Redecorating the House & My Computer

This would be the way our son redecorates his bedroom door and his sister's bedroom door!

Guess he's learning a lot during home schooling since he decided to use a red colored pencil to mark all OVER the doors while I was doing read alouds with Emma Grace. UUGHHH!

Guess I should be happy he didn't decide to do the walls, right?! The doors have shiny paint (whatever you call it, semigloss?) and should be able to be sprayed and wiped down. I'll keep you posted.

He's certainly branching out and feeling his oates!!!

This was on Friday.

But this is the kicker!!!!

On Tuesday he had pushed the on/off button on my computer ONE too many times. And therefore, the power button went dead, nothing, STUCK.

Thankfully Jason took it to work on Wednesday and his super duper I.T. guru worked his magic and it was fixed just like that.....wa-la! He even added a few more things that I needed on it and I am F.O.R.E.V.E.R. thankful!!!

"Sunday Snapshot" of a Sweetie

I have been wanting to have a reason to take some pics, and I'm sure there have been LOTS of photo opportunities these last few weeks. But the camera hasn't been "right there" where I could grab it and I haven't made the effort to go get it out of the camera bag! So, I will leave you with one photo from January of my sweet 5 year old girl in what will be her "flower girl" dress in Uncle Bubba's wedding in San Antonio in March! We're still deciding about the shoes, style of hair, etc. and the infamous "pearls" she's been dying to wear aren't in this try-on picture, but AIN'T she PURTY??!

Here's a preview of what's to come and my "Sunday Snapshot":

He is With You---By Mandisa

Had to add Karen's song of the month that has really touched me in the month of January! Mandisa rocks! If this song doesn't just make you cry, shout out to the Lord, and bend the knee, then something must be wrong with you. Seriously. I know people who say they don't listen to our local Christian music station because it's too "rap" and they can't hear the lyrics. No excuse this time! It's very EASY to hear what scripture she is singing, so turn up the volume and worship the King for His awesomeness (song is FIRST on my playlist)! She talks about the changes in our lives, but He is WITH US ALWAYS! What a wonderful song.

There's a time to live
And a time to die
There's a time to laugh
And a time to cry

There's a time for war
And a time for peace
There's a hand to hold
In the worst of things
In the worst of things

He is with you when your faith is dead
And you can't even get out of bed
Or your husband doesn't kiss you anymore
He is with you when your baby's gone
And your house is still
And your hearts are stone
Crying "God what'd you do that for?"
He is with you

There's a time for yes
And a time for no
There's a time to be angry
And a time to let it go
There's a time to run
And a time to face it
There's love to seek
In all of this
Through all of this

He is with you in the conference room
When the world is coming down on you
And your wife and kids don't know you anymore
And He is with you in the ICU when the doctors don't know what to do
And it scares you to the core
He is with you

We may weep for a time but joy will come in the morning
The morning light

He is with you when your kids are grown
When there's too much space and you feel alone
And your worried if you got it right or wrong
Yes He is with you when you've given up on ever finding your true love
Someone who feels like home
He is with you

When nothing else is left and you take your final breath
He is with you

He is with you

Wondering How the Clean Heart is Going?

I guess I have been really trying to give school my best attention and make sure we have some time for playing each and every day. Our son has decided it is best for him to take a 1 hour and 15 minute nap each day! Well, that's not exactly what your mother had in mind, son, but I guess I should be thankful he goes down without a fight and wakes up each morning and after naptime with such a pleasant disposition.

I wanted to fill you in about my "clean heart" resolution I made about a month ago. How have I been doing? Well, I have been getting up before the kids do to shower and have my quiet time with the Lord. It's been good, although it can always be better. :) I struggle with doing Bible reading/studying and praying for all the things and people on my prayer list all within the 15-30 min. time period I generally get after showertime and before Jase wakes up each morning. BUT, be not afraid, I have also been giving myself time to rest before the Lord during Jase's naptime. I even found myself on the couch snuggling with Emma Grace twice this week!!! Amazing things happen when I break myself away from the computer and don't allow myself to get wrapped up in bids on Ebay and "stalking" others on FB! All things have to be regulated, and this is just one area we must get under wraps before we spend hours, days, and months not knowing where the time has gone.

I will also tell you I have had one particular area of sin (gossiping about a particular person) that I have been trying to allow the Lord to shut my mouth and not criticize them publically. I see things in their life that I just cringe and want to blurt, but I am really trying hard to focus on my Savior and not allow my pride and judgement of them to come to the surface. God will have to do a work of wonder and miracle in my heart for these thoughts (some are truly founded and Biblical) to leave my head and heart. It's an ever present thought process (I won't go into the details of why) but I have to trust the Lord to do any changing in this person. My judgement isn't near as harsh as His, and I must rest in the fact that He blesses those who obey Him and disciplines those who don't. That alone must satisfy my spirit. I must become a person who wants to only obey and not compare myself to them. They are not the ruler or measuring stick for my life.

Today is just a beautiful day and we are ready as soon as Jase wakes up to head outside and ride bikes. Jase got a toddler riding seat for the back of my bike and I have been trying in stages to get it attached to my bike so we can ride him around. So nice to be able to be home with the kids and get to read stories, cut out things we make, bake cookies, ride bikes, and have dinner ready when my hard working hubby comes home! Truly a blessing to our family!

First Post for a New Year---and Cleaning OUT!

Yes, it's another year---in fact it's 10 years from when we were all freaking out about Y2K possibilities. I must admit I had not stocked up one thing or prepared in one single way. I was simply trusting God and really wondering if Jason would ever propose to me after 5 years of dating!! So 2000 was the year of adventure and here we are 10 years later happily married with 2 wonderful blessings added to our family! I've changed jobs 4 times in 10 years and now I'm home with my babies---hardest job out of the 4!! No kidding!! But by far the most rewarding!!

I have been cleaning out this week---replacing old rubbermaid containers that I am proud to say we use QUITE frequently (thanks to my hubby for loving to eat leftovers!), trashing old dishtowels and dishcloths we've had for 10 years and got as wedding presents and replacing now with newer fluffy ones that don't have stains, dusting baseboards, washing curtains, and just generally getting a new attitude on life. I just love the turn of a new year---a new calendar--a fresh start. I really think this new attitude not only comes from having a clean house, but lately I have been made aware of my need to be cleaned from the sins that so easily entangle me. I was reading a friend Shay's blog the other day and she was describing the same thing. Go to www.versesfortheking.blogspot.com and read her post. You will definitely be blessed by the way she reveals her heart and nails those things that I know I struggle with to the cross...those things we might as well all name them by name...no other word but SIN. I pray that my God will help me remember that it's not about ME this year...that it's all about His Glory and that He wants to cleanse me from the inside out (no matter what my HOUSE may look like!).

We love you, Emma Grace! 5 wonderful years!

As I sit here typing, Emma Grace is beside me in the next bar stool drawing "people". We have just returned from her 5 year old well-visit, and I'm pleased to say, she's as healthy as a horse! She weighs 41 pounds and 4 ounces. That puts her in the 60th percentile for weight. Her height is 3 feet 8 inches---82nd percentile. TALL girl. Hmmm....wonder who she takes after? I have been so blessed to have been home with my little girl for the last 19 months. A day never goes by where I do not learn something new about her. It's just amazing the way the Lord has knit her together.

Jason has been home for a week and a half (one of the wonderful things about having a Christmas baby is that daddy can be home for the days leading up to and the days after her birthday), and the conversations between father and daughter are worth recording. Honestly, there are meals I just want to run grab the camcorder and begin rolling. She just grabbed Jase under his arms and is carrying him around singing, "A thing, a thing, a ting ting ting. Tom, ta ting, ta ting ting ting." She told me this is called the "Thing Dance". So creative!! I am so glad the Lord has blessed us with a daughter and a son! What a difference girls and boys are; God knew what He was doing when He created us uniquely!

It has been my pleasure to teach Emma Grace preschool at home the last 5 months and to introduce her to the foundational stories of the Bible over the last 3 years. I really am looking forward to official Kindergarten in the fall of 2010! Curriculum searches are underway! I think it's funny to look over the "Normal Development" lists from the pediatrician's office today. One says, "Embarrasses easily, and cannot laugh at self." I haven't really noticed that about her...she is usually more than willing to laugh at her mistakes. She doesn't, however, like to get hurt. In this area, crying can go on and on, whereas our son has shown thus far that he is far less dramatic. Just some basic differences in girls/boys. Oh!!!! And one of the development bullets says "is curious about reproduction and birth". Oh boy, do they have that one right!! She was just nursing her baby earlier today! And she stuffed a baby up Kaye Kaye's shirt pretending like Kaye was "pregnant" earlier this weekend---I wondered how she was going to explain to her niece how the baby came out. I haven't had to explain that just yet, thank goodness. Guess I should be glad Aunt Kaye Kaye didn't TRY to explain it either!

Here are some of the things I LOVE about our little girlie:

*How she loves and smooches on her brother!

*LOVES music!! LOUD music, I might add. (thanks, daddy!)

*Tender and compassionate heart--I found her all out *bawling* watching the Mickey/Pluto Christmas movie!

*She entertains herself very easily---did I mention she is very creative?

*She gets along with all of her friends...such a blessing. Let's hope it continues!

*Her long, blonde hair and blue eyes. And I hate to be superficial here, but her long eyelashes (just like her brother) are adorable just like her glasses! Melt my heart!

*I love how she replicates lovingly taking care of her million babies just like I take care of Jase. Think your kids aren't listening to the way you behave and treat them on a daily basis? Think AGAIN. (This is how I know I am patient and fair in dealing with these kids. If I weren't, it would definitely show up in her mommy skills!)

*Her OCDness in cleaning up after eating or having a snack---definitely inherited from mommy!

*Loving to go out and ride her bike--she got skates and a scooter for Christmas and Birthday, so she's been trying those two out faithfully!

*How she cares so much for her daddy---she told him he was such a good daddy that she would take care of him when he got older! Wonder if that goes for mommy, too?! :)

Emma Grace, we pray that your heart will be open to accept the message of the gospel at a very early age. We also pray that you will choose friends wisely, learn to obey God and your parents, and be a very giving person of your time and resources. We pray for the young lady you will become as well as the future wife, mother, and grandmother we see in you. How EXCITING!!!!!! We love you, our precious daughter. XXXX OOOO

'Twas the Night Before Jesus Came

'Twas The Night Before Jesus Came'
written by Unknown Author

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!