Mugshot Mondays…

My prayer is not that you take them out of this world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:15

Mom, Are we poor…

Seriously, not the question I thought would be uttering from my almost 9-year-olds mouth. However, he is the socially-conscious one always worrying about his clothes, his hair, or his choice of activities. The question came up recently while driving home from yet another practice, and caught me totally off guard. “Why do you ask “, I quietly replied, wondering who had said what, what has he overheard and generally how am I going to give him a satisfactory answer. “Some kids might think we’re poor because of your car.” WHAT?!?! I was thinking and a laugh is what came out. That’s all, my car!

Since when do 3^rd graders even notice what kind of car anybody drives? Now, let me say—I love my car-- all 12 years aged and 250, 000 miles of it, not to mention it’s paid for. We could go down to the bank and get a brand-new fancy car payment anytime but why! I drive 2 miles of dirt road every day then another 30 of highway just to work and back, another 30+ for extracurriculars ; I haul a lot of stuff and people in my car, and it has been known to pull a trailer when needed.


Yes, it’s old but my husband can fix anything, and yes it has a dent in the side (not caused by me) but that just makes it easier to find in the sea of pewter colored Suburbans at Publix.

So, back to my son, “No buddy we’re not poor. God gives us exactly what we need when we need it. If I ever need a new car, we will have one, but right now I don’t need a new car, notice we are driving down the road in it.” He seemed satisfied with that answer but I am still curious where that thought even came from.
Are we teaching our kids that a new car is a status symbol even in elementary school? If so, shame on us as parents. I pray I can teach my kids to avoid the commercial and look at the individual. I want them to understand everyone one of God’s creations are worthy of love, because He created us no matter what we look like, what we drive, what we wear, or who we know. Once, again time to get off my soapbox. Time will tell, but for now it’s good to know Riley will still happily ride with me, he is not hungry or naked. God is good and we are not “poor”…

Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a fool whose lips are perverse. Proverbs 19:1

I remember when…

my baby girl, was a baby girl. Time has flown by over the last seven years. I don’t know what happened! I remember distinctly fretting over when she was coming, then she was here my perfect 9lb 13oz baby with spiky red hair—who knows where that came from. Ansley is super sweet and thoughtful, she usually remembers to put others before herself. Even today when she came home to find a surprise gift card from Pappa and Nanni she immediately wanted to go to Build-a-Bear and get something for her brother and herself. She loves to be read to and has nearly perfect auditory memory. We are as amazed as her teachers when she recites back stories and movies word for word after only hearing them once. She loves to dance and play soccer and we are trying softball this year for the first time. She loves animals and anything nature oriented. The butterfly museum is her favorite place.  Best of all she loves God and will happily tell anyone who listens all about the plan of salvation and her God’s “love and mercy and grace” which thanks him for every night in her prayers.

 

1st Birthday!

2nd Birthday!

3rd Birthday!

4th birthday!

5th birthday!

6th birthday!

 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Our Rainbow party & Mono

Alright, when Ansley told me she wanted a birthday party for the first time since she was 1 (we are usually at Disney), I jumped on it. We started planning and crafting months ago. I was all too excited that she wanted a rainbow theme because there awesome ideas everywhere. She insisted that we invite every child in her first grade class, “because I don’t want anybody to be sad they missed my party”, I love her sweet spirit. So, of course I whipped up 18 invitations and off to school they went. I found the cutest, dress, I bought a lot of goodies—the plan being to serve all the sugar and sweetest they could hold and ship them home right in time for night service at church. Oh, yes did I mention we had to squeeze our party into a Sunday afternoon, thanks to all the extracurricular ball playing that we, and all of our friends have going on. We made favors and, decorations, I think that child had a new game planned everyday for a month. She is going to be a party planner, I just know it—or a cruise ship activities director. Then it happened she woke up Friday morning with her neck as swollen as her head, in fact she didn’t really have a neck anymore. We will skip through the details and let me just say my only days away from being 7-years-old daughter has the kissing disease. Thank fully with dr. permission we partied on, in between two two-hour naps and a 12 hour night’s sleep… Pray for us!

Love this dress, I found on Etsy for super cheap.

The amazing wreath my sweet friend Brittany made

Goodie bags and homemade hats…

Party games…

I have wanted to make these for ages- super yummy

The first birthday cake I ever made! (Thanks to Aunt Candace for the chocolate rainbows!

just look at that puffy faced smile!

I totally forgot to get that all important, this is the amazing inside shot—but here are the amazing left overs!

We had lots more going on, but the point is it was a lot of fun. We are so thankful that she felt well, and that her friends were still willing to brave the germs!

 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:14

Mugshot Monday…

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

The Cross

D. Sharon Pruitt

“The center of salvation is the cross of Jesus, and the reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much. The cross is the point where God and sinful man merge with a crash and the way to life is opened; but the crash is on the heart of God.                   ---Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. I Peter 2:24

I remember when…

Warning—unless you are my mom this is probably going to be a little drawn out for you!!

Of course with Easter coming up this weekend, I had to post about Easter’s gone by. Easter has always been a time to remember our Lord’s sacrifice and resurrection. We have tried to take the focus off the commercial and on to the Spiritual, the reality of a Savior. Even when the kids were super little, and I have taken a lot of criticism for it, we do not have an Easter bunny or other fairy tail creatures for that matter. Although he is not banned, we just treat the bunny as a fun story like, Cinderella or Toy Story. I do make Easter baskets and small gifts but it is given with the knowledge that God blesses us and we can provide these gifts to celebrate the Resurrection. We always enjoy family time and lots of candy—I think I have eaten a bag of Reese’s eggs this week…

2006

I was trying soooo hard to get a good Easter picture on my own—HA!

ready for church

 

2007

I don’t know what I was thinking—inside!

I wonder if the TV was on…

egg hunting at Nanni’s

…that I just woke up and I get to have presents and candy stupor

 

2008

back outside where we belong

Early morning Easter baskets

ready for church

egg hunting at home

 

2009

I don’t even remember this table?

these hats were hilarious—but we matched Riley’s class at school

apparently I took every picture in front of this quilt

I guess we never had an egg hunt, or baskets, or parents this year…

 

2010

 

We must have colored eggs while, swimming—this is the only picture I have!

not sure where her basket is…

he was really gung-ho

it’s not great, but it’s not in front of the quilt!

2011

Apparently we didn’t have Easter at all that year!

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5