Happy 80th Birthday, Memaw!

One wonderful thing I was taught growing up is that friends come in all packages. All colors, sizes, personalities, and ages. One of my best and sweetest friends has been a big part of my life for 22 years now and this week she turned 80! She doesn't seem a day older than when I met her - if she's changed at all it has only been to grow better with time. Our relationship began when I took a class making a doll at her house. That then turned into sewing lessons each week until I graduated from high school in '97. She has continued to be an important part of my life. She has had an even longer relationship with John, praying for his parents to be able to have children during some of their twelve years of waiting for that blessing. She has now prayed for us to conceive our children. I really think she prayed for us to get married and had much to do with our relationship. I can remember countless times that she asked me what I thought of John Martin. : ) She has excellent taste. She has taught hundreds of girls how to sew, encouraged us to memorize Scripture each month, and modeled for us how to speak and live with grace and honor. She showed us what it meant to love a man faithfully until death parts you. Still to this day she is memorizing God's Word and has books of the Bible she can recite. Her home was and is a place of safety where ugly words are not tolerated and lifetime friendships are made. On Wednesday when we stopped by her dining room table was full of cards from many of the people she has touched. Sometimes God's faithfulness astounds me that He would give me not only two of the most wonderful grandmothers in the world, but also this spiritual grandmother, mentor, and friend. So to Memaw, may this year be a wonderful one! I love you!

Little John Update

I guess it's about time for a Little John update. He continues to surprise us with his constant hilarious thoughts and actions. His favorite things are having people over, playing Wii, playing any sport, being outside, any activity that includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and/or cousins, playing with cars, and pretending. I hear him in his room a lot talking in different voices and someone will be grandpa, someone will be the baby, etc. So cute.

I am loving the behavior changes as we get further into this year of being three. He is listening more, understanding our instructions, being more cooperative, and having fewer and fewer episodes of temper and defiance. We definitely still have our moments, but they are the exception now instead of the norm. All that work is starting to show and we are so proud of him and so grateful to God every time He shows us ways to make things a little better for all of us. We've been working on speaking to adults respectfully with some success, although we're still a little confused on who's a sir and who's a ma'am. Whenever I say, "Yes, sir" he says, "Mommy, did you say sir? I'm so proud of you!" in a high voice. Pretty funny.

Today I heard him in his room with a picture of Noah and the ark saying, "And God told Noah not to be afraid of the animals." I don't remember that part of the story but I'm sure that's true! He would have had to not be afraid of the lions and bears. Tonight John was telling us about the story of Goliath and said that Goliath was big like Daddy and David was small like Little John. Then he told the story like he was David and kept saying that he would get Goliath. At some point he mentioned going outside and getting him with his shoe or something like that. We need to continue working on our Bible stories, I think.

Today I got a text message from Amanda and realized that he had been text messaging her on my phone. He sent her a picture of himself! Amanda gets the benefit of his electronic prowess because she's the first entry in my phone address book. I think he was doing that while I was in the shower.

He just keeps getting bigger and bigger! Where does the time go?

Fun Day

We had a great play date with Jack today. Since John knows several Jacks, he decided to specify this one by calling him, "Mickey Jack." They both have the same Mickey Mouse croc shoes, hence the name. I was very excited because instead of doing housework, which my guests could testify definitely needs to be done, I got to have my friend over too! My bed stayed unmade today and Christine and Baby Sam joined Jack for a few hours here. They got out of the house and it was so much fun to talk! It's amazing to me how much the boys have changed and how they can go off and play with less and less intervention from us. They are going to be such good buds because they love all of the same things! I am richly blessed with the best girlfriends in the world and through them wonderful friends for my children! God certainly knew what He was doing when He encouraged us to be part of the community of believers and have those who could walk with us and support us in this journey.

I like doing housework but I will take a good visit with a friend over most things any day. Thanks for coming to play, Christine, Jack and Sam!

Unmotivated & Shocked

I'm feeling very unmotivated lately. I don't feel like blogging, doing housework, doing laundry, or really anything else for that matter. I'm really not sure what's wrong with me. We have house guests coming this weekend so I need to get a move on. So, I'm going downstairs, putting on some good music, and getting to it! We'll see how that goes.

For your entertainment, my friend Summer's blog and my sister reminded me of two classic lines I've gotten from young, male cashiers at the grocery store on two separate occasions.

I was buying baby food for Little John when we lived in Hurst. I would drive out to Market Street and buy the organic kind so I would stock up for a few weeks when I was there. As the guy was ringing up all those little jars he said, "What do you have, a BABY FARM???" What is a baby farm? What in the world? If you don't want to ring up what I'm buying, get me another cashier.

I was buying quite a few things at the grocery store on another occasion and had a pregnancy test among my items. Obviously you're hoping that one slides on by. Not this time. First, he had to get it back from the bagger because it didn't ring up right. Then, he says (and I'm not kidding), "Would it be too personal to ask you who this is for?" WHAT???!!!! WHY??!!!! What difference does it make to you, Dude?!!!! I calmly answered and then started talking about something else.

PEOPLE. Did your mother never tell you, if you can't think of something good to say, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!

LJ's New Passion

Little John has discovered the world of board games. John and I are both big game lovers. Dominoes, cards, trivia, you name it. We love a good competition. Unless I lose. Then I love it until the losing part. Anyway, on the 4th he played a game of Life with my family and was completely enthralled. He sat there the entire time we were at my parents' house without moving. On my birthday we played Uno and it was the same thing. Loved it. I think it's time to break out the Go Fish, Old Maid, Candyland and Hi Ho Cherry-o. Any other suggestions on good board games for little ones?

Please Pray!

Tonight I just have a prayer request for all of you. A sweet friend of mine is going through something I can't even imagine tonight. A few hours ago she found out that her brother committed suicide. She is 31+ weeks pregnant and I know the stress of this kind of grief is not good for her or the baby. Please pray peace over her and her family and safety for her and the baby.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Official 27th Birthday Post

Today I am 27. That just seems weird. I feel like I just had my 17th birthday. Ten years ago today I was in Prince Edward Island with my family and Katelyn on our senior trip after graduating in May. That night we went to the Anne of Green Gables musical. It was wonderful and the whole trip was fantastic. I need to see if I can rustle up some pictures of that trip to post. That was one place I've been that was absolutely everything I thought it would be. It looked exactly like the movie with the same atmosphere. One of the best trips ever.

I cannot look back on my life without being amazed by the grace of God. Humbled that He would choose me to be His daughter, give me the opportunity to know Him from the beginning of my life, provide me with an environment to grow up in where everything constantly pointed to Him. I am overwhelmed with how little I would be without Him and what sin I am capable of without His power and Spirit in my life. I know that the only way to express my gratitude is by living my life in a way that shows what is important to me. If it is really my Lord then my life will shout that in my actions, attitudes, and words. That is my desire and I pray for the ability to live out His love every day to those around me.

Here are 27 great things about my life this year. Some of them are the same as last year - they are still favorites! This goes from the important to the insignificant and random things that just make life better.

1. Being in a different place than ever before in my relationship with the Holy Spirit and in hearing His voice speaking to me daily
   
2. Being even more aware of my desperate, daily need for God's grace
3. Being more confident to reach out to others even when they haven't asked
4. Having thicker skin and being much less bothered by what other people think or say about me
5. And yet it still meaning the world when others have something helpful or encouraging to share with me
6. My husband - just when I think I couldn't be more in love with him, I find that I am. With each child and life change I see a new side of him that I can fall in love with, keeping things new and fresh
7. My precious son - he is becoming more and more a companion as he matures. He fills my life with fun and laughter. I am excited as I look forward to teaching him and us growing together as I do my best to prepare him to work for God's Kingdom
8. My baby girl - full of snuggles and unconditional, baby love. She is pure sunshine every day.
9. Family - having our families close by and involved in our lives
10. Friends - unbelievable women (and men) who model Christ to me
11. Meeting weekly with a small group of believers in our home and being uplifted, challenged, and encouraged as we study and grow together
12. Still having three grandparents here with us that I can see and talk to
    
13. Keeping our home full of people and activity as we try to use it to serve God
14. Being busy but not crazy
15. Laughing daily
16. Big hugs
17. Baby, slobbery kisses
18. Doing more cooking and enjoying it together as a family
19. Having a new sister-in-law to make our family even fuller and better
20. Looking forward to two fun, family trips in the coming months
21. Fruit - can't get enough of it lately
22. Looking forward to meeting lots of friends' new babies this year and watching them grow
23. Sunshine - it seems more special lately when it's missing so often
24. Having my husband walk through the door each evening
25. Putting my babies to bed each night
26. That my kids don't get up before 8:00
27. LIFE! It's so good.
    

More Birthday

The party continues. This morning my guys (and girl) took me to Blue Mesa for brunch. You have to love a place where you can eat waffles, omelets, chips, and fajitas in one meal. Yum. After a nice day at home we wrapped up with our small group being here which is always a party. We've had several people out for weeks and tonight we were only missing one couple. It was nice to almost be all together. It's amazing how you miss people when you're used to seeing them once or twice a week! One of the best things about my life at 27 is the way I am surrounded by people who love me and are involved in my day to day life. I love all of you! Official birthday post will come tomorrow. Until then, who could not have a happy birthday when this is one of the first things I will see tomorrow morning?

My Birthday Begins

Sorry I went missing on you for a few days there. Busy week, including a few days where I couldn't get the computer working. Turns out it was off. Long story. I'm a moron.

Monday is my birthday so last night began the official weekend of festivities. I love birthdays. I really want to have a birthday party just like when I was a kid but I'll settle for more adult activities since I am drawing ever closer to 30 and it's weird to throw yourself a swim party at my age. My partying started last night with my in-laws coming over. It was lots of fun. John surprised me by working from home, going to the grocery store, and handling almost everything for dinner, including having others help out and bring yummy food. What a sweet husband. My sweet mother-in-law made me a strawberry cake with pink icing and sprinkles and sparkle candles. That is so me. I'll turn 27 if I can still have sparkle candles and pink icing on my cake. Little John keeps insisting that it's his turn to have a birthday. Not sure what he's going to think when Dad and Kailey also have theirs before his comes around again. I can't wait to throw Kailey pink birthday parties. Have I mentioned that I love birthdays?

Baby Blue Eyes

The other night I was cuddling Kailey before bed and thinking. When I look into those big, blue eyes, inside that tiny girl is a sweet woman with gifts and talents. Someday that helpless baby will be helping others and taking care of herself and a family. Those tiny hands patting my face will cook and clean, write and draw, work and play. I found myself wondering what God has for her and how He can package so much potential in such a small space. I want so badly to make sure that I am focused on His plans and not my own, on His dreams for her even more than her dreams for herself. His ways have always proven to be better in my own life and I desperately want her to see that, to see Him in everything. I pray daily that my children will spend every day of their lives walking in God's plans for them, loving Him wholeheartedly. The beautiful thing about my God is that when I pray that for them, I know that it won't always be the easiest way according to our earthly views, but in some ways it is easier than the alternative. Is it not easier to allow God to fill the gaping void than to fight Him by filling it with other things that require our constant attention? Is it not easier to trust Him and His omniscient ways than to work to figure something out for ourselves that we cannot understand? Is is not easier to be different than to flow with the sad, dreary normal that those around us are content with? I do not ask for my children to fit, to succeed, to be comfortable or normal, but I do know from experience that if they are following in God's will they will have joy, laugh and work and play hard, experience worship and peace, never knowing where He will take them but knowing that it will be good. So good. Those are the things I hope for when I think about the woman behind those baby blue eyes.

A Beautiful Promise

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

Coming Along

I was telling LJ tonight that my birthday is next week and asked if he knew that mommies had birthdays. I asked him how old I was going to be and he said, "Five?" Sure, plus a few years. Then he told me that his birthday was "coming along." That cracked me up. Coming along? It's always funny how kids are about to have their next birthday as soon as their last one is over.

Today was a great day. One where I "accomplished" nothing and did the great things. It was full of talking with John, snuggles with Kailey, and playing with LJ. My sweet husband let me go back to bed this morning when the kids got up and I slept in until 11:45!! I can't remember the last time I did that. Probably before kids. It was WONDERFUL!

There's a new baby at our house and its name is iPhone. And, yes, it is all it's cracked up to be. The thing blows me away! I think I might be able to get it to cook dinner and do the dishes. : ) My husband stood in line with boss Josh the other day for eight hours at the Apple store. I guess it goes with the territory when you're in their line of work. They can practically do everything they do at the office on that thing. Amazing.

Somebody Shut Off The Waterworks!

I'm not sure what's happening around here. LJ has never been a big crier. Fit thrower? Yes. Temper tantrums? Yes, at times. But drama and crying just weren't his thing. . . until now. If I didn't know better, I would dismiss this as being his time of the month. Since he's three and male, he doesn't have that excuse (oh, and it is just an excuse we use for our bad behavior, ladies). We're constantly working on having God give us self-control. Before it has been about temper and now I have to make him stop crying and talk to me. Maybe I'm getting a little preview of having a girl toddler. Wow. This is not something I enjoy. I may have done a little bit of crying when things didn't go my way when I was younger (I can hear my brother laughing from his office in downtown Fort Worth), but I really don't now (that's a safe statement, John rarely reads my blog). Oh well, in the meantime my prayer life gets stronger as I pray for my own self-control. This too shall pass.

On the flip side of things, we have had some priceless moments at bedtime the last few nights. LJ has been "reading" to us by filling in words as we go through a story. I have to get it on video. It is hilarious because he does it with the exact inflections I use when I read the story. And occasionally, instead of the word that goes there which rhymes, he pops in something completely random that fits the story but doesn't rhyme. For instance, instead of " the cookies are almost done" to rhyme with "fun," he says, "the cookies are almost ready" in this chirpy little voice. It cracks us up. It's already funny because John, LJ and I are lying on a twin bed. Anyone who knows my husband knows that his shoulders fitting on a twin bed takes some work. So we squish on there together, laughing, reading, praying, snuggling, and I find myself thinking that few things in life beat these precious moments!

It's Alive!

And you must read that in the voice of Peter Lorre (if you don't know who he is, that's a deep loss for you). "Heh heh, eet's aliiiive." Yes, it is. In this weather my hair is coming to life. Normally curly, this tropical moisture is causing it to constantly grow! I seriously think there are three inches of frizz sticking out of my head. It starts out nice and curly when I first fix it and then it begins taking on its own life from there. Scary, and no, I do NOT have a picture I want to share with you. Avoid me until things dry out a little. You can't say I didn't warn you.

This is Peter Lorre. My hair is scarier.

Feeling Better

Thank you for all the sweet thoughts. It's nice to know that so many people care when I don't feel good - warm and fuzzy. I am feeling much better tonight and slowly getting my energy back. However, my brain is not functioning at full capacity and I have absolutely no idea what to write about.

I will leave you with this picture I found from our trip which pretty much fully explains why LJ thinks his daddy is so much fun. Who else will ride on the luggage cart with him instead of walking behind it like normal people?

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Bacon?

Today LJ had a piece of turkey bacon (that Kailey desperately wanted, by the way). He came into the room holding it and "flying" it around. He said, "Look, it's a spaceship. It flies like a rocket. Like a plane. Like a jet!" Whoa there, kid! What do you have, a "Vehicles That Fly" book stuck down your shirt? I didn't know he even knew all those words! Good old "Little Einsteins."

We're a little under the weather around here. It never ceases to amaze me how when LJ gets sick, he has it for about five minutes. I get it and feel like I've been hit by a truck. Seems like some 24-hour thing or something for us normal people so I should be on the tail end of it. Funny how moms don't get sick days. : ) Right now my mom has the little guy which helps immensely. Thank God for sweet husbands and moms! These are those times when I feel like dropping to my knees and praying for single moms everywhere. God bless them.

Pretty Girl Crawl

I'm not sure if you can tell what Kailey's doing in these pictures but this is her newish skill. It's what I like to call her "pretty girl crawl" where she attempts to keep her dainty knees from being damaged by hard floors or surfaces. Pretty funny looking. She keeps crawling up on her toes like she's just going to stand up and walk one of these days. As Little John would say, "Silly Kaiwey."

Tagged

I've been tagged by Tara so here go some things about me you may or may not know. . .

First memory - one of my earliest is the birthday gift Kyle gave me for my fourth birthday. It was a yellow My Little Pony with apples on its rump. I was so excited that it was from my big brother.

First real kiss - It was John, followed by many, many more great kisses!!

First concert - I think it was Amy Grant. Brown Bannister brought her to my parents' church when she was just starting and we went to see her in concert.

First love - My dad

First crush - Hmm, there were a few along the way. The cutest one was a teddy bear of a guy who wore red suspenders to my brother's birthday party. He was shy and wouldn't talk to the girls, but we all thought he was cute. His name was John. : )

First thing you think in the morning - Must. . .Get. . .Crying. . .Baby

First book you remember loving - This is a really tough one. I loved so many. The very first one would be one about a little girl helping her mommy. The first big one would probably be Little Women.

First pet - Fluffy the dog and Beggar the cat. Both great pets.

First question you'll ask in heaven - That's easy. Why do people who don't want babies get pregnant and those who desperately want them can't?

First thing you think of when you hear the word vacation - Let's go.

First best friend - Cameron, my brother who is 20 months younger.

Last time you dressed up - Hmm. I know for Cam and Carli's wedding. I can't remember if I have since then or not.

Last thing you ate - A biscuit

Last CD you bought - The last full album I bought off iTunes was Jack Johnson's soundtrack from the Curious George movie.

Last good book you read - I'm not sure the last time I finished a book.

Last time you cried - I usually tear up regularly. I cried when my friend had her baby this week.

Last time you told someone you loved them - Kailey, this morning. The guys aren't up yet. : )

Last really funny thing you did - Calmly peeled a banana, threw the banana in the trash, and took the peel with me.

Last thing you watched on TV - A new TLC show called "I've Got Nothing To Wear"

Okay, since I have many friends whose blogging should really be referred to as "every once in a while letting us know they're alive," I'll tag a few who blog more regularly. I tag Ches (now you know what to blog about next) and Kendra because I have a feeling theirs will be funny!

Well Checks

Yesterday afternoon was our doctor's visit for the year. We don't see our doc very much so we had a bit of catching up to do. First off, Little John has gone up the charts and instead of being below 3rd percentile height and weight like he was at a year, or 10th like he was at 2, he is now in the 25th percentile for height and weight. Growing like a little weed. That was nice to hear and I was grateful for a patient doc who watched for other signs and carefully observed as John grew at his own pace.

This was Kailey's first trip to the doc (oops!) for her six (well, seven) month well check. She weighs in at a healthy 16lbs. 2oz., 27 1/2 in. which is only a few ounces off what her brother weighed at a year! Apparently the things I did to take care of myself during this last pregnancy paid off because something is working a little better for her!

We are so grateful for good health and all the ways that God teaches me as I take care of my little family. I am richly blessed with wonderful women and men in my life who have taught me about nutrition, the way God made our bodies to work, and the choices I can and should make for my family as I constantly cry out for wisdom. It is truly a sobering thing to be responsible for the early start of these little ones which will then affect their future in so many ways. I am grateful that I never have to go it alone and have the Creator of the Universe willing to let me in on things when I stop and ask Him. He has certainly made us fearfully and wonderfully and I am in constant amazement at how complex and wondrous His creation is!

A Boy's Best Friend

I finally understand why we have a dog. I have so much fun watching these two together!

Funny Boy

The other day I heard Little John's deep sigh that means he's working hard on something and wants you to know it. I looked over and he had gotten the duster and was cleaning. His wife is going to love him.

I was getting ready and heard him in the closet with Kailey singing to her in a sweet voice, "Kailey sister, Kailey sister, Kailey sister. " His sister's going to love him even more than she does now.

I was showing him the pictures of Baby Sam on Christine's blog and as I scrolled down he saw the pictures of Jack in his big brother shirt. He got super excited and said, "Jack's a big brother! Jack has a baby!" He loves his friends.

Little John thinks I should know each person he ever sees a picture of. I'll have a magazine or catalog and he'll say, "Who's that? Who's that?" about every person in every picture. He doesn't believe in strangers.

Today he said that Dad wasn't at work; he was just getting coffee. Hmm, he may be right about that one. : ) He's very perceptive.

The other day he got out his golf clubs, set his little hole with the flag at the other end of the yard and asked me for a tee. I didn't know he knew what a tee was. He started with the driver, then used the iron, and finished with the putter to "hit it soft." Then he loaded his clubs in the back of his golf cart and drove to the other side of the yard. He's like Tiger Woods in a diaper.

He will eat his weight in edamame, ask to watch golf or tennis on TV, get excited about putting his dirty clothes in the hamper, ask to go somewhere almost every time he sees an airplane, and introduce himself to anyone he meets. These are the things I must remember when he won't sit down, takes toys away from Kailey, talks back, and asks me if he needs to get the spanking spoon. Oh, the crazy mind of my funny guy!

Back To Father's Day

I'm going to make a return now to Father's Day morning before the phone rang. One thing I usually do on a special day is cook for my man. One great thing about him is that it doesn't matter what I make, he thinks it's amazing. You can't beat that kind of support! While he slept in until 10:00, the kids and I got up and made banana and peach crepes. They were supposed to be banana and strawberry but apparently every other mom in the area was doing something strawberry for Father's Day because my 10:00p.m. run to Albertson's Saturday night revealed no strawberries in the whole place. While the white peaches weren't as pretty as the red fruit, they tasted great! The crepe filling was cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping. While not our normal breakfast (or we would be as big as houses), it was a fun departure into something yummy to spoil our great daddy! He loved it and was very complimentary of my experiment, as usual. One of the wonderful things about him as a daddy is how he shows my kids by example how to treat me. He is loving, thoughtful, affectionate, and an incredible spiritual leader. His prayers over us before bed each night are always full of his desire to be used by the Lord to care for and direct his family in the way God wants us to go. Every year on Father's Day I am reminded of how I can never take for granted the amazing men in my life! So many girls today never experience the unconditional love of a man who is always there for them. I thank God for my husband, dad, father-in-law, grandfathers, brothers, uncles, and the list goes on and on! What tremendous blessings! What amazing guys!

Summer Spectacular

Last week was our church's VBS called Summer Spectacular. It was wonderful!!! The theme was "Daniel, God's Mane Man." The musical each night was fabulous, and I heard we had about 3,000 people there over the three nights! They always do T-shirts and here are my kids modeling theirs for the camera. This was the first year they've done onesies for the babies. Adorable. I'm extremely grateful to all of the amazing and talented men and women who do this for our families each year. This was the first year I've attended as a guest instead of working in some capacity. It felt a little strange but it was nice to just be there with my family one time. Any of you who don't usually go definitely need to come with us next year!

A Day Full of Blessings

Today is one of those when I am filled with the rich comforts of a Father whose love is so evident in my life every day. Thank you for your prayers for our family. They are much appreciated and felt!

I have had two reports of really good news from dear friends today. Both of these things were on my heart and I am rejoicing tonight in their excitement. I have asked all of you before to pray for my friend, Christine, and everything she has been through with this pregnancy. Today she had baby Sam at 33 weeks and so far all the news is good. She was able to avoid a c-section and Sam is breathing on his own. Wonderful news! He weighed 3lbs. 14oz. and when I talked to his grandmother Christine was in the NICU holding him. I can only imagine how much that was healing her right then and there. You can check Christine's, Mindy's and Kathy's blogs for pictures and more information. Praise the Lord for Sam's safe arrival and that Christine is doing well! Thank you for your prayers for them.

Yesterday in our small group we began a study on prayer. I am constantly overwhelmed by the sense of love and family that comes when you know others are praying for you and with you. God certainly knew what He was doing when He put His throne room in place and gave us access to His ears through the Son. Thank you, Lord, for that! What a faithful God we have!

A Difficult Father's Day

I'm going to save my Father's Day post for tomorrow. I'm having a little bit of difficulty feeling festive today. After a long and difficult battle with breast cancer, my aunt went to be with Jesus this morning. We are rejoicing that she is free from her pain but hurting for how much those who love her, especially her husband and sons, will miss her. Growing up we were very close to our aunt, uncle and cousins. The three boys are very close to the same age as the oldest three in my family. While my spirit knows that she is in a place none of us can imagine, experiencing joys we've never dreamed of, the physical part of me wants to mourn that her boys won't have her there for their weddings, or the birth of their children, or all those other life events where we just want our moms. So, I ask for your prayers for my uncle Rick as he not only has his first Father's Day since his dad passed away, but also experiences the loss of his dearly loved wife, for Colin, Ian and Ethan as they begin missing their mom, for my grandmother and all of my dad's family. It has been quite a year. Thank you in advance for all the prayers I know you will be lifting up.

Wrapping It Up

Since I plan on writing a Father's Day post tomorrow, I'll wrap up the vacation pictures today. I know, you were hoping for MORE, right?! I think I've posted most of the good ones. Hopefully this hasn't been like Aunt Edna's boring slide show of her trip to Bermuda. (I don't have an Aunt Edna, but I've always heard about those things.)

And They Just Keep Coming

Oh yes, I still have plenty more where these came from.

One of the fun things they did at the Village was have "Mini Gras" for the kids on Tuesday night. They had a ton of inflatables, beads, a DJ with kid-friendly dance music, face painting, and more. Little John had never been in a bounce house before. He officially LOVES them!

This is how Kailey spent "Mini Gras" and many of our other outings.

I was a little surprised that Little John was brave enough for this huge, inflatable slide.

Another cool place in Sandestin is this great shopping center. This little train does a ride around the center.

We took Little John on this train ride last year and he was so excited to do it again.

We had some serious ice cream. I think mine was chocolate with brownies, chocolate chips, and fudge. Loved it! Poor Kailey really wanted some.

Little John got to choose his flavor and of course chose blue with sprinkles. It was cotton candy flavored. Very sweet. Very blue.

More Vacation

You're going to be completely sick of our vacation pictures by the time I'm done.

Kailey and Mom at the Pirate's Ship playground on Jolee Island, a special place for kids at our resort

Mom & Dad at dinner. We went to dinner early every night, walked in, sat down, ate great food quickly and would be finished by the time the crowds gathered. It was great! They've added several new restaurants in the last year at the Village and there wasn't much waiting going on anywhere.

The view from our seats at the pizza place where we ate.

Kailey was wearing down after her peas.

Little John decided it would be more fun to drink from two cups of water at once.

Mmm. Yummy pizza.

Carissa and Little John at the pizza place

Vacation

I think I'll post these pictures a few at the time. Here's the beginning of the trip. I'll post some more tomorrow.

Kailey and John did great on the long drive to Florida. I think John is watching Curious George on my iPod and Kailey's watching some Baby Faith on the portable DVD. There are times that I love modern technology.

Little John loved the battleship, submarine, tanks, and aircraft we saw at the USS Alabama Park in Mobile, Alabama. I am always overwhelmed when I see something like that and think of all the men who served aboard that ship.

The fam sitting on the big, beach chair at the Village in the resort where we stayed. It's a wonderful little area with restaurants, shops, a playground, hotels, etc. and there are no cars back in it, just pedestrian streets. It is so much fun!

Dad had to get into the action on the playground. I have to admit that although there are no pictures of it, I did the same thing.

The view from our balcony. I love the Sandestin beach, especially when it's right outside my window!

Sweet Surprise

I keep meaning to get the pictures from the trip off of John's laptop but haven't done it yet. I'll get them up soon.

Today a funny thing happened that was such a blessing to this mommy worn out from 24/7 training. We were at Taco Bueno for dinner before heading to Summer Spectacular/VBS (pictures of Kailey in her adorable Daniel onesie will be forthcoming). Our favorite Bueno guy (Tara, you know him) from the Keller Smithfield location was the one taking our order. Little John had his sunglasses on his head just like mine and the guy started telling him how cool they were. He asked if he could borrow LJ's sunglasses and he, much to my surprise, handed them over. The guy pretended to put them on, raved about how cool they were, and then handed them back. He made a big deal to LJ about how cool it was that he would share and that we were teaching him to share. After we sat down he came over to the table with a slush that he had bought for LJ to thank him for sharing his glasses. He asked about Big John's softball shirt and we told him he played with our church. He said that it was no wonder LJ knew how to share and went on his way. I made sure that LJ understood that the man had given him the treat to thank him for sharing because that made him feel special. He took it all in seriously and enjoyed his blue slush immensely. I have been worn out lately with the constant effort to train my strong-willed child, constantly questioning if I am doing the right thing and doing it consistently enough. What a sweet blessing from God to me and to Little John right out of the blue. Now we love our Bueno guy even more. I'm going to come up with some really good way to repay him. And I know that God wants us to eat at Taco Bueno. Sweet. : )

We're Back!

Well, we're home from a wonderful vacation in Sandestin, Florida! We loved every minute of our family time together and enjoyed a special time with my sister, Carissa. With her help, John and I were even able to spend some time on the beach by ourselves! It was fantastic! I'll get some pictures posted tomorrow. Tonight I've been catching up on everyone else's blogs, and now I think I'll go to bed early. But we may go start a movie and just keep enjoying our vacation until John has to go back to work on Monday. : ) It's amazing how refreshing it is to get away from the routine. I didn't cook, do laundry, or do most of the other things I do on a regular basis. The only work I had to take with me was the work I love the most - taking care of my kids and husband. And I even had extra hands for that. I am so grateful for a refreshing start to our summer and ready to settle back in to the life that I love.

Babies

This picture just makes me smile. Kailey looks like she has her baby doll in one of those Baby Bjorn carriers, but it's actually the harness on her stroller. So funny! She has shown a love for baby dolls from her earliest responses to anything. She kisses them, smiles at them, coos at them. She is her mother's daughter, already loving babies! I was always a doll girl and would take care of my "babies" endlessly. Sometimes I would feel much guilt when I forgot to put them to bed or feed them or get them out of bed in the morning. Fortunately the babies I have now don't really give me the opportunity to forget those basic things. I have occasionally realized that my child is still in his pajamas and it's closer to afternoon, but hey, I think he'll survive that one. For me, taking care of child who needs everything from feeding to snuggles to transportation everywhere they go, to their first thoughts and ideas about God and life, fills some kind of big place in my heart. I've always enjoyed taking care of my siblings and other people's children and now with my own it's even better. There's just nothing quite like loving on kids!