It's been forever since I have posted anything on this site, my apologies to my aunt and grandmother whom I know are the only people to view the site. :) I have TONS of pictures of Disney that I have yet to post anywhere, my computer at home if on the fritz so it is really slowing down the process. I promise to get Disney pics up soon, it was a wonderful trip full of great memories... and it was... exhausting.

Beautiful Babies: If I do say so myself

I am crazy about these kids. Truly, I thank God everyday for making me their mother. They are amazing, from their sweet voices that you can hardly tell apart on the phone, to their individual personalities that brighten up my world. Stoney's handsome and crooked, full of it grin, JoLee's sparkling, green eyes and Case's sweet, contagious laughter. What a gift I've been given. Thanks Leslie for the pictures of my babies.

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of A Woman's Soul

Okay so I started a new book Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery to A Woman's Soul, here on amazon, http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Unveiling-Mystery-Womans-Soul/dp/0785289097/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262898574&sr=1-1.

I am only in the beginning of the book but have found it really interesting so far. The writers point is that there are 3 main things that women desire: romance, to be a irreplaceable part in a great adventure and to unveil their great beauty. Hmmmm

So... they point out that the heart of a woman is a quintessential part of God's whole creation. That after looking over the earth, the animals, and man, God said something isn't right, it isn't right for man to be alone. So like the final touch on a great painting or sculpture, God created woman. Not as an afterthought but as the one missing piece that would make the whole picture come together. That Eve is created in the image of God just as Adam is, that God gave her uniquely feminine traits to use at Adams side to rule over this new creation. That is pretty powerful to think about.

Not an afterthought but a Pièce de résistance.

Another point they make is that most women in society today feel like they are failing at something. Some more than others but most feel like they are falling short of some unattainable version of themselves. This I can identify with. I am constantly in debate with myself on why I can't seem to get it all together. Why am I pushing it to get Stoney to school on time in the mornings? Why can't I get the laundry, dishes and the beds made all in one night? Why can't I reach a single goal that I have set for myself at my job? Why is it so difficult FOR ME to be this got it together working mom and wife. Why why why!!

So the question that the book is getting at is, what does it mean to be a woman?? They begin with Romance and how every woman (their claim) wants to be romanced, that most little girls dream about being the princess, to be pursued and sought after. That most woman desire to be someones priority, and that most woman, especially in the 21st century are ashamed of this desire. They fight the fact that they want a hero, to look to them and know them, pursue them and love them. In relation to Eve being created in the image of God the writers describe how God wants us to to look to him, know him, to pursue and love him. Pretty interesting. In watching my little girl, I would agree that she loves being romanced. Not in the dating sense, dinner and candlelight or anything but in the sense of being a priority, especially with her daddy. When he looks at her she glows. She knows he loves her, that she is his little girl and that makes her special. I think all woman want to know that feeling, that feeling that we are truly unique and special, to someone here and most of all to God.

So, the irreplaceable part in a great adventure....that's where I stopped for the night. Just something to think about. What do you think? I'll post more as I keep reading.

God Bless~ R

New Year's Resolution... Or Not.

Okay, so every new years I make a resolution and every year around February I throw my hands up and say forget it. So this year I am trying something different. I ran across a blog http://christinekane.com/blog/resolution-revolution-a-better-way-to-start-your-year/ about not setting resolutions, instead picking a word for the year. Read the blog, she explains it better than I can. I immediately stressed out, how in the world do I pick one word for an entire year, but after reading her example and the stories of others who have tried this, (and with a little help from a the writer, she included a list of words) I have chosen my word, or words I guess.... Acceptance and Forgiveness. I am supposed to carry these two words with me throughout the year and try to remember them in situations where I would like to change my reactions. There are deeply personal matters that I am going to try and work through this year using these two words but also everyday matters that always seen to junk up my weeks. Instead of getting frustrated that my house is constantly in chaos and that there are toys ALL OVER my living room, I want to remember my word and just accept the fact that there are going to be toys strewn around the house because there are 3 small children living there and one of these days they will be moved out and on their own and I will wonder how the house stayed so tidy, and I'll actually miss those toys.

Forgiveness is a tough one for me. Not because I hold a grudge against others, I can dish out forgiveness, it's forgiving myself that I need to work on. Mostly motherhood issues, like today, I got everyone up, in showers, dressed. I got breakfast down everybody, made lunches, found shoes, overlooked the feeding of the cat and the dog. I found a lost notebook, and misplaced brush and managed to get myself showered and presentable in the process. We were out the door, everyone jackets in hand. I got Stoney to school on time and JoLee and Case to the church. Upon arrival to the nursery I changed Case and realized that his socks and shoes were on the counter at home where I had set them down to find the notebook. *sigh*. So close and yet so far from a perfect morning. Sabra the nursery angel took pity on my poor third born child and found him some socks so his feet wouldn't freeze (I did have him wrapped in a blanket outside) and I will go get his shoes at lunch. Forgiveness.... he will survive without shoes this morning, they said he takes them off as soon as I leave anyway. Tomorrow is a new day, and I can guarantee Case will have socks and shoes but it's anybody's guess as to what gets left on the counter.

Christmas 2009

Christmas is always so crazy around our house. When you work at a church the job stress leading up to Christmas Eve gets pretty high. There were around 2500 bulletins to run, newsletters to get out, websites to update... the clergy was busy with sermons, everyone was rush rush rush. Cody, the kids and I lit the Advent Candle at the 5:00 Family service Christmas Eve. Stoney read Luke 1:7 in front of the whole congregation. He did great!! JoLee opened the prayer with "Let Us Pray". We were so proud. I had the kids all dressed up, they looked so cute. Below is the result of my attempts at getting a good Christmas picture of all of them. You can see that they were NOT cooperating, especially the boys, so I gave up. Here is the kids Christmas picture 2009.

so close to a good one!

seriously??!!

as good as it gets... goof balls.. don't they look cute!

New family pictures

Our friend Steve Campbell took some pictures of our family yesterday. I thought they turned out really cute.

Little Miss Tomball Pageant

JoLee was in the Little Miss Tomball Pageant and won 2nd runner up overall. She was so excited. I am waiting for pictures that were taken at the pagent to be uploaded so I will post them as soon as possible. I wasn't able to take pictures because I was running around and helping her change outfits. She was too CUTE!.