#23 and #16

Here is a nice site I like to visit from time to time (JK). For those of you who have no clue what this is all about, my sister had a few obsessions when she was growing up and we recently took a little stroll down memory lane. He was one of them. "Oh Pat. You're so groovy." Just kidding she isn't old enough to use the word groovy. But I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to the original heart throb. She had so many pictures of him, I felt like he was my uncle.
So AV.... this ones for you! Be on the lookout for a little GNR tribute.

Raisins, raisins, raisins, Hallelujah

I handed Sammy a box of raisins on the way home from BSF today. I always ask him what he learned that day and he always says "nothing". Today he inadvertently shed some light on the fact that he is indeed learning SOMETHING, though the details of which still allude me. So I hand him the raisins and I hear him begin to sing "raisins, raisins, raisins. Hallelujah!" I laughed so hard and so did he.

Entertaining....

and thought-provoking. I enjoyed this because I have been thinking about a couple things lately. One, what are my temptations. In High School they were so obvious... drinking, cursing, being disrespectful to authority. The list goes on. But lately I realized I have not given enough attention to the temptations that beset me daily. I am struggling lately with the temptation to let my temper get the best of me. I need to use the same weapon the Jesus used when He was tempted and that is Scripture. I realize my need to memorize, meditate on and seek understanding of it. I truly believe their is immeasurable power in those disciplines. Another thing I have been challenged by is the question; for whom do I live each day. It would seem, ME, first of all, of course then for my children and then for Mike. Consequently, these are the very people from whom I seek acceptance and gratitude. Does it get more screwed up than that? First of all I am impossible to please, and I should not be serving for the purpose of ANY gratitude. I should be living and serving for an audience of ONE. The ONE. I need to seek Him in the morning so that I am not living without "rhyme or reason" as these girls sang. I have a purpose and all the little daily things are a significant part of it.
I am having a hard time each day feeling like my work as a mom all gets erased every time I lose my patience. Which incidentally happens more often now that I am pregnant. Having 2 toddlers is more work than I could have ever imagined and I never wanted to be successful at ANYTHING more than being a mom. So all this to say, if you pray for me, please pray for patience in my home. Pray that I will stop and pray each time I am tempted to let my temper flare and that I will live for an audience of One, seeking His approval and no one else's.
God is so good and I am so thankful to be a child of His. How do people do it outside of His grace?

6 Years.... and we never had a fight!

My mom used to say that all the time. Mike and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on November 3rd. Wow. Time flies when you're having fun. Marriage is probably one of the most challenging journeys this life can offer, but boy is it rewarding. The thing is, for me anyway, EVERYDAY I lay my head down and wish I had done something different-better regarding Mike. I think of all the things I said or did that I wish I could take back and all the things I could have said that would have edified him and lifted him up. But tomorrow is another day and I am thankful that God gave me the perfect mate that accepts me for who I am and is patient for the woman He is making me into. The rewarding part comes when I get to interact with newlyweds and remember being there. Feeling overwhelmed with all the unknowns and seeing the progress we have made since then. How we have only just begun to be able to know each other's thoughts and finish each others sentences. The more rewarding part comes when I get to interact with the seasoned couples who have been married for decades and know that we will be there.......... someday.
So what does a couple who have been married for 6 years with 2 kids and 1 on the way DO for their 6th Anniversary? Well we get a nice hotel room in DC, go out for a PEACEFUL dinner, and sleep our hearts away. Ahhhhhh!!! Our anniversary fell on Daylight Savings so not only did we get to sleep in, but we got an EXTRA hour of SLEEP!!!! Oh the blessings abound. The next day we saw a matinee of this.
Thanks Jenny and Chase for watching the munchkins.
I absolutely LOVE John Cusack and of course his sister too! LOVE his character in it. Great movie if you love him and like movies that are mostly about character development and the interactions between them. Pretty slow and uneventful, but heartstrings beware.

Happy Halloween

We had a lot of fun at our Church Harvest festival. Sammy really got into it this year. He made a really fun dog and Thea won 1st prize in the costume contest!!!

September

We went on a family vacation to Outer Banks. My first time there. It was a beautiful place, great house and... okay weather. It rained most of the time which suited me just fine. Spendin time in the house, sipping coffee and chatting with friends is my idea of vacation. We celebrated Sammy's birthday with his best bud Jake and some of mommy and daddy's best buds too!

I'm Back

Sorry about the intermission. I have been away feeling a little under the weather due to the above picture. So much has happened since I last wrote and it got to the point where I didn't know where to begin......... so I just didn't. Well I am into my second trimester and feeling MUCH BETTER! Got some more energy and some less nausea. Ixnay the "above picture. The sonogram picture of our third baby would not upload. I am assuming that the 3 people that read this all now about the baby anyway.