Thank you for praying for our family while Joel was gone to Nashville for the broadcasters conference. We talked regularly while he was away and he's had a great trip. This conference allows him to meet face-to-face with many of the vendors we work with throughout the year. We partner with other ministries to share about the lost in Asia and offer our free book, Revolution in World Missions.
God was incredibly faithful to help me pray more during this trip. I felt like I was more focused on the battle than the years prior. Of course, we were very blessed this year to have healthy children (almost) the entire time Joel was gone.
Joel had to leave at 4:30 Friday morning. Rylee came into our room at 2:30 with a fever. She had complained about her ears popping at school on Thursday, but seemed fine otherwise. She stayed home with me and Jett on Friday, which was nice. She was fine until carpool time when she began crying and complaining about her ear. Since it was a Friday afternoon and I didn't want to spend Saturday hunting down an urgent care, I took her to the CVS Minute Clinic. She had an ear infection. After some antibiotics and a good night's sleep, she was fine on Saturday.
We've enjoyed some relaxing times, as well as some hard work (Rylee helped me scrub the kitchen floor by hand and the twins helped me clean the sides of the oven when I pulled it out for a deep clean). We had a few bouts of short tempers, quarreling, and crying.
All in all, however, we have done well. Joel is an amazing husband and daddy. He doesn't walk in the door and do his own thing. He plays with the kids, helps with homework, helps with dinner, gives baths, reads stories, and a million other things. He also takes the big kids to school each morning. I know there are single moms out there who do it all alone all the time. My mom was one of them. It's times like this that I develop a more grateful heart--for what I had and for what I have.
Thanks for praying us through this week!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Six Days.
The 6 day stint has begun. If you receive our newsletter updates, you should know what I'm talking about.
My kids have had the throw-up bug the last two years we've done the six day stint. I've been praying we could avoid it this year. But, I've also resolved to lean on the Lord if He chooses to not let it pass us. There is a reason; one I'm sure I couldn't understand with my little human brain.
Rylee woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. She was saying her throat hurt yesterday (a little). Thus far it hasn't come again (after medicine so she could sleep). I'm hoping it will stay away. She has a birthday party tomorrow that she's been waiting three weeks for!
We only have "plans" for the first 2 days of our 6 day stint. So, if sickness comes, I'd rather it come a little later. But, that's not how it works, is it?
Prayers are appreciated!
My kids have had the throw-up bug the last two years we've done the six day stint. I've been praying we could avoid it this year. But, I've also resolved to lean on the Lord if He chooses to not let it pass us. There is a reason; one I'm sure I couldn't understand with my little human brain.
Rylee woke up in the middle of the night with a fever. She was saying her throat hurt yesterday (a little). Thus far it hasn't come again (after medicine so she could sleep). I'm hoping it will stay away. She has a birthday party tomorrow that she's been waiting three weeks for!
We only have "plans" for the first 2 days of our 6 day stint. So, if sickness comes, I'd rather it come a little later. But, that's not how it works, is it?
Prayers are appreciated!
Friday, February 10, 2012
LIfe Happening
We had lots of bread scraps, so we stopped by to feed the ducks one day. This pond is near our house, on our way home from school. It was actually Jett's birthday, and we ended up seeing some friends there too. 
The birds were crazy. We ended up throwing bread into the air and they would catch it. I was a tad bit afraid I'd be pooped on. But, thankfully, the birds were nice to us.
The twins went on their very first field trip. I went along. A sweet friend kept Jett for the day.
We went to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Now, we have been to the Stockyards. Many times. Or, so I thought.
Apparently, there are two places called the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Who knew?! Not me!!!
The entire time we were there, I kept wondering how I had missed this whole part. We were in a very large building that reminded me a lot of the county fair. People were showing their animals. Our tour guide was an FFA student. We watched a little bit of pole racing (not sure what it's called; I've never seen it before in all the years I've gone to rodeos).
In all honesty, I learned a good lesson that day. We did a ton of walking and not much of anything else. I thought the trip was a complete waste (they didn't seem ready to accomodate all the schools there that day). I had a somewhat bad attitude about how much time we wasted by the time we got back to the school.
But, these sweet darlings...they were thrilled. They rode the big school bus, saw horses, looked at baby animals, and enjoyed a petting zoo (for 5 minutes; but they didn't notice!). I realized I was looking through my lens and mine is not what mattered!
That night a sweet girl I met at Dollar Tree earlier in the week texted me and invited us to the "soft opening" of the newest In-N-Out in Addison.
Seriously...met the girl at Dollar Tree on Monday and went to eat FREE food on Wednesday as her guest! How sweet is that?! The kids loved it. And, after a day of field tripping, I was grateful for dinner out...and FREE!
I feel like Jett has grown up so much in the last month. As the new year was beginning, I was thinking "he doesn't seem like he's almost a year old." Well, he must have heard me and decided to prove himself. He started eating a LOT more solids, we transitioned from nursing to milk in sippy cups, he started walking really well, ...he just grew up! Isn't he so cute in this picture?
Oh, yes, and hair. Hair is my nemesis. I think it's true for most women. I could talk about hair a lot more than I do. Joel wishes I would talk about it less. 
I cut it all off. Well, it was sort of my intention. I won't go into all the details and bore you (or keep rehashing them; I'm kinda tired of it). But, I got my hair cut in December and liked it. It was funky and piecey. But, I had wanted it shorter. So, I went and got it a little shorter. But, it still wasn't what I was wanting. So, I went last Friday and ...well, she went short alright! She also gave me plenty of reasons I went back and got a refund (and the manager will give me my next cut for free too). Hair. Oh, women and hair.
The birds were crazy. We ended up throwing bread into the air and they would catch it. I was a tad bit afraid I'd be pooped on. But, thankfully, the birds were nice to us.
The twins went on their very first field trip. I went along. A sweet friend kept Jett for the day.
We went to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Now, we have been to the Stockyards. Many times. Or, so I thought.
Apparently, there are two places called the Stockyards in Fort Worth. Who knew?! Not me!!!
The entire time we were there, I kept wondering how I had missed this whole part. We were in a very large building that reminded me a lot of the county fair. People were showing their animals. Our tour guide was an FFA student. We watched a little bit of pole racing (not sure what it's called; I've never seen it before in all the years I've gone to rodeos). 
In all honesty, I learned a good lesson that day. We did a ton of walking and not much of anything else. I thought the trip was a complete waste (they didn't seem ready to accomodate all the schools there that day). I had a somewhat bad attitude about how much time we wasted by the time we got back to the school. 
But, these sweet darlings...they were thrilled. They rode the big school bus, saw horses, looked at baby animals, and enjoyed a petting zoo (for 5 minutes; but they didn't notice!). I realized I was looking through my lens and mine is not what mattered!
That night a sweet girl I met at Dollar Tree earlier in the week texted me and invited us to the "soft opening" of the newest In-N-Out in Addison.
Seriously...met the girl at Dollar Tree on Monday and went to eat FREE food on Wednesday as her guest! How sweet is that?! The kids loved it. And, after a day of field tripping, I was grateful for dinner out...and FREE!
I feel like Jett has grown up so much in the last month. As the new year was beginning, I was thinking "he doesn't seem like he's almost a year old." Well, he must have heard me and decided to prove himself. He started eating a LOT more solids, we transitioned from nursing to milk in sippy cups, he started walking really well, ...he just grew up! Isn't he so cute in this picture?
Oh, yes, and hair. Hair is my nemesis. I think it's true for most women. I could talk about hair a lot more than I do. Joel wishes I would talk about it less. 
I cut it all off. Well, it was sort of my intention. I won't go into all the details and bore you (or keep rehashing them; I'm kinda tired of it). But, I got my hair cut in December and liked it. It was funky and piecey. But, I had wanted it shorter. So, I went and got it a little shorter. But, it still wasn't what I was wanting. So, I went last Friday and ...well, she went short alright! She also gave me plenty of reasons I went back and got a refund (and the manager will give me my next cut for free too). Hair. Oh, women and hair.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Sweet Moments
Before I forget these precious times, I wanted to chronicle a few of my favorite things the kids do.
Right now, I love when Jett wakes up happy and is babbling in his crib. I quietly open the door and make my way to the crib. My favorite is when he hasn't yet heard me. I duck down in front of the crib and whisper his name. He gets quiet because he knows he hears something. Then, he flips over and starts looking, peeking over the bumper. I pop up and surprise him and get greeted with squeals of delight.
Another favorite thing he does involves waking up from naps. (Maybe I love them so much because I've had a break and he's well rested....hmm.) I say "give me your paci". He pulls it out of his mouth (or finds in laying in the crib) and hands it to me. If it's not in his mouth, he usually sticks his finger in his mouth inadvertently as he's reaching for it, not knowing it's not there. He knows right where it goes, to wait for the next nap or bedtime.
One of my favorites with Asa right now involve word mix-ups. I {love} the way he calls Dollar Tree, Dollar Treatment and the 99 cent store, 99 percent store. I also appreciate Asa's gift of drawing. It blesses my heart to sit and watch him draw. His face gets very serious and he's incredibly focused. He draws with great detail and has skills very advanced for his age. It's so much fun to see your kids excelling at something and enjoying it.
True to form, Rylee is still singing and dancing everywhere. I enjoy hearing the tunes she makes up. Sometimes they are sweet, often times they are hilarious. She sings about what she sees in the mirror, about loving God, or about what she's learning in school. And, I never, ever want to forget the beauty of hearing her read. Rylee reads very well, with good inflection. She can be found reading outside, sitting in a corner, in her bed, on the potty, while walking, in the car, at the table...she just reads everywhere!
Jenna continues to nurture and cuddle more than any other kiddo. She is a natural born leader. One of my favorite things in this stage of life is watching Jenna play Strawberry Shortcake or Barbies with her dad. She enjoys every minute of it, and I think he likes it too. She also loves her binoculars. She asked for a pair for a loooooong time and finally got a set for Christmas from our PA church family.
My days are full. I don't feel like I'm getting much done in the grand scheme of things. I am never caught up on laundry, seem to throw my grocery list together at the last minute and hunt furiously for coupons so I can save the most money, plan meals only a few days out at a time, have a very dusty house, and generally feel like I'm treading water. I need to get my act together in some respects. However, I'm happy to report that I am taking time to soak in the beauty of this precious family God has given me. I know the days are long, but the years are short.
Right now, I love when Jett wakes up happy and is babbling in his crib. I quietly open the door and make my way to the crib. My favorite is when he hasn't yet heard me. I duck down in front of the crib and whisper his name. He gets quiet because he knows he hears something. Then, he flips over and starts looking, peeking over the bumper. I pop up and surprise him and get greeted with squeals of delight.
Another favorite thing he does involves waking up from naps. (Maybe I love them so much because I've had a break and he's well rested....hmm.) I say "give me your paci". He pulls it out of his mouth (or finds in laying in the crib) and hands it to me. If it's not in his mouth, he usually sticks his finger in his mouth inadvertently as he's reaching for it, not knowing it's not there. He knows right where it goes, to wait for the next nap or bedtime.
One of my favorites with Asa right now involve word mix-ups. I {love} the way he calls Dollar Tree, Dollar Treatment and the 99 cent store, 99 percent store. I also appreciate Asa's gift of drawing. It blesses my heart to sit and watch him draw. His face gets very serious and he's incredibly focused. He draws with great detail and has skills very advanced for his age. It's so much fun to see your kids excelling at something and enjoying it.
True to form, Rylee is still singing and dancing everywhere. I enjoy hearing the tunes she makes up. Sometimes they are sweet, often times they are hilarious. She sings about what she sees in the mirror, about loving God, or about what she's learning in school. And, I never, ever want to forget the beauty of hearing her read. Rylee reads very well, with good inflection. She can be found reading outside, sitting in a corner, in her bed, on the potty, while walking, in the car, at the table...she just reads everywhere!
Jenna continues to nurture and cuddle more than any other kiddo. She is a natural born leader. One of my favorite things in this stage of life is watching Jenna play Strawberry Shortcake or Barbies with her dad. She enjoys every minute of it, and I think he likes it too. She also loves her binoculars. She asked for a pair for a loooooong time and finally got a set for Christmas from our PA church family.
My days are full. I don't feel like I'm getting much done in the grand scheme of things. I am never caught up on laundry, seem to throw my grocery list together at the last minute and hunt furiously for coupons so I can save the most money, plan meals only a few days out at a time, have a very dusty house, and generally feel like I'm treading water. I need to get my act together in some respects. However, I'm happy to report that I am taking time to soak in the beauty of this precious family God has given me. I know the days are long, but the years are short.
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