DUH!!!!!

I was going to start this blog, in the midst of cooking dinner, and attach this really cute pic of Sadie chillin' it on the couch only I haven't loaded the stupid thing into the computer yet!! My one brain cell is being very taxed at this moment!!!!

Our small group was so awesome last night. We are going through the book "Dream Team" about marriage. We had the Strader's, the Berry's, the Sipes', the Duncan's and us. I just have a really good feeling that this group will really be honest and be there for one another. Last night we talked about the kind of intimacy it takes to pray together, in depth. Most of us (except the brown-nosing Berry's:)) don't pray together on a regular basis and we talked about how we have chosen to spend our entire earthly lives with our significant other but we are uncomfortable about praying with them. It is definitely a huge step in intimacy. As a society, we are so guarded and don't want to let "anyone" into the dark corners of ourselves and that ultimately spills over into our marriages. In prayer, you also have to be completely honest with Jesus and when you are, someone else is ultimately listening. You fear their reaction to what you say. Will they be angry with you? Will a fight get started? Will they truly listen to your prayer and accept the way that you feel? It is so sad that we can't just open that gate and not look back. I did ask all the couples to promise that, even if only once this next week, they would pray with one another. It only takes 2 weeks to make something a habit...what a great habit to have. I am just sssooo excited about the feel in our group, and about the fact that we have 2 of the newer couples with us (maybe I should be afraid with Ronny here). God is going to do wonderful things in our marriages....I can feel it!!!!!!

Disappointment

Jordyn took the written test today to get her driver's permit.....she failed:(
I could tell that she wanted to cry but because she had to go back to school she wasn't going to let herself. I felt so bad...thank goodness that several of her friends had to take the test more than once to pass. Keep her in your prayers this week because we will probably go back next Tuesday and try again.

Crazy dayz!!!! Today I got up early to take Jo for the test (8am), by the time we were done Ronny called me and asked me to bring my vehicle by (trying to sell it because they dropped the price on the 2007s and if we don't sell it we will NEVER get out of it what we paid)(9am), got home at around 9:45am, played with Riley and tried to get a few things done around here, fixed lunch at 11:00, laid Riley down at 11:30, got him up at 1:00, went to school to pick up Cooper for the orthodontist at 1:30, drove to Bastrop for a 2:50 appointment, didn't leave there until 4:30, ran into a torrential (sp?) downpour outside of Monticello and drove about 25mph, got home at 5:45, Cooper had football practice and they finally came in at 7:30pm. Could we squeeze in anymore!? I met myself coming and going several time today!

Accomplishment !!!!!!

I actually got something accomplished!!!! Thank you for the prayers. I am still trying to get in a routine and just getting one single page done after months and months is a milestone.

Went to Kristy's this morning and actually got the majority of this page done at her house. Angela came too and she couldn't decide what size page to do so ended up not getting one completely done. There are so many choices and so little time! I just had to scrap a page about the hair! I NEVER am in any pictures so I decided to get one of just me. I didn't even think to include the fact the not only do I have the funky do but I also have braces. Can anyone say repressed childhood!?!?!?! I have been called Cruela and gotten several "What on earth were you thinking?" looks but to tell the truth I really kinds like it...it's growing on me....if you really think about it...it really is GROWING on me!!!! HA HA HA

The entire time we are trying to get something done all we can hear in the background are Riley and Abby running up and down the hallway. They came in at one point and were talking about playing and I told them they needed to stay at this end of the house because Lilly was napping and Kristy told them to go play in Abby's room and Riley said,"Abby, do you want me to throw my Spiderman at you?" They had apparently been throwing toys (by the shape of her room) at each other for fun! I wasn't sure that sounded like a lot of fun but I'm not 3!

Rain

I love the rain. It's not about the cleansing part of the rain. It's the put on your jammies, curl-up on the couch, football season feel. I wish it would get dark, thunder, lightening and storm like crazy. I don't think its going to happen but I can hope!

Why is life so topsy-turvy? You can go one day and feel crazy and the next you are just calm and happy. I wish God would have sent us manuals with each of us or even just a cheat sheet of some sort. We have friends call us for opinions and support but we can't even begin to help ourselves. I guess that's why God gave us girlfriends.

I am going to try and start a daily routine for myself tomorrow. Start my day off with the Lord and make a plan for the rest of the day. I always have such great plans and yet everyday I find a reason to plant myself on the couch or something and then complain about not having time to get anything accomplished. Why is it so hard to get yourself motivated? Wish me luck!!!!

I'M TIRED!!!!

Tired of....
-being an adult
-being an adult and still feeling like a teenager in my head
-being afraid to say what I feel
-being afraid of confrontation
-being hurt by other's actions that really have nothing to do with me at all
-being anxious
-feeling overwhelmed by life sometimes
-being a procrastinator and not even realizing it
-worrying about things that I have no control over, knowing the Lord always takes care of things
-not trusting my Savior enough
-responsibility
-feeling crazy
-feeling insecure
-being tired

Pray for me.

Boredom Kills!!!

Blogs anyway! I was wanting to change my template and I go in to look at the changes and all of my links are gone!!!! It only took me forever to figure out where in all of the garble-de-gook I had to put them in the first time! I hate computers!!!!!

Had to show everyone just how be-a-u-tiful my baby is! When you get started doing this you just have to add more..don't ya!?!?!

Next time I will try to include a pic of my new funky do! (Not so new anymore to some of you but my mother didn't seem too impressed when I emailed a picture to her!)

WORLD SERIES IS OVER!!!!

Say hello to the two 16 year olds we had in our home for 11 days. Zeke is on the left, Coop in the middle and "Pitts" (Clint) is on the right. They played on the Texas team during the 16 year old World Series. We endured 2 extra boys, 100 degree weather, sweating, long ballgames, disappointments the first 2 games, late nights, lots of eating out, exhaustion, some more sweating (wring out you underware, sweating), laundry, sweating....you get the drift. Our team ended up in the championship game (the underdogs) and only lost by 2 runs. We were so proud of them! Zeke is a great kid who has 5 brothers, 1 sister and his mom homeschools them all...I just kept telling her "God Bless You!" Pitts was Riley in a 16 year old body. The funny thing about it was that I really connected more with Pitts and he drove me crazy! Just obnoxious! The sad thing was that at the end of the 11 days I was so ready for them to go home and then once it was time for them to go I got all misty! I have issues!!!! I will say that this experience has given me a greater appreciation for my family. They drive me crazy but I have great kids, who know how to behave...for the most part...out in public. Having a 16 year old who you have to get on constantly puts things in perspective!!!!

The kids are back in school and routine has taken over. Thank you Lord Jesus for routine. We get up at a normal time, take a nap, pick up kids, and then the miscellaneous starts (cheerleading, Junior league football, church, etc, etc) but it is routine none the less! I guess I never realized just how much I thrive on that. I feel semi-human again...although the morning thing is killing me. I am not a nap person but I'll tell you what..about 1:oo I am snoozing on the couch while Riley is out! Guess I'm getting old.

Is anyone else freaking out because their child is getting so grown-up?!?!? Jordyn is so beautiful! She started high school and in only 4 years she will leave for college:( Where has the time gone? I guess I blinked and life sped past me. She will be turning 15, getting her driver's permit (I have now given you all fair warning), she's a cheerleader...she's almost an adult. She is such a great kid and we have grown to have such a good relationship. We had some rocky times when she was younger but now she talks to me about everything. I can't believe that she is mine and that by the grace of God I actually raised her right (you too honey, just can't believe I turned out to be a half-way decent mom)! She's smart, kind, God-centered, beautiful...I could go on and on! She wants to be a NICU nurse, have 2 children of her own and then adopt from China. She wants to go on medical missions! Where did this child come from?

Sorry, I am rambling...so much time has gone by since I last blogged that no one will probably read this...lots has happened and so little finger stamina to get it all in!

REFRESHING

Refreshing. This is my newest adventure with God. The kids and I went back to Kansas/Missouri to visit family (after several other vacations during the month of July!) and the Lord used that time to refresh me. Before I left I felt so heavy and anxious. Ronny and I were on edge, I was on edge with the kids and I just felt plain heavy...like I was just simply treading water with my nose sticking out. The funny thing about it is I can't really tell you when the miracle occurred, but once I got home I felt refreshed. God wiped my emotional and spiritual slate clean and I feel wonderful! He is so gracious and knows what we need even when we don't. We are living in the dark world and He is the light and yet I so often forget that and all of the blessings he has rained on me. I have an amazing husband, beautiful, God-fearing children, a home, friends that I wouldn't trade for all the world and a God who loves me no matter what. We are so unworthy and yet when we fall and scrape our knees...there he is. When the world has pulled us in so many directions that we think we will be torn apart...there he is. Thank you, Lord Jesus, thank you.

The other thing that has really been hitting me lately, partly from the refreshing, is that I need to take captive ALL of my thoughts to Christ. Satan is so sneaky about whispering in our ears, we don't notice and the next thing you know the ugliness has crept in and you can't get rid of it. I have had to say to Satan, everyday, to get away and pray that Jesus will take my thought life for him. It has made such a difference. I refuse to get bogged down again and feel ugly toward those that I love. Again, thank you Lord!

Please keep me in your prayers. We are hosting two 16 year old baseball players for the World Series here in town for 10 days! We are praying that they aren't all that cute because of our almost 15 year old daughter! Not only that, but for those 10 days we are their family in every way...food, laundry, transportation, etc, etc! Nothing like a family of 7 on a trial basis! As much as my husband likes to believe, most of the responsibility falls to me and I am a little afraid. It will be weird at first having strangers in the house but I know that we will have a blast once we are confortable with each other. Coop is also going to be the batboy for their teams. Hello ballfields again!

I apologize for being so sporadic with my entries, but part of June and, it seemed like all of, July was spent in the car either roadtripping to canoe, roadtripping to the Diamond Mines or 10 hours roadtripping back home! I promise that I will TRY to be more reliable with blogging, but I'm not making any promises!!!!!