Working mom

Well the next two weeks I will be a full time working mom. I haven't done that since...oh since Lauren was born! I am a little nervous...but excited at the same time. I have always been blessed to be able to stay at home with the kids. I worked at our preschool for 11 years, but that was only 2 days a week. I can't imagine working full time and keeping up with the kids activities and ministry. I have always loved helping Matt in his ministry and feel blessed I have always been able to be a part of it. I don't think there is a mom out there that has regretted staying at home with her kids. I think as they get older it is even more important for you to be there!! I am so blessed to have a husband that isn't money driven and doesn't insist that I have a full time job. He has always driven old crappy cars so we wouldn't have to be tied down to a payment. Last year...he bought my dad's 1997 ford pick-up...and he was so happy...I was so happy for him. He finally had a vehicle that was decent. The funny thing about it is...it is 11 years old and he loves it...so many men out there wouldn't be happy with their father-in-laws old truck. But to Matt is was amazing. The most amazing part now is...it is paid for!! Anyway...in saying all of this...I think people decide what is important to them and do it. I always get annoyed when people live in nice houses and drive nice cars and complain about how they have no money when I know they make way more than us. We are going thru the Crown Financial Series with our life group. If you haven't done this...I totally encourage you to do it soon. It is only week 2 and it has already made me rethink so much about our finances and how we spend out money. So I am working full time for 2 weeks...do I have to..no...but that is the point...we aren't rakin in the bucks in the ministry...but God has provided for our needs and so much more than we ever deserve. I encourage you to stop...take a look around and realize how great you have it. Here are the 2 scriptures we have had to memorize in the Crown Financial Series...think about them...

Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of worldly wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? Luke 16:11

Everything in the heavens and earth is yours O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything. Riches and honor come from you alone and you are the Ruler of all mankind. Your Hand controls power and might and it is at your discretion that men are made great and given strength. 1 Chron. 29:1-12

YEA...I  memorized them! I was shocked I could do that long one..

So in saying all of this...where is your focus..here is a good quote

"We need money to live, but we shouldn't live for money"

I'll let you know how I survive the 2 weeks!!! Pray for me!

Mall Scavenger Hunt!

The Mall...well let's just say...I'm not much of a mall person, but for Lauren...I went! I gave them 12 clues...since it was her 12th bday. They had to go all over the mall and find things in the stores and take pics. They had to sing Happy Bday in the middle of the mall real loud to Lauren while she had on a orange tiara and held an orange wand ...she wanted to kill me for that one! It was fun to watch her with her friends and realize she was becoming one of those 1,000's of youth kids I have been working with

all these years! Yes...mine...my daughter going into Vanity and buying a $3.99 shirt...yes...she is cheap like her mom...and spending all this time in Claire's...giggling with her friends. I gave them all $10 and they had to buy their dinner at the mall and keep the rest for shoppin. I figure if I took 5 girls out to dinner I would spend more than that most likely and I didn't have to buy a craft...or gift to take home...they could just have the cash! They liked that! The scavenger hunt was fun, they had clues on what shop to go in and then they had to find something in that store and take a picture of it. My wonderful niece Danielle helped run the scavenger hunt....she is sooo awesome!!

 One the way home we noticed the Krispie Kreme hot light was on so we pulled in and ate a free donut...at 9:15 at night...:) Bdays are fun because you allow them to do things you wouldn't normally do! 

We came home and got the chocolate fountain goin...with strawberries, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, teddy grams and bananas! YUM!!! I bought that silly thing about 2 years ago and every bday they want it! It's messy, but fun! 

Lauren has great friends, she isn't a girl who likes all the drama...not a girly girl....she really doesn't need a lot of friends, just faithful ones. I am kinda like my girls in that way...I love my friends, but I don't need to be around them all the time to know we are good friends...in fact to much time together with anyone...and they can get on my nerves!! :) 

It was fun to see her get dressed today...wearing all the beads she got last night...the new purse, new boots...she said "I think I look cool today" . Thought that was funny! She is 12...we have just begun!

!2 years ago...same weather

12 years ago...we were in the hospital in the middle of an ice storm having Lauren! She was 12 years old yesterday! WOW! Every year around her bday  it seems to get really super cold! Bless her heart! The night I had her...in Joplin... my family didn't know if they were going to be able to make it home from the hospital because it was so bad...and they had been waiting all day for her to come...so their cars were covered in ice! Her birth was my hardest... no epidural, forever labor...ripped from one to the other...use your imagination on that one...my first child...so clueless! When I found out I was pregnant with her, I had just graduated from college, had a teaching job and was so shocked I took 7 pregnancy test. Funny how each of them keep coming back...yes and I keep takin another one thinking it would be different!! Pretty sure if you are...you are after one or two...and it probably wanted to say...look dummy...stop this nonsense...you are PREGNANT!! I remember calling Matt at church...we were at Carterville then, and he was in shock. My best friend Lana came over with some flowers and tried to cheer me up. She was so sweet to me. 

So we made the appointment with Dr. Borello, his nurse congratulated us and we must have been white as a ghost because she said...are you ok? We just kinda laughed. I remember thinking oh no...everyone will know we've had sex...LOL!! 

I had a pretty normal pregnancy, bleed a little, thought it was a twin I had lost, but maybe it was when I was playing softball before I knew I was pregnant and Rusty Ansely (Lana's husband) collided with me knocked me out and just caused a little bleeding. We still give him a hard time about it. Love ya Rusty...

Toward the end, I got preclampcia  (sp)and toxemia so I began to swell really bad, couldn't even wear socks!! Gained over 50 lbs which most of it was water weight. Anyway, they had to induce me  2 weeks early because of this and what was suppose to be a quick delivery took from 10:00 am until after 9:00pm. Pushed for 3 hours straight...They were minutes away from a C-section when she came down...except she was too big for me and they had to break her collar bone to get her out.. CRAZY!! Remember no drugs...not fun!  Anyway...long birth...crazy...lots of issues...but a beautiful baby. She was 8 lbs and 6 ounces...good thing I went 2 weeks early!! She was so pretty. I remember just looking at her and thinking how awesome she was...I didn't think I was ready to be a mom at first, but once she arrived...there were no questions. 

 I know lots of you have crazier births out there...then there are those of you who have to push harder to toot then you did for your babies...I don't like you...:) 

12 years have past and here we are...a young girl...who before I know it will be a young lady...college...wife...and a mom herself. Only 6 more years...to influence...to love...to guide...before she will spread her wings. Lauren is going to do amazing things for God...I just know it...even though she and I butt heads all the time....I am so proud to be her mom...I am blessed! 

Jaden's Boot Camp Bday!

One birthday down and 2 more to go in the next couple of weeks! Friday night we had 13...8 year olds here! Yeah!! It was fun...but crazy!! It was a great party! They all wore their camos and they enter Jaden's boot camp! When they got there they put on a camo strip of material on their heads, black stripes under their eyes, and put on a dog tag. He made them do drills, then we had an obstacle course and shot a target..which they made themselves when they got there...with a BB gun. Roasted Hot dogs over the camp fire...with chips and pop, served out of our tent that was the Mess Hall. They all loved the fire! Played tether ball and jumped on the trampoline. Had camo cookies with army men on them and opened presents. Then we played wounded soldier...they teamed up and wrapped up one boy in toilet paper, had to carry them to the sand first...then throw the TP in the fire....I think they liked that part the best....had a silly string fight and played flashlight tag! Yep....that was it! I must say it was fun to plan and watch the boys do all of this. Boy parties are loud...lots of activity...wrestling...running...craziness...but they are so fun!!! I love having them all here...Jaden loved it too. 

8 years goes fast...

8 years ago today I was blessed with a sweet baby boy...one I had prayed for since I was pregnant with Lauren, our first daughter. I always wanted a brother growing up and so I really wanted a boy. I was a tom-boy growing up...played in the dirt, cried when my mom put rollers in my hair and then hated it even more when we would go to church and people would tell me how pretty my hair was, had a big wheel, one year I got a race car track and my dad put a piece of plywood on my bed so I could set it up, I was just a chubby little tom-boy. So I wanted a brother to play all these things with! So when it came to being a mom I was really excited when we found out we were having a boy. On our side of the family it was all girls! And after 4 granddaughters we finally got a boy! My dad had dreamed of buying fishing poles, race car shirts, John Deer stuff and footballs for someone someday and now he was going to get that chance. Boys are definitely different than girls, it amazes me! Easy in some ways, harder in other ways. I feel so blessed to have 2 girls and a boy....to have both is awesome. So I bring Jaden home, to our rent house at that point...to his big sister Lauren who is six days from being 4 and Brooke who is almost a month away from being 2...still babies themselves!!! And from that point on it has been fun...watching him grow, learn and become a little boy. Above everything...the biggest blessing for me is watching Jaden and Matt together. Jaden literally adores his daddy...everything Matt does, Jaden wants to do.  They build and destroy things together, wrestle...shoot things...repair things...Matt is so good with him. I am thankful for a husband who sees the importance of spending time with his children and setting an example of Christ in his life. 

Well Jaden's dream right now is to be in the Army...scary for a mom...I told him he was already in the Lord's Army...:) Tomorrow he will have 12 boys over for an army party....oh my!  It is going to be fun! Today he got to go to breakfast with Matt to Waffle House, lunch with Nana and Papa to Captain D's and to Goldies with the fam.  Wow!! What a day!! He doesn't like cake, so we always get him Krispie Kreme donuts and stack them up to make a "donut cake". Which we all like better anyway! 

So 8 years...it has went fast...only 10 years away from college!!! I love being a mom of a boy...there is just something about a moms love for her baby boy. 

Revelaion Song

One more thing today...I added a playlist...yes I am proud of myself for actually figuring it out!!! Thanks to some help from Nicole!! But this song you are listening to right now...it always makes me cry and want to fall on my knees and thank God for His holiness. This song and the next one you will hear...Our God Saves...helped me get thru everything with my dad this year...he truly "Saved" my dad not only physically, but spiritually....I heard it for the first time when I thought he was going to die and it became my song of hope for him to live and I claimed it and believed God could truly heal my dad. So enjoy, worship and remember He saves...this is a picture of him adn my mom on the right...our miracle!!

Yesterday I had lunch with a close friend of mine that has had a lot of struggles in the last few years. A few weeks ago she hit rock bottom and found herself in a place she never thought she would be at. I think about my post and realizing that we all have a gift/talent we are given to use for God and when we get off track of using that gift for God's purpose, we can find ourselves in a downward spiral if we don't recognize it. We need to surround ourselves with people who will keep us accountable from falling away, and give them the permission to tell us things we don't want to hear. She and I have this kind of relationship and can freely tell each other things, which I am thankful for. I know she will continue to get better and I am praying for her. She has so many gifts and is such a blessing to others and I am looking forward to helping her in this process. So my question for you is...do you have someone who is keeping you accountable? If not...do it..now! 

Lots of you...

So...there are many of you bloggers out there I am discovering...hmmm...

God's will

I've been reading this book "Following God with All Your Heart" by Elizabeth George. I have never been a good reader so for me to get thru a book it can take awhile! I have committed to reading 1 or 2 chapters a day in this book along with 4 chapters in the bible a day this year. I have experienced a lot of change this year in my life...job, ministry, family...and I feel like someone has pushed the reset button on what I thought was God's will for the rest of my life. I am entering a new season in life and I am seeking His guidance in where he wants me to serve. 

This week I specifically prayed about a situation and I gave it to Him. I asked him to clearly show me if this is the direction He is leading me and if so, I was going to let Him guide me and I would get out of the way and not try to make it happen. 

And there she sat across the table...not knowing I had been specifically praying about it and said the words that I had been praying I would here if He wanted me to do it. We had a good talk and felt God moving in both of us as we chatted. Both of us feeling lost at this point in life and seeking God's direction. I think there are so many moms out there that are feeling this way..kids are in school all day...needing to find another purpose. Knowing our main purpose is to grow in God and be the best wife and mom with the help of God, but having a passion to reach more people for Christ with our talents and gifts. I love when we can encourage one another in our walks and let someone else know hey...your normal! 

In the book I'm reading the verse that is repeated over and over is:

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 

2009 is here...can't believe that! Yes, I have offically been out of HS for 19 years...WOW! Today I spent the day organizing my Craft Room. What a mess that was! I also cleaned our bonus room. I really need some ideas for that room. It is still such an unfinished room. I rearranged the furniture, still needs help! 

Jaden and Brooke started Upwards Basketball today, very impressed with that league. I love that their main focus is teaching the kids about Christ. How great is that!