Wednesday, November 29, 2006

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNI

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SYDNI

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Saturday is your special day

Ten years old

One Decade old

One Tenth of a Century old




Sydni, you are such a special girl. You are like a daughter to me, which is even MORE special with two little boys. I am so glad that God blessed me so much in knowing you.

I look forward to watching you grow into a beautiful Godly young lady.

Thank you for being such a super, sweet, smart, sensational, stupendous Sydni.

I love you!

Now go wish Sydni
a Happy Birthday!!!

Monday, November 27, 2006

What I AM and Was Thankful For

I love Thanksgiving.

It is a time to spend with family and friends and to reflect on what I am thankful for 365 days a year.

I am most thankful for our Lord Jesus Christ which through His amazing grace I am saved and will get to spend eternity with Him.

I am thankful for my two beautiful children who bless me and make me laugh every day.



I am thankful for my amazing church and my wonderful friends.

But one thing I was extremely thankful for this year was that I had FIVE days off IN A ROW.

I know to many this may not be a big deal, but to me it was HUGE.

Five days of no alarm clock, other than Alex standing at my bed asking me if he could please have a pop tart.

But even that wasn't until around 8:00 am...normally I am up at 5:00 am.

Five days of staying in my pajamas for more than 15 minutes and leisurely drinking coffee.

Five days of not looking at a clock, of wondering in the middle of the day what time it was...that NEVER happens.

Five days of hanging out with friends, watching movies and being lazy.

But most importantly, I had five days with my children without having to say "hurry up" or "lets go".

Five days of not leaving the house at 7:30 in the morning and not returning until sometimes 6:30 pm only to do

homework...

make dinner...

have a bath...

spend a little time together and go to bed.

I am also thankful that when I do not have these days off... and my day starts at 5:00 am with a wonderful hour with the Lord and does not stop until I fall into bed around 11:00 pm...that I can do these things joyfully and that God is teaching me to be content in ALL circumstances and that I am experiencing the abundant life that He promises.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Camping...Kathryn Style



Friday night we went camping.

I loaded up our sleeping bags, clothes, lots of food and my kids and we drove ALL the way to Greens Prairie Road to camp at the Freemans.

It was a Thanksgiving camping trip.

We had the works...turkey, stuffing, everything else you eat and pie.

After dinner we got down to some serious camping. We lit the fire pit and a mess load of kids started roasting marshmallows.

It was great.

There is nothing like the smell of fire on a cold night. S'mores are the best. I personally like to set my marshmallow on fire, blow it out and then eat it while it is still hot...what a rush!!!

It started getting late, so quite a few people left. It was just the die hard campers left. The Freemans, Carpios, me and the boys, Kevin, Whitney Nellie and Pat.

We watched Cars and played ball.

We learned to juggle with muffins...don't try this at home, it only lasts for a few minutes and then it gets really messy.

One by one the kids started to fall asleep...Sydni first...Easton and Michael...Alex was a trooper. He was literally banging on things to stay awake. I should mention that at this point it is two o'clock in the morning.

I have not stayed up this late on purpose in a very long time. Around three o'clock in the morning I think we were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues, because things that are not normally funny became hysterical.

We found out things about each other that we did not know. I had no idea Kevin had such a phobia to lotion or that Nellie could make a pig noise that sounded so real.

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life or ate so much food at one time.

Around four o'clock in the morning we unanimously called it quits...we could literally stay awake no longer.

So the guys secured their sleeping bags in the living room floor and as Nellie and I got in the bed, we both agreed that this was the best camping trip...ever!!!

Yes...camping Kathryn style...marshmallows, food, friends...all in a climate-controlled bug free atmosphere.

It doesn't get any better than that!!

Friday, November 17, 2006

The Church within the Church

As the church get larger, we must get smaller.

We hear that all the time.

It is true.

I am so blessed to be a part of a church body that is so amazing...so close...so authentic...to have so many people that I get to call friend.



So what does that mean "a church within a church"?

We are one body with many parts...a group of people that are gifted in many ways... that God so wonderfully and perfectly brings together to glorify Him.

He puts people together to help each other and lift each other up and amazingly we get to have a stinkin good time in the process.

It is a group of people that you laugh so hard with that you are unable to talk...a group of people that you cry so hard with that you are unable to talk....but that is ok because you are at the point of your relationship with them that words really are not necessary.



You have catch phrases that will crack you up, when others are trying to figure out why it is so funny that 'crawfish season is upon us'.

I love that my friends are all so different. They are different ages, from different backgrounds with different lives. Yet we all share one common bond, the love for Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but if we have love one for another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12

I am so incredibly blessed that within the amazing Body of Living Hope that there are so many wonderful men pouring into my children. Men, Carlos, Josh, Kevin and Ken, who love on them and play with them almost on a daily basis, but are also not afraid to help correct and teach them so that one day they will become Godly men.


The joy of being with these people and watching my children just get to be children with their friends warms my heart and makes me truly grateful.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
John 13:34-15

You truly live out the scripture 'rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn'. Romans 12:15

You will hold each others hand and pray with them when they are struggling.


These are people who are not afraid to correct you and to hold you accountable.

You share everything...

food ...clothes...kids...stories...life

Thank You Lord for being a perfect God who meets our needs above and beyond what we could ever imagine.

Thank You.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Boys and Bugs

Boys and bugs...they go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Except you don't eat them...unless you are Alex. When he was two years old, he ate a spider before I could stop him. I actually had to FLOSS it out of his teeth...can I get an "oh gross".

Of course had that been my first child, I probably would have taken him to the emergency room. But you start to learn and I just chalked it up to being a good source of protein.

There is a good reason God gave me boys.

Not too long ago there was a nasty bug in the house and I was trying to figure out how to get it out. I was going to suck it up with the vacumm cleaner but Michael got a paper towel and picked it up. I told him "here let me get the door for you". The sweet boy looked at me and said "that used to be your job mom, now it is mine".

I love to watch Alex and grasshoppers. He actually goes into a trance when he is trying to catch them and play with them.

Some of Alex's best friends have been grasshoppers.

The other day I heard Alex say "there is a lizzard in my shoe". Now we have SO many toy bugs, lizzards, snakes, frogs...I could go on and on.

So him saying there is a lizzard in his shoe really doesn't mean much until he came in the kitchen with a REAL lizzard in his hand. "Can we keep it mom?"

I have a very good answer for that.

"It has to go find its momma", fortunately they still believe that and don't argue because I told them how sad their momma is and is probably looking for them right now!!!

So out it went...many bugs have lived with us for a short while and then they all go back to their momma'.

It is funny as much as I HATE bugs or anything that flies, crawls or pretty much lives outside...that is how much my children LOVE them.

I truly believe God has a sense of humor.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Crazy Hair Day

Who is this masked man?

Probably one of the only people in the WORLD that I would let do the following to my children's heads...



I love crazy hair day.

We have done many things over the years.

Wigs

Color sprays

Crate paper.

This year was a little different for my boys. Actual shaving was involved.

Mohawks...

Not just mohawks but mullet mohawks.

So fun. The Mohawks by Kevin (he could seriously start his own company) occured Sunday afternoon. The completion of the cut did not occur until Thursday evening. Which means they went to school, the store and the gym where I was told that I was the coolest mom ever for letting my children have mohawks. I just smiled and counted the hours until their little heads were shaved.

I wonder what I will say in ten years when they ask if they can have mohawks. I think if it is to get crazy for Jesus and win souls for the Kingdom...sure go ahead.

Anything else...I don't think so.

On the way home from church Sunday night, Michael asked "what are we going to do next year?"

I can't wait.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Halloween


I love Halloween.

I love to dress up and pretend.

I love that my children love to dress up and pretend too.

This year was great.

I was Pebbles.

I got called Wilma a few times. I guess it is because I have children of my own.

I was still Pebbles.




Michael was a stunning pirate.

He was cool.

His favorite part was the earring.

He wouldn't wear the hat.

Only a bandana for him (because his mother is a fly girl you know!!!)



Alex was a tiger.

He was fierce and he roared a lot.

As long as it has something to do with animals he is happy.

I love that Halloween to my children is not about witches and ghosts. To them it is a chance to dress up and hang out with friends and eat candy!!

It is good old fashioned fun of parties and fall festivals.

They got to go trick or treating at their schools and came home with pockets and bags full of candy, which as a good mother I had to taste and make sure it was ok for them to eat.

We went to festivals and ate hot dogs and kettle corn, yum Nellie!!

And at the end of the night the sugar wears off and they are asleep before their heads hit the pillows!!!

I love it!!