there's a bug on me and it won't let go." Are you kidding? After close investigation, I realized that there was a tick sucking on my child's skin. Now I don't know if that last statement is totally accurate, but it looked like that to me. All of a sudden the plans for the morning were out the window while I called my husband and another of us chix desperately trying to get help.

Thankfully, after J came to the rescue and after several tortuous minutes of lighting matches and sticking them to the tick while simultaneously trying not burn E, we finally got it off. Although we did have to try a quick internet search on tick removal that quickly let us know that you should never try to burn a tick off with matches. So we used tweezers. And if you think you can imagine the tears and screaming, you can't.

But E happily ate the ice cream sandwich I offered her for breakfast. Since she'd been through all that trauma.

So as I start my day AGAIN, I am humbly reminded of the scripture in Proverbs 19:21- "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." God's purpose for me this morning was totally different than the plans in my mind. Truth be told, this happens quite a lot. I am constantly reminded that my day is not my own and that God's purposes will always prevail.

I am praying that my plans to eat chicken salad for lunch will prevail as well! NMZ you are dead to me.

L

The Devil Gave Me a Cold

I told my husband this week that the devil was giving me a cold. I think this is so because I've been putting off getting stuff done around the house, and now that I have the time, I just don't feel very good. I get so grumpy when I'm sick...why is it that people say crappy things when they don't feel well? My mother called yesterday and left me a message...it said that since she was sick and had to stay in bed, she finally had time to listen about my mission trip to West Africa. Really?!?! Who says that? It's like saying that you think the milk is spoiled, here taste it! I'm going to have to start a whole new blog if I'm going to start writing about my mother.
~J

BLOG, BLOG, BLOG

Ok, here I go. My first ever blog. Can you have writer's block before you ever start writing? I think it's more my AD/HD kicking in.

Anyway, my 20 year high school reunion is coming up in April. WOW! Don't even really know how I feel about that. Can I be that old? I wonder who will look hot? More importantly, can I go without my husband this time? He went to my 10 year, put on a name tag as one of my

classmates, and walked around saying, "Hey, do you remember me?" all night long. What an embarrassment!

By the way, what do you wear to a casual 20 year reunion? Whatever!!! Why do we obsess over things like this? All I know is that I was feeling good at the 10 year. Hey, I was young, had a cute haircut, and most importantly was breastfeeding, so I was skinny and the girls were big and perky.

Oh what 10 years, 2 more kids and gravity will do to ya.

~A

If Laundry Were a Mission Project...

If laundry were a mission project I'm sure I'd take it more seriously. I'd pray about it; ask others to pray too. I'd make it a priority; I know I would. I'm really good at projects. I had lots of projects to do over Spring Break...camping, Horton Hears a Whoo, shopping at Justice, and yes, maybe even eating some chicken salad at Zoe's...and I got ALL of them done! So why not the laundry!?!!!?? It's baffling, a mystery. Please understand...I do realize that we are suppose to do ALL things to the glory of God, as if we were doing it not for man but for the Father. But Laundry? Seriously? Don't get me wrong...if Jesus needed a spot removed from His robe or his leather sandles polished...I'm your girl! So please, join me in laying hands on my laundry...and while your hands are on it, can't you at least go ahead and put a load in...seriously!
~J

Here We Come Again

So our first foray into the blogging world did not go as planned since our blog was locked for "possible terms of service violation" immediately following our first post.

Good times.

This is the reason I have been blogging for over a year, and have four blogs with only seven posts combined. Too much stress for one person.

So I think we'll wait a while this time before downloading cute purple and green checked background. Black is good. It matches our moods once a month anyway.

So....for those of you just tuning in, this blog was in our brains for over a year before we finally got it off the ground. Somehow, some way, in the midst of our innocent discussions, our husbands decided to start their own blog. It deals with the perils of living with a large female-to-male ratio under one roof. And yes, it is funny, but as one of us chix mentioned, their material is totally handed to them on a silver platter. By us. The ones who knew what the word blog meant when they did not. You can visit them at web.mac.com/tosney and click on NoMoeZoes blog. See, we can play fair. Slow and steady always wins the race boys.

So drop by and give us a shout out. We'd love to hear from our fellow chix!!

~L

Camping 101

So the first post on our brand new blog will have to be about camping since it was there that the blog idea was born. Actually it was born last year, but we are slow to the jump-start.

Have you ever had an idea that sounded really good, but in reality was a lot tougher than you thought to pull off? Try camping with three women, eight girl children and three boy children, I mean grown men. Try taking 22 blankets, 21 bags of food, 20 folding chairs, 19 hot dog buns, 18 bags of chips, 17 chocolate bars, 16 drinks per family, 15 stuffed animals, 14 rolls of paper towels, 13 board games, 12 packs of drinks, 11 pairs of crocs, 10 pairs of khaki shorts, 9 long-sleeved t-shirts, 8 bright pink bikes, 7 random jackets, 6 bottles of bug spray, 5 tubes of sunscreen, 4 blinking flashlights, 3 bags of match light, 2 big coolers and 1 RV that rivaled the size of an eighteen wheeler.

Did I mention that we had to borrow a lighter from the campsite next to us?

However, no one can say we were not ultra-prepared campers. We had so much stuff that we were nicely set for a week of relaxing and fun.

Did I mention that we only camped for 24 hours?

Some highlights of the trip (or night, whichever you'd prefer)....

1. Watching our husbands relax. Having their iphones and blackberries in a wooded setting made it seem so much more laid-back.
2. Watching our husbands win at Catchphrase while cheating to their heart's delight.
3. Watching our two-year-olds rival all the trailer trash at the campground since we did not wipe their hands or faces the entire trip, I mean 24 hours.
4. Breathing in the fresh air.
5. Breathing in the smoky air.
6. Breathing in the smoky, fresh air that still hasn't come out of our clothes two days later.
7. Watching our children frolic and play in the creek....or the swamp as one child dubbed it. Clearly she has been watching too many Disney movies.
8. Napping in the tent while our children played cards at a strangers's campsite. Conversation upon their return went something like this:

Mom: "Where did you get that Sunkist?"
E: "At Shelby's house" (she gets a little disoriented while traveling and tends to become one with her surroundings)
Mom: "We don't know Shelby."
E: "Yes we do, we've known her since yesterday even."

I have to say, though, that the nap was pretty close to worth it.

9. Spending time with the people we love most in the world.
10. Thanking God that we were not alone with our children all of spring break.

So now we feel well-prepared to author a book entitled "Camping 101." Or quite possibly it could be called "How to Make the Most of Your Children's School Holidays." Or even "Never Plan On Camping Without A Way to Start a Campfire."

We are professionals now, oh yes we are.

And next time we might even remember the matches!!

~L