Days of the Turney5

"Wait a minute...You mean???!!!!"

2011-10-12T23:24:00.003-05:00

The time has finally come.

Last week on the way home we were having a discussion about what Miles wanted for CHRISTmas. McKinley was in the back seat listening quietly. I knew in my gut what she was about to ask...

"Mom, is Santa real?"

I knew this day would come. I actually looked forward to it in a sense. Most occasions I don't look forward to ANY part of the kids getting older, but this one, I did.

You all know how hard it is to try and make a list, check it twice and then act like a crazy, mad man trying to find it, keep it hidden, put it together, wrap it, write the note, make the cookies, eat the cookies...you get the picture.

So when my youngest munchkin popped the question, I was quite quick to answer, "No sweetie". That simple.

"WHAT!!!???"

Ok, maybe I should have eased into that discussion a little softer and with the help of her father.

Mac has always had a very tender heart and a sweet little nook in the center of her big 'ol heart for the special things in life. Santa was a special thing. Every year she went through great lengths to write him a note, even when she was too little to write, she had me write her letter for her "exactly as I say". She baked cookies for Santa and always left a big glass of milk. Sometimes when we traveled for the Holidays she would leave a note saying where we were going to be on CHRSITmas Eve. We followed Santa on the Doppler Radar, made sure we put the fire out before bed so he wouldn't burn his booty coming down the chimney. We did it all, and then some.

There was the year that all she wanted for CHRISTmas was a picture of Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause and he delivered. Even autographed the pictures that he took just for her!! Then there was the year that the movie Polar Express came out. All she wanted that year was a bell from Santa's sleigh. (Have you tried to find a really BIG, nice, gold bell lately??!) But once again, Santa came through. She still has that bell...and the pictures....and all the notes Santa left for her every CHRISTmas morning.

So yes, maybe I should have taken a little more care to gently spill the beans.

"So, what are you saying Mom??!"

"Well sweetheart, you asked. I thought you would want to know the truth."

"Ok, so, what are you saying...wait a minute, are you saying, do you mean that YOU AND DAD ARE SANTA???!!!!!!!"

"Yes baby girl, we are."

"But what about all those letters? Did you write those?"

"Yes, every one."

"What about the cookies? Did you guys eat those?"

"Yep. Those were my teeth marks in the ones left on the plate for you to see."

"And the pictures?? Where did they come from? and WHO signed them?"

"Ms. Renee helped me on those."

"Ok. But what about the bell? That was special. It was from Santa's sleigh."

"I bought that too."

"You mean, YOU bought my DSI???!!!!"

"Yes. Your dad and I got that for you"

"And the WII???!!!"

"Yep. We had to stand in line for hours to get that game system that year."

Then there was a long pause.

"Am I going to have to pay you guys back for all that stuff???"

These are all great memories that we have made over the last 10 years. Memories and traditions that we will likely talk about for years to come and many of them that we will in fact still do. We will always make cookies CHRISTmas Eve, but maybe now we can keep the fire burning all night.

Keeping it real,

~A

Deep Observation

2011-09-20T17:40:00.003-05:00

Most people spend their 20's trying to figure out what to do.
Then spend their 30's trying to figure out how to do what they wanted to do.
Then spend their 40's trying to figure out how to get out of what they thought they wanted to do but don't want to do anymore.
Pretty deep observation that I've made huh?

I've also figured out that the older I get the less I care about what people think. Time is too precious to waste on pleasing people, arguing about things that don't really matter in the big scope of things, and spending valuable time trying to change someone that only God can.
Let it go, move on.

And since I'm not any older than these...I can't tell you what will happen in the 50's, but I'm sure it's gonna be FUN!

3 Words

2011-09-17T20:40:00.003-05:00

Every once in a while my sweet husband takes me on a date. I enjoy this. We don't do this as often as we would like.
The kids are old enough now that we don't have to pay a babysitter, just got to feed the little munchkins. Which can cost as much as the date itself. But you can't put a price on a little peace and quiet. RIGHT?
So when you see how needed the night is, how much planning goes into the event, you expect all your planning to lead to much needed adult conversation, calmness, quietness, and overall just a pleasant experience.
UNTILL...
A set of grandparents with an alien grandchild are seated less than 3 feet away. I immediately started looking for the hostess. Did I mention we were on a date? Did I mention we left 3 kids at home? Did I mention it has been waaaay too long for this night?
The night was filled with alien child crawling under multiple booths at one time. Making a mad dash to the kitchen, several trips to the bathroom, running and hiding from grandparents, throwing his food, crying, yelling, and finally Grandmother giving up and Grandfather threatening to take off his belt. (here, you can use mine)
Apparently these fine folks were babysitting so the parents could go out on a date too. Bless their hearts.
My husband made a great observation: Next time you want to do the parents a favor and babysit your alien grandchild, I have 3 words for you....CHUCK E CHEESE.

No Tears in Eight Years

2011-08-23T13:17:00.004-05:00

It happens EVERY year. The week before school starts I have the same questions every year. I cry about the same thing. I call my sister in law EVERY YEAR and get the same pep talk! We talk on the phone everyday but this conversation is always her little 'pep talk' to me about letting go, AGAIN.

I HATE when school starts back. HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT! I'm not one of those parents who shops early. I refuse to shop on 'tax free weekend'. I don't have the kids backpacks ready. I don't do anything except try to cram in as much time together as possible.
I fight it till the bitter end.

As I lay in my big 'ol tub of water one night trying to relax after a long day, I kept sorting through all the mixed emotions I was having of school starting back once again. I felt the need for my yearly pep talk. Trying to use good judgment, I decided to wait till AFTER my bath to use my cellular device that could so easily be dropped in my vast of bubbles.
Beginning to reach the point of turning to a prune, I couldn't stop with the tears. What a relaxing bath this was turning out to be...
Then I came up with this novice idea: Why not pray now about all that I'm feeling (no fear of electrocution there huh?)...AND then I'll call my sister in law and she can pick up where God left off.
I had a plan.
But as I began to tell the Lord how I was feeling and my all worries about public school something happened.
My load started to become lighter. I was feeling a little fresh air and no, no one had barged in the door asking if I knew where all the black socks were, although that happens quite often. I swear the dryer is eating them.
I simply talked and then I made the statement: "I'm not going to call anyone. I'm not going to ask anyone. I'm not going to say a word to anyone. I'm going to wait for you to send me an answer and give me a peace about what to do."

What to do? That was the question every year. Home School vs. Public School.
I knew my kids would be dumber than dirt, but we would have fun.
I knew it would work SO much better with our schedules. No early mornings. Sleeping late. Shorter work days. We could still travel when we needed too. We could save some money not having to buy clothes, shoes, lunches, and we could have ALOT of fun. But the kids would still be dumb.
I admire home school moms. I do. And am a bit envious too. They seem to have so much energy and organization. Have all these creative juices that flow. And they get to see their kids ALL day and ALL night. Who wouldn't want that, Right??

As I leaned forward to pull the drain, thinking in my mind, "I wonder how long He's gonna make we wait for an answer", he immediately spoke to my heart.
And this is how He explained it to me...
Everyone can't have the same calling. If everyone that was salt on the earth were to home school, who then would reach the lost in our schools today? Children need to see other children make right choices. They need to see how to live out a Christian life. Teachers, coaches, other parents need to see the light on the earth. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. You are called to raise disciples that lead others. You will be rewarded with the family time that you seek. I would not forget you. And besides, you went to public school and you didn't turn out SO bad.

By this time I'm laying in an empty tub of washed out worries amazingly in shock. Then I ask myself why I'm shocked. I know the God I serve, so why was I so in awe of His kind and gentle thoughts towards me? Plus...I think some people would disagree with Him about me 'not turning out SO bad after all" :)

But that's how He rolls. In my time of questioning and searching for the same answers over and over, He spoke in 10 seconds what my sister in law has tried to accomplished in the last 7 years every August!! (Sorry Kim, I love you but you got trumped)

I got out of that bath a new person. (and quite shriveled up too)
I had a peace like never before. I was so excited. I felt like I didn't have to keep cramming to get time in with my family. I felt confident and assured that I was doing exactly what God called me to do.

I began to think about how everyone's calling was different. Even if you struggle with where you are in life, or you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to other people, we are all chosen. Chosen to fulfill our individual calling on earth. If everyone acted the same, talked the same, worked, studied, lived life the same, how could we ever reach all the different types of people in the world today?

For the previous 8 years of 'first days', I cried. I felt guilty. I took days and sometimes weeks to get over going back to school.
But this time was completely different.

We went on to have the BEST first day EVER in the Turney5 history. No tears. No guilt. Just family, fun, and freedom.

Take a Break...Miss a Day

2011-05-21T13:32:00.003-05:00

Awards Day at school is one of those proud moments that you sit and watch with excitement and pride of all you and your child have endured for the last 180 days. It actually seems short lived compared to the multitude of hours & money spent on volcano projects, science fair projects, essays, solar systems built (which I still haven't gotten back some much needed kitchen utensils that was used to rig that out of space contraption), posters made from a 1 night notice, Indian teepees...you get the drift.
Honor Rolls for all 3 - which I am so proud of.
Outstanding Student of the Year for Miles - which speaks volumes of the man he is becoming.
Yes it was a proud day. THEN...they begin to hand out the awards to those kids who had perfect attendance.
Perfect Attendance. What exactly is perfect attendance? It means they were never late to school, never checked in, never checked out, and never missed a day, moment, breath...of school.
Now to an OCD person you strive for perfect attendance. You will at all costs attend no matter what. I myself had perfect attendance in high school. I liked it because it exempted me from exams, but who would dream of school being like it was back in the day? I remember waking up sick as a dog and my mom saying to me in her southern drag, "Amy, just stay home, it ain't gonna hurt you to miss a day". How many of your parents actually encouraged you to stay home? No, parents are dragging their kids to school kicking, screaming, fighting, coughing, throwing up, fever, - whatever it takes.
Now that I'm a recovering :) OCD person (notice I said RECOVERING), I willfully fight anything to be perfect. House cleaning, laundry, life, church, even school attendance. I figure we get 10 days to play hooky. What would my kids remember more about growing up - a certificate of paper, or 10 days of trips to the beach, sleeping late on a school day, taking trips, amusement parks, water parks, bowling, fishing or whatever we can come up with.
So we don't usually get recognized for that prestigious award on Awards Day, but we do get our awards on those fun days throughout the year.
So now you know how I feel about perfect attendance. And I know it looks good on a resume or college application but we're talking elementary and middle school here o.k.?
So I in all my wit and deficient ability to keep my mouth shut sometimes when I should, rather loudly with my "matter of fact type voice" proclaimed as those children stood proudly up in front of the multitude of us 'slackers' while their parents all went down and took pictures noted, "SO those are the kids that got all OUR kids sick this year, huh?"

I don't think Stacy will sit with me at Awards Day anymore. But everyone around me enjoyed it so much that I think I will have plenty of company at our next school function.

Take a break, miss a day
~A

A Child's Perspective On Kindness

2011-04-21T11:49:00.003-05:00

Before school every morning we have a "hands in" prayer time. It's a tradition.
A couple weeks ago my sister was staying with the kids for us while we attended a conference. She decided that the 'hands in' prayer time could benefit even greater with a more applicable teaching time. So every day they had a different challenge to complete. Things like: find someone today that you can help, give someone a compliment today, do a good deed...etc.
My daughter is in the drama filled world of third grade. She often comes home telling us stories of how mean this one little girl can be. Or that this little girl has informed her that she is not her friend. Or even, "you can't be in our club". There is generally a story every afternoon, to the point that the boys now get in the car after school and ask, "what did (insert name) do to you today?".
As a mom it's hard to see your child upset. I have refrained from giving too much advice because I wanted to see her put into action the things that we have talked about and how to handle certain situations. We have prayed for (insert name). We have talked about what her home life could be like and that could be a reason why she acts the way she does sometimes.
Now it was my sister who was having to hear the stories of this girl's meanness. So she decides to teach my daughter about kindness. "Be nice to her", "say something kind to her", "You have to kill her with kindness" she would instruct her every day.

A few days ago after picking up the kids I could tell my daughter obviously had something on her mind. You could sense the heaviness she was feeling. She seemed at the end of her rope. She finally says to me, "Mom, Sherry says that I should kill (insert name) with kindness", and there was a long silence..."Yes, that would be nice", I replied. And with much seriousness & thought she replies back, "I'm gonna get a baseball bat and write KINDNESS on it, and hit (insert name) with it".
I found that it was best to just pull over since I couldn't see past the tears of laughter how to drive.
Where on earth do they get this stuff? I have no idea...

Acting My Age

2011-04-20T20:54:00.000-05:00

I consider myself somewhere in the ballpark of mid 20's when it comes to having fun. I like to have fun, be adventurous & spontaneous. It's one thing that my kids love about me. Rarely do they attempt something that I'm not 2nd in line. Now I'm not reckless or dangerous but I have been known to break a few rules but...who hasn't, right?
But this weekend my body sat me down for a nice long talk. Actually we are STILL sitting, or I should say laying.
I was the one 2 years ago that HAD to talk the husband into getting the kids a trampoline. After all it was going to have a net around it and we would abide by all the rules. It would get the kids outside and be a fun source of exercise. We would have so much fun. I explained how careful we would be. How we would take turns, only jump one at a time. He finally gave in.
The hours they have spent jumping and playing are too numerous to count. The gallons of water they have used spraying each other while jumping are enough to fill a small pond. It has been moved countless times so to be in the shade throughout the day. Many times I praised my great idea and worthwhile investment. Needless to say we have gotten great enjoyment from our trampoline.
It has shown much wear & tear over the span of 2 years, including a ripped net, something that we have said over and over that needed to be replaced.
It was Sunday night that the kids & I were jumping and began to chant relentlessly for Dad to come join us...."Daaddy, Daaddy, Daaddy".
We hadn't been on long before the game began and I was tagged "it". I made my way bouncing around trying to choose my victim. Laughter filled the night air. I was usually the brunt of the jokes for my lack of graceful poise in mid air. I set my sights on Miles. I made a high bounce toward him. As I came back up I found that my legs didn't quite have enough room to get underneath me and it began. It was what felt like hours but happened in seconds. I started stumbling backwards, grasping for anything I could grab onto to stop my spiraling fall that felt like would never end. Then there was the moment that I knew... The moment I knew that I was going to regret letting my silly husband ever talk me into getting such a dangerous, ill made,
reckless, stupid piece of junk ever made.
Then I awoke on the ground surrounded by people who claimed were my family , hearing shrills of agony I'm sure have never been uttered only to realize they were coming from me. I lay there in the grass and dirt, fully prepared to stay there for the next 6 days. I tried to be brave for the children. I tried. Then the husband thought it was time I was moved to the house. We scurried around and unearthed what was the left side of my lower back and managed to get me in the house which involved being carried like a sack of fertilizer out of the local farmers market.
It was a long night...a very long night. Truth be told it's been a long few days, but I am getting better.
I've learned a few things in this whole ordeal.
1. Don't tell anyone how you got hurt. They WILL laugh. They WILL make jokes. They WILL make comments about your age.
2. GET A NET!
and lastly....
3. When you are in pain...you could care less if the hospital gown opens in the front or the back!

Keeping my two feet planted on the ground for awhile,
~A

There's no place like HOME~

2010-11-28T22:18:00.003-06:00

We have a CHRISTmas tree tradition that every year I buy a new ornament or two for each of us that has some memory of an event or activity or accomplishment for that year. As you can imagine with 5 people it has grown rather large.
I love to see the anticipation from the kids as they each are given their ornament. Tonight we followed in our tradition as it seemed that CHRISTmas had come early by the kids excitment when they found out that I did indeed already have their ornaments for this year.
Each one was carefully wrapped & passed out. We each took turns opening our ornaments beginning with the youngest. Each ornament was met with surprise and discussion about the stories & events behind each one. Perhaps my favorite this year was our Family Ornament. I try to find one ornament that represents something significant for our family that year. Past ornaments have included a skiing Santa, a new school and my favorite a new church. But this years ornament was simple to decide on.
We each carefully unwrapped the layers of paper to finally discover a beautiful home. Indeed this is the year of having our first real home as a family. A place to call our own. A place to raise our family in. A place that protects & shelters. A place to dream in. A place to laugh in. A place to share with friends. A place to host our families. A place of rest.
My hope for you is that your home, whether new or old, large or small, owned or rented is a place that comforts you, draws you close, and provides a place where life long memories are created.

There's no place like home,
~A

Thanksgiving - things I love

2010-11-27T22:11:00.003-06:00

I love Thanksgiving. I look forward to when my kids get married with children and come home for Turkey Day. It could quite possibly be my favorite holiday.
Things I love & have learned about Thanksgiving:
~ I love the cooking. (not so much the cleaning)
~ Love all the new recipes, and all the old favorites.
~ I know that we need a deep fryer so I can have fried turkey more than once a year.
~ I also have learned that to recreate Ireta's famous green beans, I need a pressure cooker. Seriously, I am scared to death of those things and the noise they make, so guess I will just have to stick with the safer version that doesn't stand a chance of blowing up in my kitchen.
~ I love spending time with family. Especially when it's not rushed and when I know the majority of them.
~ I love the football that comes with the holiday.
~ I know that I would love the shopping, just have never experienced it. Our family has one of our dinners on Black Friday, so it's also a cheap holiday for us.

I guess I could sit and think of tons and tons of things that I love about Thanksgiving, but it seems the older I get the more the real meaning of the holiday seems to surface.
It isn't a holiday filled with boxes of candy or dozens of roses. It isn't a holiday filled with baskets of eggs or fingers stained with dye. It isn't about fireworks or kids knocking on doors begging for candy. It isn't about presents & gift wrapping, or lights that won't glow.
To me Thanksgiving is time to reflect all the blessings I have. To think of His goodness & mercy He's shown. I think about giving thanks to the One who gave His all.

I will give thanks
~A

Time...

2010-11-20T22:21:00.003-06:00

Looking back at my blog tonight I realized a few things:
1. It's been a year! WHAT?! How on earth has a year past since my last post? How did this happen? I know in my mind I've posted thousands of entries, I guess they just never made it to the page. I also started a journal/memory/book thingy on my computer. I have always wanted to keep a journal for my kids to read when they get older. I also wanted somewhere to write down my thoughts in areas that I am struggling through and things that helped me get through them. I figure once I've been through the fire...might as well help someone else when they pass through. So that has taken some time and energy away from my blog too.
2. My last post was about working out, training, Zumba, gym - gosh, I'm tired just thinking about all that!
I realized that it has now been a year since my feet started hurting. Ouch :( I started working out and exercising to feel better because we all know that everyone says, "if you want to feel better you need to exercise". BahHumBug!
I have had such enormous pain at times since working out that sometimes I could barely walk. I went to doctors, got injections, stretched muscles, therapy, you name it. One guy even said, "just don't do what you did when they started hurting". REALLY, You think?
I do realize that exercise is good. Just not for my heels. So would anyone like to tell me what cardio exercise doesn't involve moving your heels?
3. I realize that my kids are getting older, and I don't like it! What the cuss?! Where has time gone? As much as I would love to spend more time blogging, if given the choice between that and spending time with my kids...yep, you guessed it. Another reason why it's been a year. But as with most all my posts, they are written in the wee hours of the night after the "tuck-ins and good night kisses".
4. I realize that I have just a little more knowledge of being the woman of God, wife, mother, pastor's wife, daughter, sister, & friend that I am called to be. For me to gain knowledge is for me to find treasure.

Maybe I will do better this time around. But if not, you'll know that I'm enjoying the ride~

Everybody is doing it...

2009-11-17T23:29:00.003-06:00

Everybody is doing it...You should try it...You'll love it!!! I want to be there when you do!!!

What on earth am I talking about? The latest craze in fitness of course, ZUMBA!
Now, I have been going to the gym for about a year now. Worked out with a personal trainer for 3 months. For the last 2 months I attended a "Boot Camp" workout, which is like having a personal trainer, but sharing him with 5 other people and it's cheaper. So naturally, when I get bored I look for something new.

All my 'young' friends have been talking about zumba non stop. They love it. They keep encouraging me to go. And always say, "now when you go for the first time, let
me know, I want to be there". That should have been my clue. :)

I went to my first class tonight. I felt like I was Baby from Dirty Dancing, the night she carried 'a watermelon', except Baby only made a fool of herself in front of maybe 20 people...I had the honor of humiliating myself in front of 200!!
There were people of every age, color and kind together. For one solid hour we all danced like tribal people during mating season.
I did break a sweat but nothing like "boot camp", but I never once looked to see how much time was left in the class.

I came home tonight and showed my husband a 3 second show of what class was like. By the look on his face, my fears of making a fool of myself were confirmed. Maybe next time I'll just carry a watermelon.

Welcome Home Curtis, welcome home

2009-08-19T17:01:00.004-05:00

I wrote a blog about our family getting "Curtis" the dog from my mom. It's been almost 3 months since he came to live with us.
Last week my sister and I met at the half way point and I picked up my mom so she could come and stay with us for a week.
I think that one of the main reasons she really came to visit was to see if Curtis was happy here. I imagined that the grandkids was another major reason. :)
I was a little nervous about him seeing her for the first time...was he going to like her better than he did me? Was he going to decide to be her buddy & follow her around this week?
My fears were put to rest when he saw her for the first time.
All through the week he remained true to me. This was important to me because my mom was convinced that Curtis' misbehaving was due to the fact that he missed HER and wanted to go home.
Now fast forward to the end of the week when it's time to take her back to the half way point. (and remember my previous blog on just how many times she has given him away and taken him back)
As I'm loading up, Curtis comes out the front door and typical for him he jumps in the car. I tell him that he is not going this time. I can't possibly drive 4 hours with him today. You see, Curtis chases cars, trucks, cows, motorcycles, 18 wheelers...INSIDE the car! It's the most insane thing you have ever saw.
I ask my mom to help me get him out of the car and take him back inside. She takes him inside and I'm finished loading the car waiting. She gets in the car and I look over at her as I put the car in reverse...and it happens. She is crying.
I can't bare it. I put the car in park and announce that I'm just going to go back inside and get him.
She had been asking me all week, "you want me to take Curtis back home with me?". She even asked the kids before we left that morning. Each time we told her no, that he was happy here and that we wanted him to stay.
But I think she really wanted him back. She missed his company.
So, now I'm in the house packing his stuff up to go back. I do it quietly so the kids don't know whats happening.
Now, I'm crying. But I couldn't let her know.
We met both my sisters for breakfast at the half way point. Boy were they surprised. Curtis has yet again been moved like a piece of furniture.
Saying goodbye was very emotional for me. I was offically attached to "Stacy's dog".
After returning home the kids took the news hard. Graham was especially brokenhearted.
The next day we had church service. Afterwards we had a huge pool party and shrimp boil. The day finally ended with us returning home at 8 p.m.
As we all piled out of the car moving slowly from the events of the day, Graham says, "I hear barking". I figured Tess was mad with us after being gone all day. Then Mac says, "but that sounds like a Curtis bark!".
By this time we are all running up the porch rushing to get Stacy to open the door. We bust in and there he is! He has returned!!! "But how?", asks Mac.

My sister & mom had driven the whole way on Sunday to return him. She said that he was "sad, & dragging around", even said he wouldn't sleep with her.

It's offical. Curtis has found his home forever!! Never to be moved again!!

So in the words of Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover, "Welcome Home Curtis, Welcome Home!".

18 years & still in love

2009-07-15T18:24:00.002-05:00

I just had the privilege of celebrating 18 years of marriage to my best friend in the whole world.
Things that I have pondered...
I have had the best time of my life.
I have been married 1/2 of my life now. WOW!
I have been married longer than my parents were.
I have been married longer than my in laws.
I have been married so long that I really can't remember life before marriage.
I'm only 7 years away from my 25th wedding anniversary and I want a HUGE party.
18 years ago - I didn't have a clue about planning a wedding.
18 years ago - Everyone in my life was still living.
18 years ago - people thought I was either crazy or pregnant. :) I was crazy in LOVE!
18 years ago - I never wanted kids. Now I have 3 of the most precious gifts EVER! I would have had more if I thougtht we could afford them :)
I wouldn't trade anything in the world for where I am now.

These are the BEST years of my life!

~A

I always said that Curtis would come live with me, BUT

2009-06-29T16:23:00.002-05:00

I didn't mean the DOG!
Curtis was my down syndrome uncle. I wrote about him before. It was always our plan that he would come to live with us when something happened to my grandmother. He died before that ever happened.
Soon after he died my niece had a litter of Shih Tzu puppies. After checking them all out, we agreed there was this one little guy that looked like Curtis. He had narrow eyes that were farther apart than the rest and he was the sweetest thing.
Needless to say, once they named him Curtis... he was in the family. When it came time to sell the puppies they couldn't bring themselves to sell "CURTIS". So my mom agreed to take him.
Now you have to understand my mom & animals. We had animals growing up, but they were ours. She had nothing to do with them. She has tried to have a couple of dogs but only to give them away after a few weeks because of their lack of obeying her & her lack of patience. Guess that's why she never re-married either.
Long story short, she had Curtis for longer than she ever kept any other dog, but then decided that she was going to sell him to a neighbor's friend who loved to play with him & wanted him.
He went home with her but then soon came back...She bought him back. Couldn't stand it. Then she gave him away to a family friend TWICE...She took him back TWICE.
After visiting our family a few weeks ago, she made the comment that "Curtis needed to be with kids"...and Stacy fell for it. He liked Curtis because he was a big burly dog, not like our dainty Tess who he says is full of drama!
I told him this was going to be his dog. I was not bathing him, feeding him or taking him to potty. He had to do it. "Yes, yes, I will", he replied.
So like I always said Curtis has now come to live with us. Not like I expected though.
He wakes up at 5 a.m. every morning barking, to which I elbow (very hard) my husband and say, "He's YOUR dog!"
I wish I could say it was working out like I planned but I have to go now and take Curtis out to potty & then give him a bath!

Granny's - everyones got one

2009-04-30T21:28:00.006-05:00

But I think mine is hilarious!
I been thinking about her so much lately. Remembering all the times we (my siblings) spent at her house...
* making world famous mud pies dried only by the solar heat.
* playing in the "play house". Which was basically a pit in the back yard that we would swing down into.
* sewing little patches together with her. That's my only sewing experience.
* her chasing us for spankings & the older kids climbed trees and the younger hid.
* rolling her own cigarettes. Prince Albert in a can, baby!!
* sleeping with her & having to be rubbed down in Vicks Menthol Salve, regardless if you were sick or not. Nose, throat, chest & back.
* ironing leaves between sheets of wax paper. I'm gonna do this with my kids for old times sake.
* the black rotary phone. I used to sneak in her bedroom to play with it.
* crackers & mustard. Still a great snack today.

Granny was one that whenever you visited her she would talk, talk, & talk. Then when it was time to go, she walked you to your car and talked some more. But now that she's older she doesn't walk you out anymore, but boy can she still talk. The difference now when you call her is she talks then announces, "well, I've said all I know to say, Good-bye". And that's that. So funny.
And though she might be getting up there in the years, don't let that fool you. She can spout out dates of years past like it was yesterday. I've always wondered how she does that. I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, much less the events of 1967.

Just to give you a picture of what my Granny is like... She reminds me SO SO much of The Fruitcake Lady. If you've never heard any of her stuff just google it. You'll be in for a treat.

Granny don't beat around the bush and she don't pull no punches, she just tells it like it is. I love her.
I always enjoy our talks and think that one day, I'm gonna be just like her.

The one thing I NEVER wanted to happen...

2009-04-20T22:09:00.008-05:00

Yeah, I'm a pastor's wife, church planter, mom, blah, blah, blah...BUT I can also fight. And boy did I want to knock somebodies lights out!
You gotta understand that some mom's pray very specific prayers over their babies while they are in the womb. Like for health & proper development, which I did. For this baby to grow up and be a world changer, which I did. For them to always have a close relationship with their siblings, which I did. And who could forget to pray for good teeth? Not me! I prayed for that, seriously. Stop laughing, I did.
I was the only one in my family to not have braces. Had good teeth till I had children. But I also knew all about having to get teeth FIXED. And I didn't want that for my kids. I also knew how much dental procedures cost and insurance was never even close to covering it so I thought, "why not just pray for perfect teeth now?".
So, now you know a little bit about why I obsess over teeth, (it's the first thing I notice about people)...
It's my birthday & I'm headed to watch the boys play baseball with my mom & sister. They have to be there a hour early & since my mom & sister didn't know where to go, I sent Stacy & the boys on & told him we would be following shortly.
We are about 4 minutes away and my phone rings. It was Stacy, but all I could hear was crying and him saying something like "hold this on there". He finally says those dreaded words that I never ever ever wanted to hear..."Honey, Graham just got his front 2 teeth knocked out!".
My stomach has just sunk into my feet, I have a huge knot in my throat immediately and all I can say is, "are you serious?". Of course my mom & sister are now asking, "what, what???".
I can hear Graham crying over the phone. My heart just breaks. He's worried about how he looks. He's bleeding from his mouth being busted up. His lip and gum's are bleeding and Stacy is loading him up to take him to the emergency room. He instructs me to hurry and find Miles when I get there to calm him down.
I met Stacy & Graham in the parking lot and gave Graham a big hug and tried to comfort him the best I could and offer my words to him that,"it's not really that bad son", all the while the last mile I have beaten my steering wheel till I bruised my hand.
I park and find Miles who immediately breaks down when I get to him. Brothers can beat EACH other up, but when somebody ELSE does something to one of them...you are in trouble. He was ready to fight. He is just like me. When he gets really mad & upset he cries. Once I got him calmed down, all he wanted to do was "be with Graham". It was the sweetest thing I've ever seen.
So what happened?
Graham & another boy was warming up before the game. The coach had announced for them to gather their things because they were moving to a different field. Graham reached down to get his stuff and when he raised back up, the kid had thrown the ball and it hit him square in the mouth.
Stacy said he came running to him crying, blood gushing out of his mouth, holding his 2 front teeth in his hand.
I have emotions. I'm pretty ticked off. I'm trying to think in my mind, "ok Amy, you gotta hold it together for the sake of the children" and then I'm asking Miles, "which kid hit him?", "where's his parents?", "what happened?". I think I probably would have been better if somebody in the guilty party would have offered their apologies or asked how Graham was, but no, they were too busy eating their big fat hot dog. All I can see is this processed mystery meat being shoved up their nose till parts of it are oozing out of their eyeballs. Then I'm brought back to reality by thinking as bad as this seems...I guess it could have been worse. 'sigh'
Thankfully, God placed the nicest family in our church, who the man happens to be in the dental profession. When Stacy was on the way to the hospital he called him and told him what had happened. He met Graham & Stacy at the ER and said that he thought that he could fix G's lip & gum's and he would go ahead and seal the pulp that was exposed on the teeth. He also worked on him Saturday morning to glue his old teeth back on to get him through Easter weekend & protect the pulp.
Now we are waiting to see if the roots are going to make it from the trauma, so far so good.
I guess Graham & I will have more things in common now. We'll get our teeth bonded together.
As the days have passed it has gotten easier, but I still think about what is to come with a young boy & 2 front teeth that are bonded. How many times will we end up having to fix them? Will he ever be able to bite into an apple or eat corn on the cob? Things that most people take for granted that I can't do.
I just keep telling myself, "their just TEETH".
I'm learning that I don't understand & can't control everything that happens...and when it does I have to say - Tis gar plen - "so what".
Miles says the kid owes us 2 teeth.

Gym Update - week 4 (evaluation)

2009-04-10T12:56:00.003-05:00

I talked my trainer into evaluating me a couple of days early. My evaluation was scheduled for Sunday but who goes to the gym on Sundays? And today is my birthday and the kids are out of school for Good Friday so we did it on Thursday. Although he made me promise to still come to the gym on my birthday and do cardio. Yeah, I'm really starting to not like him! :)
I've lost a total of 8 pounds.
1-1/2 inches in my waist.
1 inch every where else (legs, arms)
And I've lost 4% of my body fat. So it's official now... I'm not obese anymore :)
So all in all it was a good month. I felt like I worked my tail off. I've eaten only what was on my list. I've been faithful to the gym. I haven't killed anyone in my cravings. I've given up my sleep for torture.
Killer Mike gave me an "A-" on my evaluation. I won't tell you what I gave him.

Birthdays & Loss

2009-04-08T15:48:00.004-05:00

Birthdays - you either love 'em or hate 'em. Age seems to be the deciding factor. I always say, "your only as old as you act", which explains a lot in my case. I still act like I'm in my twenties. Now, I didn't say I FELT like I was in my twenties, but I still act like a crazy kid sometimes.
But these last couple of birthdays have been extremely hard for me. Up until now, I didn't really talk about it. But my birthday reminds me of a great loss. It's funny because usually you don't remember the loss of a loved one on your own birthday, you usually remember them on theirs. But this one is different.
My Uncle Curtis was special. Not because he had down syndrome. Not because he insisted on kissing you EVERY time he saw you. Not because he never met a stranger (and yes, kissed them too).
He always loved unconditionally. We said he was "the glue that held the family together".
Birthdays were HIS thing. It was the funniest thing. He didn't have any kind of "smarts", like books, reading or writing BUT if he came over to your house and you had a calendar...He would mark every single 19th of each month on the calendar with a big "X". His birthday was the 19th of May but he marked every month anyway.
If it was ever anybody else birthday in the family and we got together he was furious. No one was allowed a birthday but him. Oh, and try singing the birthday song to someone other than him, and you were definitely not getting anymore kisses from him for awhile.
Once I rented the entire Skate Castle for Miles' birthday. I had decorated the entire snack area with dinosaurs and such on every table, had the place looking great. While we were all off skating Curtis came and threw every single decoration in the trash because we were celebrating someone else birthday.
He came to stay with us for awhile several years ago and we were having a big Youth Party. It was in December & we had planned a bonfire, hayride, "the works". He told all the youth it was his birthday and they believed him. So we turned the entire night into his birthday party. The same for 4th of July, Memorial Day, etc. You couldn't have a get together without Curtis thinking it was "my birthday".
He probably knew the whole time exactly when "his birthday" was, but he just loved all the attention and just thought, "if these crazy people are going to get together might as well be for me". :)
So, now I find myself having a hard time celebrating "my birthday". I love the days leading up to it, but just the day itself seems so hard. I told myself I was going to do better this year. I guess it just takes time. I really do miss him. My family talks about him all the time. We talk about the funny things he used to do and say.
This year the kids are out of school so maybe we'll have a day filled with things that Curtis loved...changing the trash, wrestling, one dollar bills, the beach, eating, singing, church, and kissing everyone we meet while we tell them, "it's been a looong time."

Gym Update - week 3

2009-04-04T23:01:00.003-05:00

I think this week should really be week 2 since I took last week off to go to the beach. And I gained 2 pounds.
This week was probably the hardest so far.
I've really had to step up my cardio workout & that's been huge for me. I think that I officially could qualify for a handicap sticker in my car now.
Thursday we worked legs. Afterward, I tried to do my cardi on the treadmill. NOT good. My legs were like spaghetti. I thought maybe if I ran instead of walked really fast my legs wouldn't be so wobbly. WRONG! I could have won $10,000 if someone had a video camera. I looked like a drunk woman running DOWN Mt. Rushmore. Someone actually asked me if I was o.k.
I quit. Called it a day. Ran extra on Friday to make up for it. WRONG again. Can't walk, sit, squat, climb, basically anything that deals with my legs bending. I never realized how short our toilets were until now! Good Lord!!
I have lost the 2 pounds from last weeks vacation, plus 1 :) But I've also peed in the floor twice!!! JK!!!

Gym update - week 2 (not good)

2009-04-04T22:52:00.002-05:00

Vacation and workout's, relaxing and dieting. Nope, they don't go together. I weighed after coming back from vacation. A vacation that I turned DOWN Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream!! and the results were... +2 pounds.
I promise I stayed true to the diet/detox. I even went to the gym that ONE day. :)
But oh, well. I guess it could have been worse.
Honestly, I think what it really was...I can't go to the bathroom when I'm away from home. There's just something about not being in my own bathroom that causes my small & large intestine to shut down. I know some of you are laughing, but you know it's true! Add to the fact that we were camping and I had to walk to the bath house to go to the potty...oh yeah for sure shutting the whole system down.

Gym Update - 1 week

2009-03-27T23:25:00.002-05:00

I'm a little late posting because I went on a Spring Break vacation to the beach! But here are the results from my first week of training with "Killer Mike".
7 days = 5 lbs! I've lost 5 lbs since I started. Remember now, I've been going to the gym for 5 months with no results. And now in 7 days I've lost 5 whole pounds!
So what did I do? I went to the beach to celebrate!! I did stay on my diet while I was there and GET THIS...I actually found a Golds Gym while I was there and went one day and did my cardio & abs.

Results - Day 4

2009-03-16T15:36:00.003-05:00

I weighed today.
Had an appointment with my trainer again this morning. Today we worked legs after warming up. Does this man REALLY think that this is a freakin'warm up?? I'm dieing! We should definitely take my heart rate because I know it's like 360.
Legs not happy. Buttocks not happy. Lost 3 pounds...I'm HAPPY!!!
Coming soon...more results.

Amy's secret for the last 5 months

2009-03-14T23:44:00.003-05:00

5 months. That's how long I've been going to the gym now. I'm not happy about going. But my husband ever so kindly encourages me to go. He lays this "just like you take care of your spiritual body, so should you take care of your physical body" crap on me. So, I make myself go. I need to go. I'm going to stick with something for once in my life. I need to lose these baby pounds. They say as you get older it gets harder, so I'm determined to get healthy.
I didn't tell people because I think I felt guilty for taking time for myself. When I would miss calls early in the morning I would usually just say I was out running errands. Which I was running. On a treadmill.
For 11 years I've stayed home and taken care of my family and loved every single second. And now, my life allows me the time to do something for me.
Now you may say, "oh Amy, you don't need to lose weight, you look good, blah, blah, blah". That's why I haven't told anyone that I've been going to the gym for 5 long dying months. I don't need to hear that.
I need to hear, "bout time you finally decided to get your butt back in shape, you've looked like crap since '01".
Now after all this time, I've hit a wall. Not physically, mentally. Physically, I wish I could say I had hit a wall, that would mean I had lost something. Maybe even an earring. But no. Not even 1 pound.
Mentally, I've come to the point of quitting. I've worked my tail off and haven't lost a single ounce. SO why keep going. And don't give me the bull of "muscle weighs more than fat". Ain't gonna work for this chick.
So, I got the help of a trainer. When people need help in their life spiritually they go to their pastor, right? So,I figure I need help physically, I go to a trainer. Friday was my first day. I hate him already. And no, he doesn't wear spandex.
He began by warming me up. WHAT? That was the warm up? I'm going to die. I know it.
I didn't want to appear weak, so I pushed myself. Worked with a pulled muscle. Only hit him once. And I had forgot to eat before I went.
Last thing I remember we were working abs. Lower abs. I must have turned white as a sheet because he said, "you alright?" to which I said, "yeah, just need to keep breathing". All the while I'm picturing the players on Biggest Loser and their last chance workout, telling myself, "can't fall below the yellow line". Then things just kinda start to go fuzzy.
Then I hurled the 15lb weight at him & sprinted to the bathroom puking my guts up.
Yeah, I really hate him.
He's working me again on Monday...

I'm not moving this weekend, bummer

2009-03-10T21:54:00.001-05:00

Ok, some people might find this a little upsetting so let me warn you now before you read any further. If you have a weak stomach or have a heart the size of Texas for ANY kind of animal you might not want to read my blog today. And for those that just can't believe that I'm actually telling people this story...well, it happens.
LAST Thursday while my husband was at worship practice the kids & I are enjoying a show on Nick. Graham starts cutting the cheese. Of course we holler and threaten him but end up laughing. Then later it happens again, but this time he doesn't admit that it's him. And the smell just lingers. It will not go away. It gets so bad that I have to get up and leave the room. Miles & Mac have gotten up and left. Mac comes back with the Febreeze. Now we have a Febreeze smelling fart. Not good.
The smell just seems to get worse and worse. Then Mac announces that the smell is coming from the vent in the floor. OH NO!
To describe the smell at this point, I would say "raw sewage".
So Stacy comes home and walks in the door and the first thing he says is "What did you cook?" Now at this point I have had the windows and doors open already and the smell is still that bad so I'm not sure what THAT meant.
I told him he had to go see what was wrong. He suits up and goes under the house and finds nothing!!
Friday he makes a few calls and then the "sucker upper" people come. They put tubes in the air vents to suck out whatever is in them. At this point we know that one of those cute little tiny mice have come to haunt us for catching one of their buddies from the woods out back. Then they do some ozone treatment to the air so we can breathe again.
I've been gone all day Friday. I come home and immediately say, "it still stinks". But my merciful husband says,"just give it some time to clear out it will get better."
Well, long story short, today is Tuesday and I broke down this morning. I had enough. It's getting hotter outside. We can not keep leaving the windows and doors open. We need some AC. I can not stand it any longer. The smells have changed. I have changed!
So, once again THE HUSBAND goes under the house with only these instructions..."Do not come back in this house until you find what ever it is OR I'm moving!!!"
I was looking forward to moving to a house with some land, but I guess we'll have to stay here a little while longer.
The only thing we can figure is this...
He put on a new door that leads under the house in the fall. Well, apparently in the process something got inside and when the door was closed and locked... he was trapped. Our first clue should have been our dog Tess because where he was living was the EXACT spot that she would just go to and bark at for no reason. It was a bare corner in the bathroom. She would go there and bark and just sit and stare in the corner for hours. She would jump off the bed in the middle of the night and go bark at the corner.
Anyways, he lived in our insulation all winter. What he ate, I have no idea. But he ain't eating anymore. That may be why he died. He ate everything there was to eat. I'm wondering how the pest control guys didn't find him...they go under the house. Obviously not good enough tho'.
So, Stacy is going through the insulation and I'm yelling from inside the house, "the smell is over to the right!!!" (while I'm gagging, but hey I wanted to do my part)
He said the insulation looked like a tyrannosaurus had ripped through it. Then he turns and sees fur. Immediately he thinks squirrel. He's holding a bag under it and then it drops into the bag with such force that it scares even him.
He takes it out back to bury it but the suspense is killing him. He has to know. Is this the mother of all squirrels?
No, it's a...
Possum. EEEEEEEEEECCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Husband vs. Food

2009-03-09T19:03:00.000-05:00

Today was one of 'those' kind of Mondays.
I was cut off 3 times while trying to call our local newspaper to let them know that our church ad which has already been paid for, was not being put in the paper. They have missed it 3 times now. Not including the 3 whole weeks that they messed it up. The same newspaper that for the last month can not find our drive way if it was Hollywood Boulevard and continue to leave our paper at our neighbors house down the street.
I went to quickly buy stamps at the local office supply which turned out to be a never ending ordeal. First, I just want a book of stamps. "ok, that will be $ 8.40" Paid for it, done deal. She opens the drawer..."I'm sorry we only have rolls, do you want one of those?" - WELL, I guess if that's all you got! 42 freakin' dollars later!! the register crashes in the middle of the 3rd transaction, because you see she had to exchange my book for a roll and then, blah, blah, blah.
THEN by this time, I'm hungry. Now, you have to understand how things get when I'm hungry. There is no love. There is no patience. There is no reasoning. Only wrath. The wrath of Amy.
My husband has asked me to call him when I'm ready to eat so he can meet me. But now I find that the church office number is down. Called it like 300 times. BUSY. Hate that sound. Problem with the local phone company.
So, I have to chose - FOOD or HUSBAND. Atlanta Bread was really good, it hit the spot.
Hope your Monday was better than mine :0)

It's that time of year again...

2009-03-07T20:39:00.000-06:00

Take me out to the ball game...
The boys started their season today with a double header. What a gorgeous day to play. This is one of those years that the boys get to play together (which I LOVE) and it's now "kid pitch". So things are very interesting. Bases get stolen, kids get hit (which is not a good thing when your son is pitching). But for a mom, it's a perfect Saturday.
I love to watch them. There are good days and bad days, but we always try and find the key to build character in whatever the turn out is. I believe in team sports. I believe it builds qualities & provides times for us to reinforce character building foundations for later in life. They meet nice kids, hard to deal with kids, learn to listen, follow directions, etc. All kinds of things that can be applied to life.
I remember Dr. Rutland always said, "keep them busy & they'll stay out of trouble". If that's true then ours should be saints. :)
So when you call our house and don't get an answer chances are we are hanging out together at the ballfield... enjoying the best years of our lives! Turney5

Organizers unite...

2009-03-05T18:53:00.000-06:00

What is it about Organization that just makes me SO happy? My world is complete. My life is easier. My cares are less. My burdens are lighter.
So, why is it so hard to find the time. Is the task so great? Is is because it's somebody else's mess I'm organizing?
I believe in taking baby steps. Start on one project and stay on it till it's done. Then move on to the next. Then the next. By the time you finish everything, it will be time to start organizing the first thing again. :)

Launch Month

2009-03-03T13:55:00.000-06:00

WOW! What a month February was!!
Once again, I fell off the blog wagon...but it was for good reason :)
Church at The Crossing is now officially official.
We have had 4 incredible weeks of launching the church. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be like this. After the first Sunday service Stacy and I were talking that night and we both said, "just think, we get to do this again next week!". And it's been like that every week.
I LOVE the people that come. I LOVE the people that we work with. We have an awesome Dream Team of volunteers.
Now that I'm getting back into a routine, hopefully I will be faithfully once again.
I LOVE MY LIFE!!!
~A

9 wonderful years with Graham... Happy Birthday Son

2009-01-26T21:54:00.000-06:00

We had a great birthday celebration w/ Graham today. I can't believe it's been 9 years ago. It was also 9 years ago that it snowed here and today it was 72! Funny that I remember that.
Stacy and I surprised him today and brought birthday snack to school. We had dinner together, which turned into a giggle fest. I look back over the last 9 years and can't believe how fast it's gone by. I can only imagine what the next 9 are going to be like.
Happy Birthday Graham. I'm so glad that God gave you to our family. You bring life, love & laughter to us all.

Mac's pageant pic

2009-01-26T21:48:00.000-06:00

There is she...Miss. America

Success... or not

2009-01-26T08:25:00.000-06:00

The pageant was a success. Mom made it through without any mind altering medication. :) McKinley had a great time. She looked beautiful. Surprisingly she was as cool as a cucumber all day. She never got nervous or anything. I thought maybe she might since it was her first one. We arrived early so we could get pictures and not be rushed. When it finally started she was ready.
The funniest thing about the whole day was at the end they brought all 65 contestants on the stage to announce the winners. We could not find Mac because she was several rows back. Then all of a sudden this little tiny hand pops up above everyone's head and begins the "princess wave" better known as the "screwing in a light bulb wave"...YES, it was my child. We all just died laughing. Then they began announcing the class beauties. They called her name out as the First Grade Class Beauty, so she's standing up front along w/ the other beauties and then she begins the "light bulb wave" again. TOO CUTE!!
So the day was a success. She had a great time, but then my friend Lisa asked her is she wanted to do it again, to which Mac replied, "YES!!!"... poor me:(

Just news

2009-01-24T08:25:00.000-06:00

Big weekend. Mac's pageant is today & Graham's birthday party is tomorrow after church. We tried to talk him into waiting till next weekend so we could have more time to plan it and invite his friends but to a kid - to wait one more weekend is eternity! So let's just get it all done.
I'm excited today because my sister in law is coming to see Mac in her pageant. But she's more than just a sister in law, she's my sister. I mean, come on, we talk way more than she and Stacy do! She's my friend... and if you know me, I only have a few. So that's why it's so special.

Add 1 more thing to the plate

2009-01-22T13:52:00.000-06:00

So my daughter decided she wanted to be in the school pageant... ON SATURDAY!! :)
I was going to try and discourage her from being in it just because I believe in inner beauty. Then yesterday someone at lunch talked to me about letting her do this for her. SO, I've been running myself the last two days trying to get everything she needs.
She is super excited... we'll see what happens.

Speakin up on the roadside

2009-01-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

Kudos to the city of Decatur for renewing my faith in people. Not that it had been lost completely, but it was just somehow buried in the mountain of negative media reports of a dismal economy, worst approval ratings, unhappy Americans, etc.
We had the honor of traveling to Decatur to pay tribute to a young man who was in our youth ministry for several years. SSGT Josh Rath was killed in Afghanistan by a suicide bomber. He was serving his country & protecting my freedom. He was an incredible young man with a wonderful family. I was amazed at the strength of his mother, father & siblings.
When we arrived at the funeral home I immediately began to cry. Just pulling into the parking lot you could witness the display of American flags being held by men who wore the stories of years of service and patriotism on their faces. They held those flags outside in the freezing temperatures the entire time Josh was there. Inside, leading into the viewing room were more flags being held by JROTC members from Josh's high school. The hundereds & hundereds that had come to pay honor & support the family for the weekend was unsermountable.
The funeral service showed the Army & church working together to pay honor to such a great young man. A 2 star General of the Army & several other high dignitaries were there to present medals & awards to Josh's family. They talked of how rare it was for someone to move up the ranks in the Army for only the 4-1/2 years that he served. Several members from his unit were there to pay honor. One even spoke of how Josh saved his life in 2006. You could still see the shrapnel that was embedded in his face. His brothers, sisters & fianacee shared stories of what a great brother, hero & friend he was.
As we exited the church & got into our cars to begin the procession to the graveside, nothing could have prepared me.
The weather was freezing. The wind was blowing so hard it would take your breath away.
But all along the road for 15 miles was common men, women & even children braving the elements to stand on the roadside to hold a flag or sign or salute. I even saw one woman looking at every car & mouthing the words, "thank you". The firetruck on the overpass had the ladder fully extended with the American flag blowing on the end. The firemen dressed in their full uniform and stood at attention for the thousands to pass. A children's daycare, the UPS man, the ChickFilA cow, the little boy that held the sign, "Josh is a Hero", hundreds & hundreds of people that some only could knod their head as you passed as a sign of thanks.
I cried the entire trip. I had a time to reflect where our country is & where it has been. That the people, if given the chance to speak will show the backbone of America. I was previleged to share with my son the impact and sacrafice that each one of those Americans were doing by standing on the roadside to show what they could- support.
Thank you for speaking up along a roadside where you didn't have to say anything at all.

I'm proud to be an American where at least I know I'm free, and I won't forget the men who died and gave that right to me...

on the 7th day even GOD rested

2009-01-15T23:22:00.000-06:00

I know today's not the 7th day, but it was my 7th day. And it may not be considered a day of rest when you factor in a field trip, horsey time, a movie and the bookstore but it was my much needed day away from the house and away from the phone & the emails.
The field trip was a success despite the cold. Mac and I dressed in layers & did great until asked to sit "Indian style", we had so many layers our legs wouldn't go together. :) She & I had a great time together.
After school we went straight over to see Twister. We took him to the big pasture to run, which is always so fun. There is a field of rye planted behind the house of a friend where we take him to sometimes get fresh green grass. When he sees that big field of fresh green blades, there is no stopping him. Mac calls it "horse heaven". She stuffs her pockets full to take back to his pasture. Even the boys got involved today. Well, at least Miles did. He took the lead rope and ran with him. G is still a little "shy" around him. We stayed till dark just playing and visiting.
Today was report card day and all 3 made "A Honor Roll" so we celebrated by going to the movies. They chose "Tales of Despereaux" which was a great story of forgiveness, but I think I'm just so sleep deprived that I have to admit to dosing off a few times. :0
And what better way to finish the night...BooksAMillion. Everyone got to pick out a book, and I got to look at house plan books. Don't get any ideas, I have looked at them for 6 years, it's just a hobby. I think that ONE day I'll open one and see my dream house, yeah right. It was relaxing, I just couldn't get my legs to cross.
So, mentally it was a rest day for me.
p.s. I'm so proud of my honor roll students! It's been a big year for them & they've done so well.

Church Planting + Blogging = Failure :)

2009-01-14T22:20:00.000-06:00

I promise I have every intention of getting back on the box...next week :)
We are so, so close to launch Sunday and I have no words to describe how I feel some nights when I go to bed.
I'm actually sitting here now just waiting for the washing machine to stop so I can put the clothes in the dryer. Then I'm going straight to bed. It will be the earliest I've been to bed in weeks.
I refuse to get online and look for anything tonight. I don't want to shop for the best price tonight. I don't want to look for the best idea. I don't want to edit a website, a billboard, a banner, a mailer...nothing. I just want sleep. And lots of it. Did I mention that I have a field trip w/ hundreds of 1st graders tomorrow? :)
I tried to get everything done today so that I could enjoy my day tomorrow w/ my daughter. But it didn't happen. I still have 7 banners to design, a logo to design for shirts, a better price on a truss system, blah, blah, blah.
I spent days scouring over the web for tables & counters and then today my sweet, loving husband just goes to Sam's and buys 6ft. tables and says to cover them w/ a table cloth. He's still peeling himself up off the dirty kitchen linoleum floor that so badly needs to be swept and mopped. BUT who has the time? :)
I keep saying "where is the manual?". There should be a church planters manual somewhere!
When you look at it tho', we're blessed.
We are on the journey of our life. It's not about the "stuff" anyways...it's what it's always been about. Connecting Him to People, and that's what I love about what we do.

Another night

2008-12-18T22:25:00.000-06:00

Mac + bedtime = emotional

Tonight it was once again... Flossie. I finally just told her, "honey, what if she died, or something got her..." (I know not the softest marshmallow in the bag, but I was just trying to be realistic) And she replied, "But Mom, there's still a chance".
So, once again I lay in bed with her till her eyes were dry and she was fast asleep, thinking who needs a season finale.
I can't wait to give her the pony for CHRISTmas...

85 a week B4 CHRISTmas makes you do crazy things

2008-12-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

Ok, so it's hitting almost 85 degress here today. Unseasonably warm, and it's going to stay this way for several days. The kids got out of school yesterday and ALREADY my husband is wanting to give them their CHRISTmas presents early!!! WHAT??!! NO!!
"Well honey, if we give them to them now they will be able to play while it's still warm outside and they will get a whole extra week of playing while school is out!!"
It does make sense. But what about CHRISTmas morning? Are we just going to change the clocks and calendars around the house and convince the kids that CHRISTmas is already here???
I mean, who lets these kids out of school a whole week early? It would make more sense to let them go longer now and then start later in January so we can play with OUR toys longer!! Right?
So, decisions, decisions... What day is it?? Oh, look kids - it's CHRISTmas EVE!!!

Oh, I'm sorry this gift doesn't have my name on it...

2008-12-14T12:31:00.000-06:00

This week has been a week of realizing our gifts & NOT realizing our gifts! :)
Someone told Stacy that most all church planters are "B" students. They can do just about anything, and do it good. "B" students are well rounded and can make it happen. They can have an idea or solution for just about anything.
BUT it's about us "B" students finding those "A" students to use their gift in their area. I've found this week that I don't want to know about how to design a website. I could care less about governmental paperwork. Forms, policies, & designs are wearing me out. I want a logo that when I look at it I say, "wow, I like that". Period.
Someone said to me last night, "well, why don't you just design it". They know me. They know I'm a perfectionist. But I'm a "B" student. I can lift the lid on an "A" student to use their gift, so that they are fulfilling their God given purpose.
I'm not going to lose sight of my "A" student ability...loving people.

"I had to settle in my heart that I was going to love the people more than I loved my ministry.”

I'm sorry this gift doesn't have my name on it, but I'll help you unwrap it.

Understanding God's favor

2008-12-08T09:56:00.000-06:00

Seems like every chapter in our life has been a time that we look back and shake our head & wonder "how".
From early years of marriage when we lived on ramen noodles to now having 3 of the most wonderful, healthy children, I look back and say "how". Heck, I look at last week and say "how". But the only word I can use is God. He is so faithful. I don't understand His faithfulness. I don't understand why He picked me. I just know that I know that I know...I love Him more and more everyday. I don't deserve His favor, I don't understand it, and I don't think I can ever say "Thank you" enough.
It's no secret, everyone who knows me knows that mercy is not by best gift, but God is showing me something lately. I fail along the way. (I know it's shocking) I screw things up. I don't always make the right choice, but still He is faithful.
NOW, it's my turn to show the same mercy to someone else.
Thank you that you never leave me the same...

Somehow I just know it will be brighter...

2008-12-02T09:28:00.001-06:00

I can't wait... we are putting up the tree tonight!! We usually put it up the day after Thanksgiving or the weekend before Thanksgiving, but since we moved we didn't have room to bring it all with us on the first trip down. So now our front porch is full of boxes and tubs of Christmas decorations. I guess we might look like the "Clampits" but I refuse to bring it in until "I'm ready".
Call it my childhood curse but I guess I just believe that the house has to be clean & perfect before we trash it with all the boxes and tinsel, stray needles and glitter.
I have to work by my system.
Of course, the clothes have to be washed. Who can put up a tree without all the clothes being cleaned? And the dishes...well, we just might need to use the kitchen sink, for um, um, something or another...And we must sweep and mop to insure every light works properly. And whoever heard of not vacuuming before you drag it all in off the dirty front porch?
But someway, somehow I just KNOW that it will all be brighter in my nice clean house :)

Home FROM the Holidaze

2008-12-01T11:15:00.000-06:00

SO glad to be back in the swing of things at home, and yes it feels like it was all a daze. My first kidney stone. And please Lord let it be the last! I now have a new understanding of people who have been stoned. It feels like giving labor to a small horse kicking you in the back constantly.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!!

Gettin' YOUR puppy!!

2008-11-21T08:25:00.000-06:00

I hate when bad things happen. I have always been a "what if, or if only" kinda person. And I hate that about myself. Just let it go, easier said than done. But I am learning and I hope that I will always be open to learning and have a teachable heart.
As a parent you strive to make things better for your children. You love them and want them to be happy. But what happens when things go all wrong? How do you handle the disappointment?
Mine started about 4 months ago. We had moved to a new city to start a brand new chapter in our lives. Things were going great until...The dog came up missing. It was a freak accident that she was left outside, only for seconds, but she was gone. We don't know if someone picked her up or if something picked her up. :( But nonetheless, was a devastating blow to the family. One that Mac would not soon recover from. We did the usual reward posters all over town, vets offices, pet stores, etc. Ran ads in the paper for weeks. Nothing.
Animal lovers will know what I'm talking about when I say you feel like you have lost a member of your family. This was a dog that we had since birth. It was Tess' puppy that we had kept. The boys recovered much better than Mac & I. But over time the wound started to heal. We would talk about Flossie & remember things about her and I would always try to end on an upbeat note & tell something funny about her or just reassure the kids that she was probably "living the life" now.
But I've learned that this experience has been like a snowball effect on Mac. She can't get over it. She lays in bed and cries at night praying for God to bring her back home. She started sleeping with her stuffed yorkie dog. But not just sleeping with, she holds her in a death grip in her arms while falling asleep. Tuesday night after already tucking everyone into bed and doing a couple of chores, I went back into her room to give her one last kiss. She did not know that I would be coming back to check on her, but what I found broke my heart. She was laying their crying her little self to sleep. When I asked what was wrong, her response was, "I pray for Flossie to come home everynight, can you pray with me?" Talk about pulling at your heart strings! Then it happened again last night. So last night I added a bed buddy with me. Scooped her up and took her to bed with me. I just wanted her to be close to me and to let me hold her & know that everything was going to be alright.
Then hubby comes into the bedroom with that look of "we have GOT to get a bigger bed if you keep doing this". :) So, he kneels down beside my side of the bed and asks what was wrong. I then began sharing with him what I had been thinking for several weeks. (Yes, I'm a thinker.)
In her little mind she is associating everything here with something bad or negative. It started with the dog. Then the school. Then her stomach problems. And not having any girlfriends. (all the families in the church so far have only boys, so she's the only girl at home, at church, etc.) That's why she lives for the next visit back home. She thinks about the good things there. The horses, Olivia, grandparents, etc.
So after explaing all this to him, he says, "Your right...what do we do?"
Well for starters, she's getting a PUPPY for Christmas!! Haha, he laughs. "No seriously", he says.
Then this morning the Lord reminded me of how much he loves me and wants me to be happy. As much as I want for Mac to be happy and I will do everything in my power to see to it that she is... I will NEVER understand His love for me, His child. It's just that big. Bad things happen sometimes, but the Lord is always in control. He knows what we need before we do. He sees our hurts, and he wants to get us a "puppy" too. But is that really what we need? I look back at every hard time in my life & see now that all of them, every single one was a growing time. What if I had just got my "puppy" and then went on my merry way? Would I be the person that I am today? I have to realize that He knows me better than me & will do whats best for me. I am not in control.
Seasons, we all go through them. It hurts the Father to see you struggle, but there is a reason. We just have to keep pressing on and not give up and believe that no matter what, I'm gonna come out of this a better person... WITH A PUPPY!!!

My daughter makes me nervous

2008-11-19T16:13:00.000-06:00

So, I've decided to blog...why people want to read about other peoples lives?? But why not read about mine :)..
Today was my daughter's Thanksgiving lunch held inside her classroom. All the parents were invited to attend and bring food. After getting their food & sitting at their tables to eat it got rather quite in the classroom.
Anyone who knows Mac understands that she has this "gift". A gift to speak whatever is on her mind. A gift that I often worried about when she was small.
There was the time that she was being held by a sweet, sweet lady at Christmas dinner. The lady was talking to her and inquiring about what she liked to do, etc. and then it came. Mac announced to everyone that,"...your breath is stank". I could have crawled under a rock. I'm certain that my face turned 47 shades of red and well, I was speechless. On the way home, I was trying to explain to Mac that you don't always say everything that you think, EVEN if it's true. But, then I was interrupted by my "freedom finding" husband who replied, "I think it's a good thing that she speaks her mind, blah, blah, blah. "
Then there was the time she announced to everyone at my birthday party that, "we ain't got no toilet paper at my house!".
And let's not forget about the time that she told the story to a table full of guests that included the punchline, "I have an affliction in my loins"...
So, I've found myself trying to steer a very vocal female in the ways of, "just whisper in my ear before you say it", kinda way.
Then today, she leans over and whispers in my ear, "Mom, my butt is growling", and while I'm laughing and trying to tell my husband what she has said, I hear her yelling out across the room, "Taylor, where is yo' daddy at today? and Amanda you said YOUR mother was a...."
I left her there with her freedom finding Daddy!!!

And then tonight while having our creative team meeting, I go to the kitchen to get me a drink & she stands on her chair and announces that, "my momma gots the toots!".