Bathtime

Happy Birthday My Precious Little Girl!!!!

Today is my beautiful Lili's birthday!!!

She is 9 years old!!!!!

Her request for her birthday was that she be baptized on her birthday and that it be in Aunt Cari and Uncle Carl's creek and that her daddy baptize her. 

Today she got her desire.

My sweet girl was baptized at 12:30 today!

She shined all day. 

Happy Birthday my little woman of God!!!

You are exactly what I asked God for and a whole lot more.

Thank You Lord for my little 9 year old girl!

Has it really been 5 months since i last blogged? Holy Hannah!!! All I can say is that my life has revolved around my precious little family and taking my little mama to the doctor and keeping my house clean. There have been other things but my mind is too garbled to recall all of that now. It's like post traumatic stress forgetfulness. Is that a real thing? Don't think so. 

Ok ,so to dive right back in, my son just informed me that today was his last Monday to be in elementary school. Is it just me or are these milestones a bit hard to swallow? I have a hard time thinking about my first baby and only boy being in Jr. High. I know, I know, I am thankful that he is growing and becoming a young man that I am very proud of but it is still hard for me to think about.
I think what is so hard is the more I see the young people he is in school with, the more I realize how parents are rushing their children into adulthood instead of encouraging them to stay children for as long as they can. What is so bad about sheltering your child from the world? The world will meet your child soon enough. So, for as long as I can, I am going to let him hold on to childhood. It will be gone before I know it.
We dive into summer...footloose and fancy free!

Happy New Year!!!

Have a wonderful, prosperous, healthy, blessed, fun, adventurous, and love filled New Year!!!!

Christmas #1

We had a great time Christmas #1. My brother and his family accompanied us  to the Gaylord Texan Resort in Fort Worth to see  Shrek Ice. It's this amazing display of all the Shrek characters carved completely out of ice! The kids loved it. It was freezing in there though. Definitely something to do once. I thought that we had dressed to warmly for this thing then they handed us this enormous blue parka. Thank heavens for the long, warm, blue glory because we almost froze our behinds right off! We started calling the Doodle bug our little Blueberry because she was so small in her huge blue parka.  

The other attraction that we got to have fun on was Kung Fu Panda Snow Tubing! Don't have any pics because I was so busy snow tubing with the kids. It was a great time and I was blessed that we were able to do it. Very long lines though. 

Later that night we went to my grandparents and had Christmas with my mom's side of the family. It's always a kick to be around them. You never know what you are going to get at Christmas with my gparents. We will unwrap a cereal box and in side will be a pair of jeans. You just never know. I got a raisin box that had a piece of coal inside! I thought I had been so good this year. I guess I haven't gone up there to see them enough. Note to self...go see Mema and Dandy more this year so I don't get a piece of coal for Christmas! 

I really did get a piece of coal but that was not all I got. More tomorrow or whenever I get a chance to continue;)

What's up?

I do not know what is going on with me but for the past two days I have felt like crying. I don't mean just shedding a tear but just letting go and bawling my eyes out! And no ladies and gentlemen it is not the "that time" for me to get emotional. I don't know if it is the season that is overwhelming me or a little bit of grief from that follows me. It could be change or isolation. As I mentioned yesterday, you get a little isolated when you have younger kids. I am also not really a big people person. Yet, I am making myself get out there and be with other humans. Maybe I will just give myself over to this feeling. Getting it out might be the best thing to do. Who knows. Oh well...just had to put this out there. Hope you feel better than I do:)

Same

There are very few things that stay the same in our lives. We get older, children grow up, time passes. And with that, people change and so the world around you changes. One thing that has stayed the same is God. He has proven Himself over and over to be there. Just "There". That is a big word when you feel alone and isolated either by motherhood or other struggles you might find yourself walking through. It's Christmas time right now. For most of us it is a wonderful, joyous time of year but for some it is the most alone time of year that a person can experience.

God is also merciful putting people in your lives that no matter how much time passes they are there. Thank You ,God, for the tangible reminder that You are alive in the hearts of others. That You are able to reach us through the warm hug of my sweet husband to the call from a friend. Be sure to look for that reminder that you are not alone. I hope you do not have to look hard. Blessings!

Thankful

Well the days keep flying by! I cannot believe that I am coming to another end of a year! As I scurry about making costumes, planning birthdays and flying back and forth from school to get my beautiful children, I am becoming more and more aware of how trully blessed I am. I am so greatful for what I have, but even more so I am greatful for who I have. God has been so very gracious to me. If you knew my childhood, full of trauma and grief, you would understand how much I am greatful. I find myself outloud telling the Lord how wonderful he is. I tell Him how thankful I am that He saved me, delivered me and made me a whole person. He is trully the lover of my soul and my redeeming Father.

The wierd thing is that I haven't given Thanksgiving Day a lot of thought. We have been so busy. I , however, have been full of thanks. I look at my precious husband who loves me for the imperfect person that I am and my sweet children that are good, kind and innocent. What a gift! Hope you find yourself in this place. If not, I pray that the Lord would walk you though what you are going through and bring you to His peace. Thank You Father!

Stop the Insanityb

o.k. so I have not been in my right mind as of late. Today should be no exception. On top of depositing money into the bank when I only meant to cash it then,when putting the tube that shoots up into the drive through of the bank, (What's that thingy called anyway? ) I dropped it on the ground and it rolled under my car. I lost it so badly that I had to get out of my car and almost crawl under my car to get it. After what felt like an eternity to find the cursed device, I left the bank blushing and with the tellers all laughing at me. I know it is hard to picture but trust me, it was comical to see but only from the outside. So if for some reason you think that I have it all together ...I don't. i am reminded of how together I don't have it daily. Oh well, Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth. I felt entirely too meek today. Have a funny day!

long time

It has been an excedingly long time since I have posted. There are many reasons. 1. The kids started school. 2. My friend signed me up for Pinterest ( a horribly addicting sight that requires very little effort for a very visually gratifying time). and 3. I have been sick and have not been pursuing anything that I love because I do not feel well and am completely uninspired by this feeling. I suppose that that is a horrible excuse since there are many people out there who feel badly but continue on soldiering through all of their trials and recording them down for all the world to see. I think that is very brave. It is vulnurable. I do not like to be vulnerable. Both my sweet husband and I have been feeling badly for the past few months and cannot seem to get over whatever this is. Stinks but , oh well,. I still have to be a mommy and I still have to clean my house and I still have to be the wife above all, billpayer, boo boo kisser, homework helper, chaufer, personal secretary...etc. All things that I do love just don't have energy for anything else. I am not being whiny, just explaining my lack of interest in virtually everything that does not directly relate to my families survival.

It has been through this cursed virus or whatever it is that I have learned that it is not by my strength that anything gets done around here. It is Christ in me. That Scripture, I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me strength. It is sooooooooo true. Just a post to tell you it does not have to be all you. Trust me, it is not all me! Lay all of your cares upon His shoulders He really does carry them for you. Personal experience. Have a good week:)

Last Post

She is cute but don't let that fool you.

As you can see from my last post we are struggling with the sincerity of others. I am working on it though and feel that I will soon get "victory" ,as my BFF says, over the situation. As for now, my kids have started their first week of school. My son loves his teacher and PE. That is a start considering that he was saying he was only 10% excited about going back to school. My daughter loves her teacher, loves to learn and generally loves the whole school process. She does not like waking up in the morning but is doing ok right now. Even though I can see it becoming an issue later. Any thought how to keep it from becoming an issue would be welcome... The Doodle Bug has been punishing me, her brother and her sister since we dropped them off the first day of school. She has been absolutely naughty for 2 days now. After a large fit over wether or not she felt good enough to take a backpack full of climbing rope (random) ,that she brought with her into my car , back into our house resulted in her dragging it on her hand and knees onto the front porch crying at the top of her lungs in front of our entire neighborhood, I figured out that I had sent both of her servants to school. I know, biggest run on sentence ever! I won that battle and will continue to prevail until she figures out that she can, indeed , do tasks for herself.

I write about this because it is not like her to be so obstinate. She is bossy, unfortunately like me, but not normally obstinate. I find myself apologizing to my husband all the time now as she starts to behave more and more like me. Sorry again, honey. God does know what He is doing and gave her to me for a reason. Until my next log, this is Jodi , 1st officer of the Starship Whitehouse signing off.

For Cryin Out Loud

Just go to someone if you have a problem with them. Don't go and tell the whole table what you don't like about them when the person is not there! Grow up!

Cloudy

We are going through a severe drought in Texas. The grass is leaving behind dirt and the dirt is blowing away and leaving rock. I have been praying for it to rain for months now and the drought is still not breaking. I have also watched a lot of my flowers just wither and die. You have no idea how much that saddens me. I love my flowers and I love to garden. I confess that there have been times in the past couple of months that i have wanted to pack up and leave the Big T and go for some greener pastures. We can't do that but it would be nice to weather out this drought in a green place. Haha! But, sometimes, breaking the heat with there white and grey calm are the clouds that gather and float around in our atmosphere. It's funny, most of time in summer, you don't wish for clouds. I wish for clouds all the time. Today has started out a beautiful, cloudy day. It is so much cooler when they are here. It helps break the monotony of the heat that seem to never let go it's grip on out state.

It's true in life to. How can you ever enjoy the sun unless you have a cloudy day once in a while. I miss the clouds.

Oh Well

Well this last week was a hoot! Just fantastic! Have you ever had one of those weeks that God makes you grow how much you would have in a whole year but He makes you do that in a week? Had one of those last week. And , newsflash, it has not stopped into this week. I will give the whole story later but just know you can overcome. You can choose to follow Christ even when it feels like you are carrying a large man on your back. It may sound strange but you can. It was not the best week but it was definitely not the worst week and I trully did learn a lot. So, thi post is just to tell you to hang in there. Blessings!

Alaska

Here are some pics of our Alaska trip. It was so much fun and would definitely do it again. We are messed up with the three hour difference but had so much fun who cares!We stayed up late every night just trying to soak in a much of the scenery and cool weather as we could. We saw moose and bunnies (yes bunnies) everywhere! We took in sea lions, eagles, humpback whales, puffins and all sorts of fish. The kids did not have any need for television, they were outside if they were not sleeping. My man got to rest a little and I enjoyed watching all of them have fun. I will be bloging later on what you need to know if you are going to travle through AK in an RV or "Motorhouse" as the Doodlebug called it. But for now just enjoy the pics. We are definitely going back there !

I'm Leavin' On a Jetplane

So I am feeling a little bit better. I have been performing in my yearly stint of Vacation Bible School for bestest friends church and enjoying every day of it. It has been the perfect thing to lift my spirits and get my mind off of me. I am totally exhausted but I am still having a blast! I get to see these adorable little faces everyday. I get to use my gifts such as singing. It's been fun! My little one however was actually propped up in her chair today, thumb in mouth and sound asleep! I think she might be a little tired. She has had so much fun though.

And Saturday we are leaving for a ten day trip to Alaska!!!! We are going with my husbands parents and sister. It is going to be so fun! We will be renting an RV and driving through the Alaskan wilderness. Can't wait!

And the biggest news...IT RAINED!!!!!!! Thank You Lord!!!!!! We had an absolutely beautiful thunderstorm night before last and that smell of rain was like a perfume! I went outside on my front porch and just started to cry and thank the Lord for the rain. My flowers thank Him too! If I don't write before I leave I will post pics when I get back.

Blessings!

Ponderings

I am just having a hard day today. I woke up and felt like bursting into tears. My husband has been gone almost the whole time since summer got started (mostly because of work). I miss him. He is my partner and it has been hard. I also really like him. He makes me laugh and is my best friend.

I also feel disconnected from people right now. I just feel like I am fluttering through the world. Don't know if you have ever felt that way. My friend called me the other day and just wanted to check on me. She said I wasn't myself lately. Right now, I don't know what myself is. I feel drained and tired. I am getting my feelings hurt easily, well maybe not, but you know when people say things and they come out one way and you know they are meant in another. That's fun.

The other thing is...it has not rained! I miss the rain so much. Sometimes I feel like what is happening in the natural is a picture of what is going on in the spiritual. Probably not spot on in my theology there but if I went on feelings... I feel just like the ground outside.

I was reading in the devotions that I do with my husband about the signs that you see on the side of the road. Some signs are bright and mean to get you attention. Like neon . Some are more subdued , you still see them but not as noticeable. In Matthew5:16 it says, "Let you light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." My friends phone call rang in my head as I read this devotion. What kind of light am I being? Am I bright and shining for God? What message is this drained, unhappy face sending out to those around me? It made me ponder my countenance. At least now I am aware of it. I am working on doing something about it now. Hope to meet you with a smile the next time you visit my blog.

J

Comments?

ok people. by the way, this excludes the person who commented last night. You know who you are. Just a gentle nudge to tell you that I like feedback. Comments are a welcome spot in my day. I like to hear what all of you have to say. Soooooo...please leave a comment, even if it is "I was here" ! I enjoy reading your reaction to what I write. Thanks a heap and have a wonderful day or night wherever in the world you might be. :)

Ahhh Man!!!

I have been missing my friends lately. We rarely get to see each other because of families, school , jobs etc. All things that we did not have ten years ago when we started out. It was just us couples and if we stayed up a little to late, oh well, we could just rest up after we got home from work. So, I was so excited about getting to do a friend night this Friday. We were going to meet up and go swimming at night. What a summer fun thing to do! But, alas, my brain sabotaged me and told me that I said something out loud when I did not say it at all. I messed up our whole evening and we did not get to go. Friends let down, us let down. Seriously, I am sitting here sick to my stomach. I almost cried. For reals. Anyone out there ever mess up? If you have let me know because right now feeling kinda down. I know it seems small but we rarely do get to do anything together. Sorry friends. We love y'all.

Alternate Dimension

I know, I know it has been forever since I blogged. I have been engulfed in the monumental task of getting my children through the last few weeks of school. Not to mention being the music teacher and having various asundry programs to produce...etc...etc...etc. I feel like I have fallen off the face of the earth and entered some alternate dimention where all that exists is the school, my husband, my children and me. Do I get to see my friends? Nope. Do I converse with any alien lifeforms (that would be other human beings in this instant) nope. I probably would not even know what to say if an alien ( adult) were to approach me. Who knows? It might be too much for me to handle. I might cringe in fear or stumble over my words. Oh wait I am doing that right now and there aren't any aliens (humans) in the room. All I know is that in less than one week I get my children back and lose the schedule! Which is just fine with me. To those of you who have ben transported to this alternate universe... I solute you. It is a crazy world that we must navigate but we can do it! And...hopefully...we will find ourselves sitting by the pool in less than one week. Live long and prosper humanoids!