Texas Tollesons

I'll Give You Three Guesses

2011-03-01T09:06:00.001-06:00

So, I'll give you three guesses whose hand x-ray this is.

Need a hint? She loves her gymnastics class and just started practicing for the upcoming softball season. (This actually happened during softball practice catching the ball.)

Still not sure? She writes with this hand and now can't do anything now because her pinkie is broken. (Hear that hint of whine?)

I know, this is a hard one. One more clue. She is dramatic and thinks it is exciting to have her first broken bone!

Wow! If you guessed Lily - good job! This was very exciting for her for the first couple of days, but I think the fun is wearing off. She has realized that you can't take the cast off. So, she has trouble tying her shoes, buttoning her pants, writing, showering, etc, etc, etc. And she is only in a temporary cast! We will go to the orthopedic hand specialist on Thursday to see what needs to be done. What a way to ~~start~~ end the spring ball season.

More?

2011-02-20T20:52:00.007-06:00

Have you ever wondered if there is more? More to life? More you should do? A greater purpose for your life? Lately, I wonder "more?" quite often. Now, don't get me wrong here. I am not questioning my faith at all. In fact, I find myself praying much more asking God for guidance and clarity.

What do I want? Well, I'm not looking for busy work. I still have plenty of work to do. I have a small role in the school PTA. I have teachers to find for preschool classes. I have all the home chores (the ones that never seem to go away!). I have scrapbooking to catch up on. I have 2 rooms of our house to finish decorating. I will soon be working on curriculum for VBS. The taxes need to be done. The flowerbeds need to be prepped for spring. Etc., etc., etc... But, that is all just...stuff.

I'm also not looking for grandeur. I don't mean to sound like I am so important that I need something wonderful and grand and important to do. I'm not. So. Not.

Maybe I need to get a job. The extra money would be fabulous! The problem is that I am not willing to sacrifice the time with my children. Yes, I realize that they are all in school now. But not all day. So who gives a job to a girl who will only work from 9-2:30, no weekends, no holidays, no school event days, not when a child is sick, oh and not in the summer? Oh, and I'm not really sure that "more" is a boring accounting job anyway.

Maybe I want too much. Maybe I am too picky. Maybe I expect God to work miracles around MY schedule. Maybe I'm still thinking too much of ME. Probably.

So, what do I want? What I want is to be used by God for his greater purpose. To feel like I am using my talents to the best of my ability to serve Him. I want Him to say "Well done, good and faithful servant!". It is so hard for me to explain. Does this make any sense at all? I see others that are happy, successful and fulfilled in their professions. Ministers, missionaries, teachers, office workers, nurses...living for God daily. I just don't know how to get to that sweet spot where talents, passion, and purpose collide. Who knows, maybe I'm already there and God just wants me to be content. I guess I'll just keep praying that God will use me for more. Whatever His "more" is.

Groundhog Day

2011-02-09T09:39:00.001-06:00

Today feels just like the movie "Groundhog Day". You know the one where the same things happen day after day after day? Well, we are missing school again today... for the fifth time in a week! They were out Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week and now again today. I cannot remember ever being out this much for bad weather when I was a kid. SO not fair! I would have enjoyed it then!

Last week we made cookies, played outside, played video games, I taught them how to play rummy, watched movies, exercised, did laundry... It was some combination of the list every day. The kids loved it! And truth be told, I did too. I love cuddling up with my big babies. Those opportunities don't come around as often now that they are getting older. So, what will we do today? The same things. It's Groundhog Day. Again!

Yes, I Know.

2011-02-07T20:48:00.003-06:00

Oh, and yes, I know it has almost been a year since I last posted. Sorry. What can I say? Life get's in the way sometimes. I am not even going to try to catch up. I will however give you a quick rundown on what is going on at our house.

Larry - Working. Loves his new office space. (I'll blog about that later.) Hunting season is over and baseball season is gearing up. He will be coaching Logan's team.
Deanna - Decorating, simplifying, and scrapbooking (finally!). Not necessarily in that order.
Zachery - Baseball, learning percussion instruments for middle school band and texting.
Logan - Basketball, piano and about to start baseball again.
Lily - Gymnastics, getting her eye poked and about to start softball again.

I'm sure there are more interesting details, but it's been a long day taking care of my Lily and I'm tired. I'll try to post again soon. Sorry, no promises.

Pirate Lily

2011-02-07T19:43:00.003-06:00

Aargh! Well, let's just say - nerf swords are dangerous weapons! Lily got caught in the middle of the boys sword fight and well...accidents happen. Her eye is scratched and has to be patched until her recheck tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully by then her eye will feel so much better that we can remove the patch and see normally again. She is in a lot of pain right now. She took 2 long naps today and still went to bed on time. Poor baby. One benefit from this incident is all the extra cuddle time from our almost 8 year old.

The End is Coming!

2010-04-20T22:27:00.004-05:00

Today was my last PTA Board meeting as President. Though I still have one General Association meeting in May, it feels like the end. I can almost feel it. Tonight was a special night. I treated my Board to dessert and door prizes as a thank you for a job well done! It was the last meeting of the year and unbelievably - almost everyone came!

Two years ago, I was nervous and unsure about being President. I felt under qualified and I was scared of the conflicts that usually occur when you have 27 women in one room. Dealing with girl fights is not one of my strengths. But my Board has been unbelievable! I have been surrounded by some very talented, wonderful, giving, Christian women this year. They understand that we serve - not to be seen - but just to serve. We serve for our own kids, but for also for the other kids. The kids whose moms work hard all day and can't come to every event. It seems like every time I am at school, I get smiles, waves and hugs - some from kids I have never noticed before. That's why we serve.

Thank you to my Board - my friends. It has been a pleasure!

Waiting...still waiting

2010-04-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

Waiting. It seems like I am always waiting.

Waiting for the baby to get here.
Waiting for the baby to get out of diapers.
Waiting on the kids to get ready for school.
Waiting for the bell to ring so I can see their sweet faces again.
Waiting in the line at Walmart. (Always the slowest line!)
Waiting for it to get warm/cold.
Waiting for my flowers to grow.
Waiting to exercise. I'm too busy you know!
Waiting until a better time.
Waiting until I have more time.
Waiting on someone else to take care of it. Whatever "it" is.
Waiting on my hair to grow.
Waiting until my next appointment so I can cut it shorter.
Waiting on the computer for my taxes to e-file. Yes, I did them 2 months ago, but never hit the "file" button. Why???

AAAARGH!!! I have decided that I am not good at waiting.

But there is something that I will patiently and gladly wait on...my kids to grow up. Yes, mom. You were right. The days when my children are young are the best days ever! I wouldn't change anything. I won't wish this time away. I will patiently hug, kiss, cuddle, tickle, giggle, and love my kids until there is no more waiting. Praise God for getting to wait in this life with my children.

Play Ball!

2010-03-29T19:02:00.004-05:00

Yes, it's that time again. Time when we realize...hey it really does take a village to raise our kids! Why you ask? Well, when you have one kid playing ball in Hurst, one playing ball in Colleyville and another kid playing a ball tournament in Rockwall...well that's one more kid than we have parents. So that's when our village comes in. What in the world would we do without our family and friends??? Thanks to my parents and the Hamilton's for being a part of our village this past weekend!

Spring is a very crazy time for the Texas Tolleson's, but we wouldn't have it any other way. The kids love playing baseball and Larry loves coaching. Me, well I've got my comfy seat and blanket packed and ready to be a proud mom.

Well, I'm off to another game!

And then...sometimes plans change. Ball season also means less sleep, dinner at 4:30 and cranky people. We were in the car on the way to Logan's game tonight, and Lily had a melt down before we even got out of the neighborhood. So, even though she screamed "I'm not tired" (A mom's sure clue that a child is completely exhausted!), she was bathed and asleep within 20 minutes. Zac and I enjoyed our quiet evening. Good night.

Many Moons

2010-03-25T21:00:00.002-05:00

Yes. It's true. I have been a very bad blogger. So, to the one person that keeps up with the Texas Tolleson's...sorry. I can't really say it will get any better though. It is now baseball season and that means that our life is torn in three different directions almost nightly.

So, to catch you up on the past few months:
Thanksgiving - here in Texas
Christmas - it was fantastic! Gotta love Santa!
New Years - Had a great time with friends!
My 35-ish birthday - yippee.
Lily's 7th birthday - really? Wow that was fast! She had her first sleepover party.
Logan got glasses. No. He is not happy about it, but he looks cute!
Spring Break - We worked all week around the house, warmed up the pool and swam.
Zac got braces. Again. If you have not started saving for your kids. Start.

And now it's baseball season. Lily is a Diamond Girl again with her friends, playing in Colleyville. Logan is on the Crossmen playing in Hurst. And Zachery is on the Junior Hawks playing in Hurst. Sounds easy since both boys play in Hurst, but it's not. Both boys also play tournaments in a different city each weekend. That is when it gets confusing. Whoever said "it takes a village to raise a child" really knew what they were talking about! As the season goes on, I will try to post some pictures of the kids playing ball.

That's all for tonight since I have to get the last kiddo in bed. Hopefully you will hear from me again before too many moons go by.

Feeling Festive...NOT!

2009-11-16T19:57:00.005-06:00

The "Holiday Season" is officially here. All of the stores have festive decorations, big sales and Christmas music playing. Many of the neighborhoods are decorating the entrances. Home owners are putting up lights, wreaths and even trees. My favorite radio station played Christmas music all last weekend. The bell ringers have invaded Wal-mart. Church has the angel tree, magi boxes and stockings to fill. A Christmas Carol is playing at the theater. I have even picked up a couple of Christmas gifts.

But with so many signs of the season all around me...why don't I feel festive? It all seems so mechanical right now. Automatic. Like we are all just going through the motions. We are decorating because we have to. It's time. It's not even cold outside! Where's the magic???

It's in the other room. Getting ready for bed. My kids are the magic of Christmas! They love to decorate, sing carols, and look at lights. They love to bake and decorate cookies. They love to dream about gifts, pack magi boxes and wrap gifts for others. But they are kids and kids don't think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. They don't know how the magic happens, it just does! Somehow, we have sugar, flour and sprinkles. We have wrapping paper, bows and tape. We have the perfect gift for all of our family to wrap. Magic! And that is why I will start going through the motions, getting ready, preparing for the season. They count on me. And soon, before I know it, I will be feeling very festive too, ready for a magical holiday season full of wonderful memories.

Uncomfortable

2009-11-11T16:03:00.003-06:00

Have you ever felt uncomfortable in your own skin? Like something isn't right? You feel like you should be doing something bigger than you are? Today I am uncomfortable. I am taking care of my sick family, doing laundry, dishes, taking out the trash, feeding the dog. None of these things are really very glamorous things to do. Necessary, but not necessarily fun and exciting. But surely life is about more than dirty laundry!

I don't always talk to God as I should and yet today I randomly opened up my Bible to 2 Corinthians this afternoon. "Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ²Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, ⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷We live by faith, not by sight. ⁸We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

Yeah! It is ok to be uncomfortable. God wants us to be uncomfortable! If I feel ok and confident in my body doing what I always do, no matter how big or small, I am away from God. He wants us to be close to Him. At home with Him. Today I am uncomfortable. Are you?

Lysol please

2009-11-10T21:06:00.003-06:00

Fall is a great time of year. I love the cooler weather, the changing leaves, football, pumpkin crisp...but one thing I do NOT love is that fall usually means someone gets ill at the Texas Tolleson's house. This year there are LOTS of someone's getting ill!. Lily had a random fever virus 2 weeks ago. Lily and my allergies are acting up after a school field trip. And now Logan AND Larry are running fever. I have an appointment for Logan tomorrow and hopefully it is something that antibiotics can easily heal. Please pray that they will heal quickly and that I don't run out of Lysol! And now, I'm taking my Nyquil and heading to bed. Good night.

Logan is 9!

2009-11-02T20:32:00.007-06:00

Logan officially turned 9 on October 31st! And so, to commemorate the event, I give you a look back at sweet Logan...

He was such a big bundle of joy! He had rolls on his rolls! Logan was always smiling and very content to be held all the time. We weren't sure if he would ever crawl because he would have to lift his belly off the ground!

One of Logan's favorite foods, no, his absolute favorite food is chocolate. He has always loved chocolate. When he was little he used to "purr" when he was offered chocolate. That is how Larry and I describe the sound he makes. It is this super fast laugh that only comes out when he is overjoyed by something (usually food).

Logan loves to have a good time and laughs out loud often. He's got a great laugh! He is shy. He does not like to be the center of attention. He is sneaky. He is devious. I know, you would never expect it out of those sweet eyes!

Most of all Logan is a sweet kid that likes to have fun. He loves playing baseball on the Crossmen. He plays second base, outfield and just started pitching. He also loves video games, reading and swimming. Not to wish the year away, but he is already looking forward to being double digits next year. Slow down big boy. Momma's not ready for that quite yet. Happy 9th sweet Lo.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T17:29:00.003-06:00

It was a great Halloween week for us. On Sunday night we went to Legacy's annual Trunk or Treat. We had a great time and it is a nice safe place to let our kids have fun with their friends. We passed out candy, visited with friends, got balloon flowers, ate hot dogs, and ate lots, and lots and lots of candy!

Here are the kids in their costumes. Logan the Hippie, Lily as Hannah Montana, and Zac as, well he just went in his school clothes. :)

On Halloween the boys had baseball games at 4:00 and 5:00. Seriously?? Who made that scheduling??? Anyway, after we got home at 7:00 pm, we changed in to costumes and went out with a pumpkin in one and and a piece of pizza in the other. Hey, I had to feed them dinner sometime! It was a lot of fun! The kids are already thinking about their costumes for next year!

Almost 9

2009-10-29T20:49:00.003-05:00

Logan is so excited about his birthday - he can barely contain his joy! He is ready for his party, and presents and being 9. The only problem is that he has absolutely no concept of time. He was ready for his party days ago! This must seem like to longest week ever for him! If he asks one more time "when does my party start?"...Aargh! We are heating up the pool for a swim party and no, of course this crazy Texas weather is not exactly cooperating. It will be pretty cool, but we all swam today, and it wasn't too bad. (Hopefully swimming when it is cold out will not make us all sick!)

I will try to post some pictures of the birthday boy on his special day. October 31st is going to be busy though. Each child has a ball game. Assuming no rainouts. We have 2 parties to attend. If we have rainouts. And then of course, the kids insist we go trick-or-treating! Maybe we will have time to get into costumes in the car after that last game ends at 6:40 pm. (Who made that schedule?!?)

Tomorrow I get to decorate and make my little chocolate lover's cake. Atleast I will get to lick the icing bowl all by myself. Yummy!!!

Flu Ready

2009-10-21T20:53:00.003-05:00

Well, it is flu season in Texas and the Texas Tolleson's are finally ready. Hopefully. Larry had his shot weeks ago. His doctors don't give him an option! I got mine at a Walgreens. They had 10 left after mine and they would only give the shots to people 9 and older. So, I raced to school, picked up Zac and surprise! He was thrilled to get a shot! Well, not exactly. Ok, not at all! But it did get him out of school for an hour! We spent the next few days hitting each other in the arm! I spent a week trying to call the pediatrician's office. I finally got appointments for the flu clinic. Logan and Lily got theirs at the pediatrician's office. Luckily for me, shots are not a big deal for my kids.

Tonight in the flu clinic, Lily and I had fun watching the faces of the kids after getting their shots. Most of the big kids were fine. The babies had red, teary eyes. But there was one girl that caught everyone's attention. She was about 4 or 5 and was being quickly carried out by her mom. As they left, the girl screamed "I'm dying! I'm really dying!" The mom tried to reassure her (and it sounded like she had done this before). But she insisted "No, I'm really dying!!!"

As a mother that had a terrible 2/3 year old daughter, this was hilarious to me! It is also amazing to me that we are all created so different. Even at such a young age, we are tough, tender, loving, independent, adventurous, shy and melodramatic. All in one room. All God's creations. Created uniqely. Loved equally. Amazing.

Should have beens

2009-10-19T20:07:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I should have been blogging regularly to keep both of my readers informed...sorry. But when you only have 2 readers, it is easier to make a phone call. Let's see if I can remember what has happened the past 2 weeks.

We should have been playing fall baseball, but it rained and rained and rained. So, we have been spending time together as a family at home instead. Not such a bad trade off, but now we are trying to make up all of the games we missed. Now we have baseball every night! The kids are playing well and having fun.

We should have been landscaping the backyard, but it rained and rained and rained. So, we have been spending time together as a family instead. Once again, not a bad trade off, but now we are trying to plant a few bushes in between baseball games! It is looking much better, but we still have a lot of work to do. Do you have any idea how much trash that is buried under a construction site???

I should have been doing a lot of things to catch up on my to do list, but it rained and rained...wait...I guess I can't really use that as an excuse here. I should have been filing records, cleaning house, exercising, etc. But instead, I have been playing with yarn thanks to my mother-in-law teaching me new tricks. I made Lily another scarf and I am working on another one for myself. I love that I can sit and make something without having to drag out every tool I have and cover the dining table with a huge mess.

How is it that the should haves seem to rule my life lately? I have the best of intentions, but my follow through is severely lacking which leads to much regret. I pray that there are certain areas of my life that I have no regrets. My husband. My kids. My faith. My family. My friends. For all the planning I do, tomorrow may not come. My prayer today is that I will live a life of no regrets.

For Granted

2009-10-02T21:45:00.003-05:00

Today was a great day! The house magically cleaned itself. The sheets were magically changed. The laundry was magically washed and folded. Dinner was magically prepared. That magic fairy was working hard at our house today! She probably even had to work overtime! I bet she did not even shower until about...oh, just guessing...5pm!!! Wow - just enough time to get ready to go out for the night.

Magic. This is how these things happen in the eyes of a child. They are always taken care of for them. They do not have to worry about cleaning their baseball uniforms, or what to eat, or whether the toilet is really clean. They are taken for granted.

But how different am I as an adult? I still take things for granted. The paychecks keeps magically appearing in our bank account. The pool chemistry is magically adjusted. My computer is magically fixed. The church services are all magically prepared. The shelves for give away day are magically stocked. These are things that are always taken care of for me, but do I really appreciate it all? As a magic household fairy, I love to be appreciated. Verbally. Often. How much more should I show my appreciation of those that magically take care of me?

Self Punishment

2009-09-27T20:19:00.003-05:00

When each of my kids were babies, there came a time when we had to teach them to go to sleep on their own. In their own bed. Without mom rocking and singing until the wee hours of the morning. I remember listening outside of their doors - out of sight of course - waiting for them to stop crying. Knowing in my head that it won't be long before they fall asleep, but feeling like my heart was being ripped out with each sob.

There also came a time for each one when they had to learn to eat what I served for dinner. Even if it was green or mushy or not peanut butter. They went to their rooms crying many nights. I remember wishing they would just try the food. I am a picky eater, so I don't fix weird foods. I listened to them cry, praying they would come back down and fill their little tummies. I was trying to nurture them, but felt so sad knowing they were hungry.

Tonight I asked them to all get ready for bed. I gave them time. They all heard me. They all ignored me. So...I ignored them. They all got ready for bed and tucked themselves in. No stories. No prayers. No bear hugs. No sweet kisses. Lily cried and said she couldn't sleep. I felt like the brand new mom, waiting for her babies to sleep. I was dying to go up there! I waited as long as I could, then I crept upstairs to kiss all their sleeping faces. Logan was sound asleep. Zac was still awake, feeling bad, and apologized. Lily...she was reading her Bible with her ring light. OK reading her Bible is sweet, but OF COURSE YOU CAN"T SLEEP!!! I still have so much work with that one!

They are older now. They have no trouble sleeping. They eat what is served. The battles are changing. The punishment is changing. But why is it that I am the one that feels punished the most? Sometimes the punishment is so much worse for me than it is for them. But they don't know that. That is part of being a mother. And that lesson is one that they will not learn until I am a grandmother.

Rain, Rain Go Away

2009-09-21T20:36:00.002-05:00

OK. I love a rainy day as much as the next gal. Cuddling up with a good book. Visiting with friends. Watching old movies. Playing board games with the kids. Making cookies. Eating soup. Taking a long nap.

But ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! It has rained too many days now. I feel the need to begin construction on my ark!

There is something I love even more than a rainy day...and that is getting things crossed off my "to-do" list. Isn't that the best feeling in the world?!? Does anyone agree, or am I all alone on this one? I absolutely love finishing projects! Starting projects is fun and the process is good, but stepping back and seeing a job well done...wow! And right now the biggest "to-do" on my list (and subsequently Larry's list too) is landscaping the back yard. The pool is finished and I am ready for it to look like the pictures in the pool brochures. Right now, it is a pretty swimming hole planted in mud! If it ever stops raining for more than 2 days, we might just get the chance.

But, for tonight, I guess we watch football, listen to the rain and patiently (I'm working on that) wait for things to dry.

Rainy Visit

2009-09-20T21:10:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Grana and Poopa (Larry's mom and her husband) came to visit from Mississippi. We had big plans to go to all the kids baseball games, but every time they come to Texas, they bring crazy weather! Snow, hail, torrential downpours, etc. And this weekend was no different. It rained all weekend long!
But for once, it was a great thing that we were trapped inside! We got more time to visit with each other. Saturday, we were watching some football and Grana had brought her crochet project that she was working on. Lily was very curious and cuddled right up to her for a lesson in how to crochet. Grana patiently taught her to make a chain stitch, which she worked on until it was taller than her! She was having a great time and Grana talked about how easy it was. She was making dishrags. Sounds easy, right?

Well, she taught me how and I made my first dishrag. No, it is not real pretty. Quite far from it! But I improved a lot! Notice how the stitches are a bit crazy at the top, but got more consistent toward the bottom. I now know why people call them rags!

Grana also taught me how to make a hat. Lily really wanted one, so ta-da! I did it! Honestly I am quite proud, because I even made a flower for her hat. I enjoyed crocheting so much that I got carried away and made Lily a scarf to match! After I finished the scarf, Lily wrapped up, smiled a huge smile and said "Mom, I love it! All I can say is thank you!" Baby girl, that is all a momma needs.

She has been sleeping with her scarf since I finished it.

What a Pain!

2009-09-10T20:24:00.002-05:00

You know how when you have a crick in your neck, you just take a few Motrin and keep going? Cause you just slept funny. Right? Well, you know how your shoulder is kinda numb, and you just ignore it? Cause your purse is heavier and you always sleep on that side. Right? And you know how your fingers feel a little tingly, and you blow it off? Because you have tremors and that is to be expected. Right? OK, so maybe you don't have tremors, but we always ignore little health issues because we are busy, busy, busy. Can't let a little ache or pain slow us down! Right?

Well, Monday after swimming a few laps, I turned my head to the left to look at Lily and something happened. Not sure what, but I couldn't move my head, neck or shoulders. PAIN!!! I barely got out of the pool and luckily Larry got home right after it happened to help me inside. Well, after an awful night, I went to see the doctor. And he said I have a bulging herniated disk in my neck. A pain in the neck - literally! I will be going for an MRI tomorrow to see what to do about it. So, please pray that I will not freak out in the MRI and that this can be easily fixed.

Well, not feeling great. Going to take some great meds. Then off to bed.

Welcome to our ool!

2009-09-06T21:11:00.002-05:00

Notice there is no P in it. Let's keep it that way! (This is a wallpaper that Zac keeps putting on my phone!)

No really, we had our first pool party tonight with our small group and it went very well. The kids all had a great time. It still feels kinds weird to have a pool in our yard. I guess I just haven't gotten use to it yet since I have only swam a few times. We still have a LOT of work to do in the backyard...sprinklers, landscaping, furniture...etc., but it is going to be such a blessing to have.

The kids want to invite their friends over every day! And that is part of the reason we decided to build a pool in the first place. We want to have the kind of house that our kids want to invite their friends to. "Be the house." That's what our friends with teens said. I'm glad that my kids still want to be at home. Selfishly, that is where I like them best. Under my wings. But tonight, I pray that I can put my selfish desires behind and maintain open communication with my kids and a sharing heart for their friends and future loved ones.

Wednesday Update

2009-09-02T21:05:00.003-05:00

Wednesday. Half way through the school week. I have all of those first of school papers to fill out and there seem to be more every day. PTA meetings. Church meetings. Committee meetings. Busy, busy, busy. But this is a week like every other school week. Or is it? Homework is not too heavy yet. Sports games have not started yet. It is going to get much more hectic!

But tomorrow will be a great day for the Texas Tolleson's to take a few moments to chill out. Literally. Tomorrow we start to fill the large hole in our backyard. And that water is going to be cold! I'm not sure who is more excited - the kids or Larry! We began this project sooo many months ago but the actual time to build it has only been 3 weeks. Wow! I will post a picture when it is full. I love how it has turned out! It is so hard to pick out materials and hope they will look good together, but we did it!

I know that is not an exciting update for today, but that is all I have in me today. I need a physical and spiritual revival, but I think Zachery will be providing part of that soon. He has some specific ideas of things he wants to start studying. I love that kid. He sure keeps me on my feet as a child of God. It is quite a wonder how your attitude and actions change when you realize just how closely someone is watching you.

Who is watching you?

Serving God

2009-08-29T21:30:00.003-05:00

Today was our Small Groups turn to work in the church's food pantry. The boys went with me and a few others to help out. I had never worked in there before and did not know what to expect. We were shown what we all needed to do and then we got to work. The boys flattened food boxes, carried them to the dumpster, taped up new boxes to hold the food, help stock shelves and babysat a 2 year old on the playground. Zac also helped load boxes (really heavy boxes!) into the families cars.

The regular pantry workers mentioned that they had not seen such young kids be so truly helpful. They really worked hard for 2 straight hours. And they did not complain. Not even once. What great kids!

They had fun. They served our community. They served God. And they want to do it again.

Now what I want to know, is how do I get them to be as excited about helping out at home???

1st Day of School

2009-08-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

Well, hello to both of my readers! I know, I know I have not posted in forever. But my summer job has kept me quite busy. Being the Entertainment Director for a zoo is quite challenging! The monkeys are always jumping on the furniture, the lions just want to lay around and the penguins just want to swim all summer long. By the time I got the bears fed, the stinky elephants bathed and the birds to quit chattering, I was exhausted!

But, school officially started Monday. Can I hear 3 cheers? Hip Hip Hooray!

It was a great first day for the kids. They all love their teachers and have some of their friends in their classes. Zac loves being the BMOC and Logan says "3rd grade is wonderful *sigh*". Lily is very excited to do big kids things like PE and music.

I promise that I will try to start posting again. Hopefully it will be easier with the kids in bed by 8:30pm. But now, I'm off to look over more school papers to sign. Don't you just love all that back to school paperwork? Filled out in triplicate? NOT.

Mid Summer Smackdown

2009-07-16T21:43:00.002-05:00

OK. It is mid summer and as of today, I am not going to make it until school starts again. I have two kids that are going to make me lose it! Zachery and Logan get along well. Logan and Lily get along well. But Zachery and Lily are pestering each other to death!!! They look so cute an innocent, but as soon as I turn around it starts up again.

"He did this, she did that, he started it, she started it, I didn't do it, I didn't do anything"...etc, etc, etc.

I know that siblings are supposed to fight. I know that home is where they learn to work out problems with others. Home is where they develop their communication skills. But come on! Give me a break! Right now they are not learning anything!

I feel like a failure as a parent right now because I'm really not sure how to stop the madness. How do I teach them to treat each other with love and respect? It is fine if they fight some, but at some point they also need to practice kindness to each other. What do I need to do? Does anyone have any suggestions? Please I am begging for your comments. I'll try anything that might be helpful - even if that means giving them some gloves and having a mid summer smackdown!

Free Country?

2009-07-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

The kids were driving me c-r-a-z-y today! They have been irritating each other relentlessly all day! So about 5pm I had them all come down and sit in different parts of the living room while I prepared dinner. Here was the conversation:

Z: Mom, I have something to tell you about what happened with Logan.
D: Blah-blah-blah-blah...
Z: Mom, come on. It's important.
D: Do you want ketchup?
Z: Mom, I thought this was a free country. Don't I have the right of free speech???
D: Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...(I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe!!!) Oh, Zachery. Haven't we told you. You do NOT live in a democratic household. You live in a dictatorship! You have no rights in this house except those your father and I give you. And right now I don't want to listen to anymore fussing or fighting or explanations.
Z: Man, that's not fair!
D: Nope. But when you grow up, you too can be the dictator of your own home. :)

Happy Birthday Zachery!

2009-07-12T21:58:00.003-05:00

Zachery turned 11 today. I'm not really sure how it happened though - since he was just born yesterday!!! He has been very excited about his big day and has had trouble talking about anything else for days. I'm pretty sure he had a great day! Now, I may have a headache tomorrow though. He got an electric guitar and amp. A really loud new toy. But his smile was priceless. Happy Birthday baby boy!

(I will have to post some other pictures later. This was the youngest picture (7 yrs) we have of him on the computer.)

Holding Hands

2009-06-27T22:04:00.003-05:00

The boys were at baseball camp Monday through Thursday from 9am -12pm this week. So Lily and I got some great girl time together. We read books, went shopping, cleaned the house. She was really enjoying the time we spent together no matter what we were doing.

We had been running errands one day and we were running out of time very quickly. And she wanted to hold my hand. All day, everywhere we went, she made sure she was on the side of my empty hand. But we were hot. And sweaty. It was close to 100 degrees. And I just didn't want to be touched with sticky hands. But then I looked down and saw her looking up at me. I realized how quickly she is growing up. Then I remembered two little boys that used to want to hold my hand. But not anymore. So, we held hands. Tight. And I loved every minute of it.

Welcome Summer!

2009-06-17T21:36:00.001-05:00

The Texas Tolleson's are so excited about summer! So far we have been:

Swimming - just show them water!
Staying up late - 9:30 bedtime
Sleeping in - 7:30 is such a nice time to get up.
Drinking caffeine sodas - a huge treat for the kids
At the beach - We were at South Padre last week. Hopefully I can post some pictures soon.
Jumping on the trampoline - only in the mornings though. Afternoon is HOT!
Watching cartoons - We did say 5 hours is too much in one day! But mom was sick, so...
Eating snow cones - Every Wednesday night after church - yummy!

Tonight Zac went to a Ranger game with a friend and Logan is having a sleep over with his friend. Lily is feeling a little left out, but maybe we can give her a special time with friends soon.

I love summer because it is so free. We are so tied to a schedule all school year long, that when summer hits, we just crash! I don't wear my watch at all in the summer. Ever. Really. We eat when we are hungry. Sleep when we are tired. And we don't make plans too far in advance. We want to be more impulsive. Carefree.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... a time to tear down and a time to build...a time to mourn and a time to dance, ... a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace... He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3

That pretty much sums up summer to the Texas Tolleson's. I pray we see everything as beautiful this summer. What is summer to you?

"Tricky" Monday!

2009-05-28T20:45:00.005-05:00

Monday was Memorial Day. Monday was also BISD's bad weather make up day. Yuck. But we have a great Principal that made the day very fun (and "tricked" us all into coming to school on a National holiday!) It was "Step Up" Day. Each grade got to "step up" to the next grade to check it out. So Lily got to visit 1st grade, Logan got to visit 3rd grade and Zac got to visit 5th grade. The kids loved it! They got a close up preview of what next year holds. What a great idea!

Also, Monday was Kindergarten Splash Day. That is the day Kindergartners look forward to all year long. It is 2 hours of swimsuits, water, bubbles, shaving cream, body paint, slip-n-slides, pools, and unlimited popsicles and snacks! Wow!!!

It is a wild 6 year old free for all! And everyone loves it - even the parents! Especially since that means it is almost summer!

Lily the Proud

2009-05-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Lily was chosen as the "Proud Porter Panther" for her class for the last six weeks. The virtue she was chosen for was trustworthiness. She was very excited about being chosen and getting to eat huge cinnamon rolls for breakfast at school.

She received a certificate, a pencil, virtue tag and best of all (in her opinion) a Chick-fil-a certificate! Now she can go visit Mr. George at her favorite restaurant! He spoils Lily with ice cream and balloons when she eats all her food. Isn't that all a girl needs in life - someone to spoil her?!?

Way to go Lily! We are very "Proud Panther Parents"!

Summer Cut

2009-05-25T19:58:00.007-05:00

Well, after he tried to apply sunscreen and wear his goggles to swim, Logan finally agreed to get a haircut.

Before - aka "Shaggy" had to brush his sticking up, rooster hair every morning.

After - "Mom, I think my smile is better now. Thanks for the summer cut." No problem kiddo, my pleasure.

Finally Productive!

2009-05-23T21:06:00.002-05:00

For whatever reason, I was feeling blue last week and did not want to do anything but take a nap. Well, I have finally gotten over my "blue funk". And let me say, it's about time since there are only 3 full days of school left until summer! Yikes!! I better get busy! Here it part of what happened this week:

1. I have gotten several things marked off my list. Well, I actually had 1 list and 3 sticky notes full. I am down to just 1 list now, so I am making progress!
2. I filled all of the PTA positions for next school year. Yeah!
3. We sold the van to a sweet young couple. Yahoo!!!
4. We cleaned out Larry's closet. Whew! That was hard work. I was not able to get rid of the awful blue shirt, but he did let go of many other items that had overstayed their welcome in our closet.
5. We had a moderately successful garage sale and finally all those sacks of stuff we didn't want are sold or taken to Goodwill.

I accomplished a lot more little things, but you really don't care about all of that. You know how it is, we all have little things to pick up, drop off, buy, mail, bake, email, pay for, put away, wash, dry, plant, water, file...sleep.

Boxing?

2009-05-22T22:29:00.004-05:00

Any guesses as to how this happened???

Notice the lovely rainbow of colors...purple, red, green, yellow...

Oh, and YES it hurts, so don't make me laugh too hard!!!

(Look in the comments for the answer.)

Lily's Last Game

2009-05-18T21:13:00.006-05:00

Today was a very important day for Lily. Lily and Jacey (her best friend) wore their uniforms to school today. It was her final game of the season with the Diamond Girls. Awww. It was also awards night. Oooh! Lily has been very excited about getting another medal like she got for playing soccer and fall softball. I warned her that she might not get another medal, but she just knew she would get something. (That smart girl has been watching her brothers get trophys for years!) Well, she got something even better than a medal. Coach Ben handed out the awards. She received a sparkly red and gold trophy...and a chocolate chip cookie...and a blue slush that turned her tongue blue! Wow! I know one little girl will be having very sweet dreams tonight.

Oh, and PS...only 9 more days of school! Yippee!

Snaggle, Snaggle, Tooth

2009-05-14T18:07:00.004-05:00

Well, it is all about teeth at the Tolleson house. Zachery lost another tooth at school today. Logan finally lost his top two teeth and has one of my favorite smiles ever on a kid! And Lily, well, thankfully she still has her teeth! We went for her check-up today from her stitches and she is healing well. She was very excited that she can eat regular foods again! One of her top teeth is still wiggly, but the Doctor is not concerned since she would lose it soon anyway. Her only restriction is not to bite into something real hard like an apple for a while - or the tooth may pop out! On the way back to school from her appointment, we stopped at Sonic to get her lunch. Oh my. I have never seen a child eat a grilled cheese and french fries as quickly as she did today! Poor girl must have been absolutely starving for the past two weeks! She has a list of foods that she has not gotten to eat over the past two weeks, so I guess I better get cookin'!

Give Her a Break!

2009-05-11T21:16:00.002-05:00

Poor little Lily. She has had a rough few weeks. First the incident with her mouth and then today she went to the Doctor with Strep! She has a bad case and has been feeling pretty yucky since Saturday afternoon. Poor thing has just cried, because "it's just not fair". But she didn't cry about stitches, or about Strep. She cried because Logan lost another tooth and Zachery has one that is very loose! I think she was disappointed that the fall did not knock a few teeth out!!! Silly girl! She will have to stay home from school again tomorrow. She is missing school and her friends. I think she has finally realized that mommy cannot just play and watch movies with her all day. Poor mommy has to do the bills, dishes, laundry, cooking... Can't either one of us get a break?!?

The Count Down Begins

2009-05-06T21:40:00.002-05:00

The kids can count it on their fingers and toes. Only 17 more days until...

SUMMER!!!

I can't wait for lazy days, sleeping in, cartoons, walks in the park, going to the beach, visiting family, riding bikes, homemade ice cream, sunscreen, tan lines, swimming, zoo trips, picnics, watermelon, Parker County peaches, no bedtime, movies, reading books for fun, play dates....Ahhh.

Old Yeller

2009-05-05T21:17:00.002-05:00

It seems like every day I hear about another tragedy. Another illness. Another death. There are so many people that are hurting right now. Zac and I finished reading "Old Yeller" tonight. We both cried. It is such a heart-breaking story of life, love and tragedy. But there is a great message to the story.

Bad things happen. Bank on it. It is impossible to escape. But, just like Travis in the story, we have to get past it. Move on. Begin to see the joy all around us. For the families that are hurting, I pray not only for their comfort and healing, but that they can experience God.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." 2 Cor 1:3-5

Lily's Progress

2009-05-01T17:10:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone for your concern for Lily. She is starting to feel a little better. Her face is still really swollen, but she does not feel too much pain unless she gets more active. She has been pretty tired, which is very unusual for her. (Isn't it funny when kids say "I'm not tired!" as they scream and cry?!?) She is enjoying her diet of soft foods and has not complained one bit. Although who wouldn't like to have ice cream, yogurt, oatmeal, spaghettio's and popsicles all day long?
On the plus side, we were able to get her hair cut today finally! She was very specific. Shoulder length, with layers and glitter. What a girly girl!

Happy Birthday Larry!

2009-04-30T21:31:00.008-05:00

Today is Larry's 39th birthday! Hooray! This morning we celebrated with a candle in his biscuit - that melted really fast because the biscuit was still hot! Then he opened presents and went to work. Nope, work is not a fun thing to do on your birthday. Oh well, such is the life of a grown up.

Although the kids think 39 is OLD, I think 39 is fantastic! Especially since he was diagnosed with leukemia 4 years ago. Time flies when you are having fun!

Here is Larry's favorite birthday cake ever - Mama Myrtis' Carrot Cake. This is completely from scratch and tastes fabulous! I have to say that this is one of the prettiest ones I have made yet! Since it has carrots in it, can it be considered healthy?

Happy birthday my sweet! I look forward to many more happy years together.

Trauma!

2009-04-29T10:53:00.011-05:00

Yesterday we had quite an adventure in the Tolleson family.

After a fun time outside with our friends, Lily fell backwards in a chair and hit her mouth on the brick window ledge. Ouch!!! Have you ever noticed how much head wounds bleed?!? Also, have you ever noticed how God blesses us even in the midst of tragedy?

1) We immediately went to visit our neighbor, Ms. Deb, who is a nurse. She told us to go right to the ER. Don't panic. So, I went screaming like a crazy woman into the house for Larry to get the van!
2) Larry was home - not traveling like last week.
3) The boys stayed with the Henry's - who completely took care of them. Gotta love our Henry's!
4) Then we took Lily to Cook's Urgent Care. Love that place, but it was jam packed! After we filled out the paperwork, a woman sitting next to us started asking questions about Lily. She was an orthodontist. Seriously. Thanks Dr. Tamera Miller! She looked in Lily's mouth and told us to call our dentist. They would not be able to do anything at Cook's. So, we took her advice and called Dr. Parker.
5) Get this, he was at his office planting rose bushes. No, really. He said "come on".
6) He called the tech from the dentist office next door, who was just leaving, to come over to assist. After we got to his office he quickly assessed that this injury was beyond what he could do, so he called on oral surgeon, Dr. Tye.
7) He was there in about 15 minutes. Just long enough to get Lily's mouth numb. Again - ouch!!!

Here's the gross part. She had scraped back the gum tissue above her front teeth almost to the bone, had at least 2 loose teeth and had a busted lip. She received about 10-12 stitches and has to eat only soft foods for 2 weeks until her mouth heals.

Amazingly, she has done really well with everything. Much better than I have done! She was so brave while they were working on her mouth. She did not even cry!
8) Her face is pretty swollen, but after that goes away, no scars.
9) My parents came over to help get the kids (and me) settled for bed.
Lily is doing well today and I thank everyone for your concerns and prayers. Please also thank God for all of the (9+) blessings that he heaped upon our family yesterday.

Craft it Forward - take 2

2009-04-27T20:12:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago my friend Jill brought me a wonderful little package. (Jill, you probably thought I forgot to post about it!) It was my reward for leaving a comment on her "craft it forward" blog. She made these wonderful coasters. Aren't they beautiful?!? She is very talented and can make anything she sees!

Jill found someone with a fun idea - to have a "craft it forward" give away - you can click here to read about it @ The Parks Family.

I posted a craft it forward entry once, but no one commented. That could mean a few different things. 1. You don't want anything that I might try to make, or 2. you are not sure if you could craft it forward. So...here's an idea for those with concern #2. If you are not crafty, then bake. Or surprise someone with flowers. Or take a friend to lunch. Just reach out to a friend.

For those of you who would like to play along with me... be one of the first three to leave a comment! Those lucky 3 ladies will receive a handmade gift from me! I'm not sure what it will be yet... but I have several great ideas!

I would like to "Craft it Forward" and it would love for you to "Craft - or Pay - it Forward" too. Ready, set, comment!!!!!

Feeling Used

2009-04-26T21:25:00.004-05:00

Several week ago I started a ladies Bible class about having authentic relationships. This was WAY out of my comfort zone!!! But the class has far exceeded my expectations! It is such a wonderful time for us to develop our friendships and find solutions to some of the problems that we all face.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, I was asked if I knew someone (maybe even me) that could speak to the girls at the high school retreat about self esteem. I said no, but I would think about it. Well, I did a lot of thinking. A lot of praying. I remembered the promise that I made myself years ago. If I ever got a chance to pass along the lessons that I learned as a teen, that I would. So I agreed to talk to the girls. I was a bit nervous about speaking to teens, but God took care of that for me. He gave me courage through the loving support of my friends. The retreat was wonderful and I pray that the young ladies will benefit from what I had to say. Also, while I was there, I was able to comfort a young man whose close friend has just been diagnosed with leukemia. That was rough. It brought back so many memories.

And now I am feeling used.

And what a great feeling that is!!! I feel as though I have been used by God for His good purpose. I can not claim any of this as works of my own because "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 Thank you God for the opportunity to serve you.

Easter Day

2009-04-20T20:27:00.002-05:00

Easter morning was cool and rainy, as usual, but the kids still looked bright and sunny in their new outfits. We enjoyed lunch at Dena's followed by an egg hunt to beat all egg hunts! There were so many eggs that their baskets were overflowing! They has a blast, and I have to say, I have enjoyed the fruits of their egg searching. Don't you think that chocolate just tastes better when it is bunny shaped?!?

Tie Dyed Easter

2009-04-13T21:22:00.011-05:00

We got creative this Easter by tie dyeing our eggs and cookies and it was so much fun! The kids did great and we did not make too big of a mess.

We used a kit from Walmart to dye the eggs. It was so easy and I loved the bright colors of the eggs.

From left to right the eggs are the creations of: Lily, mom, Zac and Logan.

The boys had fun and like the brighter colors.

We also decorated Easter cookies with Grandmother. She had neon food color and matching sprinkles. We had so much fun tie dyeing the eggs that we found a way to do the cookies too! Too bad we broke a few. Those had to be eaten immediately!

I will try to post more pictures from Easter later. Right now they are in Larry's camera - which I do not touch.

Have a Blessed Easter

2009-04-11T21:48:00.002-05:00

Spring is my absolute favorite season. Everything is coming back to life, budding, turning green and flowering. I love the smell of spring rain, fresh mowed grass and my sweaty little children that have been running around in the yard after a long cold winter. I also love Easter. When I was growing up, I always looked forward to Easter Sunday. Everyone would be at church. Everyone would be happy. And everyone would have new clothes to show off. I remember my friends and I comparing hats, purses, gloves, fluffy (scratchy) petticoats, and our beautiful, ruffled new dresses. We were dressed in every pastel color of the rainbow. Always pastels. We probably looked like a bunch of frilly Easter eggs, but I loved it.

My brother and I also had great Easter baskets. Even when I was too old to have visits from the Easter bunny, mom would just say "Don't look until morning." My Easter bunny brought chocolate, but she also brought good stuff like new Barbies, clothes and shoes.

I am looking forward to Easter tomorrow. I am ready to see the large crowd, the new dresses, pretty flowers and maybe even someone's new hat. But I now realize that it would still be Easter even without a new dress or a basket or an egg hunt. I am thankful for the sacrifice that Jesus made and the significance of his resurrection. I know that without that, life would have no meaning, and I would be forever lost. I pray that I can see Easter as a time of renewal, rebirth and recommitment to the one who gave everything for me.

Have a blessed Easter everyone!

Post April Fool's Trick

2009-04-02T18:50:00.005-05:00

April Fool's Day is a lot of fun for the kids. They devise ways to try to trick each other and me, and then they wait excitedly for me to trick them. I know, it's weird that they want me to trick them but they don't like to be tricked by each other. Weird.

This year's tricks involved:
-Switching pillows
-Pink undies in an 8 yr old's drawer
-"Kool-aid" for snack time that tasted kinda like plain purple water
-Creepy plastic cockroach on mom's pillow
-Creepy plastic cockroach in 4th grade classroom
-Lily faking being sick and about to vomit

But the best "trick" was actually today.

This morning Lily had her 6 year old well check. The doctor said that she is perfect! Of course. He also wanted to do a blood test for a couple of things. Let me tell you - Lily was such a trooper! The nurses could not believe how still she was. She just laid there while they tried, unsuccessfully to find a vein in one arm. And then with success in the other arm. She did great and they gave her two coins for prizes! Just as soon as she got her prizes, she said "Mom, I don't feel so good." I got down on my knees and put my arm around her to talk to her. And then, she fainted.

AHHHHHHH!!!!!

Oh. My. I have never caught someone as they fainted. Let me tell you. It. Is. Scary.

She was not out long, but we carried her back to the room, propped up her feet, got her a cool towel and took her pulse. She scared me to death!!! I began to talk to her and asked if she was trying to April Fool's me again?!? It got her to laugh and distracted her for a moment. We were both pretty scared, but after several minutes of hugging and taking really deep breaths, we both felt able to leave the office. I then took her to school, where she had special animal crackers from her teacher, and had a great day. I, on the other hand, had to take a few more minutes to recover from her "trick". Let's hope she never plays that one on me again!

Life's Not Fair

2009-03-29T21:24:00.004-05:00

People get hurt. Tornadoes rip homes apart. War. Famine. Drunk drivers. CEO's get million dollar bonuses while workers get laid off. Women are battered. Children are abused. Bullies. Cancer. Buildings burn. Shootings. Robberies.

We all know that life is not fair. God does not promise that the road to heaven is paved with roses. ^{John 15:18-19}"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 16:³³ "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

But how do you explain that to a child? I have a child that sees the world as black and white. Right and wrong. If you do what is wrong you should be punished. But that does not always happen. Sometimes people that do bad things seem to be - almost rewarded - with popularity, skills, privileges. And it is not fair.

I wish there was a way to explain all the bad, without it hurting so much. But I can't do it. I just want to cry. Life seemed easier when I was young. Maybe the world wasn't as bad then, or maybe my parents just shielded me from it all. I wish I could wrap my arms around my kids, hold them close and protect them from all the evil in the world. But I can't. So, instead I will pray with everything I have that I can teach my children God's love and God's reward if we live like him. I pray it will be enough and that they can understand that we don't want to live life for the world's reward of popularity, fame or fortune. I pray that my children will live their life worthy, in an unfair world, to be a child of God.

Awesome God

2009-03-26T21:31:00.004-05:00

Well, once again God has surprised me. Not sure why. I should expect it from Him by now.

A few weeks ago, I asked an elder if we could have a ladies Bible study on Wednesday nights. What I wanted was to get into the Word, but let someone else teach it to me. (Wow that sounds lazy!)

What I got was words of encouragement and a study book. The book is titled "Authentic Relationships: Being Real in an Artificial World". I was not sure if this was right for the 30-ish year old women that I had in mind. It seemed almost too basic. Developing friendships. We all have those. Right?

Wrong.

Believe it or not there are women that are faithful Christians. Involved in church activities. Popular. Cute. Sweet families. But not feeling connected. No close friends to lean on. How can this be?

As a society, we have gotten so busy and yet we still try to do more, have more, be more. Maybe today, we should do less, have less, and be less, so that we can be a friend. Because as my mom has always said, "you have to be a friend to have friends".

This week, there were 21 women in class praying for authentic relationships. Wow! What an awesome God! Whoa - what a responsibility. I may be making a complete fool of myself by leading this class, but that will be a small cost if God will use me to make a difference in one woman's life.

Spring Break at the Zoo

2009-03-19T14:49:00.004-05:00

NOT!!!!

We got up this morning excited about the day ahead. We had decided to go to the zoo for the day. We dressed, packed lunches and picked up Grandmother. As we got to the exit for the zoo, we noticed police officers were directing traffic. Not a good sign. I kept driving, just hoping that everyone was going to a spring festival in the botanic gardens. Not so much. Cars were parking in the grass beside University!!! We knew it would be at least another hour before we even saw the zoo entrance. So, we sadly turned around.

Idea # 2 - We drove over to Keller-Smithfield Park to eat lunch and play with friends. But, there was not one single parking spot. Cars were jumping the curb and parking in the grass. I was not willing to jump the curb in my new van, so, we turned around. Again.

Idea #3 - We drove home and had a picnic in the front yard. No lines and no trouble finding a parking spot. It also had fairly clean bathrooms. Perfect! Lunch was great! It is a beautiful day!

Idea #4 - We have Putt-Putt passes, so this time I called to see how busy they were. I was told "We are CRAZY busy! It is spring break you know." Really? *sigh*

Idea #5 - We took a nice relaxing walk down the trails to the Nature Center park. It was a great walk and I got to see all kinds of wild animals. Mountain lions, alligators and monkeys...

I am so proud of my kids. Today could have been a disappointing day, but they all had such great attitudes. "... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11

Thank you kids for your beautiful example of Jesus that you have shown me today. I treasure you in my heart.

Logan the Proud

2009-03-13T11:46:00.004-05:00

Logan was honored at school last Friday as a Proud Porter Panther. Every six weeks, teachers and students choose a child from each class to be honored for a particular virtue. This six weeks the virtue was fairness. His teacher Ms. Fiehler writes:

"Logan is a great example of the fairness virtue. He is a patient student, which makes him a good friend. Logan makes sure everyone has a partner and doesn't want anyone to be left out. I am proud to have Logan in my class. He models all virtues, and I am thrilled for him to be our Proud Panther."

Awww...Way to go Logan! Mom is very proud of you!

Horrible Hair on a Cutie Pie

2009-03-11T20:58:00.002-05:00

Last Friday was horrible hair day in Lily's class. She had a very specific way she wanted me to "fix" her hair to be "horrible". Thursday night we made ponies, braids and knots all over her head. Friday morning we added the non-matching bows.

It is pretty hard to make a cutie pie look horrible! Pretty much impossible...just look at that face!

Horrible hair morning was a great morning for Lily. She and Zachery were upstairs brushing their teeth. They had been up there quite a while and Larry was calling Lily down to take o picture of her hair. She came down, posed for the camera, and as Larry looked through the camera lens, she smiled...a really big, toothless smile! She had lost her first tooth while brushing her teeth! She did not say a word about it until she smiled for the camera. She loved "tricking"dad!

Sunday night she lost tooth #2. Well, actually Larry used some floss to pull it. She had been wiggling it so much that she was making it sore. She has been so funny looking at herself in the mirror, sticking her tongue in the hole and wishing for mashed potatoes to squish out. I love the way she talks too.

Such small delights. Such great joy.

Show me the Diamonds!

2009-03-10T13:52:00.003-05:00

Lily had her first softball game on Saturday and LOVED every minute of it! She has a very fun team with 3 friends from church. They are the "Diamond Girls". The smallest girl on the team, Allie (not pictured) looked at her jersey, front and back, and asked "Coach, where are the diamonds?" Ha! Don't they all look precious in their uniforms???

Charlie, Harley, Lily, Jacey, Susie and Presley (Notice all the "e's" at the end of their names?)

I asked Lily and her best friend if I could take their picture, and this is the pose they struck! They love their uniforms. It makes them feel sassy!

Who needs sparkly diamonds when the girls are this beautiful?

Lily's New Trick

2009-03-05T20:46:00.003-06:00

Lily has learned a new trick. She has practiced it so much tonight, that she may be cross-eyed forever! She is so proud of her amazing new ability. I had to take a picture of her because she kept trying to see what she looked like cross-eyed.

Tomorrow is horrible hair day for Lily, so I will post pictures of that later.

Oh, and tomorrow or maybe Saturday, she will probably lose her first tooth. Unless she stays up late wiggling it out tonight. Which would not surprise me at all from my little night owl! She is hoping that Jacey will hug her so tight tomorrow that her tooth will pop right out! (Lily hugged Jacey's last tooth out!) What are friends for right?

Extra! Extra! Read all about us!

2009-03-03T17:39:00.005-06:00

Well, life is starting to get crazy again. Here is what is going on:

ZAC - Zachery tried out for the school talent show - and made it! He will be playing his guitar and singing "This Land is Your Land" on March 13th (the talent show has a patriotic/50's/showtune theme). He did great in the audition, even though he was so nervous that he almost changed his act before he walked in the room! The teachers were impressed that he did so well, especially since he has never taken lessons. The smile on his face was priceless when they said "You're in".

Zachery is getting bigger too - well at least his feet are! He is very proud of the fact that he now wears a men's 7. Which just happens to be just the size of his mom's feet.

Zachery is playing baseball on the Nationals team. He is playing first base and pitcher. His team practices twice a week right now.

Zac took the TAKS writing test today. He said "I don't like writing!" I'm sure he did great, because he always does very well in standardized testing.

LOGAN- Logan will be honored at a school breakfast on Friday as a "Proud Porter Panther". He was chosen by his teacher for showing the virtue of fairness this past six weeks. Way to go Logan!

Logan is growing even faster than Zachery! He is eating everything that does not eat him first! Seriously. He wears the same size shorts as his big brother, which makes him grin from ear to ear!

Logan is playing baseball for the Storm. He rotates positions and since he is catching so well right now, he got to play first base for the first time last night! He made some great plays and hit 2 doubles during the game!

LILY- Lily received a letter today to say she will be in the Excel program at school next year. That is the gifted program at Porter. She was thrilled that she gets to do the same thing as Zachery.

Lily is playing softball on the Diamond Girls team with her friends. They are soooo cute! I will post pictures after her first game on Saturday. She loves softball much, much more than soccer.

Larry is working like crazy and coaching three kids ball teams in his "spare" time.

And me, well, when I am not working on things for church, or PTA matters, or cleaning, or doing laundry (mountains and mountains!), or cooking for my growing boys (you are still hungry?!), or grocery shopping (we need milk again!?), or cleaning the flowerbeds, or running errands...it looks like I will be facilitating a women's Bible study on Wednesday nights. God has a crazy way of answering prayers! Ask Him to help increase your time in the word and He puts you in charge. Not what I had in mind, but hopefully the study will be meaningful to the ladies that attend.

Well, that's it. Everyone should be coming home soon ready to eat again. I will try to post a little more often than once a week. No promises though.

Uneventful Life

2009-02-26T20:49:00.002-06:00

Welcome to my un-eventful life. After the hustle and bustle of the holidays I have gotten to just relax and get a few things done around the house. Like laundry, filing that huge pile on the desk, cleaning out closets, reading, recycling all of those catalogs from Christmas, sewing repairs, scrapbooking, gardening, cooking dinner...just stuff.

The kids are doing great in school. Zac is trying out for the talent show tomorrow. He has been practicing playing his guitar and singing "This Land is Your Land". (It is a patriotic themed show.) Logan got to have "sock day" today in class as a reward for extra good behavior. And Lily keeps telling me all sorts of facts like how to brush my teeth and that we should not drink too many drinks with sugar in them. (A dentist visited her class this week.)

All three are practicing ball gettting ready for the season to start on Monday. Oh, so if you are looking for Larry or I, we will be at the ballfields until May.

And really, that is it. That is why I have not blogged in a week. Nothing special. Just day to day. But isn't that nice? At least for a while.

It's Fun Being a Girl!

2009-02-16T19:44:00.007-06:00

Lily's party was a big success! The girls were all very glamorous.

We started the party off by spraying their hair with glitter spray. Ooh-la-la! They loved it! You should have seen them grim from ear to ear when they looked at themselves in the mirror! Priceless!

After a game of "Pin the Jewel on the Tiara", we made our own tiaras. Because everyone knows that a princess always wears her tiara. The girls made such pretty sparkly tiaras with jewels, flowers, butterflies and hearts.

Then of course, we needed to have a fashion show. As Hannah Montana blared from the radio, the girls modeled their new tiaras and their fancy outfits for the paparazzi.

The fashion show turned into a dance party and then into a limbo contest. Using a pink feather boa of course! Even Zac got in on the dance party and limbo...but Logan just stayed back as far as possible (as long as he could still see what was going on). I can't imagine why he did not want to play fancy with the girls. Hee, hee!

The girls then ate lunch which included star pbj sandwiches, curly cheetos and fruit kabobs. Then in true "Fancy Nancy" style, we had brownie parfaits for dessert. With pink sprinkles, of course! Yummy!

Lily loved her party and was thrilled to have her friends over. I pray that these girls will continue to be BFF's.

Happy Birthday Lily!

2009-02-12T19:50:00.010-06:00

It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is 6 today. You know, she was just born yesterday. Well, it seems like yesterday to me. Lily is such a delightful girl. She is smart, loves to read and sing (especially Hannah Montana and praise songs). She loves clothes (especially clothes that are sparkly or twirly), shoes, and things for her hair. She loves to jump high on the trampoline and ride her bike. She is a beautiful girl that makes my heart sing every day.

I look forward to seeing her grow for 6 more years. Happy birthday Skippy Lou!

Big Dreams

2009-02-10T20:41:00.005-06:00

Logan is giggling and purring again tonight. He lost tooth #4! He was very proud because he pulled this one all by himself. (I pulled the last one.) He has been wiggling it for a few days and today he ate an apple for his snack - just hoping it would fall out.

During dinner he was laughing til his face turned red because he was squishing mashed potatoes out the holes in his mouth. Ahhh, such small joys!

Now he is off to dreamland, wondering if the Tooth Fairy will leave him $50 "because it is so shiny". Hope he has sweet dreams 'cause the Tooth Fairy is not quite that generous in reality. Dream on kiddo.

Bye Bye Germs!

2009-02-08T20:48:00.003-06:00

Well, so far, so good. It looks like all of the kids will be going to school tomorrow. Yeah for mommy! Logan started it off last weekend with a nasty cough and then strep. Zachery followed with a cough and a tummy ache. Lily was next with a yucky tummy virus. (Her poor little bottom still hurts.) Fortunately, Larry stayed well - because he was in Boston! Very thankfully I have stayed well also (Knock on wood!) because someone has to clean up this mess!

So now it is time to completely disinfect the house and any surface the kids may have touched or breathed on. Bye bye germs! Wow, it sure sounds like it will be a fun Monday. Not.

Craft it Forward

2009-02-03T21:06:00.002-06:00

A few days ago I was catching up on my friend Jill's blog, The Parks Family. Jill found someone with a fun idea - to have a "craft it forward" give away. You can click on the link above to read all about it. Jill decided to craft it forward and I was one of the first 3 people to leave a comment on her post so I will be getting a fun surprise package! Yeah me!!!

The only catch is that you have to Craft it Forward too! You will have to make a post on your blog & do the same thing I did. You will have 30 days to make & ship your gift. It will be fun!

Also when you receive your gift, write a post about what you got! We all want to see what everyone gets! It's always fun getting a surprise in the mail!

Ready, set, comment!!!!!

Poor Logan

2009-02-02T20:52:00.003-06:00

Cough. Sniff. Cough, cough, cough.
Cough. Sniff. Cough, cough, cough.
Cough. Sniff. Cough, cough, cough.

This has been the pattern for poor little Logan today. I kept him home from school because he did not sleep at all last night because of all the coughing. I made him rest today. He was bored, but he did not mind having to play extra video games!

He just started running a low grade fever tonight and he is still coughing. I feel awful, but there is only so much medicine you can give a little boy. I'm sure it will be a rough night for him. I guess tomorrow will be a doctor day.

May"the prayer offered in faith make the sick person well." James 5:15
Please raise little Logan up in prayer.

Addiction

2009-02-01T21:59:00.004-06:00

Hi. My name is Deanna and I am addicted.

It started just about one month ago. Larry was pressuring me to try it. He liked it and he knew I would too. I resisted as long as I could but, what could I do when he bought it for me? I am weak.

I have never had anything like it in my life! It is so easy. So smooth. I use it first thing in the morning, all through the day, and I keep it by my bed at night. The kids want to try it, but I won't let them touch it! I didn't think I would like it so much.

My addiction? My iphone.

Ice, Ice Baby

2009-01-29T08:14:00.003-06:00

"It snowed!!!"

That was what all the kids said as they work up yesterday morning. Sadly, I had to correct them. No, kids. It iced.

Somehow, that is not near as exciting as snow. But since there was no school, they made the best of it.

They had fun slipping and sliding. Falling. Riding the Henry's green machine. Playing real ice hockey. And eating icicles. The ice was pretty much gone by lunch, but what a fun morning! Texas snow is not quite as pretty as Colorado snow, but it was just as fun today.

Complete Faith

2009-01-27T08:14:00.005-06:00

Sunday was a great day at church! Sunday morning we had a bilingual service with our Hispanic congregation including 2 baptisms. Sunday night after the tex-mex potluck, we had a devotional and communion. It reminded me very much of how Jesus and his disciples would have had a communion meal. It was family gathered together, eating, visiting, worshiping, communing. God was in that place.

During communion, Lily climbed up in my lap. Here was our conversation:

Lily: "Mom, not everyone in here is baptized."
Mom: "Nope."
Lily: (laughing) "Cause baby Vivian is not baptized." (She is 3 weeks old!)
Mom: "Well no silly, she is just a baby. But you are not baptized. Not Logan or Zachery. Even some of the adults in this room are not baptized."

She looked at me like I had grown 2 heads!!! Mouth open - eyes wide. Complete disbelief!

Mom: "It's true. Some adults and teens in this room have not been baptized." We then talked about the adults that had been baptized just that morning and that some people do not go to church. Ever. Who teaches them about the Bible?

I'm so thankful that I have a long line of faithful family members and have been taught about God since I was born. And I love that I am passing it on to my children. Lily's reaction to hearing that some adults are not baptized pleased me. It lets me know that she is confident that she will be baptized when she is old enough. That she has complete faith in Jesus. That she can not imagine life without church. I pray that I always have the faith of this child.

"And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

Time for Everything

2009-01-26T19:59:00.002-06:00

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

God said it, so it must be true. There is a time for everything. Hunting season is now over.

Everyone please bid a warm welcome to the official start of Honey-do season!

Oh Honey...

Logan's Purr

2009-01-21T21:20:00.002-06:00

Yeah for me! I got to hear Logan's purr tonight. You know the sound. The really fast laugh when he is VERY excited about something. Larry and I have always called it his "purr". When he was younger he would purr for food. Then chocolate. Sometimes Grandmother's chocolate cake. Anything that thrills his soul.

Tonight he purred because he lost another tooth. Actually, I pulled it. It was barely hanging on and he was asking so many questions. When will I lose it? What if I am at school? I'll need a kleenex because it will bleed. Where will I put it? Really, it just fell out when I touched it, but now he thinks I am the coolest mom because I pulled his tooth. Hey, I'll take being cool for a while.

As I was tucking him in bed, he kept sticking his tongue in the space and talking about the Tooth Fairy. And purring. I LOVE that sound. Only God could make such a sweet sound for a mother's ears. What is it about those special sounds that just grab your heart and make you want to hug the stuffing out of the poor kid?!?

Well, he survived my hugs and kisses and now he is having sweet dreams about the Tooth Fairy's visit. Hope she is not late.

What do I do?

2009-01-18T21:18:00.002-06:00

We have company this weekend. Larry's dad and brother have come to visit. Well, that is sort of true. Actually they came just to hunt ducks. And Larry and the boys are thrilled! They hunted Saturday and they will hunt again in the morning.

Lily is also very excited. She is at a sleepover with Aunt Jen and Allie having girl-time.

Tomorrow morning the house will be completely quiet. No one will be here but me.

So here is my dilemma:
WHAT DO I DO??? A few precious hours all by myself?!? It holds so many possibilities! I could exercise, read a good book, take a long soaking bath, paint my nails, watch an old movie, scrapbook... I was getting dizzy thinking of everything that I could do in the quiet until Larry burst my bubble. He said they would be back quite early. Drat! There goes my quiet time. I will probably just be waking up when they get home. Oh man.

Well, dilemma solved. I guess I will get up and do all of the things that I should do - laundry, dishes, file the bills, make my bed, vacuum, sew a button on Lily's dress...

Why do the shoulds always beat the woulds?

Back to life...Back to reality

2009-01-13T19:27:00.002-06:00

Well, Christmas is officially over. Yes, I know that was weeks ago, but I had to extend my holiday by just one more week. I made Larry extremely crazy! But I couldn't help it! I was completely distracted by the Twilight series. I could not put them down. So...all I did last week while the kids were at school was read.

I finished the books, which I loved, then started looking around. Wow! No one cleaned while I was on holiday. Too bad for me. Back to life. Back to reality. This week I have been cleaning, doing laundry, grocery shopping, catching up on PTA work, cleaning out closets, paying bills, etc, etc, etc.

I would love to have another mini-holiday and sit on the couch, reading a book and eating Christmas cookies. But that too must come to an end - since all of the sweets in my house have been banished! Back to eggs, salads and chicken.

It is a new year. Full of promise. I don't know what the year holds, but I do know that life is good. I love the reality of my life. It is nice to have a holiday, but the every day, simple pleasures are what I live for. My husband that still loves me after 17 years. My children that are growing, learning and maturing. My family that is close in miles and in our hearts. Friends that care. Surrounded by material blessings. That's my reality. I glad it's back.

Teaching our Children

2009-01-10T14:56:00.003-06:00

We try to teach our children so well.

Say "please" and "thank you".
Chew with your mouth closed.
Wash your hands and face.
Brush your teeth. Again.
Clean up your room.
Pick up your shoes.
Say "excuse me".
Be nice to your brothers/sister.
Share.
Please don't eat that!
Mind your manners.

Why is it that the only thing that they learn to do with absolute perfection is share. Germs.

I took Lily to the doctor last Saturday with strep throat and now the sweet little child has done exactly what we have taught her to do. Share. With Logan.

I know we are trying to teach them to do the right thing, but maybe we have taught too well. She seems very pleased that she gave Logan her strep. Too bad she is not near as excited when she gives Logan a toy, or the last apple, or first player on wii or...

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-01-06T18:28:00.002-06:00

This has been such a wonderful day! Larry began my day by cooking me blueberry pancakes and bacon. I never cook bacon because it is so messy, but I love it - Yummy! Then I opened my presents that included sunglasses, a new gray sweatshirt ( I know that thrills you Jen!) and a new purse that matches my van! I am such a lucky girl to have a husband that spoils me so much.

Then I went shopping with birthday money and found some great shoes and pants. Larry and I went to lunch. Together. Just the two of us. And then mom and I went to see Twilight. I love a good romance. Ahhh.

And all day long I have received phone calls and facebook messages from friends and family. Today, I feel very loved. And very young. 38 is great! Thanks everyone!

Wii are Family

2009-01-02T15:05:00.004-06:00

Logan asked Santa for a Wii for Christmas. I'm so glad that he has been a good boy. Mostly. Santa granted his wish. Yeah for us! We have had so much fun with the Wii. It is a great system for our entire family. Logan is great with baseball. Zac drives the best in Mario Kart. Lily's bowling skills rock! They all have something they are best at playing.

Well, not all of us. Larry and I are getting our tails kicked by a bunch of kids!!! We have been playing after the kids go to bed, just to practice. We laughed so hard last night trying our best to figure out how in the world Lily can get so many strikes and spares in bowling. We tried dancing, flipping our feet up, jumping, twirling, twisting our arms the wrong way...we even tried singing her song about a "wearing pink satin dress"! Larry drew the line at actually wearing a pink satin dress!

Did our scores improve to meet hers? Nope. Not even close. But as a consolation prize we got Wii shoulder. It is sooooo sad to say I'm sore from playing a video game!

As another consolation prize, I also received a New Years resolution. To exercise. It sounds so easy, but I don't enjoy it. But I do enjoy spending time with my family and I do not want anything to slow me down. Especially not Wii shoulder.

Blue Christmas

2008-12-17T14:48:00.005-06:00

My new favorite color is Ocean Mist Metallic!

Yeah for me!

Hey, do you know anyone that would like to buy a white van? I promise to clean out the gum wrappers, juice box straws, sticky finger prints, goldfish crumbs, happy meal toys, pink sunglasses, kleenex...

These are a Few of My Favorite Christmas Things

2008-12-13T20:29:00.009-06:00

Following my friend J ill's lead, I thought I would post a few of my favorite Christmas things around the house. These are not listed in any particular order.

I love the candles, crystal and Fitz and Floyd ceramics on my buffet. I can't wait to have company and light the candles and watch the glow! I added the poinsettias to the buffet and the also to the banister. I was so excited to have stairs in this house. I have always loved the decorations on banisters for Christmas.

For the past few years, my mother has been giving me Jim Shore decorations. One of my favorites is the Santa. This year's gift was the Santa and Rudolph. Aren't they cute?!? All of the grandkids want to watch the Rudolph video at her house even when it is not Christmas!

Let's just say that I am a spoiled wife. Since a company Christmas party in 2002, Larry has been giving me a Swarovski crystal snowflake for the tree every year. It sparkles like crazy with the lights on the tree. This picture does not even begin to show it's beauty. The kids know they can not touch mommy's ornaments and they are hung just in my eye sight for maximum viewing pleasure. Larry, you're such a great husband.

These stockings are a treasure for the Texas Tollesons. They were hand made by Larry's grandmother Annette.

The "Christmas Chronicles" series by Jeff Guinn is one of my favorite Christmas reads. I have read The Autobiography of Santa Claus and The Great Santa Search, both of which were very cute. I have just checked out this one. I can't wait to start reading. My favorite cd's this time of year are Amy Grant's "A Christmas to Remember" and Relient K's "Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer". If you have not heard their version of the Twelve Days of Christmas, you are missing out on one of the best songs of Christmas!

I L-O-V-E our huge tree. We have had it for 13 years and though it gives Larry trouble every year, it looks fantastic when it is finally up! Right now there is another string of lights out, but if you squint your eyes, you hardly notice it at all!

My mother made this quilt. It is on of the first quilts she ever made. She is quite talented. Thanks mom.

Every girl should have a pink tree in her room! I never had one, so I am living my dream out through Lily. It is pink, sparkly and Zebra. What's not to love?!?

Have a wonderful Christmas season and enjoy your holiday decorations while they are up. It will all be over before we blink our eyes.

Deja Vu

2008-12-11T19:51:00.002-06:00

OK Maybe I'm mistaken, but haven't I already posted a blog about a boy with a sprained arm?

Oh, yeah - that was the other boy. Yes, Small Groups has become an insurance liability for the Texas Tollesons. Zachery fell. Hard. We now know, after a trip to Urgent Care, that he is just sprained and bruised. Nothing that a week out of PE won't cure. We have just three weeks left with our Small Group, please pray there is not a Deja Three!

Cruel?

2008-12-04T21:15:00.003-06:00

So, does this classify as cruel and unusual punishment???

I'm not sure, but I think two little elves were involved.

Home Improvement 201

2008-12-04T19:38:00.014-06:00

I have known for a long time that the interior walls needed some paint. Bad. Six years of little hands and little spills and race cars and sticky lizards had made the walls, well NASTY!

I started planning to paint a year ago. I just knew that when school started I would have lots of free time to paint. Problem #1. I also knew that I would have a helper since mom is retired now. (Yeah Mom!) Problem #2. So, I decided to start with the dining room. It has 4 walls with a good stopping point (something my living room lacks). The hardest part of painting this room was deciding on the color. Who knew there were so many reds!
Before:

After:

Now, I L-O-V-E love my dining room. It is probably my favorite room in the house. I think we need to eat in there more often just so I can appreciate my handiwork!

Oh, and to address the Problems. #1 - I DO NOT have more time to do anything! If anything, I think I am home less than I was before all three of the kids were in school. Just FYI for all of you moms with kids still at home, enjoy your days at home and try not to volunteer all of your free time away. I have learned the hard way that there is not a magic fairy that cleans the house, does the laundry, grocery shopping or anything else while you are volunteering your time away. Spend some time for you. If you do not take care of yourself, how can you take care of anyone else?

Problem #2 - Mom does not do ceilings. My neck still aches! Just giving you a hard time mom, you do great corners! xoxox Dot

In Training

2008-11-30T21:04:00.006-06:00

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

I am pretty sure Larry has taken this scripture to heart. The boys get soooo excited to go hunting! They love getting up early, getting to eat donuts and getting to shoot guns. They don't notice the cold. Or the rain. They are not tired. They do not complain. They have even asked for waders and duck calls for Christmas. Larry, Zac and Logan are crazy about hunting.

But I don't mind at all. Larry is teaching the boys so much more than just how to hunt. He is teaching them patience. Respect. Obedience. And most of all, how to be a loving dad. I would never take that away from Larry or the boys. He is providing the boys with life lessons that will help them be better Christian men. Boys, enjoy the season. I'll see you in February.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2008-11-27T20:10:00.005-06:00

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Logan is thankful:

for my family.
for my friends.
that we're here at Thanksgiving.
that we are alive when we come back (from hunting tomorrow. Yeah, I hope that too buddy!).
that I'm going hunting with friends from church.
that we had fun at lunch today. (Thanks to Doug and Dena for hosting. Doug, Logan loved football in the front yard!)

Lily is thankful:

for my friends, my house, my beds, my food, my family.
that we had a great trip home from camp (last weekend).
for our cars that we can drive in.
for our phones so we can talk to people.
for Molly, for showers, for pictures of all of us, for tvs. (Do your kids ever pray the room?)
for school that we can learn stuff. (Is the technical word for your education...stuff?)

Zachery is thankful:

for my family, food, our house, our dog, our church.
that I have a Bible.
for my siblings. But I guess that's family.
for getting to live in this free country.
well, I guess I am thankful for entertainment. Things I enjoy like sports and tv.
for God creating us and for giving us choices, not just sending us straight to heaven.

Larry is thankful:

that even though it is not great, enough health to do things with the kids and do whatever I want to do. (Everyone please continue to pray for his good health.)
for his wife. (Ahhh, thanks sweet)

I am thankful:

for my family. I love you all and I can not imagine the void in my life without you.
for our friends and the love and support you give us.
for the Macy's parade.
for turkey, dressing, cranberry chutney, corn casserole, chocolate cake, Ruth's brownies. I am sooo full!
for all of God's unending love and blessings.

I am thankful that we have one day specially set aside for counting our blessings. I think we take too many things for granted in the world today. And though it should not surprise us "what the Lord hath done", it does. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17 I encourage you to look for His blessings daily for we are greatly blessed.

Home Improvement 101

2008-11-26T18:57:00.006-06:00

Home improvement projects have a mind of their own. They grow and grow until you never seem to be finished with one project before you are starting the next. Our home improvement began last June when we decided it was time to split the boys into their own rooms. We moved Logan to the guest room, aka my craft room. Notice the scrapbooking supplies spread out on the bed and the sewing machine and notions on the desk. Yes, it was a sad, sad day to lose my space.
Before:

After:

Logan is so proud to have his own room. He is probably the neatest of all three kids and takes good care of his room. On Fridays he can invite Zachery or Lily to have a "sleepover" in his room.

We did Zachery's room for his birthday. He knew we were doing it, but he did not know what we were doing in his room. He was having a fit to see it all finished!
Before:

After:

Of course Zac loves his room and he LOVES the fact that he can get away from his siblings and have some quiet time. (When do I get my own room away from the kids for quiet time???) I used the logo from the youth room at church for a focal point of the room. (Hope that's ok Jason!)

We have other projects that we have done, but I will save those posts for another day. Right now I have to get the kids ready for bed. We have a big day planned for Thanksgiving tomorrow. I pray that you all have a blessed day.

"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 118:1

Camping Out

2008-11-24T21:42:00.008-06:00

We had a great weekend at the Texoma Youth Camp with Legacy's Kidz United. There were 13 kids and 8 adults that froze our tails off enjoyed the cool weather. The kids had a lot of free time to play and develop their friendships. Zachery and Logan played a lot of football with the guys and Lily ran around with the big girls.

I have to say that I am very impressed with the Legacy kids. There were kids there from 5-13 years old and they played so well together. They were all helpful, kind, and respectful to each other. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful example. "And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3-4

My Hero

2008-11-19T08:36:00.003-06:00

This was the situation yesterday afternoon.

Larry is on his way home from Little Rock. Zac is doing his homework. Logan needs to read his book to me. Lily needs to draw a picture but she is crying because "I don't know hooowww." The microwave is beeping to turn over the meat I am defrosting. Logan starts reading. Lily start crying. Restart the meat. Listen to Logan. Show Lily how to draw an octopus. Listen to Logan more. Lily is now throwing a huge fit. Can't hear Logan. Lily comes over and immediately falls asleep in my lap. Atleast now I can listen to Logan. Zac is asking me to check his homework. Logan finishes his book. I wake Lily up. She still doesn't know how. Start cooking the meat. Show Lily how to draw an octopus again. More crying and then she throws her pencil. I have had it!

And then, ta-da-da-da! My Knight in Shining Armour walks in the door. Ahhh...

Within minutes of his arrival, he has Lily under control and happily working on her picture. I finally can get dinner ready. After dinner, my Hero starts covering Logan's arm so he can shower and all the kids follow him upstairs. Once again, peace has been restored.

I made my Hero some cookies. Thanks sweet!

Playing With the Big Boys

2008-11-17T19:34:00.003-06:00

Playing with the Big Boys is fun. It is a privilege.

It is dangerous! Last night we had our Small Group over and the boys (ages 7-14) were playing football in the yard after our lesson. Well, somehow Logan's hand got stepped on. It was pretty swollen last night, but thankfully Dr. D told us not to run to the ER. We waited until after school today when the swelling had gone down some. Luckily, it is only sprained. Logan was pretty happy that he would only have to miss one week of PE and not six. But secretly I think he was wishing it was broken. He has loved the extra attention he has gotten today.

Joyful Perspective

2008-11-16T21:05:00.004-06:00

Today Allan preached from Philippians about having a joyful perspective. Paul did even though he was persecuted and imprisoned. To live is Christ and to die is gain. What about me?

"How are you doing?" people ask. My reply lately has been "OK" or "good, I guess". What kind of lame answer is that?!? I am not imprisoned. I'm not being persecuted for my beliefs. I have everything to be joyful about, but I don't always feel joyful.

Paul never questioned his purpose. Paul was actively teaching people and bringing them to God. I question my purpose. I wonder if all of the things I do in a day really matter to God. Am I doing his will? Cooking meals, doing laundry, grocery shopping, PTA projects, helping with homework, kissing boo-boos, reading stories, cleaning the house, coordinating small groups, teaching Bible class, mailing the bills, etc, etc, etc. How do these everyday, mundane things fit into God's plan to further the Kingdom?

And then I hear Lily humming an old church song that she does not even know the words to yet. I see Logan seeking out a friend that is visiting to make sure she feels welcome. I see Zachery being a leader in church by reading scripture, leading prayers or hugging the widows. I may not be a missionary in a foreign country, but I am raising Christian believers. I pray that their faith will be strong and their hearts will be tender. I pray that I can joyfully continue to fulfill God's purpose for my life.

Lily's 1st Field Trip

2008-11-14T19:53:00.007-06:00

Well today was a very important day for Lily. It was her first school field trip. Her first time to ride on a school bus. It was also her first time to pet a dead possum.

Her class went to the River Legacy Living Science Center. They have a field investigation program where the kids can "explore the seasonal ecology of River Legacy Parks and observe the animals and plants inhabiting the woods". After the presentation the kids could explore centers such as critter cafe, leaf magnification and stuffed dead animals (possum, skunk, raccoon, owl, woodpecker). Then they took a walk through the woods to look for things like animals, animal homes and food. It was a great program for kindergarten and Lily had a lot of fun.

Thankfully, she said her favorite part of the trip was seeing the real possum (not the dead one). It was pretty cute. For a possum.

The Long and Short of It

2008-11-13T19:18:00.009-06:00

I just want everyone to know that I love BOTH of my boys. I know that it may not look like it. But I do. I decided that today was a great day to give the boys haircuts. I like my boys clean cut. Zachery wanted his hair real short. He had long hair a couple of years ago, but it didn't last long. I bribed him to cut it with a new hat. Hey, whatever works!

Well, now Logan wants to try long hair. I told him that he would have to brush it every day. That was ok with him. I told him he would have to get it styled at the barber. That was also ok with him. So, since I let Zac grow his hair a few years ago, I have to let Logan do it too. But believe me, I will be thinking of how I can bribe him to cut his hair short too.

A Change of Heart

2008-11-11T18:23:00.003-06:00

I have been VIOLATED!!!

Sometime between Friday night at 6pm and Monday morning at 7:40am, someone stole items from my car. We always lock it, but we must have forgotten just once. It could have been at Walmart, the ball park, church or home. (Who would steal from church-goers?) I first realized that my cd's were missing. Then I noticed that my phone charger, headset, sunglasses and Larry's old sunglasses were also missing.

How dare they???

Those were MY things!!!

Those were all of my favorite cd's. Amy Grant, Acappella, Zoe Group.
Those were Lily's favorite cd's. Dora, Veggie Tales, Silly songs.

There were many other valuable things in my car that they did not take. They did not take the Dora umbrella. Or the wet wipes. Or the baggie full of gum. Or my gold PTA volunteer badge. Or my store coupons. Thank goodness they did not take the store coupons. I would have had to track them down!!!

Well, they were probably disappointed by my selection of cd's, but I hope they enjoy listening to them. Maybe they will have a change of heart.

You Know What I Need?

2008-11-10T21:13:00.004-06:00

One of the best times of the day is 2:30pm. That is when Lily is home after school and before the boys get home. We get to have some special time just with the girls. Every day, she comes in, lays down her backpack, then throws her shoes in the floor. She knows I am waiting. She just grins. "Lily, do you know what I need?" She knows. She runs over and gives me a big, long hug and I get to drink in the smell of her. This is my baby. But she is not the same. She is "growing up" and it makes me sad, but on the other hand, I love to see how much she is growing as a person.

Today she said "Mom, it was a great day!"
De - "Why Lily?"
Lily- "Guess who was the line leader?"
De - "You were!"
Lily - "No. Mandy was and she is my friend and I like for all of my friends to get to do fun things."

I wish I could always have such happiness for all of my friends. Sometimes I feel so jealous of others clothes, figures, hair that is not graying...things that Satan wants me to be focused on. Today my prayer is that I can rid myself of jealousy, accept myself as God made me, and love others as Jesus does.

Maybe one day I will grow up like Lily.

Worms

2008-11-08T20:31:00.000-06:00

Today was a great family day! Well, for some of us it was. After Lily's last softball game and team party this morning and Zachery's two baseball tournament games, we decided to go fishing at the ponds. So our kids and the Henry kids started digging for worms. Who knew we had such an abundance of worms right in our own back yard?!? Personally, I am glad that is all we unearthed! As we walked to the ponds, Lily said "Those worms just have no idea what we are about to do." Ha! Those poor worms did NOT have a good day today, but the kids sure did! We caught 25+ fish! Well, actually, not we. I watched. I don't bait hooks. They had fun, got dirty and caught lots of fish with dad. I have to admit that I was not real excited about going fishing. It's not my thing. But I'm sure glad I went! I got to watch my kids experiencing God's wonderful creation and making memories that they will hopefully cherish for a lifetime. To the worms, sorry it wasn't your day.