Let summer begin!

I can not say enough good things about the pre school both my children attended! All of their teachers have been so loving, kind and patient with each of them. They take each child's safety so seriously on top of being so creative and fun! I can definitely say my children are much more academically and socially challenged at school then they are at home with me :) Most of all I am so thankful that my little ones pray with their teachers before the start of every day, hear the word of God every day through stories, games and crafts and are taught the TRUTH right from their own teachers! J.Riley's teacher put together a cd of pictures through out the year, I thought I would share a few. I can't believe how much he has grown!

Thankful

Whew, what a week! It started last Saturday night J.Riley spent 3 days and nights vomiting before I took him to the doctor to find out he had strep! One great day at Dollywood and then a 12am wake up call from sweet little Ava, sick as a dog. Another Dr.'s visit today, strep confirmed. SO today was hard. I am totally exhausted, whiny, tired of cleaning up vomit, canceled plans, and just flat out OVER IT! Can you guess how many times I have said that today? Ha! In the midst of the storm I have decided the only thing that might make me feel better is to remember what I am so very thankful for!

1. Being well loved by my husband (even though I don’t deserve it 50% of the time). He works SO HARD to take on the financial responsibility for this family so Ava and J.Ri can have a mommy that stays home with them. At the end of the day, he still has time and energy to get down on the floor and play with his children and help me with whatever needs to be done. I amazed by all he does. He is a great example of what a man, husband, and father should be.


2. When my sick children want me to be still and cuddle them.. Usually it comes at very inconvenient times,(right after one of them has puked all over the couch) but I remind myself that these years of cuddling will be over SOON so I better soak up as much as I can now.

3. A good book to read.

4. PRAISE music and WORSHIPING GOD!!!

5. Ava's little pink painted toenails and the fact that she wants to always have a bow in her hair.

6. Friends I can ALWAYS count on and friends who know me…. The ones who see me for who I really am, the ones who I don’t have to shower for or put on my makeup! The ones who I can get really mad in front of. (You all know who you are).

7. God’s promises… ALL of them. He NEVER fails!

8. J.Riley turning up his radio way too loud and then dancing and singing in his room while he thinks no one is watching :)

9. My Mom..for her phone calls just to check on us.

10. A glass of wine.

Summer Grillin'

I love when we get to the point where we are grilling dinner a few times a week!

Sunday- Baked Ravioli, Caesar salad and garlic bread

Monday- Citrus grilled chicken, fresh fruit salad with (special dip), Asparagus with goat cheese

Tuesday-Shrimp fajitas, chips and salsa and Mexican rice

Wednesday- Leftovers

Thursday- DOLLYWOOD!!!

Friday- Grilled pesto pork tenderloin,Olive Garden Salad, baked potato

Saturday- Sunday Chicken Soup

My Little Yankee?!

Yes, I still find it difficult to yell "Go Yankee's!" at our T-ball games. I tend to cheer "Go Team!" Today was opening day for the 3 and 4 year old league. It was a long and hot day. and I have to say the Yankee's held it together! They played great, I don't think we had one child melt down on us, I didn't see one little boy drop his pants in the out field so that to me = success! We started the day at 9:45am with pictures, followed by the opening ceremony. They called each player out individually and the player ran to the mound and tipped his hat. It was really cute! We then played not one, but two games! Props to Ava, I think she was made to live at the ball field!

Someday...

Someday they will help with the laundry..right??

Cupcakes for breakfast

Sometimes you just have to let them eat cupcakes for breakfast! This goes against everything inside of me, but I want my kids to know that I can have fun on a whim! HA...if you know me at all, I am totally the "not fun" mommy! So cupcakes for breakfast it was this morning.

Mother's Day

The weekend was Extremely busy! Not the relaxing Mother's Day every mother wishes for. I am sure there are plenty of mom's that feel the same way! Yet it was very precious to me! My children awoke me with home made gifts and cards from school. J.Riley did such a good job keep everything a secret! Breakfast was fixed when I came downstairs, where they presented me with my very own lemon tree! I have been wanting to put some plants around the house, but have been reluctant to spend money on something I probably will end up killing. SO..we shall see how the lemon tree does! It blooms year round and will produce about 4 lemons every season!

Brent stayed in the Tri-cities to attend his family Mothers Day obligations and I drove to Knoxville with Ava. Dad grilled steaks and we munched on sushi all day. It was very relaxing and good time to spend with my own mom. I do have to say Ava was a little lost without her Brother. Very rarely are they separated for a whole day!

Daily-ness

"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34

Life wouldn't be so hard if it wasn't so daily. As I sit here surrounded by laundry and dishes piled high in the sink, I see more than ever how life wears us down one day at a time.Crumbs litter the floor and dirty smudges cover the windows. And I have yet to discover where that smell is coming from. For this mother of two, a simple trip to the grocery store requires an act of God and Congress – attempted only when we are down to powdered milk and Ramen noodles. Not thirty minutes ago a little two-year-old girl clung to my legs, belting out that scream - you know the one, bats can hear it. And I felt my coping skills slipping away. Not because she was crying but because she cries every day. The daily-ness. The job of motherhood feels so vast, and frightening, and unending. I am called to raise these children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and yet there are days that I can't seem to get out of my pajamas much less lead them in a time of prayer. I think anyone could endure the temper tantrums of a small child or the rebellion of a teenager or the constant needs of another if they lasted just one day. But the truth is that these things are the stuff of daily life. And when I am honest with myself, they grind down the rough edges of this woman.

Because parenting can not be all about me when diapers must be changed, noses wiped and beds made and dinner cooked.In those moments I force myself to take a deep breath and thank God for this season of life. These children. The privilege of wiping noses and bottoms and counter tops. A privilege many women would love to have, but don't. I remind myself that the days are long but the years are short. And one day I will look in the rear-view mirror and see empty seats. The cup that is overflowing right now will slowly drain. The stretch marks will fade. And I will find that a new set of daily struggles has overtaken me. When that day comes I will find the strength to face them as well because God gives the grace, daily. The daily-ness.

As C.S. Lewis once said, "The thing is to rely on God... Meanwhile, the trouble is that relying
on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing has yet been done." Your daily-ness is probably different than mine, but it is nonetheless God-ordained. It is exactly what we need to live dependent on His grace instead of our own strength. The One who knows us best, who knit us together in our mother's womb, has allotted these days that are equal parts trial and triumph. And He knows that we will see Him most clearly from a place of dependence. So today I embrace the normal things. The daily things. Another round of laundry. The ring in my toilet. The dust on my dresser so thick a child could write his name. But even more than that I want to celebrate the important things. A child slowly learning to read. A husband that finds his comfort in my arms. A baby who learns to walk and talk. Because all these are the things of life: some mundane and some holy. And all of them must be received daily.

Dear Lord, sometimes daily life is just hard. And we're tired. And overwhelmed. But You promised to be our strength and our hope and our comfort. So today we look to You for what we need. Would You meet us in this, our daily-ness, and help us receive Your grace?