legacy – Page 2 – The Bless Your Heart Blog

He Is

Today is one of my favorite days of the year when it pertains to church. Being Palm Sunday, all the cute little kiddos parade down the aisles of the church waving their palm branches proclaiming, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna to the King!”

After we all ooed and awwed over their cuteness and returned to worship ourselves, the weight of Palm Sunday really dropped into my heart. As I was thinking about Jesus, Palm Sunday marked the beginning of the end. As He rode into Jerusalem to ultimately meet His death, He was greeted with such celebration and splendor with people laying down their branches and coats in submission and allegiance to Him. Hosanna…

As I think back on my life, I feel like the one name or attribute of the Lord that is most marked for me is that of Hosanna. He IS the God who saves.

He has saved me from a life of mediocrity. I know a lot of lukewarm Christians…or followers that believe the Lord exists but don’t truly have a vibrant and thriving relationship with Him. Most of my life, those were the only kind of people I knew. When I entered college, the Lord changed that for me. Through some incredible mentors and an extremely handsome guy named Wrex, the Lord showed me what a real relationship and walk with Him looked like and I’ve never looked back. I’m big on living a life of excellence and that has to start with Jesus.

He has saved me from mediocrity in other ways, too. For me, there were certain areas of my life that I always assumed would look exactly like what I’d seen lived out in front of me, even though I desired something different. I can admit that I had high hopes for marriage but there was a part of me that was skeptical. Did the type of relationship I hungered for really exist? Today, I can attest that it does, indeed. Because I was obedient to follow His lead (even though that meant hurting someone else), the Lord gave me an amazing husband! My relationship with Wrex and my kids is something I treasure (and try not to idolize!) and I’m so glad I didn’t settle in my search for Mr. Right.

He has saved me from warped views regarding myself. I went through a period of my life where I felt like I just wasn’t good enough…for anyone, anywhere. I wasn’t smart enough for these people, I wasn’t wealthy enough for these people, I wasn’t thin enough for these people, I wasn’t outgoing enough for these people, I wasn’t funny enough for these people…I wasn’t ever enough. Sadly, I held these people in the highest of regards (at the time) and I can look back now and see how they really reinforced these ugly things I had started to believe about myself simply by the way they were treating me. It’s taken a lot of years to untangle some of those webs and I wouldn’t even say that they’re all undone, but I do know that the Lord has used some people from the opposite end of the spectrum – people who really “see” me – to save me from those lies and help set me free with the truth.

He saved me from my own stupidity. Poor decisions, poor choices, flat out disobedience… Times I should’ve been dead. Times I shouldn’t have made it out of horrible circumstances. Times I should’ve had stiffer consequences. Times I should’ve never been given a second chance, yet time and time again He has shed His grace on me with loving-kindness and patience.

He saved my life. Literally, my life. There are memories related to my health and well-being engrained in my mind that still cause me anxiety. There are times I made poor choices and He was merciful to me. There are times when I was trying to be tough and probably should’ve gone to the hospital but He was my healer. There have been times where I’ve just had some of the weirdest, freak incidents and He has spared me every single time. Even this winter with the tumor on my thyroid, His mighty hand has saved me (literally!) again and again and again.

He saved my life, my whole life. I am not a slave to death. He paid the ultimate price through His death and resurrection and I get to LIVE because of that. Not just in the here and now…forever.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of the end…but it’s also the beginning of the beginning. The beginning of the new covenant…the beginning of our salvation through faith…the beginning of the cleansing of our sin…the realization of Hosanna…the God who saves.

Random Rambles

It’s FRIDAY! Do I really need to say anything else?!

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I love to see the gifts in my children become glaringly obvious. Sweet Sawyer is such a little administrator. It takes one to know one, perhaps.

Wryder has a crush on a cute little high school girl and the minute he saw her last fall, he’s been telling her (and everyone else) that he was gonna marry her. He and Sawyer have made plans for him to live in the playhouse with his new wife, with a sled for a bed. Sawyer has been busy planning his wedding for months and this week, she got their wedding clothes done.

She made notes and designs in her notebook and would check off each piece as she completed it.

Her main construction materials were paper towels and washi tape and they look surprisingly good!

The dress and "gail" — The dress and “gail”

Wryder's tuxedo shirt. Note the red rose and the bow tie... — Wryder’s tuxedo shirt. Note the red rose and the bow tie…

I feel like we’ve fought their obsession with this project for quite some time. I do love that they love the concept of marriage and how joyful it truly is. We must be doing a little something right…

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Sawyer has her first 4-H meeting this weekend. We are so excited for her and she is so excited for herself! Wrex and I’ve done a lot of talking this week about the joys and advantages of a slower pace of life.

Everything that he is today – from follower of Christ, to husband, to father, to cattle buyer – all of the things and people that influenced him most, took place before he was 15 years old. It wasn’t high school…it wasn’t college…it was the things he got to try and experience during his most formative years that shaped his being.

I am so grateful that I get to be a stay-at-home mom…that I get the opportunity to spend more time with them than anyone else…that we get to encourage them and teach them and train them and provide them with opportunities and experiences that will translate into their futures.

We were watching Duck Dynasty the other night and one of the older kids was pursuing his dreams as a musician and just watching his mom’s reaction made me sappy, of course. There are times when it feels like those days are so far down the road, but we all know they’re not; they’ll be here in the blink of an eye, just like everything else.

It made us wonder what our kids would be doing and pursuing…and we pray with all of our might that at the heart of whatever it is, that it’s Jesus.

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The neighbors didn’t have school on Monday so we loaded up for a midday play date. Sawyer got to ride in the go-cart and thought that was pretty fun stuff!

Wryder went over, looked at it, tried the helmet on and then settled for the porch.

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This cute little booger is just joy in every way!

She was a little fussy for the babysitter on Tuesday night and has had a few bouts of that with us lately so we assumed she must be getting a tooth. Yesterday, Wrex was playing with her and saw the monster coming in on the top.

Lately, she’s really been pursing her mouth and that must be why. Not sure what explains all the nose crinkling but I LOVE it.

Seriously, she’s the cutest thing E.V.E.R.

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We’re hoping hoping HOPING that the guys get our barn and shop finished this weekend. They’ve been working weekends and the wind hasn’t helped their cause much….or the fact that they don’t ever get here until 10 am. *ahem*

They have the shop all done but are still working on the barn. I promise to post pics when they are done. I know it’s going to look so nice but there’s something I’ll miss about the chippy old barn…

A few winters ago... — A few winters ago…

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Wrex is still sporting the mutton chops.

Extroverts are so funny. I spend most of my days not wanting to be seen and he’s putting himself out there front and center, with radical facial hair no less. Cracks me up. Here’s to hoping they’re gone by Monday…sure hope that razor doesn’t zip up his face in the night! 😉

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It’s Fun Friday around here and today is errand day. We’re gonna run to town and take some checks to the bank for daddy and get some cash for our Dave Ramsey envelopes and take a cupcake to a special birthday lady and get some birthday cards to send to some other special people (PaPa and RaRa!) and if the wind stops howling, we may stop at the park to burn a little energy (them) and calories (me).

Whatever you find yourself doing today, I pray that you choose and find joy in all of it.

Some Days are Hard

Some days are hard.

Being a mom is the best job I’ve ever had, and it’s the hardest. Send me 1,000 volunteers and 200 staff and 43 databases and I’ll manage them all day long, but sometimes managing three wee ones gets the best of me.

Today? Is one of those days.

The morning started with the kids saying something that wasn’t meant to be mean or hateful (I can only assume) but it touched on a brokenness inside my heart that hasn’t healed…and it hurt as I tried not to show them that it did. Ever have those moments? Maybe it’s just me.

Being a stay-at-home parent has more advantages than disadvantages and I fully believe that that is what the Lord has assigned for our family…but it doesn’t always make you the “fun” or “popular” parent. I’m with them 24 hours a day and have the responsibility to correct and teach and guide. I’m the one that has to spread my time between each of my littles and cooking three meals a day and feeding Sayble more meals than that and changing diapers and clothes and make sure I’m eating properly so I don’t send myself down the blood sugar spiral and getting the laundry done and making sure this place isn’t a pig sty and teaching school – none of which I hate, it just doesn’t always leave a lot of room for outrageous, spontaneous memories or experiences.

And I’m not one of those moms that thinks that every hour should be spent doing a new Pinterest activity or playing in a sensory box; I’m a HUGE believer in independent, creative play – especially outside – I just want to best use my time to leave a legacy worth leaving with my kids.

My hope is that despite all of my misgivings and failures as a mom, that one day my kids will truly understand all I did for them…understand all I did because I loved them…understand that we tried our best to be fair and consistent and loving in our discipline…understand that being a parent is hard work and that I went to bed most nights wishing I could do the day over again…understand that there is nothing I wouldn’t attempt to do for them or because of them…understand that my love for them knows no bounds or limits or conditions…understand that even on the hard days, I wouldn’t trade what I do for the world.

I don’t know if there has been anything in my life that has made me crawl to the cross more than being a mom…

Last week, Wrex heard the Eric Church song called Three Year Old. He had me listen and I was a blubbering mess because it reminded me so much of Wryder. I was outside playing with the kids at the time and they asked why I was crying and I was attempting to explain to them how much I loved them. Wryder stopped everything he was doing and in the sweetest little voice said, “We wuv you too, mommy.” The rest of the day, he was extra attentive to me and it was so sweet and so needed.

That night at supper, he kept putting his little arm around me and his hands felt so sweet and tiny. He wanted to take an usie and even though I look rough in this picture, I will treasure it always…

We’ve made it through lunch. That counts for something, right?

Nap time is here. I’ll collect myself and pull up my boot straps and tackle the afternoon. That’s what we do, isn’t it?

To all you mommies out there who might be struggling with me today, I salute you! You’re doing a good job.

Keep pointing their hearts toward Jesus.

Keep loving them no matter what.

Keep teaching them and training them and guiding them in the ways that they should go.

Keep your eyes on the Perfect Parent.

Keep singing, “Oh, Lord I need you. Every hour I need you. My one defense. My righteousness. I need you, oh I need you.” (If you ever hear me mumbling this, now you know…)

And drink a Dr. Pepper. That’s the best advice I’ve got.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Several years ago, I did a study on covenant (and I’ve written about it here before). To say it changed my life and the way I understood the Lord and His word is a COMPLETE understatement. It. was. AMAZING and completely fascinating. (It’s honestly, one of my favorite things to talk about EVER so if you have questions, let’s chat!)

In studying Abraham, the topic of covenant comes up again. In Biblical times, people would “cut a covenant” as a way of making a binding, holy, irrevocable contract. To cut a covenant, they would perform a covenant ceremony.

I won’t go into a lot of detail here but we’ll use Wrex and Stef as an example. Not every culture did every step but as a whole, it looked like this:

Exchange of robes – which symbolized the exchange of identities
1. Wrex would wear Stef’s coat and Stef would now wear Wrex’s
2. If they were seen walking from afar, someone would think Wrex was Stef or Stef was Wrex because they were wearing the other’s coat
3. It creates a melding or confusion of identities
Exchange of belts – which symbolized the exchange of strengths or assets
1. Whatever strength Wrex brings to the relationship, Stef now has; whatever strength Stef brings to the relationship, Wrex now has
Exchange of weapons – which symbolized the exchange of enemies
1. Stef’s enemies would now have to come through Wrex first and Wrex’s through Stef – we will fight for each other
Sacrificial flesh
1. animal split down middle
Walk of death
1. Wrex would walk through the middle of the split animal in a figure eight pattern; Stef would do the same. When they were finished, they would be back where they started, facing each other.
Striking of hands
1. Each person would make an incision on their hand or wrist and intermingle their blood
2. Some cultures still do this and use gunpowder to create a dark scar
3. This scar would be a visible sign of a covenant
4. Circumcision was a sign that you were in covenant with the Lord
Pronouncements of blessings and curses
1. Wrex/Stef, as long as you obey the covenant terms, blessed you shall be as you lie down and when you wake, when you go out and when you retrun
2. BUT, if you ever disavow or violate the terms of the covenant, cursed shall you be! What has happened to this split animal, may it happen to thee.
Covenant meal
1. Wrex feeds Stef, Stef feed Wrex (think of cake at a wedding)
2. As you eat this, you are ingesting me…taking me into your life (and vice versa)
Exchange of names
1. Wrex becomes Wrex Phipps Hedrick
2. Stef becomes Stef Hedrick Phipps
Sealing of the covenant
1. Test it/prove it/see if it’s real

So those are the steps to cutting a covenant. Isn’t that fascinating?! Marriage is as close as we get to creating a blood covenant (it can still be broken through divorce) so you can see a lot of how those steps pertain to a wedding ceremony…

If that’s not fascinating enough, let’s look at it through the lens of Jesus creating a covenant with us in the New Testament. So this time, let the parties be Jesus and Stef…

Exchange of robes – exchange of identities
1. Stef gets a robe of righteousness; Jesus gets a robe of sinfulness
2. Every time the Father looks at Stef, all He sees is righteousness
Exchange of belts – exchange of strengths
1. Stef gets every strength and power Jesus has; we can walk in His authority
Exchange of weapons – exchange of enemies
1. Stef’s enemy? Death. Jesus took on death and beat it when He arose from the grave after 3 days
2. Jesus’ enemy? Satan – who Stef battles now (Ephesians 6)
Sacrificial flesh
1. Jesus was the living sacrifice; He hung on a cross and died and at his death, the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 25)
Walk of death
1. To be in covenant with and follow Jesus, we have to lay down our life and follow His (Matthew 16)
2. We are dying to self and following Him
Striking of hands
1. Jesus’ hands/wrists upon being nailed to cross
2. Circumcision of the heart
  1. I will walk in righteousness and disallow sinfulness
Blessings and curses – this one’s interesting
1. There are SO many blessings and promises He has for us under the New Covenant through His death (I’ll never leave you or forsake you, I’ll supply all your needs, we are a joint heir with Christ ) – but were are the curses?
2. Curses are no more. Our sin was the curse and through Him taking our sin through death, they are no more
Covenant meal
1. Lord’s supper
Name exchange
1. We take on His name – christian – one who is of Christ
2. Son of Man – Jesus is identified many times in this way in the New Testament; He took on our name (man)
Sealing of covenant

This is the one that got me….number ten. Like, really got me.

To test the covenant, covenant partners would exchange their oldest sons. That’s pretty serious business, yes? Bearing we weren’t married and just using my first example from above, Wrex would handover his oldest son to me and I would hand over my oldest son to him.

So, look at it through the lens of the New Testament covenant. Our Father sacrificed His oldest Son, Jesus, to prove to us the covenant is real…it’s true…it can be trusted. The things He promises us through it WILL be brought to fruition! Because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, we don’t have to sacrifice anything in a living sense. Our sacrifice is spiritual; we must die to ourselves and allow Him to be in charge of our lives.

Now, look at that through the lens of Abraham. Remember what the Lord had him do? He asked him to sacrifice Isaac. Can you even imagine?!

Isaac wasn’t a young man at this time; he was able to carry a bundle of wood up a mountain (for his own sacrifice, mind you). Abraham loved and trusted the Lord enough that he was going to be obedient no matter the cost. If he lost Isaac, he would lose everything; Isaac was the one and only heir to all he had been promised by the Lord…

And so he did. They climbed the mountain and just as Abraham was about to kill Isaac, an angel of the Lord stopped him. The Lord had seen that Abraham was serious about this test and the covenant they had made together so the Lord spared Isaac.

As I was studying this last step, I was overcome with emotion. The sealing of the covenant. I don’t know that I could do what Abraham did… I’d like to think I could, but would I? I began to wonder what in my life IS the sign of the covenant I have with the Lord? What has He asked me to sacrifice, and what have I sacrificed, as a sign of His covenant with me? What have I given over that says to Him, I am keeping my end of the deal…that I’m upholding our covenant together?

That really struck me and caused a lot of serious introspection. Does my life look like I’m in a covenant with the one true God?

The beautiful thing about this covenant is it’s a Suzerain Covenant, which is a covenant not between equals, but a covenant when one person has everything and the other has nothing. Kinda like me and Jesus.

All He desires is my loyalty and commitment, which does involve sacrifice, doesn’t it?

We can’t be in covenant with Him and be serious about it and continue on living a life of repetitive sin.

We can’t be in covenant with Him and be serious about it and make decisions based upon our fears or wants or desires without ever asking Him what He has for us.

We can’t be in covenant with Him and be serious about it if we don’t make room for Him as a priority in our lives.

We can’t be in covenant with Him and be serious about it if we continue to water down the truth of the Word and make our own interpretations of right and wrong.

It’s been something that’s been rolling around my head and heart the past couple of weeks and I’m aiming to keep my end of the deal.

I know that I will sin.

I know that my record won’t be perfect.

I know I will fall short.

And I know that the work He did on the cross and His grace alone will cover these things, but I still wanna do my best to live a life that’s signed over to Him…a life sealed with a covenant…a life of witness to the deliverance He’s set forth in me.

I Heart Heart Day

I know I’ve mentioned it before – I’m a sucker for Valentine’s Day! Hate all you want; I think setting aside a day to really go out of our way to show someone we love them is a fine way to spend our time. Who doesn’t love that?!

For Fun Friday, the kids helped make cupcakes!

Decorating them is obviously the best part…and I always feel like SUCH a good mom afterwards because it really pushes me outside of my comfort zone. I’m not the biggest fan of messes or 501 little, round sprinkles all over the place but I do it because I love them. And it’s fun.

Yep, those are the ones... — Yep, those are the ones…

And, of course, Wryder had to be rewarded for his efforts…

Our sweet friend/mail lady, Pam, brought goodies to the house in the form of chocolate bars (which Wryder inhaled!) and mail from friends. We sent her home with a cupcake, too!

On Saturday, I woke up to this gorgeousness…

I LOVE getting flowers! I vow not to be the woman who thinks they’re a waste of money because all they do is die. They are life and they bring life – I’m a big fan. 🙂

I loved the balloon, too! I remember when I was growing up that I always, always wanted a helium, mylar balloon, though I don’t know that I ever asked for one. It was either my tenth or twelfth birthday, my parents got me several and I was over the moon! I kept them deflated and pinned to my bulletin board until I left for college. I kinda wish I still had them…

Wrexy knew my love for them and surprised me with a huge one! Wryder and Sawyer though we should practice letting the cat jump through the center. I vetoed that. *ahem*

We were saving our steak dinner for Valentine’s day so I decided to make heart hamburgers (with bacon, of course) for lunch.

Nothing says love like beef... — Nothing says love like beef…

The kids LOVED this! Especially the bacon part – a treat around here!

Sawyer, of course, dressed for the occasion – heels and all!

Sunday, we went to church and ate a little chinese food for lunch…

We found out Sayble REALLY likes ice cream like her PaPa!

Oh yeah...that's more like it! — Oh yeah…that’s more like it!

Then we came home to check on the gentlemen working on our shop and barn. The shabby chic will soon be no more as we’re getting tin put on. The shop is almost done and then they’ll throw the sides of the barn on.

I'm afraid I may miss this guy's worn, weathered look... — I’m afraid I may miss this guy’s worn, weathered look…

We have scrimped and saved and my hubby has worked his tail off so we could do this little project; we are so excited that it’s getting closer to done! It’s gonna look pretty fancy around here…or at least a little less shabby.

It was a good weekend! I posted this on Facebook but I’ll post it here, too.

In the midst of all of our Valentine shenanigans, Sawyer made a crown and hung it on the wall at our dinner table.

She said it was so we would remember that Jesus loves us.

My heart delights that she knows this already and I pray she takes Him at His word. He LOVES us…without condition or premise…and despite our past (or even our present) situations!

He IS the lover of our souls; the lead role in the greatest love story ever told. We can’t outrun His love, friends – it will always find us… Let him…

Little Plus Little Plus Little Equals Big

Guys, I don’t even know what to tell you about 2016. We’re entering the second week of February and it’s been a ride already! I’ve always heard that following the Lord is an adventure and life has proven that very thing, time and time again.

I’ve been doing the Precept study – which you KNOW I love! – on the life of Abraham. It starts us right where the Lord calls Abram (soon to be Abraham) away from the place he and his family have known…away from every familiar and comfortable thing…to follow Him to a land that He would show Him…a land that the Lord promises to bless through the many descendants that shall come from the house of Abram.

Intriguing offer – would you do it? We’d all like to think we would, wouldn’t we? But sometimes, it’s not so easy. There are memories and relationships and impossibilities (seemingly, of course) and details to hash out and things to pack and things to mull over and think about and ideas to bounce off of our friends and confirmations to get and and and! But Abram made it look easy; the text simply says, “So Abram went…” What faith, yes?! I feel like I can definitely relate to this part of the story because it reminds me so much of how we got to where we are now… We had $5000 in a savings account, nowhere to live, nowhere to go and no job waiting for us; all we knew was we were supposed to go, so go we did.

One of the many things that I love about the story of Abram besides his faithfulness to the Lord, is the Lord’s faithfulness to Him. Even in his sin and his lies and poor decisions, the Lord still acts on His behalf and kept leading Him on in the way he already said that he would go…

It has been such a beautiful reminder for me the past couple of weeks. I so badly want to be obedient to Him – isn’t it the least that I could do? Isn’t the blessing that comes from obedience worth the discomfort of a new thing?

In that search for knowing obedience and knowing His will, Abram settles my soul that should I misstep, should I have heard wrong, should I have made the poor choice…He’s not leaving me. He’s not forsaking me. Should I willfully disobey, He will HATE my sin of disobedience but continue to love me just as He has done before my birth. That’s a beautiful thing, yes?

Sometimes waiting on the Lord is strenuous…especially for a ~~control freak~~ person who is very type A and likes to have all of their ducks in a row and have them in a row immediately. Don’t ask me how I know. *ahem*

I’m at the point that I just wanna do what He wants me to do and I don’t even care what that is. Not a bad place to be, eh?

I look at Abram’s story and it’s wrapped up in such a nice little bow that it makes the obedience part look easy. The Lord said, “do this,” so Abram did. He traveled here and built an altar…he traveled there until the Lord spoke again…he went on his merry way until the Lord gave Him some more instructions. Well, that sounds easy enough – no wonder he was faithful!

But when you look at the great distance he actually traveled (on foot, mind you) and all he must have encountered – all of the little hardships and happenings and rocks in the road and people he happened upon – he continually had to make choices for obedience that we don’t hear about in the text, even just in the daily grind. It wasn’t like he magically appeared in the next town because that’s where the text picks up; he actually had to GET there and that alone wasn’t always an easy feat.

Isn’t it the day to day choices for obedience that usually get us? I find myself begging for Him to reveal what I’m to do in the big decisions…am I good at letting Him govern the small ones, too? When Wryder poops in his pants for the thousandth time since we started potty training, do I choose grace (obedience) and talk to him levelly or do I raise my voice? When Sawyer continually guesses at words instead of sounding them out, do I teach her how to do it properly (obedience) or do I lose my cool? When Sayble is fussy do I stop everything I’m doing and comfort her (obedience) or do I act inconvenienced? When Wrex asks for my help outside and the wind is howling, so I jump up to help him with a good attitude (obedience) or complain and tell him to make it snappy? Well, that was all fun to write… *ahem*

I just can’t help but think that if it blesses His heart that we wait on Him before we make the big decisions in our life, how much MORE does it bless Him when we call on Him for EVERY decision in our life? It’s why we have to stay hooked up. It’s why we have to be in the Word. It’s why we have to have Scripture memorized and dropped in our hearts. It’s why we have to respond and not react. It’s why we have to consciously choose obedience in all the little things just as carefully as we would for the big things…because all the little things? They become the big things…

Lord, help me to have a heart that chases after you in ALL things. You are worthy of my obedience in every phase and every stage and every minute…

Can’t Get Enough

We’ve had daddy home for 10 of the past 11 days (thank you, sale barns!) and tomorrow we must give him up to the sale barn again. We have had such a good time together; no amount of days off would be “enough” for me.

Being a wife to my handsome hubby and a mom to my three cuties is better than I ever imagined it would be…better than I ever could have dreamt it… Are there hard days? Of course. Are there days when I need to run to town just for a little bit of quiet? Sure. Are there times when Wrexy and I need to recharge and get back to the basics of our marriage? Absolutely…but being a wife and mom are the best jobs I’ve ever had. My soul is satisfied with this calling…

While daddy was home, we…

went on a family date…

They loved their root beer in a boot - boot beer! — They loved their root beer in a boot – boot beer!

Wryder kept her entertained long after her sweet potatoes were gone... — Wryder kept her entertained long after her sweet potatoes were gone…

had family fun day where Sawyer and I got pedicures while the boys (and Sayble) had ice cream and went to Menards…

celebrated with Sawyer as she finally earned that Barbie Pop-Up Camper! We are so proud of her!

We had concerts…

They're gonna be famous... — They’re gonna be famous…

checked out the nativity scene in the neighboring town…

I love my babies...and baby Jesus — I love my babies…and baby Jesus

took selfies where mom’s arm didn’t quite reach…

played Paw Patrol, farm version…

ridden horses…

He's really gentle... — He’s really gentle…

crawled around with this cutie…

She has mastered the army crawl... — She has mastered the army crawl…

worked on trailers, took down Christmas decorations, played a mound of games, listened to at least 15 episodes of Adventure in Odyssey, watched a ton of football and just enjoyed being together!

I remember my parents telling (and re-telling) the story of me opening gifts at my grandparents’ house one Christmas. They always did things BIG and I had opened gifts for a bit and I laid back in a pile of wrinkled wrapping paper and said, “Oh, the more I get the more I want!” I’ve come a long way since then. *ahem*

I feel this way about my family, though; the more time I get with them, the more I desire! They are my best friends, my closest confidants, the ones I get to minister to and the ones who minister to me. They know me better and love me more than anyone on the planet and for that alone, I am so grateful.

My hearts....minus the baby who was sleeping. — My hearts….minus the baby who was sleeping.

We will send daddy off with smiles tomorrow and eagerly await his return home. I’m so thankful that while he’s off buying cows and providing for our fam, that I get to stay home and hang with these babies all day.

Sawyer and I have a date to play Barbie Pop-Up Camper WITH water in the pool and Wryder wants help making a card for Goo Goo and I have no doubt Sayble will want me to make funny noises and kiss her cheeks and snuggle her in the chair. I love these guys…I just can’t get enough…

Random Rambles

We traveled to Nebraska yesterday to visit Wrex’s paternal grandparents, or Grandad and Lalice if you ask the kids.

We met Grandma at Perkins for brunch then headed on behind her to see Grandad. He hasn’t felt too spiffy the last month or two and that’s sure hard to see but it was good to be with family.

Wryder Douglas is named after Willard Douglas (Grandad) and William Douglas (Papa) AND he’s the elder WD’s first great grandson…in other words, he can do no wrong. 🙂

We grabbed some Burger King to eat on the way home and the kids had to get a crown (so cute!) and make silly faces and do silly things – you know, kid stuff!

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We got a new kitty last week, appropriately named Kitty. She’s a sweet little thing and the kids adore her. She’s gotten a little attention since she’s been here…

Sawyer used a dollar she got in the mail and bought Kitty a toy, which she loves!

Yes, that's a shirt... — Yes, that’s a shirt…

Kitty has even made nice with Booey…

And the cat scratch/bed/stand? Well, I should’ve known WD would use it more than the cat….

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We’ve worn lots of cute clothes this week…

and painted pumpkins…

and made some Halloween pretties…

and dressed up in all sorts of costumes to practice trick-or-treating…

They are ready!

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Sawyer’s reading is getting better everyday and she read to Sayble the other day…it was the sweetest.

I love how much they love their little sister…

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Now, I’m just finishing up our Halloween costumes. They wanted to be the PAW Patrol this year so I’ve been getting my hot glue on…

I can’t WAIT to get everything done and them on them!!! And, of course, I’ll post pics. 🙂

In a Fighting Mood

It can’t freeze fast enough. I am so over the flies and bees and wasps…seriously. I’ve contemplated moving more than once over the past two weeks.

Our 100 year old farm house has plenty of nooks and crannies for them to find their way in and I have constantly been on the lookout for rogue wasps that have made their way inside. I’m not deathly allergic to the things, but allergic enough the doctor thinks I need an epi-pen…not something I just really want to take a chance on, ya know?

As I walked out to the mudroom the other day, there was another wasp on the inside of the backdoor…whom I promptly hit so quick and hard with the flyswatter that I broke it. (I’m on number three, mind you. *ahem*) We’ve found them circling the light in the kitchen and a couple in the living room. I’ve found myself asking the Lord for eyes to see (them) because I don’t want to risk me or my babies getting stung by those nasty things.

As I killed that one on the backdoor, I found myself thanking Him that He had, indeed, given me eyes to see. Every time I’ve seen one in the house, I’ve been able to kill out and none have gotten away or sprung up and surprised us at any point – that is something to be thankful for in my book.

It got me thinking about the Christian life in general… His word tells us there will be intruders…evil…unholy spirits and presences…rough times and tough times and people that will stand against us (just to name a few). Just like those nasty wasps infiltrating my place of peace – wasps that come to steal, kill and destroy (don’t argue with me on that one!) – we will have those same experiences in our everyday lives.

BUT – just as He’s given me all I need to rid our home of those flying devils, He’s done the same with every other evil – He has conquered them all! He defeated death and through the power of His Holy Spirit, we have His authority and the power to defeat the ugly that comes our way.

Ask Him for it and receive it in Jesus’ name! Don’t lay down and wait for the attacks to subside, stand up and fight, soldier! Fight for your freedoms…fight for your spouse…fight for your kids…fight for your family…fight for your communities…fight for your country…fight for the voiceless…fight for truth…fight for good…fight for eternity…

Birthday Questionnaire

So, the bestie and her family are some of the best birthday do-ers I’ve ever met! Their family has taught us so much about honor and they always do unique and meaningful things for each others’ birthdays.

Here lately, they’ve been putting the birthday person in the center of the room and letting each person ask them a thought provoking (usually) question. On my birthday, I got an e-mail doing just that so I’m going to take the time to attempt to answer them here!

1.) If you could give yourself a birthday gift, something you could have forever that would enable you to fulfill your greatest potential, what would it be?

Oh, geez. This one is hard for me…maybe because I have to be a bit vulnerable to answer it. I guess I would have to say a spirit of confidence. I’ve alluded to the fact that I’m a bit fearful and that rears it’s head into lots of areas of my life. I fear failure. I fear coming off as a know-it-all (because those people drive me bananas). I fear looking silly or missing the mark…so a spirit of confidence – an honest assessment and belief in what I was putting my mind to, would be a good start for me.

2.) What’s your favorite family tradition?

Growing up, I always loved everything about Christmas. My parents and grandparents always made it fun and exciting. We would make homemade decorations and put the tree up together…my mom always recruited me to wrap gifts and there was always a viewing of Christmas Vacation. 🙂 While I still LOVE Christmas and love the things we’re doing with our kids (Jesse Tree, Christmas pajamas, The First Noel movie, etc.) I love our little tradition of camping out in the living room on Halloween night. That started by accident when we first moved to Holyoke. We had no furniture, as we hadn’t gotten it from Denver yet and so that first Halloween here, we all slept in the living room…which was where we were sleeping while we worked on the bedrooms. The next year, we did the same thing – but for fun – and have yet to stop!

3.) What book has influenced you most (besides the Bible)?

Hands down, “Walking With God” by John Eldredge. I’m sure it was a combination of where I was in life and who was leading the study and what the Lord had for me at that specific time in my life, but I learned so much from this book that I still recall and recant to this day! The title seems to leave a lot to be desired but TRUST ME when I say IT. WILL. CHANGE. YOUR. LIFE!

4.) If you could pick up and move your family somewhere for a year, and then come back (and not have to worry about work the entire time) where would it be?

The selfish side of me would say Alaska. I have dreams of visiting there one day… Seeing it on television or in photos it is just breathtakingly gorgeous and I’d love to just camp around and explore all it has to offer! The missions-minded side of me would say our church’s care point for orphans in Kayango, Uganda. The trip I took to Venezuela shaped me and molded me and changed me in a way few other things ever have and I’d love to have the opportunity to dote on and serve the least of these again…

5.) What is one thing you will never do again?

Drink until I get drunk. Not worth it. Not appealing. Not wise. Not an option.

6.) If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

A really good cheeseburger with lots of extras (read – jalapenos!) and some good, salty fries!

7.) How would your best friends describe you?

Probably like this:

What I’ve come to understand about you in the 7-8 years that we’ve been friends is that you are a wise woman beyond your years, loyal to the end, passionate about those you love. You are creative, resourceful, an excellent gift-giver and a skilled event planner. Generous to the bone and loving beyond measure. You’re an incredible mother and a deeply devoted and encouraging wife. You have always been the very definition of a hospitable and wonderful/competent homemaker. You are a chef and an artist. You are beautiful and always fashionable. You are organized and thoughtful. When you set your mind to something, you carry it through all the way, in excellence. We, your friends and family, are so very lucky to have you!

(That was written by the bestie and posted on my Facebook wall for my birthday). That may or may not be cheating to answer that question. 😉

8.) What’s the most interesting thing you see out your kitchen window?

Currently, a little red wagon that Sawyer planted wheat and marigolds in all by herself. How cute is that?!

9.) If you had the ability to time travel, would you travel to the past or to the future and why?

Definitely the past. Mainly, I would talk to the old me and tell me that I’m not fat or as fat as I thought I was…I would tell myself that I was worthy of love…I would tell myself that I didn’t have to vie for the attention of certain people…I would tell myself to prepare for the attacks of satan that I knew would be coming and I would bolster myself with the truth to combat those…I would redo my wedding and make it as magical as I always hoped it would be – I got my prince so that’s really all that matters…

10.) Three sentences looking ahead to when you’re twice the age you’re turning now, describing who you are as a woman and what you’ve accomplished by then so far…

I would be 66… I see myself still as bat-crazy in love with my handsome husband as I am today if not more so. I’m assuming I’ll be a grandma – hopefully to lots of little grandcuties that I can spoil rotten! I’m hoping that all of my mothering and parenting and falling on my knees begging for wisdom will result in children who are all walking closely with the Lord and teaching their families to follow Him, all while living within 15 miles of me. That’d be a pretty great life…