I just have to devote a post to telling you how precious it is to see my young boys so in awe of their daddy. This kind of came about because yesterday at the gym they were in childcare when he pulled into the parking lot. A friend of mine came in right after he had pulled in (I was already on the treadmill) and told me how precious the boys were...that they got SO excited to see their daddy. In fact, she even made reference to the fact that she had never really seen kids get that exited over seeing their daddy! (which makes me feel sad...especially for boys!) First of all, I will say that I am humbled beyond measure that God brought H into my life. Amanda said it perfectly in this post about her husband. She basically said that her husband was God's grace in her life. That is totally me!
But, aside from all that he is to me as a husband, he is that times 10 to our sons. They ADORE him....love NOTHING more than for him to come home....want to be with him ALL the time! I just love it! I cannot think of anyone else in this entire world who I would rather them want to be like...to be....he is a Godly man with a passion for serving Jesus...even though he doesn't always let that show. He is private...and would be perfectly content if it was just me, him and the boys on a deserted island all by ourselves...not that he doesn't appreciate our friendships (and he has come a LONG way in this area - sometimes now HE even suggests that we call friends to hang out - and once, he even admitted that he missed having company over to our house - who would have thought it!)He loves our family, and he is able to keep all of life in proper perspective. He is my balance. He is my friend. He is, hands down, the greatest dad I know. Here are just a few things that the boys have said or done regarding their daddy that just remind me over and over again that God is good.
* The other night, Leighton and I were laying in his bed "snuggling up" and talking when I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. First he said a monster truck driver. When I prompted him a little more by saying what did he want to be when he had a wife and kids, he said, "I want to be Daddy!" (WOW!) He went on to explain he would like to work for AT&T but here in Clanton so he could be close to our house.
* Logan is a riot in case any of you haven't seen him in a while. Every single minute he says something that is making us laugh. His most recent antic is that he repeats EVERYTHING that you say and he thinks it is hilarious. Most of the time it is pretty much just saying exactly what you just said, like a parrot, but there is one that he "repeats" but he doesn't even realize it. H has always asked him questions and then most of the time he will follow up Logan's answer with "It sure does." (if that is appropriate) So now, Logan says ALL THE TIME, "It sure does." or "That sure does." He is like H's mini-me!
* Leighton loves to just spend time with H. On Sunday afternoons when Logan and I have our "rest time" they usually go outside and do something. That something oftentimes in the winter involves some variety of wood stacking, splitting, etc. He is such a trooper. He does EXACTLY what H says...no matter what! It is amazing to watch them together and then to watch them when they are apart and see how much Leighton talks like his daddy and how much his gestures are just like H's.
Then there are those things that I think are just genetic. Like somehow they are just wired to be like him:
* H has a strange affinity for being the loudest hand clapper in any given situation. It actually came about during church one day, so now our running joke is whether or not he is the loudest clapper. (He makes me so proud!) Anyway, this is not something that the boys have ever been a part of because they are in the nursery/children's church when this normally takes place. Well, lo and behold, we were in the kitchen the other afternoon and Logan starts clapping his hands, HARD. He is clapping so hard that his face is turning red. When I asked him what he was doing he said, "I clap my hands the loudest!" SHUT UP! Could he be any more like his daddy?
* H has said on MANY occasions that if he and I weren't married, or if something happened to me, then he would NEVER marry again...he just doesn't think that much of it. (Isn't that endearing for me to know as his wife!?) Anyway, yesterday when we pulled up at the gym, we saw a little girl from Leighton's school. He immediately said, "Mama, I do know that girl, but I am NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT MARRYING HER!" Well, okay then...I didn't think that you were, but I am glad we are clear!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Jose Can You See.........
This is one of my favorite posts....it is all about me and Leighton and our OBSESSION with the Winter Olympics in Hanover (that is what Leighton keeps saying - cracks me up!) We really haven't given them all that much thought but Saturday night we flipped on the tv and there was some snowboarding on....oh my word! Leighton thought it was the coolest thing ever! (SCARY!) So, it has now become standard operating procedure for him to ask about 50 times a day what time the Olympics are coming on. On Sunday night, we spent a WHILE in front of the TV watching ice dancing (since when is that ice dancing...I will not cave to the pressure...I will continue to call it ice skating....or maybe I am just out of the Olympic loop and it has always been ice dancing)...anyway, Leighton was so funny watching the pairs "dance"...below I am going to give you the top 5 Olympic sayings from Leighton:
1. "Mama, mama, oh my gracious! This woman ain't got no panties on...and neither does this man...he ain't got no underwear....they have on really funny outfits but no underwear...that is GROSS!" (I am not sure if you had the pleasure of watching or not, but the couple he was referring to was the couple who was dressed in a Hawaiian theme maybe - that is what he told me they were dressed like. Lots of red and green with green leaves hanging off of them. So then I had to explain how they did have on underclothes, that they were just different...that it was okay for us to see those underclothes...that is going to have some serious ramifcations later on, I can just feel it! :))
2. "Hey, that was a pretty good move..that was SNAZZY (what?!)....I hope that skate doesn't cut his leg off." (This is when one of the men picked up one of the ladies and stood her on his leg. The whole cutting the leg off never occurred to me, but I guess that just proves that, yes, there is a difference in the wiring of men and women...even men at the age of 5)
3. "Wow, that skier is cool! Maybe I could start skiing. After baseball can I start skiing?" (To which H answered him that we probably won't be taking up skiing because we do not have any equipment and moreover, you would actually have to have snow to practice on and we don't have any...to which Leighton replied "Uh huh, daddy, it snowed last week....not the same buddy, not the same!)
4. "Man, I wish there was a skating teacher around here." (As if H would EVER let Leighton take up ice "dancing".)
5. (My all time favorite!) "Mama, I really like those medals. Next time we go to Walmart can I get one?" (Oh, sure...I am sure they have them there...they have everything else!)
We have really enjoyed the events, but the medal ceremonies have really made an impression on him. He can pretty much call the countries when he sees their flags and the first 3 letters of their country's name...and he loves to hear the National Anthem. I tried to tell him the joke that we used to tell in elementary school about 'Jose' sitting on top of the flag pole during a football game and then someone asking him how he liked the game and he said, "The people were so nice. They stood up and sang a song that said 'Jose, can you see?' and I could see just fine" (Ba-domp-bomp!) I know, I know...he didn't really think it was funny either!
1. "Mama, mama, oh my gracious! This woman ain't got no panties on...and neither does this man...he ain't got no underwear....they have on really funny outfits but no underwear...that is GROSS!" (I am not sure if you had the pleasure of watching or not, but the couple he was referring to was the couple who was dressed in a Hawaiian theme maybe - that is what he told me they were dressed like. Lots of red and green with green leaves hanging off of them. So then I had to explain how they did have on underclothes, that they were just different...that it was okay for us to see those underclothes...that is going to have some serious ramifcations later on, I can just feel it! :))
2. "Hey, that was a pretty good move..that was SNAZZY (what?!)....I hope that skate doesn't cut his leg off." (This is when one of the men picked up one of the ladies and stood her on his leg. The whole cutting the leg off never occurred to me, but I guess that just proves that, yes, there is a difference in the wiring of men and women...even men at the age of 5)
3. "Wow, that skier is cool! Maybe I could start skiing. After baseball can I start skiing?" (To which H answered him that we probably won't be taking up skiing because we do not have any equipment and moreover, you would actually have to have snow to practice on and we don't have any...to which Leighton replied "Uh huh, daddy, it snowed last week....not the same buddy, not the same!)
4. "Man, I wish there was a skating teacher around here." (As if H would EVER let Leighton take up ice "dancing".)
5. (My all time favorite!) "Mama, I really like those medals. Next time we go to Walmart can I get one?" (Oh, sure...I am sure they have them there...they have everything else!)
We have really enjoyed the events, but the medal ceremonies have really made an impression on him. He can pretty much call the countries when he sees their flags and the first 3 letters of their country's name...and he loves to hear the National Anthem. I tried to tell him the joke that we used to tell in elementary school about 'Jose' sitting on top of the flag pole during a football game and then someone asking him how he liked the game and he said, "The people were so nice. They stood up and sang a song that said 'Jose, can you see?' and I could see just fine" (Ba-domp-bomp!) I know, I know...he didn't really think it was funny either!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Randomness
Did you think I had abandoned my blog?! Oh, it could be possible at any time...but not yet! This will be a kind of long post....I am just warning you. I have all sorts of random thoughts...
First, my sweet, sweet husband took me away (just like Calgon - smile) for Valentine's weekend. We went to Orange Beach, and let me just tell you, it was fabulous! Although it was just as cold there as it was here, there is something about the beach that just makes you feel warm and fuzzy! (Or maybe that was all of the Mardi Gras festivities!) We just relaxed....to the fullest...we didn't do one thing that we didn't want to and we took as long as we wanted to to do the things that we did do.....the boys...they stayed with Granddaddy and Mimi (THANK YOU!) so I don't even have to describe their weekend....of course they loved it. Suffice it to say that when we got there to pick them up, they both had rather extravagant fits because they "DID NOT WANT TO GO HOME"....ahhh, I felt so loved! (HA!)
We were out of school Monday, so we had a great time...who doesn't love to have a completely open day that they can TOTALLY fill with laundry?! But it was nice to be able to do it all in one day rather than stretch it out across the entire week.....
Tuesday Leighton started feeling not so great.....OH NO!!!! By this morning, he was in no shape to go to school. Bless his heart....I felt so sorry for him! You know when a 5 year old boy doesn't have the energy and want-to to play, then there is a definite problem. Top that off with a severe disregard for food and I knew I had a problem. (He will normally eat me out of house and home!) So, it was off to the doctor for us....tonsilitis....lots of congestion....2 antibiotics later, I hope we are on our road to recovery...but he has been such a trooper. And, of course, Logan has been...well...he has been Logan. Tonight when we got home, Leighton had his sights set on getting up the stairs to the couch...Logan had other plans......
(before I can continue with this story I have to give a little history on the cat(s))
When we came home on Christmas Eve night from Granddaddy and Mimi's we were greeted by a little kitten. (Oh joy! I am not a huge animal lover and even less of a lover of cats...but it made my boys so happy...all 3 of them!) So STEVIE found a home that night. Why STEVIE? Well, we still aren't really sure if it is a girl or a boy...I am thinking that since we don't yet have kittens, it is probably a boy, but who knows?! Anyway, Stevie is the friendliest cat, and, well, to be quite frank, I am not sure he/she is very smart....I think that trait can sometimes be mistaken as friendly. Like when she will NOT get out from under your feet when you are walking ANYWHERE. At first, I thought, FRIENDLY...now I am more of the thought STUPID....maybe he/she doesn't realize if I step wrong I will smush he/she. Anyway, not long after STEVIE came into our lives, ORANGE CAT arrived on the scene. He/She is MUCH more skiddish...like he/she has never come any closer than about 20 feet...but he/she has no problem eating all of the food that we buy! (That sounds a little like some teenagers I have known in the past. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come! HA!) Anyway, Logan is CRAZY about these cats. Leighton loves them appropriately, but Logan is just NUTS with his love! He wants to pick them up and feed them constantly. He also adores talking to them. The conversations are relatively one sided as you can imagine, but that doesn't stop him.
So, back to the story of tonight....we are getting out of the car and lo and behold, ORANGE CAT (URNGE CAT as Logan calls him) was in the basement. That set Logan off. He began chasing him around the basement trying to coax him out from under whatever he managed to find to hide under by saying, "URNGE CAT, come out right now. Logan wants to play wif you." "URNGE CAT, it is me, Logan." "URNGE CAT, I want you come up to my room." Finally, I managed to get Logan up the stairs WITHOUT URNGE CAT. But Stevie was already upstairs. He and Leighton were visiting so sweetly...then Logan spied Stevie. He then proceeded to talk to Stevie, "Hey Stebie (how he says it), Logan wants to hold you. See, my hands right together. (he puts his hands together like he is trying to drink water out of them to hold a 10 pound cat.)" "Stebie, I want you to come to see Logan's room." "Stebie, come to Logan's room right now." Poor Leighton just wanted to put the cat outside. Not Logan. He is intense when it comes to the cat. Eventually we did manage to get the cat outside and get Logan semi-quiet....
Then, when bed time rolled around, H suggested that Leighton might want to watch Hoosiers. (H has some serious feelings about Hoosiers...like it is the best movie ever made. To which I argue, how can that be possible when it doesn't have the slightest resemblence to The Notebook or Pretty Woman....he mumbled something about the whole sports theme once when I asked, but I don't think I was fully tuned in) Once H mentioned basketball, Logan was sold too...he wanted to lay with Leighton and watch....shortly after the movie started, Logan began to call "Daddy...I don't see no baskball..Hey Daddy, day no baskball on dis movie...Daddy....Daddy....did you hear Logan....I don't see no bask ball...." This went on for quite some time, until I went in...then it changed to "Mommy, I don't see no baskball....where baskball...." Again, Leighton was ever so patient (read, ever so sick) so he just kept saying, "Logan, it is coming...please don't say it again." It was a sweet brother moment...moreso for Logan than Leighton I think.
My last piece of random insight has to do with Leslie's blog regarding change. She posed the question of do we like change? If so, how do we like it...for a better understanding, jump on over to her blog and check it out. But it did make me think about my change "style"....and I think I am actually probably not a big fan of change. It makes me nervous. I know some change is good, and I think I might be okay with that...sometimes. But I think the inherent thing that goes along with change is unknown. Most of the time, when we are dealing with change, we have no idea exactly how things will be on the other side of our current "normal"....and it scares me to death. I had mentioned to y'all earlier that I have been reading Beth Moore's book So Long Insecurity. Although it is about insecurity (obviously - duh!) it made me really think about this idea of change....first of all, the book has made me realize that I have more insecurity to deal with than I care to talk about...but some of that insecurity, I think, comes from fear...of anything...of everything....of being insecure!?! And often fears in life come from change...change in job, change in family, change in finances, change in yourself....however you define it, change is inevitable in life...does that mean insecurity has to be as well. I hope that God will meet me in the pages of Mrs. Beth's book and show me how to break free from insecurity...maybe then I will be a change embracer!
First, my sweet, sweet husband took me away (just like Calgon - smile) for Valentine's weekend. We went to Orange Beach, and let me just tell you, it was fabulous! Although it was just as cold there as it was here, there is something about the beach that just makes you feel warm and fuzzy! (Or maybe that was all of the Mardi Gras festivities!) We just relaxed....to the fullest...we didn't do one thing that we didn't want to and we took as long as we wanted to to do the things that we did do.....the boys...they stayed with Granddaddy and Mimi (THANK YOU!) so I don't even have to describe their weekend....of course they loved it. Suffice it to say that when we got there to pick them up, they both had rather extravagant fits because they "DID NOT WANT TO GO HOME"....ahhh, I felt so loved! (HA!)
We were out of school Monday, so we had a great time...who doesn't love to have a completely open day that they can TOTALLY fill with laundry?! But it was nice to be able to do it all in one day rather than stretch it out across the entire week.....
Tuesday Leighton started feeling not so great.....OH NO!!!! By this morning, he was in no shape to go to school. Bless his heart....I felt so sorry for him! You know when a 5 year old boy doesn't have the energy and want-to to play, then there is a definite problem. Top that off with a severe disregard for food and I knew I had a problem. (He will normally eat me out of house and home!) So, it was off to the doctor for us....tonsilitis....lots of congestion....2 antibiotics later, I hope we are on our road to recovery...but he has been such a trooper. And, of course, Logan has been...well...he has been Logan. Tonight when we got home, Leighton had his sights set on getting up the stairs to the couch...Logan had other plans......
(before I can continue with this story I have to give a little history on the cat(s))
When we came home on Christmas Eve night from Granddaddy and Mimi's we were greeted by a little kitten. (Oh joy! I am not a huge animal lover and even less of a lover of cats...but it made my boys so happy...all 3 of them!) So STEVIE found a home that night. Why STEVIE? Well, we still aren't really sure if it is a girl or a boy...I am thinking that since we don't yet have kittens, it is probably a boy, but who knows?! Anyway, Stevie is the friendliest cat, and, well, to be quite frank, I am not sure he/she is very smart....I think that trait can sometimes be mistaken as friendly. Like when she will NOT get out from under your feet when you are walking ANYWHERE. At first, I thought, FRIENDLY...now I am more of the thought STUPID....maybe he/she doesn't realize if I step wrong I will smush he/she. Anyway, not long after STEVIE came into our lives, ORANGE CAT arrived on the scene. He/She is MUCH more skiddish...like he/she has never come any closer than about 20 feet...but he/she has no problem eating all of the food that we buy! (That sounds a little like some teenagers I have known in the past. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come! HA!) Anyway, Logan is CRAZY about these cats. Leighton loves them appropriately, but Logan is just NUTS with his love! He wants to pick them up and feed them constantly. He also adores talking to them. The conversations are relatively one sided as you can imagine, but that doesn't stop him.
So, back to the story of tonight....we are getting out of the car and lo and behold, ORANGE CAT (URNGE CAT as Logan calls him) was in the basement. That set Logan off. He began chasing him around the basement trying to coax him out from under whatever he managed to find to hide under by saying, "URNGE CAT, come out right now. Logan wants to play wif you." "URNGE CAT, it is me, Logan." "URNGE CAT, I want you come up to my room." Finally, I managed to get Logan up the stairs WITHOUT URNGE CAT. But Stevie was already upstairs. He and Leighton were visiting so sweetly...then Logan spied Stevie. He then proceeded to talk to Stevie, "Hey Stebie (how he says it), Logan wants to hold you. See, my hands right together. (he puts his hands together like he is trying to drink water out of them to hold a 10 pound cat.)" "Stebie, I want you to come to see Logan's room." "Stebie, come to Logan's room right now." Poor Leighton just wanted to put the cat outside. Not Logan. He is intense when it comes to the cat. Eventually we did manage to get the cat outside and get Logan semi-quiet....
Then, when bed time rolled around, H suggested that Leighton might want to watch Hoosiers. (H has some serious feelings about Hoosiers...like it is the best movie ever made. To which I argue, how can that be possible when it doesn't have the slightest resemblence to The Notebook or Pretty Woman....he mumbled something about the whole sports theme once when I asked, but I don't think I was fully tuned in) Once H mentioned basketball, Logan was sold too...he wanted to lay with Leighton and watch....shortly after the movie started, Logan began to call "Daddy...I don't see no baskball..Hey Daddy, day no baskball on dis movie...Daddy....Daddy....did you hear Logan....I don't see no bask ball...." This went on for quite some time, until I went in...then it changed to "Mommy, I don't see no baskball....where baskball...." Again, Leighton was ever so patient (read, ever so sick) so he just kept saying, "Logan, it is coming...please don't say it again." It was a sweet brother moment...moreso for Logan than Leighton I think.
My last piece of random insight has to do with Leslie's blog regarding change. She posed the question of do we like change? If so, how do we like it...for a better understanding, jump on over to her blog and check it out. But it did make me think about my change "style"....and I think I am actually probably not a big fan of change. It makes me nervous. I know some change is good, and I think I might be okay with that...sometimes. But I think the inherent thing that goes along with change is unknown. Most of the time, when we are dealing with change, we have no idea exactly how things will be on the other side of our current "normal"....and it scares me to death. I had mentioned to y'all earlier that I have been reading Beth Moore's book So Long Insecurity. Although it is about insecurity (obviously - duh!) it made me really think about this idea of change....first of all, the book has made me realize that I have more insecurity to deal with than I care to talk about...but some of that insecurity, I think, comes from fear...of anything...of everything....of being insecure!?! And often fears in life come from change...change in job, change in family, change in finances, change in yourself....however you define it, change is inevitable in life...does that mean insecurity has to be as well. I hope that God will meet me in the pages of Mrs. Beth's book and show me how to break free from insecurity...maybe then I will be a change embracer!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Raising Boys
I think last night was just a small taste of what raising boys is going to entail. Here is a play-by-play of the highlights of the evening:
4:25
Leighton: "Mama, do you want me to sing you the song that I learned at school today?" (I know, I should have sensed something wrong with this.....)
Me: Sure, buddy! I love to hear your songs!
Leighton: "I hate you, you hate me, let's get together and hurt Barney (you know, the big purple dinosaur)with a baseball bat, let's knock him in the head, one, two, three and ......(well, Barney is no more is jest of it)
Me: GULP! GASP! "OH, well, that is not a nice song at all...first of all, we don't hate, we don't hurt, and we certainly don't sing about it like it is happy. That is not a song you can sing...EVER! Do you have another one you would like to sing?"
Leighton: "Na! And mama, my friends sing it, why can't I?"
Me: "Well, if your friends jumped off of a building, would you?" (why did I ask?!)
Leighton: "How high would it be?"
Totally missed the point buddy...totally missed the point.
6:37
Logan: "Mama, does dose eggs have boogers in dem?"
Me: "No! No, Logan...they dont' have boogers in them."
Logan: "Mama, does dat cream wheat have boogers in it?"
Me: "NO!! No, Logan, it doesn't have boogers in it."
Logan: "Mama, does..."
Me: "Logan, none of our food has boogers in it. Mommy would never put boogers in our food."
Logan: "Are you sure?"
Well, yes...yes, as a matter of fact I am....
8:42
Leighton: "Mama, will you lay beside me just for a few minutes?" (Melt my heart...of course....you do still love and adore your mommy!)
Me: "Sure, buddy. I can't think of anything I would rather do."
Leighton: (laughing) "Uh-oh!"
And then he pulls the covers over my head and exposes me to the rankest smell ever....(giggle, giggle, giggle)
Leighton: "Mama, are you okay? I pooted!"
Thanks buddy! I got that!
9:25
No dialogue! AHHHHH! But even after our, um, conversations for the day, I still wouldn't trade anything for being their mom.....this is what I live for some days
If things had gone according to plan, you would have seen a picture of BOTH of my angels sleeping..as it was, Logan outlasted me last night and when I was going to sneak in and get his picture this morning, I came out of my bathroom to find him standing at my feet....so this is what I got this morning instead of a sleeping boy
the sweetest sight ever....poots and boogers excluded!
4:25
Leighton: "Mama, do you want me to sing you the song that I learned at school today?" (I know, I should have sensed something wrong with this.....)
Me: Sure, buddy! I love to hear your songs!
Leighton: "I hate you, you hate me, let's get together and hurt Barney (you know, the big purple dinosaur)with a baseball bat, let's knock him in the head, one, two, three and ......(well, Barney is no more is jest of it)
Me: GULP! GASP! "OH, well, that is not a nice song at all...first of all, we don't hate, we don't hurt, and we certainly don't sing about it like it is happy. That is not a song you can sing...EVER! Do you have another one you would like to sing?"
Leighton: "Na! And mama, my friends sing it, why can't I?"
Me: "Well, if your friends jumped off of a building, would you?" (why did I ask?!)
Leighton: "How high would it be?"
Totally missed the point buddy...totally missed the point.
6:37
Logan: "Mama, does dose eggs have boogers in dem?"
Me: "No! No, Logan...they dont' have boogers in them."
Logan: "Mama, does dat cream wheat have boogers in it?"
Me: "NO!! No, Logan, it doesn't have boogers in it."
Logan: "Mama, does..."
Me: "Logan, none of our food has boogers in it. Mommy would never put boogers in our food."
Logan: "Are you sure?"
Well, yes...yes, as a matter of fact I am....
8:42
Leighton: "Mama, will you lay beside me just for a few minutes?" (Melt my heart...of course....you do still love and adore your mommy!)
Me: "Sure, buddy. I can't think of anything I would rather do."
Leighton: (laughing) "Uh-oh!"
And then he pulls the covers over my head and exposes me to the rankest smell ever....(giggle, giggle, giggle)
Leighton: "Mama, are you okay? I pooted!"
Thanks buddy! I got that!
9:25
No dialogue! AHHHHH! But even after our, um, conversations for the day, I still wouldn't trade anything for being their mom.....this is what I live for some days
If things had gone according to plan, you would have seen a picture of BOTH of my angels sleeping..as it was, Logan outlasted me last night and when I was going to sneak in and get his picture this morning, I came out of my bathroom to find him standing at my feet....so this is what I got this morning instead of a sleeping boy
the sweetest sight ever....poots and boogers excluded!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
I'm So Excited!
Today I come to you VERY excited! I "signed up" to be part of a blog-community book club, if you will. Let me back up......Beth Moore is my HERO! For those of you who do not know who Beth Moore is, she is an amazing Christian woman who has a heart, no a PASSION, for women and women's ministry. She has written several Bible studies (of which I have done all but 1!) and never ceases to amaze me with her insight and spiritual guidance. There are so many times where she hits me EXACTLY where I need to be ministered to....it is like the girl is reading my mail, people! Anyway, enough of this...(all of this going on makes me sound a wee bit, well, obsessed)Last Tuesday, Beth released her latest book (not Bible study)called So Long Insecurity, You Have Been a Bad Friend to Us! I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy. (I am waiting on my order from Amazon to be delivered as we speak!) Anyway, I have followed her ministry blog, Living Proof Ministries, for well over a year now and might have even bordered on blog stalking some would say! :) Actually, I love the words of a fellow blogger...when she spoke of blog stalking she called it "spiritual shadowing", so that is what I will go with! Anyway, on the LPM blog, Beth will be doing a discussion group focusing on her new book! Isn't that the greatest?!? For more information you can check it out at livingproofministries.blogspot.com. (If I were a more technologically savy, blogging expert I would know how to highlight the word "here" so you could just hit it and be miraculously transferred from my blog to theirs, but I am not.....it is what it is, people!) Anyway, you should check it out. The blog gives ALL of the detials about how to participate. Let me know if you decide to participate......I am sure we will be challenged to the very core of our being while at the same time being ministered to and loved in our most hidden places. Did I mention that I was excited?!?!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Complete with a maid!
Happy Monday! I hope you will indulge me today in giving you a little recap of something that does NOT have to do with my children. (For those of you who follow my blog and love me ONLY for my children, I PROMISE to throw you a bone at the end of the post and talk about the boys...just so you will remain faithful!) I think some of you know, but others of you do not, my INCREDIBLE husband is teaching a Discipleship Training class at our church during 2010. Our pastor has titled it "The Word Dare". (Can you tell we are coming off of "The Love Dare"?!? :))In this class, we are challenging each other to read through the entire Bible in one year. H's basic philosophy is that he was planning to read through anyway, and who wouldn't like a little comradery in doing so!
(For those of you who do not know my husband, allow me to introduce you......he is the most wonderful, Godly man I have ever known! Truly! He is hands-down the best dad that I can think of...our boys adore him....and I am so thankful that they will grow up with a father who loves the Lord and encourages them to love Him and seek Him as well. He is also a fantastic husband! He loves me so sweetly....and has grown more and more into this love each year we have been married. Marital bliss has not always been ours, but not that it is, let me tell you, it is so sweet!)
Anyway, the plan we are following for our Sunday night class is to ready a portion from the Old Testament, a portion for the New Testament, a little in Psalms and a little in Proverbs. This does make for interesting reading, but let me just say, I have really gotten into Genesis and I don't want to stop to read the rest. And, now that the class has started, we have realized that it would have probably been better to read through cover-to-cover....but I digress! So, each Sunday night we have been reading some portion aloud....H says that he believes that it pleases God to hear His Word read aloud by his people (and I agree) so we read a little and then move to our discussion of Genesis....although we are much further behind in our discussion than we are with our reading, we are having fantastic conversation. Last night was my favorite so far...we were reading in Genesis where it is talking about Abraham and Sarah and then about Issac where he is taking his wife...and then where Jacob and Esau come into the story. As we talked, we began discussing how different things were regarding marriage and the importance of carrying on the family line....basically the conversation focused on the way that women were "given" to men to "lay" with just for the purpose of producing a son....whether it was from his wife or not.....we specifically looked at the passage where Jacob has worked for Rachel for 7 years and is then given Leah...only to be given Rachel later but to have to work 7 more years for her......but with both of these wives, Jacob was also given her maidservant....I can't remember their names, but the point is, Jacob really got 2 women for the 1st 7 years and 2 more for the 2nd 7 year period.....as we talked about this, the women in the group asked the men what they would have thought if they would have known they were getting 2 women when they married us! They were, um, quiet! But then we put it in today's terms and asked them what they would have thought if we would have come complete with a maid! The men were still a bit baffled, but all of the women in the class were voting an astounding YIPPEE!!!!!
Of course, it was all in fun! But can you imagine how that must have felt....to know that you were not your husband's one and only! I don't know about y'all, but I don't like to share! (Although I am tempted by the built-in maid!) As you can see, our discussions have not all been purely spiritual, but it has been awesome to get in God's word and see that everything was not always pretty....there was some ugly stuff that took place...stuff that was not pleasing to God....yet, just as we know, he can work through us, around us, INSPITE of us....it is ALL about HIS WILL! I am so thankful to know that he has the plan! Aren't you!?!
Now, to totally change the subject, but to keep my loyal readers happy, I will post breifly about the boys! We had a great weekend at home! But all weekend long, I was reminded just how short of a time they are actually little! Leighton is growing so much everyday (as evidenced by his feet that WILL NOT STOP GROWING!) and Logan is just not looking like a baby anymore! We were discussing how funny Logan has been lately and I told H that I was sure that Leighton was so funny at 2 also, but I couldn't remember it as clearly...but I do remember this:
Does that not just steal your heart!?! He was 2 years old, headed for cowboy day at preschool. Now we are so opinionated about our clothing and headed for KINDERGARTEN...and that is almost over! So I am reminded that I need to hold on to this
tightly because tomorrow he will be headed to Kindergarten too!
So, Peachy Keen, mark this down as my testament to what I am going to miss....just being little!
(For those of you who do not know my husband, allow me to introduce you......he is the most wonderful, Godly man I have ever known! Truly! He is hands-down the best dad that I can think of...our boys adore him....and I am so thankful that they will grow up with a father who loves the Lord and encourages them to love Him and seek Him as well. He is also a fantastic husband! He loves me so sweetly....and has grown more and more into this love each year we have been married. Marital bliss has not always been ours, but not that it is, let me tell you, it is so sweet!)
Anyway, the plan we are following for our Sunday night class is to ready a portion from the Old Testament, a portion for the New Testament, a little in Psalms and a little in Proverbs. This does make for interesting reading, but let me just say, I have really gotten into Genesis and I don't want to stop to read the rest. And, now that the class has started, we have realized that it would have probably been better to read through cover-to-cover....but I digress! So, each Sunday night we have been reading some portion aloud....H says that he believes that it pleases God to hear His Word read aloud by his people (and I agree) so we read a little and then move to our discussion of Genesis....although we are much further behind in our discussion than we are with our reading, we are having fantastic conversation. Last night was my favorite so far...we were reading in Genesis where it is talking about Abraham and Sarah and then about Issac where he is taking his wife...and then where Jacob and Esau come into the story. As we talked, we began discussing how different things were regarding marriage and the importance of carrying on the family line....basically the conversation focused on the way that women were "given" to men to "lay" with just for the purpose of producing a son....whether it was from his wife or not.....we specifically looked at the passage where Jacob has worked for Rachel for 7 years and is then given Leah...only to be given Rachel later but to have to work 7 more years for her......but with both of these wives, Jacob was also given her maidservant....I can't remember their names, but the point is, Jacob really got 2 women for the 1st 7 years and 2 more for the 2nd 7 year period.....as we talked about this, the women in the group asked the men what they would have thought if they would have known they were getting 2 women when they married us! They were, um, quiet! But then we put it in today's terms and asked them what they would have thought if we would have come complete with a maid! The men were still a bit baffled, but all of the women in the class were voting an astounding YIPPEE!!!!!
Of course, it was all in fun! But can you imagine how that must have felt....to know that you were not your husband's one and only! I don't know about y'all, but I don't like to share! (Although I am tempted by the built-in maid!) As you can see, our discussions have not all been purely spiritual, but it has been awesome to get in God's word and see that everything was not always pretty....there was some ugly stuff that took place...stuff that was not pleasing to God....yet, just as we know, he can work through us, around us, INSPITE of us....it is ALL about HIS WILL! I am so thankful to know that he has the plan! Aren't you!?!
Now, to totally change the subject, but to keep my loyal readers happy, I will post breifly about the boys! We had a great weekend at home! But all weekend long, I was reminded just how short of a time they are actually little! Leighton is growing so much everyday (as evidenced by his feet that WILL NOT STOP GROWING!) and Logan is just not looking like a baby anymore! We were discussing how funny Logan has been lately and I told H that I was sure that Leighton was so funny at 2 also, but I couldn't remember it as clearly...but I do remember this:
Does that not just steal your heart!?! He was 2 years old, headed for cowboy day at preschool. Now we are so opinionated about our clothing and headed for KINDERGARTEN...and that is almost over! So I am reminded that I need to hold on to this
tightly because tomorrow he will be headed to Kindergarten too!
So, Peachy Keen, mark this down as my testament to what I am going to miss....just being little!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
The Aftermath
This morning, Leighton and I decided on the way to school that it had already been a busy week (just the first 2 days), so we thought we would come home this afternoon and not go back to church and choir....you know, just RELAX.....you heard me right, relax! I am not sure what made me think that home plus kids would equal relax, but that was the word I had in mind....in any world where you are spending time with a 2 year old and a 5 year old I think a better word would be PLAY.....and now, looking back, I think a better word for us might have been SURVIVE! I'll try to be brief.....
We did manage to get home by 4:30. Both boys wanted to play outside, but it was so cold. I finally convinced them that they could play around in the basement...and I thought that would be a good time to clean out my car a little bit...WRONG! Although Leighton was intent on helping me (and did a great job), Logan (as you can imagine) jumped from one thing to the other....and landed on bubbles! We haven't had those out since summer! But I decided that couldn't do too much harm, RIGHT?!? So I open the bubbles, turn around to pick something up off of the floor, only to turn back around to a wrinkled nose, open mouth and some kind of strange noise....like maybe a cross between a growl and hocking something up out of your throat....and a mischevious little smile....yes, Logan had taken a "sip" of his bubbles....
when I asked him why, he replied "Logan wanted to...tastes yucky....need sompin' drink." So, after a brief panic, a call to poison control, and a whole cup of juice, we recovered.....
Only to find ourselves outside of Leighton's bathroom about 2 hours later.....this time Logan is COVERED in Vaseline...all over his face, all over his hands....
when I asked him why, he replied "Logan wanted to....needed some ceam (cream)on my face." (Are you sensing a pattern here? This one caused much less panic so I did get a picture, although it scarcely does the situation justice.) So, we get him cleaned up, we recovered......
Only to find ourselves ready for bed and Logan comes in with ziploc bags....and below is what the drawer he retrieved those bags from looked like......
At this point, we just had to go to bed.....one of the ladies I work with asked me today if Logan had done anything noteworthy lately (I always have a story about one of the boys) and I told her no, not that I could think of.....Gracious, I hope she doesn't ever ask that again!
I also failed to mention that Logan tee-teed in the floor after his bath! The night was too much! Posts like this make me wish I would have had a blog when Leighton was little....that would have been some good stuff! Right now, he is just my little man.....we had the chance to go to Prattville on Tuesday afternoon by ourselves and we had a GREAT time. But, our conversations were full of, well, important topics! Who would have thought it! My 5 year old and me having a lengthy discussion about the 7 continents! It is such a blessing to watch him grow....
We did manage to get home by 4:30. Both boys wanted to play outside, but it was so cold. I finally convinced them that they could play around in the basement...and I thought that would be a good time to clean out my car a little bit...WRONG! Although Leighton was intent on helping me (and did a great job), Logan (as you can imagine) jumped from one thing to the other....and landed on bubbles! We haven't had those out since summer! But I decided that couldn't do too much harm, RIGHT?!? So I open the bubbles, turn around to pick something up off of the floor, only to turn back around to a wrinkled nose, open mouth and some kind of strange noise....like maybe a cross between a growl and hocking something up out of your throat....and a mischevious little smile....yes, Logan had taken a "sip" of his bubbles....
when I asked him why, he replied "Logan wanted to...tastes yucky....need sompin' drink." So, after a brief panic, a call to poison control, and a whole cup of juice, we recovered.....
Only to find ourselves outside of Leighton's bathroom about 2 hours later.....this time Logan is COVERED in Vaseline...all over his face, all over his hands....
when I asked him why, he replied "Logan wanted to....needed some ceam (cream)on my face." (Are you sensing a pattern here? This one caused much less panic so I did get a picture, although it scarcely does the situation justice.) So, we get him cleaned up, we recovered......
Only to find ourselves ready for bed and Logan comes in with ziploc bags....and below is what the drawer he retrieved those bags from looked like......
At this point, we just had to go to bed.....one of the ladies I work with asked me today if Logan had done anything noteworthy lately (I always have a story about one of the boys) and I told her no, not that I could think of.....Gracious, I hope she doesn't ever ask that again!
I also failed to mention that Logan tee-teed in the floor after his bath! The night was too much! Posts like this make me wish I would have had a blog when Leighton was little....that would have been some good stuff! Right now, he is just my little man.....we had the chance to go to Prattville on Tuesday afternoon by ourselves and we had a GREAT time. But, our conversations were full of, well, important topics! Who would have thought it! My 5 year old and me having a lengthy discussion about the 7 continents! It is such a blessing to watch him grow....
Monday, February 1, 2010
Weekend Recap
For those of you who read my post on Friday and have been anxiously awaiting the report on the sleep-ver, it was GREAT! The boys had such a good time, and they really did play well together. In fact, they spent the majority of their time playing on their DS and sitting as close to each other as possible. They would work together some and then play on their own some. It was a milestone that was easily met and conquered! Score one for mom!!!!!
We also signed Leighton up for baseball on Saturday. This will be our first year to play and we are all a little anxious....well, I think Leighton is mostly really excited and H is geared up to make him the greateset player ever, so I guess I am the only one left who is a little anxious. It seems really hard to believe that we have arrived at this point. Our season will begin in late March, so H already has Leighton geared up to practice every day between now and then.
The rest of the weekend was a blur....with purchasing 1st of the month groceries on Sunday, who has time for anything else....so my accomplishments for the weekend are pretty much as follows:
1. survived sleep-over
2. invested large sums of money to very likely watch my son dig in the dirt while wearing baseball attire
3. obtained hair cuts for the boys (and only having to say "Don't touch your mouth...you have hair on your hands" approximately 822 times in 20 minutes)
4. changed everyone's sheets (and really, what is better than clean sheets?!)
5. attended church (where in my Sunday School class we talked about wrestling with "stuff" as we looked at Ecclesiastes)
6. purchased 1st of the month groceries (which I think I mentioned, but it was so scarring it warrants mentioning twice - I mean, Wal-Mart on Sunday!)
7. collapsed on the couch at 11:00 pm Sunday night, gearing up to do it all over again this week
P.S. As I am posting this on Monday night, I just have to mention Logan and something really precious he has been doing lately...he did it tonight which has it on my mind. He has gotten really good about going to sleep on his own, but he likes to watch a DVD as he is going to sleep. (I am sure there are many points of view on this out there - right, wrong - but please let me off the hook....I am just trying to survive this journey we call parenting!) Anyway, about half of the time, when I go back to check on him the first time, he has not yet made it to sleep. At this point, he always looks up and says "Hey mama! You lay side me, pease?!?" Who can say no to that? Melt my heart....occasionally I am strong enough to resist but most of the time, I crawl right in beside him and snuggle up....most of the time I am asleep before he is! I love being a mom!
We also signed Leighton up for baseball on Saturday. This will be our first year to play and we are all a little anxious....well, I think Leighton is mostly really excited and H is geared up to make him the greateset player ever, so I guess I am the only one left who is a little anxious. It seems really hard to believe that we have arrived at this point. Our season will begin in late March, so H already has Leighton geared up to practice every day between now and then.
The rest of the weekend was a blur....with purchasing 1st of the month groceries on Sunday, who has time for anything else....so my accomplishments for the weekend are pretty much as follows:
1. survived sleep-over
2. invested large sums of money to very likely watch my son dig in the dirt while wearing baseball attire
3. obtained hair cuts for the boys (and only having to say "Don't touch your mouth...you have hair on your hands" approximately 822 times in 20 minutes)
4. changed everyone's sheets (and really, what is better than clean sheets?!)
5. attended church (where in my Sunday School class we talked about wrestling with "stuff" as we looked at Ecclesiastes)
6. purchased 1st of the month groceries (which I think I mentioned, but it was so scarring it warrants mentioning twice - I mean, Wal-Mart on Sunday!)
7. collapsed on the couch at 11:00 pm Sunday night, gearing up to do it all over again this week
P.S. As I am posting this on Monday night, I just have to mention Logan and something really precious he has been doing lately...he did it tonight which has it on my mind. He has gotten really good about going to sleep on his own, but he likes to watch a DVD as he is going to sleep. (I am sure there are many points of view on this out there - right, wrong - but please let me off the hook....I am just trying to survive this journey we call parenting!) Anyway, about half of the time, when I go back to check on him the first time, he has not yet made it to sleep. At this point, he always looks up and says "Hey mama! You lay side me, pease?!?" Who can say no to that? Melt my heart....occasionally I am strong enough to resist but most of the time, I crawl right in beside him and snuggle up....most of the time I am asleep before he is! I love being a mom!
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