Thankful.....

It's coming....cooler weather and I am thankful.  I know some of you are laughing since you know I don't like cold weather and love summer but.....I am thankful for a good change.

I am thankful that Casey is so excited about fall and the leaves changing.

I am thankful that I am home with my kids even if I do have to remind myself of that some days!!

I am thankful for the freedoms that I still have in this country and I try not to take them for granted because they can be gone in the blink of an eye.

I am thankful for the men and women  (both now and in the past) who stand in harms way to protect the freedoms I have.

I am very thankful for the men and women who have given their lives allowing me to have freedom.

I am thankful for my families health.  I see kids and families who are struggling to make it all around me.  They are battling huge monsters like cancer and sever autism.

I am thankful that at times, I can offer insight into how it feels to be the parent of a unique child to those who are making the rules!!  I can say, I know what this parents feels when you say you don't have the resources to allow their child to participate in an activity while also seeing the desire of those in charge of a program to want to include that child.  

I am thankful for great friends even when we don't get a chance to see each other or talk everyday--sometimes we don't talk for weeks or months at a time.  I know that if I need them they are there and I hope that they know the same is true.

I am thankful for a wonderful husband.

I am thankful (now) for a few major areas of struggle we have had in our marriage.  I know it sounds strange but it is very true.  There are things that we have been through that could have ripped our marriage apart but brought us closer together.
 
I am thankful that we both realize that marriage is not all fun and games but that it takes works and it's worth it!!

I am thankful for a husband who gets up at 4AM to get ready for a men's Bible study.

I am thankful for Steve's job and his boss.  We have been blessed with wonderful bosses at each job and we know that is a huge blessing.

I am thankful for parents and grandparents.

I am thankful for my mom for so many reasons I could never list them all.

I am thankful for my past--the good and the really bad.  I wouldn't want to live it again (parts of it anyway) but I am so very thankful for the relationship that it allowed my mom and I to form.

I am also thankful for a great brother.  A brother who has tons of "smarts"!!  A brother who is going to have a book published--how many of you can say that?!!!

I am thankful for my 3 sisters-in-law-love.

I am thankful for a Savior who loves you and me enough to die on a cross to pay a debt He didn't owe but that I did.  A debt I could not pay.

I am thankful and this only the tip of the ice burg....

How about you?

Just for laughs....

Just a few "things" to make you smile....

"Shot my first turkey today, scared the crap 
out of everyone in the frozen food section. I guess they are 
environmentalists or something!!"

Landon:(at 5AM)  Mommy, I got skeeetches all over me!!

Mommy:  huh?

Landon: Mommy, I got skeeetches all over me!!!

What are skeeetches you ask?  He was itching!!!  Crazy boy!!

Have a great week everyone!!

Happy Birthday Shelby!!!

Shelby

Able to memorize scripture in the blink of an eye

Loyal friend to the end

Energetic

Full of life and drama

Great big sister

Great little sister

Sentimental

Dramatic

Unique style

Attentive to detail

Jokester

Lover of reading

Adventuresome eater

Able to say the books of the Bible faster than anyone I know!!!

We love you and hope you have a wonderful day.

Just one of those days

Do you ever have one of those days?
If not, we maybe having "your" day over here....can you please come and get it?!!!

Today started out with Landon announcing that he did not want bread on his toast!!!  This came after, he asked for toast and jelly!  I should have known it was going to be one of those days.

While we were working on school, Casey needed a drink, a seat, another drink....you get the idea.  Well when she didn't want to sit and look at a book with Landon and I, I said fine.  When she realized that I was still going to read to Landon and ask questions, she was upset.  Why?  Because I didn't give her a chance to answer the 2nd question!!!  The result was 20 minutes of screaming and crying in her room!  It's for sure going to be one of those days.

A nap almost made everyone feel better...almost!!

Landon woke up in a particularly crabby mood!  I'm certain it's going to be one of those days!!

Casey decided on the way to run errands tonight that she wants a "MANO" like Drew for her birthday.  I figured I wouldn't tell her NO since you know it's one of those days!!

Errands with Steve and the kids...on one of those days....maybe not such a good plan.

Many people (like everyone in Target with working ears) could tell that at least one person in our family was having ONE OF THOSE DAYS!!!!!!

Let's just say that bed time on those days takes forever to get here and no one is happy about having to go!!  Well that's not true, Steve and I were happy to send all of them!!  It was the most wonderful time of this day!!!

I'm very thankful to God I have been blessed with wonderful children!  I wouldn't trade them for the world!  However, I am VERY thankful that God gives us the evening and night to rest and renew our bodies!!!

So how do you make it through one of those days?  Please share.

Wordless Wednesday...

Sunset at the lake....

Worship...

Today we had a great sermon at church and it really spoke to me--on many levels.
I'm just going to share a few of my notes from today's sermon.  If you want to hear the sermon, you can go to http://www.riverlandhills.org/sermons.asp later this week and listen.

So here we go....

Worship is that thing in your life that is the most important thing.  It tells everything about you!!

What do you worship?  Your job?  A hobby?  God?  Self?  Jet ski?  What is it?  Are you sure?  Ask your kids, they will tell you what is number one in your life.

Where should our focus be?  On the One True God.  We have such a short time with our children and they will learn so much from us--most of what they learn will be from our actions and NOT from our words!!!

God is always there but when we take time to focus on God and God alone, He pays special attention.

What is the take away?
Here you go...5 things....
How to worship God before our kids
1.  Believe that God loves them more than and better than we do!
2.  Tell your kids that they belong to God and tell God they are His--OFTEN!
3.  Do not dream dreams for your kids that do not square with God's heart for them.
4.  Challenge your children to invest their lives for Christ.
5.  Put God first, when you feel like and by faith when you don't!

So what do you worship?  What have I been worshipping?  Are our priorities in the right place?  Don't let the urgent (day to day things) take the place of the important!!  Are we working toward the most important day in our lives and that of our children?

Conversations with Landon....

Well last night was a big night for Landon--no more nursery at church.  Yep he's on to bigger and better things...well maybe....

Here is how the conversation went when I picked him up....
Me:  Hey Landon!!  How was your night?
Landon:  I in Mission Friends.
Me:  Yep.  How about choir?  How was that? (Choir had been earlier in the evening.)
Landon:  Those girls tell me I sit in dat chair.
Me:  Well sometimes we have to sit in the chair and listen to our teacher.  You are a big boy now so you can't run wild all the time.  What else?
Landon:  I not sing.  I want dance.
Me:  Really?
Landon:  Those girls tell me to pat wike dis.  ( He shows me how.)  I not want pat.
Me:  Well I bet you will have a better time next week!

Later on the way home.....
Landon:  The moon is my faborit.
Me:  It is.  Why is the moon your favorite?
Landon:  It's white like my head.

Later still with Daddy:
Daddy:  Landon how was choir?
Landon:  Those girls tell me not to sing.
That was the end of the conversation.  Those girls are his teachers.  I can only guess that he was singing what he wanted to sing at the Loud Landon volume he is so well known for around here.
Praying for all of our choir and missions leaders.  From what I hear, it was a LONG night (and they were only with them for 1/2 of the scheduled time).  Also praying for Landon's choir teachers especially.  I'm thinking that they might really need it with him.  He's sweet and good but he's head strong.  Thankfully for Casey, she gets all the teachers first.