Pictures From The Weekend

Our New Baby Girl

This is Carolina, our newest addition! It's our first kitten and so far we love her. She seems to like Mason and she is tolerating our dogs. She's definitely a keeper!

Randon Thoughts

Last night we started Vacation Bible School. I am helping Carla with the 3 and 4 year old class. This is my first year helping with VBS and I can already tell you that this week is going to be awesome...... exhausting but awesome! Some say that the first night is unorganized and crazy but I think that it went really well. The kids had smiles on their faces and seemed excited about the night. We enjoyed snacks, music, recreation, crafts, missions and Bible Study.

Voices of Praise sang a special Sunday morning in church and had practice with the adult choir Sunday afternoon. We are joining together to sing a special this coming Sunday morning. I am really excited to see what God has planned for us.

Friday night a group of fellow Flip Floppers had dinner at Outback. Carla is moving very soon so we wanted to get together before she leaves. I am going to miss her so much. When she leaves, she will be taking a small piece of this Flip Floppers heart. I look forward to August, when she will be back for our 1 year anniversary weekend at Harbor!

Our Newest Addition

This is Yoshi. He is a bearded dragon and our newest baby. If you have been to our house in the last few weeks, then you have had the pleasure of meeting him but I wanted to post some pictures for those of you who haven't been over. Before we got Yoshi I had NEVER held a lizard. I will hold an occasional tree frog but never a lizard. At first I was a little bit apprehensive. But he is so gentle and sweet. One of the first things that Mason does in the morning is hold Yoshi. He helps me feed him and give him water. Although it may be hard to believe, Yoshi responds different to Mason than he does to anyone else. He tilts his head when Mason talks, he will sit in Mason's lap for as long as Mason wants him to and if Yoshi is in a feisty mood, he calms down the second he sits in Mason's hands. It's pretty amazing.

We feed him tiny crickets and let me tell you that he can eat them at the speed of light! He also loves strawberries. He shed his skin last week. Mason was in a panic until it was over. He didn't understand why his skin was coming off. I told Mason that it was because Yoshi had grown too big for his old skin. I guess it worried Mason.

When we went to pick Yoshi up a few weeks ago, Brett told me that there was no way on earth that he would ever hold a bearded dragon. By the time we got home that night, Brett was begging for his turn to hold him. Now I catch Brett in Mason's room holding Yoshi all the time. Or sitting at the computer with Yoshi hanging out on his shirt.

Our Weekend!

This morning I woke up with a head ache and my legs where extra achy. Before I left to take Mason to school I loaded the dishwasher and turned it on, folded a load of clothes and started more, made the bed, watered my outside plants, gave Chewy his medicine, fed the dogs and the lizard, spent at least 20 minutes trying to help Mason pick out his clothes and finally had to take 4 Motrin before walking out the door. I was tired and my day had just started. I know that I am not the only one who has mornings like this. I know that some of you do the same things with two or three kids to get ready. Y'all are hero's in my eyes! I really feel like I never get to sit down and do nothing. I know that is my fault because when the opportunity presents itself, I sit and think of things that I should be doing..... so I get up and do them. I end up stressing myself out!

But this morning when I got in my car and dropped my head to the steering wheel to say a quick prayer, a song started to play in my head.... "When He Reached Down His Hand For Me". I was really feeling frustrated and mad and tired and irritable. I really wanted to go back into the house and get back in my bed. But instead, I put in the CD with that song on it and I pushed repeat. Mason and I listened to it all the way to school. I know that God was testing me this morning. The things that I did this morning where no different than any other morning except today the devil was riding on my shoulder. He was whispering in my ear, filling me with anger and ungratefulness. But the minute that God put the words to that song in my head, the "grumpiness" started to lift. He showed me that even when we have something as simple as a bad morning, He will reached down and lift you up again.

Right in my own backyard....

For those of you that didn't know, I joined the Youth/Young Adult Choir at church. I have never sang in any choir and have never thought that my voice was a good one. The only person that I have ever sang to is Mason because mommy's always sound pretty, right?

When mom asked me to join the choir, I didn't hesitate. I jumped right into practices and listening none stop to my cd's. But after every practice I feel so frustrated with myself. I don't want to sing loud because someone might actually hear me. I don't want to stand to close to anyone because then someone will definitely hear me. Pretty silly, huh? Yeah, it is!!

We had practice Sunday night and once again, I was feeling less than confident. I was trying to sing quietly because I felt like I was really sounding like a sick cow. But then we started working on a new song. "Let Everything That Has Breath Praise The Lord". I stood there thinking, who am I to not raise my voice and praise God? So I don't sound fabulous. Does that really matter? To God's ears, my praises are precious, no matter how off key they are. So, I plan on listening to my cd's, learning my part and singing to the best of my ability. I plan on praising God through song and allowing Him to use me as a witness. If you happen to be the one who stands beside me at practice..... sorry if I'm off key or mess up. But I'm gonna keep on keepin on and I am gonna PRAISE!!

A Campin' He Will Go!

Mason has been invited to go camping this weekend and he is so excited about it. This is his first camping trip. When I asked him if he wanted to go, he asked me a lot of questions. Where would he sleep? Who would be in the tent with him? Where would he brush his teeth and change his clothes? What if someone saw him naked? Would he have bug spray there? Would he have to use the bathroom in the woods and could I please pack some toilet paper just in case. On and on he went with his questions. He finally decided that he definitely wanted to go. He says that he is going to catch every fish in the pond and he also says that he going to try to sneak one home so he can cook it and eat it. He doesn't even like to eat fish. Silly boy!

So, Brett is going out of town Friday and now so is Mason. What am I going to do with myself? At first I thought I would start my spring cleaning..... then when I came to my senses I decide not to! I'm sure that I will find something to do.

Thanks to Jeremiah for inviting Mason to go this weekend. I'm sure that it will be a memorable time for Mason especially if he catches his very first fish. You and McKenzie might have a permanent fishing partner after this.

I Sent Urkel To School...

Mason has decided that he wants to pick out his own school clothes every night. He picks them out and puts them in a pile on his floor. He thinks that burgundy and red match. He thinks that his jeans shouldn't touch the tops of his shoes... so he rolls his pants up! He also doesn't like long t-shirts. If he is wearing a shirt that he thinks is too long.... he rolls that up, too. You can only imagine how silly he looks but in his mind he is the coolest thing to walk into preschool.

I'm amazed at how independent he has become in the last few months. He rarely takes a bath anymore because he prefers a shower. He washes himself and even dries and dresses himself. I try to help but he refuses to let me. My baby isn't a baby anymore. It makes me sort of sad... He's growing up way too fast!

From headaches to heartaches to sick family...... Not necessarily in my life but in the lives of people that I love. When my friends or family are hurting, I hurt, too. When someone makes ugly comments about someone that I love, you might as well be making them to me because it makes me feel awful. You got a headache?? Then my head hurts, too. If your sister is sick, then I will pray for her as if she were my sister. I have always been that way. I try to carry burdens with my friends and family. But truly, there is only one person that can carry our burdens. Whether it's a headache or a heartache, He can restore you and if you trust in Him, things will get brighter. The best thing that I can do for friends and family that are hurting is pray for them. I learned that lesson after trying to fix my brother, who is a recovering drug addict. I tried for a long time to make him want to be better. I tried to talk him into it. Do you know what finally worked? I Let Go and Let God!! We can't change anyone but we can pray for them. Pray! Pray! Pray! It changes things!!

Mason... My Funny Guy

Mason had a splitter in his arm yesterday. He cried and cried and wouldn't let me touch it. He was really distraught about it and just didn't know what to do to get it out. I told him that I would pull it out. It was bearly even hanging on anyway. During all the tears, he asked me, "Is God making me hurt like this?" I told him no but that unfortunately hurting was a part of life. He told me that he did not like the hurting part of life. I couldn't help but giggle at him but he seemed so grown up.

The other morning Mason woke up and immediately started acting like he was mad at something. Brett asked him if he was mad because a cat had pooped in his mouth while he was sleeping. His breathe was kickin! Mason didn't think that it funny at the time. Yesterday he woke, laid there for a minute and then proceeded to get mad again. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "That same cat pooped in my mouth again!"

Mason Funnies

Mason fell off the trampoline last week and scratched his nose. It wasn't that bad and he didn't even cry. On Sunday he said, "Mommy, my nose is better! God healed my nose." I asked him how he thought that God healed it. He said, "Mommy, while we were sleeping in bed, God floated down in the backyard and He got my skin off the tree where I scratched it. Then he snuck in a put it back on my nose." Needless to say, I laughed!

On Saturday he fell in the house and hit his ear on the corner of the coffee table. It left an ugly bruise and a small sore. This morning he reached up and felt his ear and said, "Mommy, God hasn't healed my ear yet." Then he said, " I don't know what is taking him so long. I fell right in the living room and that's were my skin is." He cracks me up!!

Last night, I was browsing the internet and Mason was in my lap. The site that I was on had pictures of babies on the screen. Mason reached up and pointed at one and said, "Mommy, put that one in your cart." I told him that those babies were not for sale. He then proceeded to tell me to go to the baby isle.

We had such a great time in Snowshoe. We were among really terrific people and two great kids. We played in the snow, went sledding and tubing, ate some good food, did a little bit of shopping and a lot of laughing. I have to admit that I played gameboy a lot while I was there.... Yes, I am addicted to Super Mario Brothers.

Anyway, Mason and Will took a ski class on Saturday afternoon. Neither one lasted the entire class. I think that it was a little bit scary because they were among strangers, in the freezing cold, standing on skis. I think that I would be a little frightened myself. Mason did go out skiing with Brett the next day and he did really good. I think that next year he will catch on and be passing Brett on the slopes.

Let me tell you how stinkin cold it was! I really don't think that temperature got out of the 10's while we were there. One night before bed, I put a bottle of water in front of out window and forget about it. When we got up the next day, it was frozen solid and the window wasn't even opened. Now that's cold! When we left Snowshoe, the temperature was -8 degrees. BURRRR!

Mason was so excited when it started to snow on the way to West Virginia. We stopped for gas shortly after the snow started to fall and Mason laid down in the parking lot and did a snow angel. There was hardly any snow sticking at this point so he basically made an asphalt angel. I couldn't help but laugh at him!!

Snowshoe Pictures

Snowshoe, Here We Come!!!

We are leaving in the morning to go to Snowshoe, West Virginia. I am really looking forward to the snow but NOT the long ride! Mason woke up this morning in a very happy mood because he knows that today is his last day at school. He has our afternoon all planned out. It includes packing and packing and more packing. We have to take Ripley and Layla to Tia's, water plants, take the trash to the dump and several other things that he listed. Needless to say, we will be very busy this afternoon.

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! Keep us in your prayers for traveling mercies and no injuries on the slopes!!

Do you believe that there is a God? I have always believed without a single doubt but you know that there are some people that don't believe. Last night was a perfect example of God's presence in my life.

I called Bernie yesterday and ask him if he was going to church because I wanted to ride with him. At that time he said that he wasn't sure but he eventually called back and then picked me up to go. On the way to church we stopped and picked up a friend of Bernie's who is suffering from drug addiction. He is trying desperately to get into a rehab facility but until then he is staying in a run down hotel. We picked him up and off to church we went. We ate dinner really quick and then went into Bible study. It was really great. At the end of the service Bernie stood up and asked for the church to pray for his friend. The Preacher said a prayer for him right then with several men laying their hands in him. It was so moving. God was there for sure!

While we were eating dinner I noticd that Bernie's friend kept getting up and piling more food on his plate. I asked him if he had any food where he was staying. He said no but he was going to eat enough at church to hold him over. It just broke my heart into pieces. But you know what, he said it with a smile knowing that God was going to provide food for him somehow. This guy is a Christian but the devil had gotten a hold on him and dragged him down. He is fighting his way back and doing it with a smile on his face. Needless to say, Bernie and I made sure that he had food by the time that we took him back to his room.

We helped him carrying his things up to his room when we dropped him off. You just can't imagine the filthy place that he is staying at. The ceiling looked like it was going to fall in on us, it smelled so bad and a roach crawled across the bed while we were there. But this was the place the God had allowed him to stay and he was so thankful for it because his other option was the street. Before Bernie and I left his room, we stood in a circle, held hands and Bernie prayed the most amazing prayer that I have ever heard. We closed our eyes and held tight to each other and I realized that it didn't matter what condition the room was in, God is everywhere. He is real and He was in that run down hotel.

Am I The Next American Idol???

NOT! But I am joining the young adult choir at church. My mom has been inspired to create a new choir and I, for some unknown reason, have agreed to join it. I can not sing worth a lick.... not even in the shower. I have never been in any choir. Mason looks at me funny when I sing anything.... I think that he wants to tell me to stop but he is afraid of hurting my feelings. I am actually looking forward to it and I know that it will bless so many people in our church, including me. So, please pray for our new choir. Lord knows, we all need prayer, especially the people who are going to have to listen to my singing! YIKES! Maybe I can just hum along in the back row??