Eco-friendly product giveaway!

Ecostore USA contacted me to review some of their products. I was happy to take them up on their offer to send me free products! I am also excited to announce that I am giving away a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA. These products are truly wonderful! As a mom, it is nice to find a company that offers chemical- free products at affordable prices! Ecostore's product line includes household cleaners, body and baby care, and pet products--all plant-based and chemical free! I have loved using Ecostore's coconut soap and baby shampoo. The coconut soap has gentle coconut milk and strands of coconut that helps exfoliate and replenish the skin. I was pleasantly surprised the bar of soap easily worked into a rich moisturizing lather, unlike many other eco-friendly products on the market. Likewise, their baby shampoo is very rich and worked into a nice lather, leaving my child's skin feeling very soft. I am so excited to have found such cost-effective and quality products without compromise the health of my family or the environment! See below to enter the contest to win a $25 gift certificate to Ecostore USA.

HOW TO ENTER:

1) Visit Ecostore USA's website and view their line of products
2) Leave a comment on my blog, including your email address and 2 products you'd like to have from Ecostore's product line
3) It's that simple! Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. The winner will be chosen by random drawing on August 15, 2009.

You can also follow Ecostore on their blog and on Twitter

Snakes, Water Park, and Ice Cream

On Friday, we had a fun day at a new water park in Gardendale. MG would not get in the water and only wanted to be held...she finally decided to shoot some of the water guns. The boys ran right in and had a blast. They also played in the adjacent playground. Today we went to Oak Mountain State Park to see a snake show. We paid our entry fee and drove the 6 miles into the Animal Wildlife Center and were disappointed to find the snake show was canceled. However, we were in for a snake show of our own! We saw a HUGE rattlesnake at the base of a pine tree with its head poking up watching birds at some nearby bird feeders. As we watched the rattler, I happened to catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Low and behold, there was a rat snake slithering up the branches of a tree above the rattler! Truly a freaky moment! We later cautiously hiked down a gravel path, making the children walk in the center of the path as Kevin and I scanned the edges of the path closely. Wouldn't you know we'd see a 3rd snake??--a king snake coiled up in some leaves at the edge of the path! We later drove to the petting zoo at Oak Mountain and thankfully did not see any more snakes!

JC was so sweet to hold MG's hand and take her through the water--she finally decided to give the water a try!

Sister still cautious about the water

Boys shooting a huge water gun

I got a picture of him with his tongue flicking out--gross!

MG and Daddy heading into the petty zoo...MG is holding a goose feather that she found

What better way to end a day with ice cream at a birthday party?

4th of July

Our sweet friends invited us to a 4th of July get-together and monkeyball tournament. We had lots of good food and fun! I think my kids had at least 4 pieces of cake & 2 bowls of ice cream each...along with a yummy dinner. The sugar overload kept them awake to see the 9pm fireworks. It was a wonderful and fun-filled day!

The kids got busy right away playing with toys in the yard

KK & Sam trying to play badmitten

The "Battle at Bull Run" monkeyball tournament...I won 3 games--congrats to Kevin for winning the whole thing!

Group pic of the kids...MG wouldn't sit for the photo...she was too busy playing. :)

Waiting for fireworks

KK took pics and video of the show

Blueberries

For the past 3 years our sweet neighbor lets us come over and pick blueberries. We always come home with full bellies and buckets of berries. This year we also discovered blackberries nearby.

MG eats as she goes

Our week

This week we've traveled through Montgomery, Troy, and Tuscaloosa. We bought an RV last weekend and enjoyed taking it on our first camping trip to Deer Run RV Park in Troy. It was certainly a great place to start our camping adventures. It was very clean and nice, with a bath house, laundry room, swimming pool, and lakes for fishing. We had a great time and the kids enjoyed spending the night in the camper. We also discovered some new playgrounds on our trips to Montgomery and Troy. Our favorite stop this week was the Children's Hands On Museum in Tuscaloosa. It was awesome and we will definitely go back again soon!

Walking down the path towards the swimming pool

KK having fun jumping in

3 peas in a pod...they all slept in the top bed over the cab

The museum in T'loosa--awesome!

JC at the fishing site of the museum

Daddy showing his skills

MG getting ready to drive the boat

The boat was really neat...it simulated the sounds of a real boat

Paging Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton...and Dr. Singleton!
The hospital was one of their favorite places at the museum! They loved it & I could hardly get them to leave!

JC and Mads taking care of a newborn

The boys making some great scientific discoveries

A shot to the head is always nice! Sweet MG could not stay away from "George"...she had a 30 minute screaming fit when we left the monkey behind to go home!

How about a shot inserted in your mouth while the other doc uses the stethescope to listen to your hipbone?

Ahhh, MG connecting and bonding with George...she is still talking about George and the museum!

Dr. KK goes above and beyond by typing his own medical records

Mommy goes on a rampage to scare her children and husband senseless....
obviously MG isn't fooled

Pretty frightening...but the husband snaps a picture & is obviously not scared

JC was only momentarily fooled...obviously Mommy is the only senseless one!

"I whistle while I work"

JC caught the big one

MG in the Japanese exhibit

KK in the mirror house

Gigi Party

We love Sheila Walsh's Gigi series of books and DVDs at our house! MG watches one of her Gigi DVDs every night before bed. I love that the focus is on being God's little princess and how Gigi is loved dearly as His daughter. Gigi is not some fairy-tale princess that is perfect. Like all of us, she is flawed and has things go wrong in her little-girl world. Our local Christian Bookstore had a Gigi Princess Party this weekend and we had to attend! Sweet and Sassy was there painting fingernails and giving the girls' hair a "princess bun." Here are some pics.

MG having her fingernails painted

Here she is getting her hair done...she also got a glittery purple star painted on her face

Check it out!!!

Check out this awesome opportunity to win the new Oreck Halo vacuum cleaner at the Short Pump Preppy blog. I have been drooling over this vacuum cleaner and would love to have one of my own! Not only does it have a HEPA filter and amazing cleaning abilities, but it also has a really cool UV light that kills germs and bacteria. Go check out the blog to find out more about this neat vacuum and enter for a chance to win!

New area farmer's market

Valleydale Farmer's Market

Money saving tips for families

Examiner.com article on saving money for families

Princess fairy party

We had such a girlie fun day yesterday morning! MG and her friend were invited to a Princess Fairy Birthday Party. The mom did a wonderful job organizing the party! It was so sweet--the girls had fairy cakes, mermaid salad, butterfly sandwiches, and sipped on tea out of tiny little tea cups. They also went on a scavenger hunt for missing fairy babies and made a butterfly craft. It was such a treat to see the girls have so much fun!

MG and MR heading up the driveway to the party

Pouring her own cup of tea

Carefully taking a sip--no worries it was served cold

Enjoying a fairy cake

MG trying on the birthday girl's princess shoes

Every girl got to blow out a sparkle birthday candle--MG thought this was so special!

And our little princess using her best manners

Admiring her butterfly craft

Heading home with an armful of goodies including a fairy baby and fairy bear

Graduation

Our KK had his Kindergarten graduation ceremony yesterday. There were 4 children in our homeschool group that graduated. It was a really sweet ceremony and a lot of fun for all the kids.

The boys with their friend HC

MG just loves HC!

Switching his tassel to the left

Some of his work from the past year

Enjoying cake

Recital

MG's ballet recital was a few weeks ago. Here are some pics.

Beach Trip

On our recent beach trip, we had a blast visiting the Northwest Florida Zoo and also the Gulfarium. At the zoo, we went on a train ride through open plains with llamas, zebras, and other grazing animals. It reminded me a lot of the movie Jurassic Park, with gates that slid closed as the train entered the area. Thankfully, there was no T-rex to chase after us, but we did have a close encounter with an ostrich that came in for a closer look--about a foot from the back of the train where we were sitting. Another big hit with the kids was hand-feeding the giraffes. Watching their long dark-colored tongues extend out and wrap around leaves from our hands was a lot of fun. We also purchased food for the petting zoo animals. We enjoyed feeding goats, cows, and rabbits.

A white peacock? I've never seen one of these!

The alligator pond had fishing poles where you could feed the gators...we missed the feeding time, but it would be a lot of fun!

A closer look at the Komodo Dragon

The ostrich that came close to our train

The tongue on this cow kind of freaked me out!

We were able to see the dolphin and sea lion shows at the Gulfarium and they were very interactive and fun to watch. There were also alligators, various birds, tropical fish, sharks, and stingrays. There is also an area where visitors can touch horseshoe stingrays and other sea creatures. We had fun, but some of the shows were kind of long for the kids.

The announcer at the Dolphin Show was really loud...see the kids plugging their ears

Let Me Hold You Longer

As I wiped scribbles of red marker off the window trim and glass panes this afternoon, I happened to think that I'll probably be sad to see all the signs of childhood gone from my house one day. No more sticky fingers to wipe, no more little fingerprints smeared across walls, no more juice boxes crushed and left on the floor.

We waited 8 years before having children and I longed to be a Mom for most of those years. I never could have anticipated the unconditional love I would one day feel nor the unimaginable frustration over the sticky fingers and wall smudges.

Yet, I already feel a sadness resonating in my heart for the day when I no longer make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (without the crust) every single day for lunch. And what will I do when I find the soles of my shoes are finally free from green play dough crammed in every groove?

The busyness of having little ones makes it impossible for me to remember these days well. I realized this recently when we were watching old home movies. I had already forgotten the little nuances and cute sayings my kids had 18 months ago. MG's chubby baby legs and round cheeks made us all laugh when she popped up on the TV screen. I wish all these sweet memories could be etched in my mind forever.

Today the boys were barefoot in the front yard climbing trees--fully in tune with the adventurous spirits that God has given them. MG kicked off her sandals and ran through the damp grass reaching her arms high to scale the Bradford Pears with her brothers. Her chunky little feet and thighs are slimmer these days. KK is becoming long and lean and starting to look like a "big boy." I guess that happens when they are 6. And JC doesn't wet the bed anymore. He can also carry on a conversation that lasts well into 3 days--my most talkative child! I wish these days could last forever, but I thank the Lord that I've had some clarity of mind to at least record some of our fun times and I can always go back and reminisce with my children about the ways they are changing and how God is shaping them.

I've shared this poem before, but wanted to share it again. I just love it.

Let Me Hold You Longer
by Karen Kingsbury

Long ago you came to me,
a miracle of firsts,
First smiles and teeth and baby steps,
a sunbeam on the burst.

But one day you will move away
and leave to me your past
And I will be left thinking of
a lifetime of your lasts…

The last time that I held a bottle
to your baby lips
The last time that I lifted you
and held you on my hip.

The last night when you woke up crying,
needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket,
wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me,
still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you’d marry
me when you grew old.

Precious, simple moments and
bright flashes from your past-
Would I have held on longer if
I’d known they were your last?

Our last adventure to the park,
your final midday nap,
The last time when you wore your favorite
faded baseball cap.

Your last few hours of kindergarten,
those last few days of first grade,
Your last at bat in Little League,
last colored picture made.

I never said good-bye to all
your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow-
will I recognize your lasts?

The last time that you catch a frog
in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot
across our fresh-cut lawn.

Silly, scattered images
will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures,
never quite sure of your lasts…

The last time that I comb your hair
or stop a pillow fight.
The last time that I pray with you
and tuck you in at night.

The last time when we cuddle
with a book, just me and you
The last time you jump in our bed
and sleep between us two.

The last piano lesson,
last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of middle school,
last soccer goal you make.

I look ahead and dream of days
that haven’t come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss
today’s sweet, precious lasts…

The last time that I help you with
a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes,
your room is still a mess.

The last time that you need me for
a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night
with your old tattered bear.

My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass,
I want to hold on longer-
want to recognize your lasts…

The last time that you need my help
with details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for
advice about romance.

The last time that you talk to me
about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey
for your high school team.

I’ve watched you grow and barely noticed
seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time,
I’d hold on to your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning,
you’ll be going far away.
College life will beckon
in a brilliant sort of way.

One last hug, one last good-bye,
one quick and hurried kiss.
One last time to understand
just how much you’ll be missed.

I’ll watch you leave and think how fast
our time together passed.
Let me hold on longer, God,
to every precious last.

Check me out on Examiner.com

Okay, so I've been applying to every job under the sun since Kevin lost his job over a month ago. Well, I have a few part-time jobs now--one being a local parenting writer at Examiner.com. CEO Michael Sherrod describes examiners as local experts who have a voice, knowledge and an opinion... Think of an Examiner like a blogger on steroids. Examiners will have the tools, platform and exposure to not only report, but build a community of others who share their passion.

Ok, so I'm a blogger on steroids, so be it. Check me out here and please follow me weekly as I figure out this and the other adventures in my life.

Publish Post

Fresh air fund in need of host families for summer 2009

Are you looking for something productive to do with your summer? How about pouring yourself into the life of a child for a few weeks this summer? The Fresh Air Fund has been serving the New York community since 1877 by giving inner-city children, ages six to 18, the chance to make memories and experience the joy of a summer vacation by bringing them into the home of a warm and loving host family. The children often are from low-income families that can not afford to send their children on a summer vacation. Find out how you can make a difference in the life of a child here.

Double Birthday Party

This year we combined the boys' birthdays since they are about one month apart (well, technically close to 2 months, but whose counting!?) We had a super hero theme (surprise, surprise!) I couldn't believe how hot it was outside even though we had a morning party! We all had a lot of fun in spite of the heat.

Honey Bee Tour

AK telling the boys a story about a possum

The beekeepers

Showing us what they do if they are swarmed by bees--using smoke will keep them away

Some of the crew hanging out on the hill

We were able to see bees at work in a hive. We had to go inside the garage away from the outdoors because bees kept coming and trying to get inside the hive.

We learned that boy bees do not have stingers, so they are safe to hold.

Happy Easter!

We had a fun trip to Nana & Pappy's house for Easter. The boys got nerf guns and MG got a fun bee hop game that all 3 of them love to play! We had a nice dinner on the Chattahoochee River Sunday and the kids got to hunt eggs too. JC found the silver egg & won a huge basket full of toys and candy. MG's favorite part was sitting in the Easter Bunny's lap (aka the Easter "Nunny").

MG eating her first Peep--she said "Bye bye chicken in the mouth" after she ate it!

Gearing up for the egg hunt


JC with the winning basket and silver egg

MG and her "nunny"

JC's caterpillar that he found late Sunday afternoon...he is totally unafraid of creatures!

MG's Playdate

Here are some sweet pictures of MG and her friend MR on their girlie playdate a few weeks ago! So sweet!

Our New Piano

We got a piano this weekend. A family at our church was giving it away to anyone that could come pick it up. We found some movers that could do it for a reasonable price and the rest is history. Here are some cute pictures of the kids playing it.

Super Heroes

We had a fun Super Hero birthday party this afternoon for our friend Anderson. The kids played in their backyard in the bouncer and had lots of sword fights. We also had pizza and birthday cake and ice cream and then the kids took turns swinging at a Superman pinata. KK actually burst it open with his Super Hero strength! :)

Heading to the party--Batman, Supergirl, and Robin

Super Daddy!

Super 2-year olds

KK claimed the massive hit that busted open the pinata!

The Big Day

KK had a nice surprise on his birthday...Nana and Pappy came up to visit! They brought both boys their birthday presents (even though JC has another month for his b'day)...and they even brought a special surprise for MG--a supergirl costume! They enjoyed watching JC play soccer and especially enjoyed the antics of Coach Rob. :) We made cupcakes and both boys enjoyed their life-like lion cubs from Nana and Pappy. KK also got a surprise from his friend Sam--a white power ranger! And, one of his friends also stopped by with balloons for all 3 kids. It was a special day! I can't believe my baby is 6!

Bibleman and Bible Times Costumes

This week was KK's 6th birthday and he got to open a present each day leading up to the big day. The first day, he opened a Bibleman costume. He saw it in the Lifeway catalog a few months ago and asked for it for his birthday. He carried the catalog around with him and kept reminding me of pages 10 and 11...those were the pages with all the Bibleman stuff. :) Daddy also did school a few days this week with KK and one day they dressed up in similar clothing from Bible times. Both boys looked really cute! Daddy did a good job!

Bibleman

We All Need "Grace-Healed Eyes"

...I understand better the dangers Jesus discussed so incisively in the Sermon on the Mount: how quickly we accuse others of murder and neglect our own anger, or of adultery and neglect our own lust. Grace dies when it becomes us verses them.

As Helmut Thielicke wrote:

'Jesus gained the power to love harlots, bullies, and ruffians...he was able to do this only because he saw through the filth and crust of degeneration, because his eye caught the divine original which is hidden in every way--in every man!...First and foremost he gives us new eyes....

When Jesus loved a guilt-laden person and helped him, he saw in him an erring child of God. He saw in him a human being whom his Father loved and grieved over because he was going wrong. He saw him as God originally designed and meant him to be, and therefore he saw through the surface layer of grime and dirt to the real man underneath. Jesus did not identify the person with his sin, but rather saw in this sin something alien, something that really did not belong to him, something that merely chained and mastered him and from which he would free him and bring him back to his real self. Jesus was able to love men because he loved them right through the layer of mud.'

We may be abominations, but we are still God's pride and joy. All of us in the church need 'grace-healed eyes' to see the potential in others for the same grace that God has so lavishly bestowed on us. 'To love a person,' said Dostoevsky, 'means to see him as God intended him to be.'

(From What's So Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey)

Day Out With KK

Today was a "date" for me and KK. He had decided that he wanted to pick up a cheeseburger and take it to the park to play, but the rainy weather scrapped that plan for us. Instead, I thought maybe he'd like to go bowling...so I asked him what he thought and he could hardly contain himself through church this morning--he was SO excited! However, he had a change of heart after church when he remembered the ESPN bowling shows that we've watched on TV. He remembered the audience and sports commentators watching the professional bowlers and said "Mom, I've changed my mind...I think I'll be embarrassed at bowling." Once I reassured him that there was definitely NO audience at the bowling alley to watch us, he was good to go! I'm starting to wonder how he's going to do with the whole baseball scenario this summer--I think I'll skip telling him the part about the "audience" of parents that'll be watching him play baseball!

The Mads Goes to the Dentist

The Mads had her first dentist appointment this week. Mrs. Barbara, the dental assistant, was fabulous! She let MG's bunny and piggy also put on bibs and get their teeth cleaned too. I had no idea that I would get to sit in the dental chair and hold MG. It made it so much easier for her (and Mommy :) This dentist takes a picture with the kids on their first visit. Mrs. Barbara kept telling MG to smile and she kept opening wide...so there were no smiles for this picture, but she sure does a good job opening wide!

Another Camp Out

The boys still haven't had their fill of camping out in the backyard. I think they'd live out there if we'd let them! Their friends got to come camp out with them tonight...we roasted hot dogs and made smores. We had a blast...hopefully everyone will sleep good tonight!

The Boys

The women are ruling the roost! All the men in our family are outside tonight. No, I did not kick them out of the house (although I'm tempted to do that from time to time!). Kevin bought a tent today and had to immediately set it up in our backyard to "test it out"--well, the rest is history. They have spent the entire afternoon and evening hours outside with Daddy playing in the tent, rebuilding the fire pit, and gathering sticks. I think I even saw them pounding on their chests a few times as JC announced repeatedly that Mommy can't sleep outside with the boys. The last time I checked on them, they were curled up in their sleeping bags and watching Super Friends on Kev's laptop. I think this is just the beginning of many male-bonding excursions for our household. When Mads gets a little older, she and I can paint toenails and watch girlie movies. Here are pictures of the last time I checked on the boys...hopefully all 3 of them will sleep good tonight!

Snow!

Super Hero Party and a Hair Net

We went to a Super Hero Party this afternoon and we took along Flash Gordon, Robin, and Super Grace...poor MG has no super hero costume of her own, so she wore a mask and we hooked a baby blanket to her shirt for a cape. As we were leaving the party, Robin was turned to stone by the music of the ice cream man tinkling throughout our neighborhood! He was literally frozen in place and could not move until he saw the truck! So, Daddy got out some cash & let the kids get a treat...a very rare treat since the ice creams are $2 a piece!

Little super heroes ready for a party!

Double the super power!

Wes and MG enjoying their cake!

Pretty super heroes

The boys enjoying Batman ice creams and MG having a bunny

JC modeling his hair net from our Publix tour yesterday...

Forgiveness

I have often said, 'I forgive you,' but even as I said these words my heart remained angry or resentful. I still wanted to hear the story that tells me that I was right after all; I still wanted to hear apologies and excuses; I still wanted the satisfaction of receiving some praise in return--if only the praise for being so forgiving!

But God's forgiveness is unconditional; it comes from a heart that does not demand anything for itself, a heart that is completely empty of self-seeking. It is this divine forgiveness that I have to practice in my daily life. It calls me to keep stepping over all my arguments that say forgiveness is unwise, unhealthy, and impractical. It challenges me to step over all my needs for gratitude and compliments. Finally, it demands of me that I step over that wounded part of my heart that feels hurt and wronged and that wants to stay in control and put a few conditions between me and the one whom I am asked to forgive. -- from Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

...forgiveness is an act of faith. By forgiving another, I am trusting that God is a better justice-maker than I am. By forgiving, I release my own right to get even and leave all issues of fairness for God to work out. I leave in God's hands the scales that must balance justice and mercy....Though wrong does not disappear when I forgive, it loses its grip on me and is taken over by God, who knows what to do. Such a decision involves risk, of course: the risk that God may not deal with the person as I would want...I do so because the Gospels make clear the connection: God forgives my debts as I forgive my debtors. The reverse is also true: Only by living in the stream of God's grace will I find the strength to respond with grace toward others. --from What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey

Pharisee

pharisee - a sanctimonious, self-righteous, or hypocritical person. (dictionary.com)

I have recently been convicted of how pharisaical I am in my own life. How quick I am to judge others that don't think the same way as I do. How I tell my children to be kind to one another and in the next breath, I'm impatiently yelling at them. How I angrily judge nonbelievers for their unwise choices...when it is only by the grace of God that I am changed. I don't think it is a coincidence that I am reading through Romans right now. This is what I read this morning:

No One is Righteous

What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:

'There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes.'

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Rom 3:9-19)

Grace

The gospel is not at all what we would come up with on our own. I, for one, would expect to honor the virtuous over the profligate. I would expect to have to clean up my act before even applying for an audience with a Holy God. But Jesus told of God ignoring a fancy religious teacher and turning instead to an ordinary sinner who pleads, 'God, have mercy.' Throughout the Bible, in fact, God shows a marked preference for 'real' people over 'good' people. In Jesus' own words, 'There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous person who do not need to repent.'

[Jesus' parables]... were not merely pleasant stories to hold listeners' attention or literary vessels to hold theological truth. They were, in fact, the template of Jesus' life on earth. He was the shepherd who left the safety of the fold for the dark and dangerous night outside. To his banquets he welcomed tax collectors and reprobates and whores. He came for the sick and not the well, for the unrighteous and not the righteous. And to those who betrayed him--especially the disciples, who forsook him at his time of greatest need--he responded like a lovesick father.

I know that my self-image at the end of the day depends largely on what kind of messages I have received from other people. Am I liked? Am I loved? I await the answers from my friends, my neighbors, my family--like a starving man, I await the answers.

Occasionally, all too occasionally, I sense the truth of grace. There are times when I study the parables and grasp that they are about me. I am the sheep the shepherd has left the flock to find, the prodigal for whom the father scans the horizon, the servant whose debt has been forgiven. I am the beloved one of God.

Excerpts from What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey

The Valentine's Day Massacre

We had friends over this afternoon for a Valentine's Day Monkeyball Tournament--we jokingly called it the "Valentine's Day Massacre." The kids had a blast playing in the backyard while the adults rotated playing monkeyball. We ordered pizza and ate some yummy chocolate cake! Kevin also won the entire competition--whoo hoo! And I actually won a few games too!

The Three Amigos!


This is my favorite--little brother JC is loving being a "big boy" and hanging with the older boys

This sweet girl had a special request to have a picture made in the playhouse!

The traditional picture of the winner kissing the m'balls--Kevin finally had a turn to win!

Valentine's Party

We had a fun Valentine's Party this morning with friends. The kids had lunch, played, made a cute place mat, and exchanged Valentine's Day cards. It was a lot of fun for the kids and the moms! We are so thankful for our friends!

Grace

Right now I'm reading What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancy. I could not have picked this book up at a more perfect time in my life. I thought this was good and had to post it:

Many years ago I was driven to the conclusion that the two major causes of most emotional problems among evangelical Christians are these: the failure to understand, receive, and live out God's unconditional grace and forgiveness; and the failure to give out that unconditional love, forgiveness, and grace to other people...We read, we hear, we believe a good theology of grace. But that's not the way we live. The good news of the Gospel of grace has not penetrated the level of our emotions.

In the opening of his book, Yancy shares a story from one of his friends that works with the destitute in the Chicago area. This friend was confronted by a homeless and sick prostitute who had no money to buy food for her two-year old daughter. This woman was in a wretched state and through sobs and tears related how she had been renting out her daughter to men for sex. She was making more money that way than prostituting herself. When he asked her if she'd ever thought about going to the church for some help, she looked at him with naive and raw shock and said "Church! Why would I ever go there? I was already feeling terrible about myself. They'd just make me feel worse."

I thought the prostitute's response was very revealing. Often the church is misunderstood by outsiders who think they have to have their "act together" before coming to church. And certainly not all churches lack grace...I have experienced grace time after time within the church. It seems so easy for us to accept the grace and forgiveness of the Gospel in our own lives; yet, when it comes to extending it to others (like the prostitute), we recoil in disgust and judgment. Our own Bible recounts story after story of Jesus hanging out with prostitutes and the worst of sinners, but so often we lack the same humility and grace as Christ. It is easy for me to forget it is ONLY by the grace of God that my life circumstances were different from the prostitute. Had things been different, I could have made the same horrible decisions in my own life. Oh, how I need to remember that truth on a daily basis!

Sort of Camping Out

We got a wild hair last night when we were burning leaves in the backyard--we wanted to cook hot dogs and marshmallows over a fire! So, today Kev ran out to the store and picked up all the stuff to cook out. It was too windy to burn leaves. The wind kept swishing burning leaves up into the air. We didn't think it would be a good idea to catch our neighborhood on fire, so we resolved to building a fire inside one of our cook pots. It actually worked great and it was a lot of fun. Now me and the boys are itching to get out and go camping! We just have to work on convincing Daddy! :)

MG getting leaves for the fire

Smores! YUM!

s

Holy Batman, We're Finished with Kindergarten!

I can not believe we have been officially homeschooling for over a year! We finished our Kindergarten curriculum last week and have started 1st grade! Woo hoo! As a reward for a job well-done, we gave KK a new Batman costume. His old one is tattered and worn from him wearing it almost daily! He was very excited that his new costume also has "muscles!" JC was excited that he got the hand-me-down costume, so they can now be Batman together. :)

Goldilocks

I took the boys to see the play Goldilocks today at our local children's theater and it was so cute! It was JC's first play and I think he had a lot of fun sitting on the front row with friends. The play was a different twist to Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I was pleasantly surprised that the theme of the play was applicable to our daily life--respecting other people's things and obeying. We had an incident in Wal-mart this week where both boys caused a mess in the store because they disobeyed and touched things without asking, so I think the play reinforced what we're all learning at our house this week! And there was repentence and forgiveness at the end of the play as well!

The play began with Goldilocks getting into her mother's jewelry box and playing with her father's guitar--both items she was told not to touch. She ultimately breaks one of her mother's favorite earrings and a string on her father's beloved guitar. Goldilocks then decides it would be best if she took a walk in the woods to avoid the consequences of her misbehavior. Alone in the woods, her curiosity continues to get the better of her when she takes a baby bird from his nest and also takes acorns from a squirrel's home. She is scolded by the animals and returns the baby bird to it's mother and also the acorns to the squirrel.

Goldilocks continues on her way to mischief by entering the Bear Family's home without knocking. I loved that the Bear family in this story has been chosen to be on a reality TV show! The producer's voice pipes in over the speakers every now and then to give the impression they were being taped 24/7. As the traditional story goes, Goldilocks eats the porridge and breaks baby bear's chair. However, her identity is caught on tape by the reality show and baby bear becomes a sleuth to track down Goldilocks and confront her with the error of her ways. When she is caught by the Bear family, she is truly remorseful and asks for forgiveness. The Bear family forgives her and encourages her to return home and confess her misdeeds to her parents as well. I loved that we were reminded of how to be good stewards of other people's things...not to take something without asking and not to touch without asking either! A good reminder for me as well--how often I don't respect or take care of what God has given me!

The boys slipping on stage for a quick photo!

A Masterpiece!

KK and I got the paints out this week and worked together on copying a Monet painting (insert hysterical laughter here!) While we were busy with our masterpiece, MG was busy with some artwork of her own...body art!

The finished product...

Convicting!

Love this Song!

Party Time!

Our sweet friends invited us to a Super Bowl Party this weekend. The kids had big fun playing games. The excitement started with Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and then moved on to a Football Training Race where the kids had to run to run and touch different chalk lines and back. Then they had a Football Muscle Race where they stuffed their shirts with balloons to see who had the most "muscles." We enjoyed yummy chili, hot dogs, apples with homemade dip, chicken wings, spinach artichoke dip, and topped it all off with some "football" cupcakes! The Daddys stayed and watched the entire Super Bowl...I'm sure they were able to focus on the game more after the wives and kids left! Thanks again for inviting us sweet friends!!!

Enjoying popcorn

Gearing up for "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes"

In position for the "Toe the Line" Race

Muscle Race

Papparazzi

Enjoying "football field" cupcakes

Cheesecake and a Robot

Sadly the state of our economy is forcing a lot of big-name companies out of business this year. Places such as Circuit City and Linens N' Things have already gone bankrupt. I was sad to recently read that some of my favorite places are struggling...like The Gap, Starbucks, and...[gulp!]...The Cheesecake Factory! A recent article on Forbes.com predicts that these retailers are just a few that will be closing stores or going out of business this year. Howard Davidowitz, chairman of the New York-based bank Davidowitz & Associates, gives his opinion that things will only get worse as our government continues to spend money when we are already deeply in debt...it seems like a no-brainer that you DON'T spend money when you're in over your head. But, that seems to be the way things are going as our government spends more, prints more money, and drives the value of the U.S. dollar down. The jobless rate is at a 26-year high, we've reached a historic decline in housing prices, and a record number of foreclosures. This is just in the United States. The recession is a global phenomenon.

Hearing all of this can quickly send me into despair! It reminds me of something that happened a few summer's ago. My husband woke up at 2am one morning with severe pain in his right arm. I woke up to find him sitting at the computer googling articles about heart attacks. I immediately told him to get dressed and drive himself to the ER! I had 2 sleeping children and was 8 months pregnant with our third, so I nervously waddled back to back to bed, praying every second that he would be okay. However, in the midst of the prayers, my brain kicked into high-gear and I deduced that he was probably having a heart-attack in his car and would most-likely die enroute to the hospital or immediately upon arriving. As I lay in our bed at 2am, my brain had already jumped to the conclusion that I was either going to be a widower...or the caregiver of 3 small children and a disabled husband.

Fortunately, his pain was due to a pulled muscle, but it is interesting how quickly our minds can travel down a road that hasn't even happened and may never happen! I can quickly go the same route with our country's financial problems...thinking about what would happen if Kevin lost his job...foreclosing on our home....living in our parents' backyard in a trailer. Or what if we're hit with a famine as some very godly Christian leaders have predicted!? And yet, in the midst of my spiral into despair Jesus whispers to my soul... In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)....and do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear....Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life (Mat 6:25,27). Sweet Jesus reminds me that He is in control of whatever happens...it has already been planned. The thought of financial devastation and ruin sends me into a true longing for Heaven...what a wonderful promise that this life is not all that there is!

Our nation has undoubtedly been prosperous and I, for one, have taken it for granted. It's hard not to when we're bombarded with clever marketing and we look out our window to see our neighbor driving by with the newest sports car. Not only that, but how often do we come across someone begging for food in our middle-income neighborhoods? Sure, I can drive downtown and see poverty or homeless people, but poverty is personally not a daily reality to me. Not because I'm heartless or because I choose to turn a blind eye, but because I'm not seeing it around me daily, so I'm instead consumed by the task at hand and caring for my children. By God's grace, my daily life is not consumed with where our next meal will come from at this point in time. But, things could quickly change for any of us.

I am reminded of the recent movie Wall-E. The movie was really boring, but it was pretty revealing. The movie is about the destruction of the earth. Humans fail to keep the earth clean and waste builds up over the years, leaving the planet uninhabitable...the pollution keeps the sun from reaching the surface, so no vegetation can grow. The humans build an elaborate spaceship and go to live in outer space until Wall-E and the other robots can make the Earth habitable again.

After 700 years in outerspace, the humans grow very reliant on the machinery around them and suffer severe bone loss from living in microgravity and consuming liquid food. The humans become extremely obese and unable to walk. Even the spaceship is controlled by computerized autopilots instead of the human captains. The extremely fat humans ride around all day on motorized vehicles and have constant entertainment in front of them...televisions are affixed to their vehicles and they spend their entire waking minutes video-chatting with friends, playing computer games, or watching their favorite movies. Constant entertainment. A liquid milkshake is plopped in front of them several times throughout the day...the people never have to lift a finger. The sad thing is that they miss the beauty around them. None of the spaceship occupants ever realize that they are surrounded by gorgeous swimming pools and a resort-type atmosphere. And yet I'm reminded how often I'm sitting in front of my computer instead of admiring the beauty around me--my family.

These humans have constant entertainment at their fingertips...they are basically fat, dumb, and happy. This movie was eerie to me because it is not far off from what our American society has actually become...lazy, fat, over-stimulated. We are always looking to our next "fix"...our next "high" through media outlets, food, drink, relationships, entertainment. But nothing in this material world numbs our pain forever or satisfies our deepest longings.

When I feel sad or depressed, I often find myself going to the computer to numb my pain--where I can plug into a world to connect with my best-friend from 7th grade or my neighbor down the street. I can temporarily forget the cares of this world. Or I can go online and shop...a mindless sort of shopping where money seems to be "free"...it's all digital and no cold-hard cash is changing hands to make me feel like I'm really spending money. I think we all have addictions ...places or people or things that we run to when this world seems to be "too much." And all our Heavenly Father desires is for us to run to Him...to fall into His lap--not just because this world is too much, but because we love Him and want to know Him. He is the only one that can satisfy.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. 1 Tim 6:10

Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them. Psalm 39:6

Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless. Ecc 5:10