This is my life...

Children are a gift...

2010-12-06T07:50:00.000-06:00

Psalm 127:3 "Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from Him."

Now, I TRULY believe that children are a gift - I am so thankful to have three babies born to me (carried to full term with no problems or complications) and what a privilege it is to have them!

But I am reminded in SO many way each and every day - what that word "gift" truly means in each child...

With Chayse - its her telling me yesterday "I love cleaning the house with you Mom! You make it fun!" YEAH!! A child with a heart to clean (it just doesn't always flow out of her in regards to her own room)!!

With Connor - I LOVE his laugh (and I love that he loves to be tickled so I can hear that laugh often)!! He and I are known for just looking at each other and giggling... I love that! (I hope he never loses that!)

With Colton - it is his wit and wisdom (he also gives the BEST bear hugs to any nearby legs!!) but today I have to share with you some of Colton's profound wisdom that he shared with me this morning...

Colton: Mom, when do I turn 8?
Mom:    Colton! You just turned 7 - its a whole year away!!
Colton: I know Mom, but what day?
Mom:    November 29th - same as this year... (wondering to myself, what comes next??)
Colton: You mean, I have my birthday every year on November 29th - the same day - NO WAY! That is too cool!!
Mom:    (Bursts into laughter!!)

See why I know that children are a gift from the Lord - I NEEDED that laughter this morning and maybe you did too!!

Enjoy every moment... they go by way too quickly!

Forgiveness... its tricky

2010-12-04T14:42:00.000-06:00

This is a devotion I read the other day that made me stop and think - so I thought I would share it with you...

Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

"In life, we all have unfair things that happen to us." Isn't that the truth!!

"We can choose to hold on to the hurt, become bitter & angry, and let it poison our future; or, we can choose to let it go and trust God to make it up to us." (I think that is easier said than done sometimes!!)

"You might not think that you are able to forgive because someone hurt you so badly."

"But realize, you don't forgive for their sake; you forgive for your own sake. When you forgive, you are taking away their power to hurt you." (That is the part that just makes me stop & think...)

"But if you hold on to that offense and stay angry (hurt or offended), you are only poisoning your own life and disconnecting yourself from God." (My hurt and offense disconnects me from my loving Father - that's just NOT right!!)

My mother-in-law often makes a statement to anyone listening - she says "Just because you think you have the right to be angry (or offended) - doesn't mean that you should be. Mercy is better than justice any day..."
Now, as much as that statement frustrates me when I hear it - it is a great reminder...
He had nothing in His heart but forgiveness and mercy for the people that had hurt him (even in the midst of his pain). So how can I stand as His representative and not do the same...

So me, I'm working on forgiveness today...
1 John 4:12 "No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us."

A new view to Christmas

2010-12-02T09:03:00.000-06:00

I found this over at Pete Wilson's blog and it just JUMPED out at me - SO perfect for Christmas!!

I had someone tell me about a Christmas reading plan called Rediscovering The Christmas Season that was available at YouVersion.com. I checked it out and love it so I thought I would invite you to read along with me. I’ll probably post on it from time to time over the next couple weeks.

I put the first two days of the plan below but I really encourage you to go to youversion.com and sign up for a free account. It’s a wonderful tool I think you’ll love.

So here we go… I'm on Day 2.

You in?

Dec 1: Luke 2:21-40

Dec 2: Matthew 1

After reading the overview of the plan - it explains Advent a little more (which I have to admit, I've not taken a whole lot of time to understand before). I understand the 1st Advent that happened, and that we're waiting for the 2nd Advent (Jesus coming).
But here's an interesting statement they made on this Christmas reading about Advent (which started yesterday):
"Advent reminds us to look forward to His return every day. This season is about resetting Jesus Christ at the center of our lives."

So there's my goal for the next 25 days - to "reset Jesus Christ at the center of my life". Instead of letting presents, baking, decorations, parties & just general "busyness" be the center - I'm taking time (myself and with my kids) to take a different look at what the first Christmas season looked like.

Consider yourself challenged...

I "borrowed" The Funk... but its okay!

2010-11-18T08:43:00.000-06:00

I was just sitting here this morning contemplating the events of the last couple of days and (honestly) dreading the funeral I am attending today (its for a young woman who is my age), but knowing that I should be there.
Through my tears about the day, I gave myself an attitude check (which I'll explain after) but when I got home I read this blog post by Pete Wilson (http://withoutwax.tv/) which was a good reminder (and a great "boost" that I heard God speak it to me before I got to this article - YEAH!!)
So - what to do with a "FUNK"...

The Funk

Ever have one of those days?

You know those days, when everything goes wrong!

Who hasn’t had one of those days?

I had one the other day. It was the kind of day where I think I would have been better off just staying in bed. The kind of day that makes you wonder if you can do anything right.

Anyway, I was sitting there in the midst of my very bad day and jotted down a few choices I felt I had to shake this funk. So here’s my list. Hope it helps you on your very bad day.

Do something nice for someone else. While I’m not really sure that being selfless for selfish reasons is exactly Biblical, it sure does seem to work.
Tell yourself, “Well, at least I ______________.” At least, you went to the gym, or played with your kids, or walked the dog, or read your children a story, or recycled, or saved the world from catastrophic disaster. Okay, you probably didn’t do the latter but you get the point.
Go to bed early. I’ve said this before but sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is get some sleep. I’m always amazed how a little extra sleep helps you have a whole new perspective the next morning. Lamentations3:22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. ²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Keep a proper perspective. Ask yourself: “Will this matter in a month? In a year?”
Be grateful. Remind yourself that a lousy day isn’t a catastrophic day. Probably, things could be worse. In fact, I believe most of it can and will be redeemed by God.

So... my idea to add to all of this - thankfulness. Plain and simple thankfulness...
Like I said, I had God already help me deal with my "funk" in the car before I read this - and His gentle reminder was "Remember what you do have, not what you've lost..." and my heart FILLED with thankfulness.

3 healthy children that I carried to full term (in my pregnancy) and are still healthy today
A spouse that is with me, stands by my side, loves me and enjoys every bit of the 15 years that we've spent together
That I am healthy and whole and able to walk out the plan that my Father has for my life
And that no matter how many trips to the hospital I make (in laws, new babies, friends) God is still God and He cares for us AND His grace is sufficient to help me make every trip.

Psalm 118:29 (The Message)
"You're my God, and I thank you. O my God, I lift high your praise. Thank God—he's so good. His love never quits!"

I'm SO glad He's my strength

2010-11-15T09:08:00.000-06:00

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
   When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
   it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
   The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:"
Isaiah 43:2-4

They get so big, so fast...

2010-08-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

Our Soccer star (no action shot - sorry!!)

Brothers with their common like - TOY STORY & Legos!!

Connor played Soccer - he's the one in the middle KICKING IT!!

Colton played baseball this Summer - he's #1

Aren't they cute??

Playing like a big boy - first year on the slip-n-slide!

As we're starting the final countdown to school starting (2 weeks!!)I am amazed at how much my kiddos have changed!!
I thought I'd share a few pics with you...

What a day...

2010-08-10T09:39:00.003-05:00

It's only 9:39 am as I am typing this - I have been up for almost 3 hours now and SO much has happened... (it seems like to me)

1. Made/ate breakfast with the family...
2. I used my brand new hot pink laundry basket (which was a GREAT motivator to do laundry this morning) to do a couple of loads of laundry.)
3. Kids and I went on a mile walk/run - VERY good for me!! But I wasn't sure how far I had walked/ran so...
4. I decided to take the motorcycle out to see how far I had walked. Tried a couple of times to get it started... VERY unsuccessful.
BUT I had moved it out into the driveway during my attempt to start it and so I needed to move it back into the garage.
When I attempted to do this, I tipped my hubby 1300 VTX (which means it's heavy for my delicate, female frame) over on myself.
THANKFULLY it didn't hit the ground, I did catch it and get it back upright. (Only a small bruise on my left hip to show for it)
Called my hubby to see what I was doing wrong and (of course) it starts up with NO problem. Praise God!!
So now I took it out for a 2 1/2 mile ride (to see how far I had walked) and only stalled on one of my turns (turns have been my downfall - I'm pushing myself to get better) and did fabulous on the other big turn (a u-turn). YEAH!! I even got it up the driveway and into the garage without stalling, only 1 brief pause. :)
5. I decided to clean "Dan" (short for Moondance Alexander) the fish's tank today (which is not my favorite) and here's where I have to explain something...

In Proverbs 18:21 (in the Message translation) it says:
"Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose."

Yesterday, I did NOT want to clean the fish tank - it is my LEAST favorite chore in the whole house... so I told the kids (jokingly) that I wanted to kill their fish instead of cleaning his tank. WRONG CHOICE!!
(Its funny though - because when I told them this, Colton said "Oh good - then we can get a dog!!" Is he my son or what??? Always see the positive!!)
So today as I go to clean the tank, I am chasing "Dan" around the tank with the catcher and he is swimming away from he as usual. So I get the bright idea to remove some of the water (which is normal - there are vent holes in the top which easily let water out).
As I proceed to let some water open the lid pops open (on accident) and out falls "Dan" down the drain. And Colton says - "Oh Mom!! Dan came out!!". I set the tank down, squealed and looked down the drain... he was GONE!!
So... a great time to teach my children about the power of their words (even when they are joking).
Yesterday, I joked about killing their fish - today I did...

Let's hope this day improves as we head out to Petco to get another fish!!
I'm so thankful for God's grace - aren't you?? :)

Oh, I need to remember this...

2010-07-06T11:58:00.000-05:00

Be Mindful Of Christ’s Obedience At The Cross

2 Corinthians 10:5
“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

Have you ever felt condemned because of the bad thoughts you have had? You could be in the middle of a prayer meeting when suddenly a dirty thought enters your mind. Actually, it is the devil who puts such thoughts in your mind. Then, he steps back, looks at you and knocks you on your head, saying, “How can you call yourself a Christian and still think such thoughts?”

I used to be in bondage over the bad thoughts I had because I felt that I had to confess every one of them and seek God’s forgiveness. But that is not what God’s Word exhorts us to do. You see, God wants us to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. Now, whose obedience are we to focus on? Christ’s obedience and not our own obedience!

But what is “the obedience of Christ”? It is His obedience at the cross, where “by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous”. (Romans 5:19) Jesus shed His blood for us at the cross. This means that when our thoughts condemn us, we are to focus our thoughts on Jesus’ obedience at the cross.

My friend, the devil can only make inroads into our minds when he gets us to focus on our obedience instead of Christ’s obedience. His strategy is to point us to our obedience or the lack of it to determine our standing before God. But just as our position as sinners is not based on what we do, but what the first Adam did, in the same way, we are forever righteous today not because of what we do, but because of what Christ, the last Adam, did on the cross.

So the next time your thoughts seem to condemn you, say, “I am righteous whether I have good or bad thoughts. My righteousness has nothing to do with my obedience. Jesus’ obedience at the cross made me righteous.” Then, go ahead and pray, knowing that you have access to God and His favor, and that He hears the prayer of the righteous. (Proverbs 15:29)

Thank you Lord for using Joseph Prince to remind me of this... :)

Trust... its a tricky thing?

2010-04-04T16:38:00.004-05:00

Life has been BUSY lately... I feel like the days fly by faster than I can blink sometimes. And in the middle of that "busyness" are three children that are growing and maturing SO quickly - I feel like they are becoming adults right before my very eyes.
I mean - just look at my daughter in the picture above... doesn't she look like she's 13 (or older)!! YIKES!!

As I look at my VERY old daughter - I wonder... am I a good mother to her? Am I teaching her to talk to God no matter what (and talk to me as well)? How can I keep her from making the same mistakes (or worse) than I did? And so many more...

And then I remember...
"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." (Jeremiah 29:11)
She is, he is, and he is - HIS!! My Heavenly Father managed (quite well) to keep me, lead me and love me through all my mistakes (and keep me from making many more) - HE can do a MUCH better job with all three of the treasures that He's entrusted me with!

So I choose to trust Him with their lives... so there's where trust is a "tricky thing".

When I want to worry (just a little) about if my daughter is REALLY making good choices... or if my son will ever learn to stop hitting people... or if my other son will stop doing things that aren't good or safe for him... I CHOOSE to trust in Him to lead them (and give me the patience I need to help them through) and lead me!
Its a tricky thing to FULLY give Him control and trust in Him... but its WORTH IT!

So that's my choice today... to trust in Him (no matter what)!!

An interesting Easter day...

2010-04-03T17:42:00.005-06:00

Okay, I know its not Easter yet, but we celebrated Easter today with my family and friends....

Here's the way it started - 2 handsome boys and a beautiful girl in a pretty skirt (that SHE picked out) that (along with her curly hair) made her look MUCH older than her Momma was ready to see... (but MAN - she did look pretty!!)

We enjoyed a nice lunch with a Mom & Dad, their 3 daughters (and their husbands & husband-to-be), another very special Mother, 3 grandpas, 1 grandma, 8 cousins and a beautiful girl from Russia... it was a FUN crew!!

After all the quiche you could handle, cheesy potatoes, yummy strawberries, cinnamon rolls and WAY too much food we let the kids go outside and find the eggs that the men had so cleverly hid for them...

It was SUCH a lovely time!! :) Seriously - I LOVE family time!

Then we had nap time for the boys - and my boy of VERY special sleeping positions surprised me yet again...

He is sleeping in the bookshelf of his bed in his underwear... what a special boy!

THEN... while the other boy was supposed to be sleeping - he did this instead

Yes, that is a BRAND NEW pack of bubble gum from HIS SISTER'S Easter basket - and in case you didn't know... he SWALLOWS his bubble gum!!
Just in case that wasn't weird enough - after dinner he needed to go #2, which when he did he yelled from the bathroom "Hey Colton, LOOK!! I can pee out of my butt!! How did I do that?" (Sorry to be so gross, but it was TOO FUNNY!!)
It was a great time to point out "This is why we DON'T eat an entire pack of bubble gum!!
Doesn't life just make you laugh sometimes?? :) It does for me!

Haven't I been here before???

2010-02-09T22:56:00.003-06:00

There are so many times in life when I feel like "I've been here before, haven't I?" and my life feels like its going around in circles - I enjoy it - just round and round...

Successfully potty training another child
Mac & Cheese and Hot Dogs for lunch (again)
Vacuuming/Dusting the house (again)
ANOTHER spelling test (with the daughter)
Teaching another child to "sound out the words - you can do it"
Cleaning/purging another child's room (AGAIN) for the 2nd time this month
Check the facebook, blogs, twitter, etc
It's time for "insert junior high activity here" again - where am I going this time Lord?

I think you get my point...

But in a day, like today, where I stayed home to work today, it started off as very "routine" and I got about as excited as you can get... and then the Lord interrupted it

I was reading/studying to share at church tomorrow night with the Junior Highers and I read something in my devotion/book/devotional e-mail (not sure which one) - that my Father wants time with me (not "okay Lord, here's your 10 minutes") but just time in my day, spending time with me...

Today that time was discovering a new worship song on iTunes that just grabbed my heart and reminded me of how much He loves me... and not because I'm perfect (FAR from it), not because of who I am, for my hubby, my kids, my parents OR my job - just because He likes me (despite all my failures)

All of a sudden - that was it - the day was no longer routine or boring or predictable (although it did go a little like I thought it would - remember, I said I'm NOT perfect) but there was a new sense of enjoyment in it...

my sons laugh
my other boys smile
sharing a book with my boys
learning with my girl
remembering how much I love to talk with my Grandma (even for a brief 5 minute phone call)
paying all my bills (yes, even that was peaceful)
thinking of how much I'm glad my husband is in my life

and SO much more, but I don't want to bore you with the details... but all this started from a sweet time of worship (that was MUCH needed!!!)

So what song is stirring your heart today? Today, I needed a good love song for Him to remind myself what I have in Him and with Him.

I'm thankful...

I'm thankful...

2010-01-16T11:41:00.002-06:00

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." Matthew 5:5 (MSG)

Today, I'm SO thankful for all that I have (and I want to stay that way)...

Its sad that sometimes it takes a huge tragedy for us to see what we REALLY have in front of us and be TRULY thankful for it - but I'm purposing to see Him in the everyday things (without the vision of the tragedy in front of me) - but nonetheless today I'm thankful for so much.

I'm thankful that I have a house to wake up in that's warm and not collapsed on top of me and my family.
I have food for breakfast (and a choice of what I want to eat)
I have electricity, clean water, heat, and roads that I can drive on to get to the store to get food.
Clothes to clothe myself and my children and keep them warm
PLENTY of blankets for my children to keep them warm at night
I have children that are healthy and whole and not in danger (and not without parents)
My husband and I both have jobs that we get paid well and have health insurance.
I have the opportunity to help others and be an agent of change on the other side of the world with just my prayers (and my finances too)
I am SURROUNDED by friends and family that love us and care for us!
I have a Father who loves me and is everything I need...

Like I said - My goal and my aim is to be sensitive to remember this EVERY DAY (and not just the days when pictures of all that is wrong in the world flood my RSS feed) and thank my Father for all that I have.

So Father today - I am content in where I am.
I always want more of you in my life - but I am thankful for where I am...
and I choose to see life through your eyes.

I needed this today...

2009-10-20T10:06:00.001-05:00

God is SO good!! He always sends me JUST what I need when I need it... and today - that was true as always!! (So I just had to share it!!)

TODAY'S WORD from Joel and Victoria Osteen

Do you feel like you are in a pit today? That pit can be frustration or disappointment or a feeling of discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. And maybe you can’t see a way out, but you’ve got to know that God is still with you, and He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Remember, God will never waste anything you go through in life. If you’ll keep the right attitude, He’ll turn that situation around for your good. It doesn’t matter how you got there, whether it was by your own poor choices or maybe someone else treated you unfairly, God wants to use that situation to do a work in you. He’ll take that evil and turn it around for your good. You may be uncomfortable at times, but you’ve got to know you are growing, and God is building your character.

Today, make the decision to shake off any negative, self-defeating mindsets. Choose to cooperate with God. Trust that He is preparing you for promotion. As you keep an attitude of faith, expectancy, and thanksgiving, He will lift you up and set you on the solid path of victory He has in store for you!

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on the solid ground and steadied me as I walked along"
(Psalm 40:2, NLT)

Oh, how He loves us...

2009-10-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

"He is jealous for me,
Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
and I realize just how beautiful You are and how great your affections are for me.
Oh, how He loves us so
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us so."

I feel like lately there is SO much going on - I just can't even begin to describe.
I know I am in a season of being stretched... and that is good.
Learning not to lean on myself or the "natural", but to REALLY trust Him and follow His leading.
But there are times in the middle of this stretching that I feel like parts of me are going to "snap"... but, OH how my Father is SO good to me!!

As I sat and worshipped this afternoon, He brought this song to my mind...
the part that sticks out to me is this "I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory"

All these problems are NOTHING compared to His glory. His affections are GREAT for me!!

I am so thankful that no matter how difficult, confusing, intimidating or trying a situation may seem to me - it's NOTHING compared to His glory and His Glory is in ME!!
That just brings SUCH peace to me!!

So, as I pray today to clearly hear His voice and experience Him - I pray the same for you!! Because I know that on my own I will work and toil FOREVER, but as I trust in Him and follow Him... He can do GREAT things through my small efforts.

by the way... if you want to see a video of the whole song - click HERE

"Growing like a weed..."

2009-08-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

I always hated when people would say that about me when I was growing up!!
I'm not a weed - I am a person (would be the thought going on in my head)

But now I look at my yard and I realize that weeds suddenly grow and are this "thing" before you even realized it was there...
Now, I know that my kids are there (I did give birth to them) - but suddenly before my eyes they are these little "people"...

Chayse is starting to enjoy some grown up things - cleaning the house, sitting down and just "chatting", she's starting the Praise & Worship team at church in September, she is learning to cook and now wants to make every meal, she's starting to care about how she's dressed and what she's wearing (most times) AND needs to carry a purse each time we go out!!! (And she'll only be TEN this fall - double digits baby!!)

Colton has lost another two teeth this summer (that's why the goofy picture) all he wants for his first day of Kindergarten (or Christmas) is his two front teeth!! He's lost his 4 front teeth total so far... which makes eating apples interesting! :)
He has suddenly become this little "man" - helping take care of Grandpa & Grandma (this morning he sat next to Grandpa and wouldn't move until he had identified which pills were which for Grandpa), asking for jobs to do around the house, riding his bicycle up and down the street any chance he can and BEGGING for his legs to grow so he can ride the motorcyle with Daddy!! :)

Now Connor - he's his own story...
He turned three in April but still wanted to be the "baby" until 2 weeks ago - he decided he didn't like Pull-Ups anymore and he's done very well since. He's SO proud of "poopy in the toilet" each time he goes that anyone close by will be asked to "come see it" (Gross, I know - but such is my life). He is all of a sudden (it seems) able to talk so that most people can understand him and he LOVES trucks of any kind!! He's funny - he only identifys the color green (John Deere green) but can spot a garbage truck, a tractor, a skidster, an excavator or a skinny (and correctly identify it) from a WAYS away! SOON we'll have those both worked out (our colors and our trucks). The picture is an excavator that some VERY nice workmen let him sit on and now he wants one for his birthday! :)

So... all that to say - my children have just changed (evidently when I wasn't looking) and its SO cool to see what these awesome creations of my Father are becoming!! :)

I love God's faithfulness...

2009-08-28T09:34:00.001-05:00

I read this today in my devotion and it was such a great reminder...

"The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake..." 2 Peter 3:9 NLT

It doesn't take very long to discover that God's timing is not always our timing. It's easy to question and wonder why you've been waiting for your breakthrough for 15 years and your neighbor got their breakthrough in 15 minutes! In the Bible, Abraham waited 20 years for his promise, and in the upper room they waited about ten days. I don't know how long you'll have to wait, but you've got to understand that God has your best interest at heart. He is being patient for your sake. He's aligning things and waiting for the exact right moment! If you'll just continue waiting with the right attitude, then at the right time, God will bring it to pass.

Remember, God is always working behind the scenes for your good. Just because you don't see any changes taking place doesn't mean they aren't happening. Keep standing, keep believing, keep hoping because you're breakthrough is coming for your sake!

Just a good reminder...

2009-08-14T16:35:00.000-05:00

"We know that God will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose" Romans 8:28

God is working behind the scenes in your life today. No matter what you may be facing, no matter what trial you may be going through, God has a plan to turn things around in your favor. Right now, He is working out a plan for your good. Right now, He is orchestrating the right people to come across your path. He is orchestrating the right opportunities to open up to you. You may not see it in the natural, but look with your eyes of faith today. Keep standing. Keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep following His Word. Focus on His goodness in your life, knowing that He rewards the people who seek after Him. As you meditate on the faithfulness of God and show your love for Him by following His Word, you will see His plan come to pass. You'll experience His peace and joy, and you will live in victory all the days of your life!

First crop...

2009-07-25T21:34:00.003-05:00

I planted some tomato plants this year (on the deck - nothing serious) and I just enjoyed my first "crop"...

Two little "grape" tomatoes... they were SO yummy and salty!! :)
I'm looking forward to SO many more!

A lesson from Psalms...

2009-07-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

I was reading a devotion the other day about Solomon and his request to the Lord for wisdom and this devotion challenged me to think about what ONE THING I would ask of the Lord...

money & riches to fulfill all my dreams
more time to be with my family
more money/time to travel with my hubby more!!! :)
be a better teacher/preacher in DJH and beyond (and to teach more)

But as I thought about it - none of this really matters!!
They are all very important to me and things that I pray regularly, but not the most important.

Here's what I found next...
Psalm 27:4
"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple."

Nothing matters more than to know Him.

I love my kids - but someday they're going to get married and leave the house - what then?
I could have all the money in the world - but would it make me love Him more?

All I need is you Lord...

It's my "glory"...

2009-06-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

I saw this verse in a devotion from Joel Osteen the other day and it just "went off" in me...

"Good sense makes a man restrain his anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression or an offense."

That last part just HIT ME... it is our GLORY to overlook an offense!!

Something to think about...

(I love how God's Word can make you think SO much over just one little sentence!! :)

I love my kids...

2009-04-06T23:28:00.005-05:00

The other day my kids were having one of those love/hate days - and went from playing happily together to "telling on" each other kind of days (LOTS of fun for a mom!!)...

I was busy talking with Fred in the kitchen (actually having a PRODUCTIVE conversation while the kids got their PJ's on - so I wanted to finish it) and I asked Chayse if she would read a book to her brothers for 5 minutes while I talked to Daddy (NOT laziness - just enjoyed a couple of minutes of un-interrupted talking time).

Here's what I came upstairs to:

Aren't they cute!! Connor's on the left, Chayse in the middle (reading an "Inspector Gadget" book) and Colton on the right...

I just LOVE IT when my kiddos get along and do stuff like this...
I still giggle a little every time I see this picture and I remember just how precious EACH of my kids are! Thank you Lord!

My random life... but no so random??

2009-04-02T08:18:00.005-06:00

Just to be transparent here for a minute...

Two days ago, I was ready to head back to Jamaica and stay there for a little bit (with my family, of course - not alone)... I miss the kids, I miss wrapping my arms around them and loving on them, I wish to go to their houses and help their parents - anything - just to help with something that doesn't involve paperwork, hours of meetings and "office hours".

Believe me - I LOVE my job, I love Driven services, I love my 242 group, I love where God has called me - ALL OF IT... I just don't always love the work that accompanies it.

Then last night... THIS:

God hit me like a BEAM of light... not just a "ray of sunshine" a stinkin BEAM!!

I spent the day yesterday (really I've spent the last 4 weeks) preparing for our Purity kickoff service last night (and really for the rest of the services for the month) and really felt like I heard from God as to what to say and I was "ready".

But in that service, as I sat down in my seat to teach - I felt the presence of God so strong (even through all the goofy videos we watched first) on me... and as we began to have a time of praise before the teaching - it was even stronger. Then as I stepped up to teach, it just HIT ME... not that I taught some magnificent teaching - just God leading me!!
And as we went into worship tears welled up in my eyes as I realize that THIS is where God's called me to (not Jamaica, not anywhere else) to be here... a thirty-some year old woman of God in the middle of hundreds of teenagers worshiping, praising, and helping them walk out the plan God has for them! It was so awesome!

I came home and was looking through some pictures and found the one above from my trip to Jamaica and it HIT ME - that's what I felt like!! I felt like I was surrounded by the "clouds" of being busy with lots of "things" and here was my Father, shining down on me showing me that He sees me and He's leading me and I am in the right spot.

Thank you Father!

Change your world view today...

2009-03-11T08:08:00.004-06:00

Did you know that today is "Global Food Crisis Day"?? Check it out HERE...

I realize that when we all see videos (like the one on Compassion's website) its very easy to turn it off, close the "window", change the channel and just make it all "go away".

But for me - I just can't anymore. Something in Jamaica changed me...

I used to feel like - "I can't solve the problem, so I don't want to see it (it just breaks my heart anyway)." But I had to ask myself - where is the compassion of God in that statement?

On my first day to the primary school in Jamaica, I was getting the tour around the school and during this tour the kids took a break for "snack". Some children took a 1,000 "J" bill out of their pocket and headed to the tuk shop for some chips and a juice bag. Some took out a bundle of something from home. But so many more just wandered around the school yard... some "mooched" food off of the other kids - but more just wandered around.

I had one little boy come up to me to say hello who was just a little taller than my Colton... and as we chatted he told me that he had just had his birthday and he was 6 now (my Colton is 5). My Colton is quite the skinny little boy and reminded me of this little boy who was very skinny as well. As I told him that he was about the same age and size as my Colton at home - I reached down to affectionately give his arm a little squeeze and my heart dropped... all I felt was skin and bone (no muscle). And yes, this little boy had NO snack to eat.

As I fought to hold back the tears at the thought of "this could be my little boy if not for the grace of God that we are BLESSED to live in the US, we have jobs and we have food"... my mom hands me a piece of cake that one of the teachers was selling as a fundraiser for the school. (Are you kidding me???)

I looked at her (still fighting back the tears) and said "I CAN'T eat this!!" Do you see this little boy in front of me? (And have you seen the size of my arms compared to his?)

What am I supposed to do?
"Can I give it to him?" I asked her.
"Sure, whatever." she responds

I then took that cake (and the other one I got from her a little while later) and broke off pieces and gave it to every kid that didn't have a snack that day.

I also took my spending money for snacks (that I had brought) and spent it on those kids at the tuk shop for the next two days. (Yes, I am a bit of a sucker for all their begging - but who cares! I can spoil them if I want to - I'm a mom!)

Now I realize that I didn't "save the world" or stop global hunger that week... but I know I made a difference.

Because as I got back to my hotel that first night and bawled on my mom's shoulder, I prayed and asked God "What am I supposed to do now?"

Make a difference when and where you can... were the words I heard.

I can't always send money (but I will when I can), I can't always feed them (although I will when I can)... but I CAN take the time to pray for God to send others to send money, bring them food, bring good paying jobs to their parents and more.

Why am I sharing all this? Because I know we can each make a difference instead of "turning the channel"...

for those here - LWCC does SO much to help programs that help feed children and families in the cities we travel to for missions trips (and more)... just support the church and support people going on trips!

for those away - Did you know for just $13 you can feed a child for a MONTH!! Take what you would spend on coffee for a week, one or two lunches a week or whatever and send it to them... they have proven results.

for anyone - PRAYER does make a difference!! It isn't a "thing" that just makes us feel better - our prayers AVAIL MUCH!! When we believe that God can do it!!

Matthew 25:34-36 (The Message)

^34-36"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

You can make a difference...

"warmed hearts"

2009-03-02T08:15:00.003-06:00

I was reading this today and just loved this part...

Proverbs 19:6 (The Message Translation)
"That's how God's Word vaults across the skies
from sunrise to sunset,
Melting ice, scorching deserts,
warming hearts to faith."

Now, I really enjoy the "melting ice" - God can melt ALL the ice and snow He wants to here in Minnesota (especially with our last "dump" of snow)...

But I love that part about "warming hearts to faith"... it just reminds me of how much He loves me! He doesn't "push" me to faith - He "warms my heart" to faith... which just makes me want my faith to grow even more! :)

This was so good - I just had to share...

2009-02-25T09:33:00.003-06:00

I just had to share this good little "nugget" I found today... check it out HERE

One little kind word can be MUCH better than a sweet treat! :)

Love you all!

Enjoy! :)

A life changed...

2009-02-15T21:13:00.003-06:00

I am back after 8 days in Jamaica (sorry, should have posted that BEFORE I left - but just ran out of time)...

I went on a Missions trip there with my mom and another lady from church and spent 8 days traveling to, from and around the many sides of Jamaica. And the time there definitely changed me...

We spent the majority of our outreach time at Galina Primary School - tutoring the kids, helping them write letters to their sponsor's in the states and helping out the teachers with whatever we could. I also spent a bit of time playing outside with them, spending all my money to buy them snacks and watching how much they love their lives and glorify God in what they do have (instead of looking at what they DON'T have).

You'll be seeing much more about my trip in the next couple of weeks I'm sure - WAY too much happened to explain in just one post.

But I'll leave you with one of my funniest moments...

As I'm sitting in the "Infant" class (basically Pre-K and Kindergarten) - I was tutoring the little girl in the picture above that's in the red checked dress. (She really touched my heart) It was her second day of school and because she was 6 or 7 they put her in "Infant 2" (the "kindergarten" side of the class) but she couldn't keep up (the next day she was moved down to "Infant 1"). She was sitting between two little boys who were quite obsessed with my skin and arms.

The little boy to my right proceeds to try and put his hands around my upper arm and then looks at me and declares "You're FAT!"
I looked at him and said "What?"
And he repeated himself "You're FAT!"
Again I said, "What?"
He continues to say "I can't feel your bone - you're FAT!"
(You'll notice from the picture - almost all of the kids are VERY skinny - literally skin & bones)
I replied with the only thing I knew to say... "Okay?"
And then I threw in a smart remark as well "Should I skip lunch today since I'm so fat?"
And the little boy to my left says - "No, you're not fat. You're beautiful..."
(as he was caressing my very soft skin on my arm - which he loved)

Amazing what can make your day...

I think I may have to go back again...

My husband is the best...

2009-01-28T11:05:00.002-06:00

Do you remember those Espirit bags growing up?

I always wanted one growing up - and was given one by a friend of mine... it was used, but I LOVED it and used it every day! I felt SO COOL!!!

Well, leave it to my husband to make me feel "cool" again... I have been talking about wanting a Juicy purse for a while and have looked at them online, but just could not justify spending the money on myself. Well, my WONDERFUL hubby decided I was worth it and HE was gonna spend the money (that I wouldn't spend on myself) and bought me a Juicy purse for my birthday! :)

Yes, I know it isn't my birthday yet - but that's the other funny part...

Fred had the kids make cards for the presents that he bought so the kids could each give me one and I think he showed them what they were... because as Colton got in the car last night after school here's what I heard:
Colton: "Mommy! We made your birthday card for your present!
Chayse: "Colton! You can't tell!"
Colton: "Yes I can - you're not the boss!" (VERY common statement at our house)
Chayse: "No you can't! Dad said so!"
Colton: "Yes I can, Chayse! Mommy we got you a sweatshirt..." things went silent as he got "the look" from Daddy. :)

Fred didn't trust Colton to not tell any of the other presents AND Fred has never been a good one to keep surprises from me ;) so he let me open all of them last night!
All I can say is - the man did GOOD! :)

A lost tooth...

2009-01-14T13:38:00.005-06:00

Well, my big boy did it! :)
He lost his first tooth on December 26th (a little earlier than I had expected).
His mother had to help him remove the tooth
because his other tooth was coming in behind it
and it wasn't coming in at the right angle
but nonetheless...
his first tooth is officially gone
and a big boy tooth is following it! :)

I'm not your typical mom...

2009-01-08T08:46:00.005-06:00

Okay - confession time... when I had just Chayse I used to listen to all the "kiddie songs" for her. So she was always singing stuff from Kids Praise, Veggie Tales, etc...

Maybe I'm just too _ _ _ (I refuse to say it... but old) now and I just want to listen to "my stuff". So my kids are CONSTANTLY listening to praise & worship with me in the car, at home, whatever. If you're in the truck with me - we're usually watching (and singing along very loudly) the 5th Service DVD or a Hillsong United DVD...

And then here's what you get (but I LOVE it)...

In case you can't understand him - here's what he's saying:

"Jesus, we're living for your name. Never be ashamed of you. Woah-oh
Our praise and all we are today. Take, take, take it all. Take, take, take it all."

Just so you know - this video is just of Connor (because I can still effectively bribe him with a piece of gum)... but Colton sings this song so well and plays the "air guitar" with it - but refuses to be captured on video (so far). But when I catch him - I'll show you that too!

Isn't God good? I love him!

My son is the funniest ever...

2009-01-06T11:04:00.003-06:00

I think my son misses being home with me (after having 2 weeks home for Christmas break)... here was our conversation this morning:

Colton: Mommy, are you going to pick me up from school today?
Mommy: Yes, Mommy will be at work today and so I'll pick you up from school.
Colton: Are you going to have lunch there too?
Mommy: Yes.... why?
Colton: Will you pick me up at lunch? I'll give you a dollar...
Mommy: ...jaw on the floor... laughing my BUTT off!!

I am a good Mommy... I did reassure him that he could make it through the whole day of school and I would pick him up after naptime and he walked away happy.

But man - that dollar could have bought me a desperately needed Diet Coke this morning.... hhhmmmm! :)

It has been WAAAAAYYYY too long...

2009-01-05T19:57:00.003-06:00

All I can say is - I'm sorry!
My camera, my phone - both filled with a bunch of amazing pictures for some really fun posts... but - they are still there... in my camera and in my phone (hopefully to be posted on here soon).

My problem is two-fold:
1. It was Christmas break and I had kiddos home to wrap presents for, play new games with, feed 4-5 times a day and over all just have fun with them while on break.
2. I have been having wi-fi problems with my computer lately - if I could just post from my phone I'd be GOLDEN... but not yet.

Sooooo.... here's a quick "recap" of the last three weeks of "The Life and Times of the Shirley Family"

Kids on 2 week break for Christmas - LOTS of playing outside
Fred took the 2 weeks of vacation as well... had some fun dates! :)
Christmas - fun, but low-key this year (YEAH!!!)
Colton lost his first tooth on the 26th (more pictures to come) - I actually pushed it out, but in my defense, his tooth was pushing underneath and causing him pain.
Connor has a new friend - his "shobel" (shovel). Everything he did outside for the last two weeks involved dragging that shovel EVERYWHERE!!!
Fred and I went to see Claret (Nyk & Jen Olson's band) at a club downtown (GREAT show and fun to see them perform again) but I got carded for the first time!!! (okay - I got carded once before, but just for an "18 and up" place - this was so I could wear a bracelet all night that said "ok to drink") Kinda wierd... :)
Very pleased with the presents the kids got (I helped pick a lot of them out) and the boys got matching pirate ships (which Fred thought I was nuts for buying) but having two of them has been a HUGE lifesaver! :)
Really been praying about some stuff for the future lately (like I really haven't before) and I'm excited for what God has in store for us!

Anyway - I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year's...

All our love... The Shirley's

I amuse myself...

2008-12-12T21:37:00.004-06:00

Okay, I'm known for being a "hyena", a "Wilma" (because I laugh like Betty or Wilma on the Flintstones) or just a plain old GIGGLY GIRL!!
But tonight, my husband got me - so I just had to share:

Me: Explaining that we should start Weight Watchers and then telling him the points difference in our evening snacks (mine 3 pts, his 6-7 pts)
Fred: "Well, I can have that many points because I haven't had any points yet today!" (Meaning - this is the first "points" he's counted today - not that this is all that he's eaten...)
Me: Laughing so hard that I can't breathe, my eyes are watering and Fred "shushing" me and telling me not to wake up the kids.

Yes, I am a dork - but I enjoy life! :) And I enjoy my husband - he makes me laugh!
Now you can all laugh at what a wierdo I am and you probably don't even get what was so funny about what he said... that just makes it all the more funny to me (and yes, I'm still laughing about it!)

Snow Boys!!

2008-12-11T08:06:00.004-06:00

If you have boys - you know they LOVE to be outdoors... no matter WHAT the weather!

So the kids and I took a Sunday off a couple of days ago (much needed time at home) because we have just been RUNNING lately! And it worked out perfectly because it had just snowed the night before.
Connor went sliding last year - with Momma - and loved it! But I don't think as much as he loved it this year... he went down a few times with his big brother who took care of him (how sweet!).

In case you can't tell which one is which - Colton is in front and Connor is in back... yes, they are pretty much the same size right now!

I love my boys and I love when they are nice brothers and do things together...
God is good!

FINALLY picutres of my homemade goodies

2008-12-10T08:30:00.001-06:00

I know this is a little late - I mentioned it awhile ago... and then made it for dinner last week (but then forgot that the pics were on my phone - until I just found them)

I made those DE-LI-CIOUS pannekoeken's with an apple/raisin sauce for the top... SOOOOO good! So here's some pictures for you to drool over! :)

This is the pannekoeken plain - without the apples... still very nummy with syrup on it!

And here it is with the apple/raisin sauce...

My son is "special"...

2008-12-09T11:45:00.004-06:00

If you knew me at all growing up - I was a special child! I had an "interesting" way of dressing myself sometimes and doing some interesting activities from time to time (who am I kidding - I'm still a dork when I want to be - just ask my hubby!)

So here's my son's idea of "fun" the other night...

He's wearing only his diaper, his blankee (as his "cape") and his DAD'S socks! He ran around the house just LAUGHING for quite awhile at his "genius" idea....

I love my kids! :) They definitely make me laugh!

PS - And just to point out for the "keen" eye - you can see just how special Colton is as well if you see his "table" that he made to play school with Grandma in the background - the box from my Christmas tree with pillows on top (and his birthday crown from school) and his rocking chair (Evan's old one) right next to it! :)

ALL my children are special! :)

It's his FIFTH birthday today!!!

2008-11-29T20:01:00.009-06:00

Five years ago today I was first introduced to the joy and the world of boys...

I was excited and nervous all at the same time - but after my first day/night with that little boy, I knew that boys were definitely a gift from God. Colton spent his first night sleeping in my arms and would "whine" every time I put him down in his bassinet. I knew then I had a cuddly boy - and he still is to this day.

The joy, the laughs, the wrestling (thanks Dad for the years of practice), playing any kind of ball and that contagious laugh of his! I'm so thankful that God brought him into my life - what a blessing he is!

So to my biggest boy - Happy Birthday! :)
I'm so glad that five years ago today I got to meet you for the first time and enjoy the last five years of smiles, tears, laughs, wrestles, "tracking me down", snuggling, and enjoying everything that God created you to be!

Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)
"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God - you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day."

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-27T14:35:00.004-06:00

Here I sit in Kansas enjoying a Thanksgiving that's out of the "normal"...

There's no snow...
We don't need jackets today...
I miss Leslie's laughter - but instead I'm listening to my daughter "oooohhh" over my sister-in-law's dogs
I'm not hosting! So instead of running around setting the table, making food and staying WAY too busy - I went to the park with my kids, read my book for about an hour and am now catching up on my blogging.
I'm surrounded by family of a different sort (than I normally see for holidays) - but we're really enjoying seeing them!

Basically - LOTS of family time which is MUCH needed! :)

I hope you all are surrounded by family, food and lots of love today!

EDIT.......................................................................................................

Now that Thanksgiving is coming to a close I just had one more thing to add...
This was really a great day! I miss the "traditions" of my family and friends - but an evening spent with my hubby's family was so wonderful (even if my boys wouldn't sit still except for 10 minutes at a time) having over 20 people gathered in a room eating a dinner prepared by one wonderful lady with the help of her hubby (my husband's brother) and their kids brought back SO many memories of holidays past with my grandparents and extended family (a tradition that my family has stopped due to WAY too many family commitments) it was wonderful (I almost cried).

Growing up we went to BOTH sets of grandparents houses for dinner and lunch on Thanksgiving and Christmas:

2 grandparents, 5 sisters and 5 spouses plus grandchildren on my mom's side (as well as a friendly face or a missionary or two)
2 grandparents (sometimes a GREAT grandparent or two), 5 brothers and 1 sister and 4-5 spouses plus grandchildren on my dad's side

It always turned out to be a VERY long and busy day with WAAAAYYY too much food - but it was family (that's what you did).

So today, I got to relive those memories with different, fun, friendly, family faces around those two tables - and as I sit here with a belly TOO FULL of all that great food... all I can say is I'm thankful (for more than I can ever begin to write) - but thank you Lord today for family.

I love it more than Diet Coke...

2008-11-18T10:29:00.002-06:00

Shocking, I know - that I could love something more than Diet Coke...

But a good sunrise, with pretty clouds and amazing colors - it gets me every time!

What can you do with 8 minutes?

2008-11-17T10:03:00.002-06:00

So I have long-loved Tae Bo - always a great workout...

I recently picked up a copy of Tae Bo 2 Extreme at the library and thought I would give it a try.

It had an "8 minute Extreme Workout" on the video that I thought I would try yesterday, after all - how bad could it be for 8 minutes...

I don't think there's a single place on my body that doesn't hurt right now (I've done it twice now and the pain feels GREAT!)

All this to make sure I'm looking my best (and to wear the "perfect" dress for a certain someone's wedding in Florida soon...)

Yeah for exercise - back at it tomorrow!

Dragon Warrior Po's Secret Ingredient Soup.... well, sort of

2008-11-16T18:59:00.007-06:00

What makes a family meal special? The "secret ingredient" :)

Mr. Ping: The secret ingredient is... nothing!
Po: Huh?
Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.
Po: Wait, wait... it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?
Mr. Ping: Don't have to. To make something special you just have to believe it's special.

Tonight, for dinner, we had "Dragon Warrior Po's Secret Ingredient Soup"... what is the secret ingredient? Imagination and believing it's the coolest dinner EVER!

I just told the kids that it was Po's soup, gave them chopsticks, did a bunch of "kung fu" moves (really, Tae Bo moves thanks to Billy Blanks) and laughed a lot (and took pictures)

The "secret" soup...

He tried and succeeded...

She tried and succeeded...

He used the spoon... then mom helped him try the chopsticks! :)

The "real" secret to Po's soup - Ramen soup and a little bit of imagination!

:) Gotta love being a kid!

Home cookin strikes again!!

2008-11-14T20:18:00.005-06:00

I don't claim to be the best homemaker or cook - but every once in a while I get a "thing" and I just have to make somethin... it struck twice this week!

Homemade ginger snaps (or ginger "softs" as we call them because no one in my house likes them crunchy - they like them soft)... that the Colton-man and I made yesterday.

And today... HOMEMADE (from scratch) Wild Rice Soup!!!

I took this:

(and I didn't add the "dry sherry" in case you can actually read this)
And turned it into this:

It doesn't look the best here - because this is just out of the fridge in the tupperware... it looked MUCH nummier in the pot!

This is my SECOND time making soup from scratch (on Sunday I made a Tomato Bisque that was also NUMMY!!) in my ENTIRE marriage (or life, for that matter) and it feels so empowering!
I'm not sure why - it just makes you feel like a "real" woman to take miscellaneous ingredients in your kitchen and make them into this fantastic tasting meal! :)

Now you all know what a dork I really am - I get excited about making a meal that tastes good and didn't burn to the pan! :)

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

2008-11-12T10:58:00.006-06:00

When we got just a "dusting" of snow the other day, my boys were so excited they ran all through the house cheering for the snow...

Connor couldn't WAIT to go out side and check it out...

I personally love seeing the snow - just not shoveling it or driving in a storm of it.
What's your thoughts...

God is faithful...

2008-11-10T14:51:00.006-06:00

I was reading this daily devotion the other day from Joseph Prince and it got me thinking...

1 John 4:16 "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us..."

"You may know that God cares for you and loves you, and that He demonstrated His love for you by dying on the cross for you, but do you believe it? It is one thing to know about the love that God has for you, but another thing to actually believe it in your heart.

It is one thing to know that the sun shines on us during the day. But it is another thing to believe that the sun is still shining even though we don't feel its warmth and all we see are dark clouds. Sometime we are slow in believing God's love for us when we are going through a tough time. But God wants you to know and believe that He loves you in the midst of the all the things that don't seem to be going right today."

As I sat and thought about this for a couple of days, it really began to "sink in" as I was driving the other day...

As I was driving to church it was really cloudy out and I thought to myself "stinky, no sun today!" And as I said it I realized, it was LIGHT outside, and that means the sun is out (even though I can't see it - I know its there).
Kinda like going through a "rough spot" in life where you see no "end"... it seems like you're the "forgotten child" of our Father's... but just like the sun - He's always there. God's little way of reminding me that morning that He's always with me and He hasn't forgotten me and He will always love me.

The REALLY COOL part was as I was driving home from church the sun had REALLY started to come out and break up all the clouds... just God showing that not only can He move mountains but He can break up all the clouds that make me feel like I'm all alone and REALLY make His love shine through the "clouds of life" just for me!

I'm so thankful! Not just for the sun that shines to show God's faithfulness -but for His faithfulness to ALWAYS to love and take care of me, my family, our church and friends!

What goes around - comes around... or something like that?

2008-11-08T12:58:00.003-06:00

I have to admit something, I HATE daylight savings time (in the fall) I realize that I might get one more hour of sleep (YAHOO) but it totally messes with my kids' "internal time clock".

As you may have read before, my kiddos tend to get up around 6 am. Chayse - the oldest - is getting better about sleeping in (when I tell her to) but the boys are pretty much 6-6:30 am for a wake up time.

NOW, translate that into "fall back one hour" for daylight savings - YEP, you guessed it FIVE to FIVE-THIRTY am for the last week!! YUCK!

Here's what "comes around" for little boys who get up at 5 am every day for a week straight...

They fall asleep in their high chairs at lunch WITH a slice of banana in their mouth...

Any remedies for helping a two and four year old sleep in one extra hour in the morning??

She likes it, she really, really likes it!

2008-11-06T08:05:00.004-06:00

If you know me well at all, I'm not always the best at trying new things. I kinda tend to stick to the things I like and that's okay with me.
Like going on dates - dinner, movie, bowling, shopping, church events and that's about it... I'm sad, I know. (But I do enjoy all these things!)
My hubby on the other hand - is TOTALLY into trying new things ALL THE TIME!! Almost to the point of frustrating me because I just want a "normal" meal or a "normal" date... I'm so glad he puts up with me and still takes me anywhere fun!

CASE IN POINT...

My sister gave us her tickets she had got to see "Wicked" (the story behind the Wizard of Oz story) because she and Nate had to work and my husband JUMPED at the opportunity!
I, on the other hand, wasn't "excited" about the event (its a musical, you know and it was at the Orpheum - can you say "artsy") - I was just happy for a date night with my hubby. And I still felt this way until after the first song and then I was HOOKED!! (She even had AMAZING seats!)
IT WAS SO COOL!
I'm totally that person that LOVES sequels and prequels because I want to know the whole back story and future of that person and all that surrounds them so this was PERFECT for me!
I grew up LOVING the Wizard of Oz and this was just even cooler (even with most of it being sung) I would TOTALLY go see it again if I had the chance!

So here's to trying new things and YES, I really, really liked it! :)
Thanks Nato & Sessie for the tickets and thank you Fred for always making me try new things! :)

He's the best...

2008-11-04T10:52:00.004-06:00

And I'm not just saying that because he's THIRTY-SIX years old today... he really is the best husband, friend, dad, pastor, son and SO MUCH MORE!! I'm so glad that he's in my life and always will be...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED - I love you more than you'll ever know!

Family, fun & basketball...

2008-10-26T19:08:00.006-06:00

We were blessed the other night with tickets to go and see a Timberwolves basketball game (none of us are fans of the Timberwolves - just of Basketball in general) AND one of our junior highers was performing after the 1st quarter (she was AWESOME by the way)!!

My kids had SUCH a ball - Colton cheered whenever EITHER team made a basket...

Here's him in his Timberwolves wig...

We took a fun crew with us!

We had GREAT seats right behind the Wolves bench... well a few rows back! :)

No matter where the seats were - we were THANKFUL (they were free after all) and the kids had SO MUCH FUN no matter what! :)

Some things never change...

2008-10-25T18:56:00.005-05:00

I had to go over to my grandparents (my mom's parents) to help deliver their Angel Food basket - which if you haven't gotten one yet, you totally SHOULD - WHAT A DEAL!! :)

So my kiddos got to hang out for a few minutes with Papa-Boo (as the grandkids call him) and Mom Mom (my grandma).

Growing up, hanging out at my grandparents house (which we used to live less than a mile from them) was always fun. They didn't have the "coolest" toys (okay, actually my grandma did - she used to have 10 or so Cabbage Patch Kids - that were hers, a Teddy Ruxpin, a ton of teddy bears and beautiful dolls - but we weren't always allowed to play with them - only look) she had a bunch of toys that were my mom's when she was younger and "People's" (if you're old enough to remember the originals). But we always had fun...

The highlight of going to Mom Mom's house was climbing the big tree in their front yard... my children had fun doing the same thing this afternoon! :)

Like I said... some things never change! :)
What I enjoyed 20+ years ago (no I'm not that old - I just started young!) my kids still enjoy today!

No more clothes wars!!

2008-10-21T09:30:00.007-05:00

I love my family so much - they just don't even know!!
For Chayse's birthday this year I asked my family to get her some "nice/cool" clothes for church and outings and they did great! (Just to clear things up - Leslie saved Chayse's day by NOT getting her clothes, but her new favorite video instead... otherwise Chayse would have gotten ALL clothes for her birthday - which she said she was okay with, but she was glad that Leslie got her something "fun")
They have no idea how much they made my weekend so peaceful this last weekend because of it...

Let me set this up... lately Chayse and I have many "discussions" about her choice in clothes, shoes, and how she does her hair - I'm not sure how to define her "taste"... but its usually a little too sloppy for what I want. OR she wears the perfect outfit with her riding boots or "skater" tennis shoes!!

But this weekend was H E A V E N ! !
Here's how the weekend went:

Friday day (went to the MOA with Israeli friends) SHE picked out a dress that my dad picked out and bought for her (good job Dad!!) and I suggested her footless tights - she even put a ribbon in her hair (which she later took out - but that's okay)
Saturday night (church) SHE picked out her new black dress from Melissa and wore her golden shoes with it.
Sunday morning (church) SHE picked out her new outfit from Nana - plaid pants, brown shirt, pink sweater and brown ballet flats... again, PERFECT!!
Sunday Night (NTHI - church) SHE picked out the brown dress Melissa got her and again wore her footless tights and ASKED ME which shoes to wear with it, I said the golden ones, she agreed and wore it with her HAIR DOWN...

It was like she all of a sudden has taste and wants to look good (like I want her to) - it was amazing! I'm not sure how long this will keep up - but I'm enjoying it while I have it!

Sorry for all the details - but you just HAD to understand how big of a deal this was to me! :)
Thanks family - you are the best!

This is a picture of her at the MOA in the dress my Dad picked out - didn't he do good and doesn't she look SO CUTE! :)

I just love how big my "big girl" is getting! :)

The Real Birthday Party!!!

2008-10-20T21:29:00.008-05:00

With the busyness of a "typical" weekend at the Shirley household - we (with Chayse's agreement) decided to postpone her birthday dinner to Monday night (tonight) where she gets to pick the meal and have her birthday cake. However, she did choose to have her presents yesterday (on her real birthday) - but I expected that! :)

Here are the attendee's...
Grandpa, Grandma, Fred (Daddy), Kelly (Mommy), Chayse, Connor & Colton....
(I'm the one taking the pictures...)

So what did my girly want... "breakfast for dinner" - her favorite! :)
We had quiche (egg pie w/ ham), banana bread, biscuits, fruit & OJ... she loved it! :)

But the BEST part of the evening... her birthday cake! :)

You can't tell in the picture too well, but I added blue food coloring to the sprinkle cake mix (which made a funky blue colored cake - being that blue is her new favorite color) with pink frosting, candy letters (ooohhh, what a treat), candles & LOTS of sprinkles on top!
She loved it and I'm happy to make my daughter's day! :)

Nine years ago today...

2008-10-19T09:50:00.004-05:00

Nine years ago today, I became a mommy... a little girl was laid in my arms and I cried at the reality of God's goodness to me in the form of my only little girl!

And today she is NINE years old... it doesn't really seem that long ago, but yet it seems like forever ago at other times.

Everyone always tells you to "cherish the days when they are little because they fly by" and I try to - but it still makes you kinda "drop your jaw" when you realize just how big your "baby" really is...

Happy Birthday Chayseeboo! :) Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know! :)

This happy face only cost me ONE CENT!!

2008-10-14T07:32:00.004-05:00

My son is usually very good at the store - once in a while he has his moments, but overall - very good! :)
So, I usually make the point to give him a "treaty" for being so good - so here's what he chose as his "treat" the other day... a pony ride at the grocery store in town

And all this fun (and that happy little face) only cost me:

Now isn't that a happy day! :)

Did you see the clouds?

2008-10-13T10:31:00.007-05:00

Ok, I have this "things" for clouds... I can literally sit outside for an hour (and not realize its been that long) and just "watch the clouds go by".

So as I'm driving the kids to school on Friday, this is what the sky looks like...

Kinda crazy, huh... it looks like waves in the sky (I think)

Dinner from scratch... a homemakers "dream"

2008-10-05T21:33:00.002-05:00

okay, maybe not a "dream come true" - but a WONDERFUL night for me! And yes, I'm going to reveal what a "dork" I really am!

Anyone who knows me (truly) knows that I can cook (sort of) - but honestly, its that I can make a few things well - but I'm not normally too adventurous. But tonight... I was in a "happy homemaker" kind of mood and wanted to make something from scratch for dinner - no "kits", no "shortcuts"... just a "real" dinner. (I've come a LONG WAY from a "nice dinner about 7 years ago being take out from Chili's)

So I got out my cookbook and was going to make pancakes from scratch when I found something even better...

Oven Puff Pancakes with a spiced apple sauce

IT WAS DELICIOUS and satisfying to know that I made it from scratch... just like a good housewife of the days ago would have! :)

Somewhere deep down inside I am a good cook & housewife that can make a few good things! :)

In case you want the recipe - check it out here - except their recipes doesn't have 1/3 cup of raisins that mine did!

I love my Pastor...

2008-10-04T21:39:00.004-05:00

Its always amazing to me how your Pastor can speak on a message that you go into it thinking "well, I'll just hear a good word to pass on" and he (through the Holy Ghost) says some things that just blow your mind and totally challenge what you think!

That was my Pastor tonight - I love when he teaches! He's been doing a series on "Blessed is the man" and tonight's topic was about the "peacekeeper". And it was just SO GOOD - you have to go and get it on iTunes...

One thing (there were more - but I'll just share one) he got talking about was getting your peace in your time of prayer (Word time, quiet time, time with the Lord - whatever you want to call it) and then KEEP it when you get out in the real world so that you can be a light and a testimony to others. I've heard that so many times before, but tonight (in the context of all that he was teaching) it just LIT UP on the inside of me how MUCH God wants me to have HIS peace and that I'm blessed when I do.

Thanks Pastor Mac - I love being a part of your church and staff!

6:58 am

2008-10-04T12:53:00.003-05:00

There it is... some call it early - I call it SLEEPING IN!!

That is what time my first child came and said "Good Morning Mommy" this morning... it was heaven! :)

Just so you understand - I usually hear a "bang, bang" on the wall in the morning between 5:30 and 5:45 am - so 6:58 is sleeping in!!

So I thought you'd enjoy my "slice of heaven" from this morning

We played a little "hooky" - well, not really

2008-09-29T07:30:00.006-05:00

Okay, on Friday we did - but I'm refusing to call it that!
Truthfully - Chayse was up Thursday night coughing quite a bit and Colton had a bit of a hard day on Thursday (the only one so far this year - yeah!) so we decided that with our busy lifestyle the kids needed a whole day off (not a Saturday when we have to leave for church at 3 - but the WHOLE DAY off!) - so we all played hooky!

Here was the highlight of the kids' day (well, the 2nd highlight - the first one I didn't get pictures of, but Daddy made GREAT pancakes for breakfast):

Eating grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken noodle soup (Cars shaped) and pickles while watching new episodes (new to them) of the Backyardigans! :)
Chayse & Colton actually SHARED A CHAIR to accomplish this feat! That's a moment to treasure!

What do you do when your baby boy is lonesome?

2008-09-28T20:58:00.005-05:00

My "baby" is 2 1/2 now and has grown quite lonesome at naptime and constantly wants to sleep in his sisters bed (which I wouldn't mind if he actually went to sleep), on my bed or in odd places in his room.

Here's his latest adventure...

It's kind of hard to tell, but his bunk bed has little shelves next to it and his legs are under the shelf and he's curled up next to the wall (the ugly plaid thing on the left is a sheet I'm temporarily using to make his room darker so he'll go to sleep better).

All I can say is - he's mine! :)

Okay, I'll be "tagged it"...

2008-09-28T20:44:00.004-05:00

I was tagged by Susan on her blog (prayer journal), rules as follows: I have to write 6 random things about myself. Then at the end of my entry I have to tag 6 people who HAVE to also do what I am about to do (random write). My 6 random things are…

As girlie as I try to be sometimes - I am still quite the tomboy at heart... I love to play outside, wear jeans and a T-shirt and just have fun!
I want to go to Israel someday (before we leave earth) just to see where Jesus walked.
At a "get-together" I'm much more apt to go and talk to any young people there (junior highers especially) over talking to adults. Bad habit - working to change it...
I was always nervous to have a boy (and in fact, was quite okay with just having Chayse for a long time) - but now I can't imagine my life without my boys! :) Their hair is MUCH easier to do! And, despite what people say, they are SO MUCH FUN to dress!
I have tried to do a blog MANY TIMES since Chayse was born (that was 9 years ago!) but this time I'm actually succeeding (so far). I think that's because of Facebook! :)
I really want to make a quilt someday! :)

I am now tagging… Melissa, Evan, (I would tag Leslie - but she doesn't have a blog) Fred (even though Susan already did), Jen House (if she ever reads this), and that's all the people that I know who blog (right now) - sorry!

The little drummer boy

2008-09-27T13:41:00.004-05:00

Connor REALLY likes to sing/play/dance whatever to music and is actually getting good at singing a few songs. He's always loved to "bang" on the drums - but yesterday he got a little good at it... his lovely singing in the video is drowned out by his Daddy, brother and sister laughing and wrestling in the background - but watch for Connor to sing and nod his head to the music.

Here's a few stills for you as well... (don't you love the diaper attire)

I love my boys...

2008-09-25T20:23:00.004-05:00

Before you freak out on me - I do love my girl also, but this post is dedicated to how much I love my boys!

Now understand, I grew up in a house of plenty of girls (not as many as my mom - she had 4 sisters) but I had two sister and my mom around - let's just say the estrogen count outnumbered the testosterone count any day (no matter how many boyfriends we had around) so to now be in a house where the boys outnumber the girls is always filled with so many fun boy moments. So I thought I'd share some...

My 1st boy who would literally LIVE in his "flootball shirt" and his "army shorts" - but can throw a football like a pro (4 year old - but still a pro!)

My music boy (who first of all follows his
big brother and daddy everywhere) was at church last night about 2 hours BEFORE he could go to "class" - but did he complain? No, he just took off his shoes and socks and decided to dance on the stage during band practice (there he is following Daddy's lead and watching the drummer)!!

Like I said - I love my daughter! She is the best!

But MAN, my boys are a hoot! :)

You just don't realize...

2008-09-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

I do usually make a point to thank my Father for a lot of things in life...
but I know I can usually tend to complain about a few things as well.

Lately I've been frustrated with a few things in life - just the norm (money, obedient kids, work, whatever) and working on giving my cares over to the Lord.

Tonight I was stopped in my tracks and brought to tears... I was reading a friends blog and noticed another blog that he subscribes to and thought I'd check it out. It was the blog of a young boy (around my Connor's age) who's battling some serious battles in regards to his health. I was reading the words of his loving momma and what she's going through in trips to the hospital (she said something about being at home only 2 days this month so far), medications, wheelchairs, and dealing with doctors...

And I realized just how truly blessed I am that my children are all healthy, happy and blessed (so are her children - but I think I have an easier time seeing that instead of just believing for that) in that I don't have to deal with the things she was describing.

Thank you Lord for how TRULY blessed I am - please help me remember not to take the little things for granted. I'm blessed and happy for how wonderful, happy, healthy, and blessed my family is.

Sometimes a boy just wants his momma...

2008-09-22T15:23:00.004-05:00

I think my son is still in the "adjustment" phase of my other two kids going back to school (either that or I ran errands too long today and COMPLETELY wore him out??).

Today, after running a few errands, it was time to come home and take a nap...

I laid him down and about 5 minutes later I heard this whining (which is usually a Connor thing for "I don't want to sleep") but then it turned into crying... which was strange? I didn't hear any "thumps"?? So I go in there to see what's wrong and he has tears and everything and he wants to sleep on his sissy's bed - of which I told him "no". Then he wanted to sleep on his floor, so I said "okay" but then he said something to the effect of "no momma, you"... which I didn't totally understand.

So I took a brave step - "do you want to sleep in Mommy's room?". "Yes." and he picked up his things and climbed up on my bed and promptly fell asleep with NO CRYING.

Like I said - not sure if I just wore him out or if he just missed the other two being around... either way - he's still cute! Who can resist a cute boy in a diaper!!!

God is faithful!

2008-09-17T12:13:00.007-05:00

So the other day, my hubby's sunglasses (might I add - 3 week old expensive sunglasses) disappear... which is TOTALLY NOT my husband! I think he still has the same pair around that he had when we were dating 14 years ago (not that he still wears them - but he has them... he just doesn't "lose" things)!!

So we agreed that they would be found or returned if they had been "borrowed" by some mysterious person or one of my boys on a "treasure hunt". And we know that God is faithful - just His faithfulness is a little funny to me sometimes... you'll see why.

One of the things I MOST love about my new house is this:

An "in house" vacuuming system... this is all that I have to lug around to all three levels of the house and plug in and its WONDERFUL!!

BUT!!! It's also the job my husband has "claimed" for himself to do each week... yeah for the help, but bummer that I don't get to play with the "cool toy".

Anyways... last week he didn't get the opportunity to do his "weekly chore" so as I'm pondering what I want to do today I feel this "leading" that I should vacuum the house. And I'm thinking to myself... no, that is Fred's "job" and he's off tomorrow and he'll do it then. But still this nagging thought of, "no, I should do it today". SOOO I get going and start vacuuming the house.

All is going well and working up a good sweat - when I come to vacuum my room and again, that "leading" of "vacuum under the bed"... I normally do this in my big "monthly cleaning" so its really not necessary today, but again - that leading. So I do. Which was actually VERY easy with this new system!! :)

As I do, I bump a couple of things under the bed (other than boxes which are waiting until its colder outside to finish unpacking) so I look under the bed to see what I "bumped" and look at this:

Here's a better view....

In case you couldn't tell from the picture above... that's MY HUBBY'S SUNGLASSES and a book from our pre-bedtime book time (which you can read more about here) from the other night.

Like I said - God is faithful... just the figuring out of just HOW faithful He is can be a funny experience sometimes.

I can't tell you how many times we searched all around the bedroom the other day looking for his sunglasses and it wasn't until I was obedient to that "leading" to vacuum and then again to vacuum under the bed that I really understood what He was showing me in my obedience quest... I love God's personality :)

In the swing of things...

2008-09-12T10:16:00.002-05:00

I'll admit it - I am very much a "creature of habit" kind of person...
- I tend to stick with the same haircut... because I know how to fix it.
- I stick with the same pair of jeans 'til I wear them out... because I love the way they fit!
- I get a routine going and its "tricky" to change...

Don't get me wrong - I get in "spells" and I have to change it all... my hair, new jeans, new makeup, new devotional notebook, move the furniture - all of it, just to have some change.

But I do love the "routine" of the kids going off to school each day, my sons TWO NAPS A DAY schedule, and being able to (kind of) direct my days as I need to (without continually having to redirect kids, break up fights and feed them snacks) - but this morning was THE BEST! Don't get me wrong - I love my kids and I love time with them - but I also appreciate time on my own.

So this morning as my hubby was getting ready to take the two older ones to school - my baby boy stood at the door with big tears running down his cheeks because he wanted to go somewhere too... so his loving daddy took him along with for the ride. Yahoo for Connor!!!

But an even bigger YAHOO for mommy - I got to work out, start the laundry, eat my breakfast, spend an UN-INTERRUPTED 45 minutes reading my devotion books, journaling, prayer, word time AND even a nice, long, hot shower - ALONE!!! It was wonderful...

I'm not sure what I can do for my hubby to make it up to him - but I'm sure he'll give me some ideas...

What's your idea of "heaven on earth"? :)

Treasure...

2008-09-08T21:32:00.003-05:00

You know how everyone tells you to "treasure the time you have with your kids - because they grow up so fast"... after the events of this past summer (well, actually you could just say August) I think I'm realizing more and more how you have to "treasure" every relationship you have...

Here's my thoughts today - my daughter, is now 8 (soon to be nine) and I went to the grocery store today for the first time (since summer began) without her. She is normally my biggest helper (granted - she does ask A TON of questions and ask for a lot of things - but she's also great company and helps me more than I realized) - I thought I was TOTALLY going to enjoy only having one kid with me - but it was kind of the opposite.

I did enjoy only having one kid in the cart to watch over and buy snacks for - but it made me think back to when I only had Chayse in the cart and how "busy" life seemed then. I think my daughter is getting older when I actually miss her company as a "friend" to talk to in the store - as much as her asking for everything bugs me... I really did miss her company.

And I have to admit - I missed Colton too... 40,000 questions and all! It wasn't as much fun looking at all the "Cars" stuff without him. All I can say is - God is good and I appreciate what He's blessed me with and that He's gentle enough to remind me sometimes how wonderful things really are...

The next 1st day of school

2008-09-05T08:46:00.006-05:00

Now it's Colton's turn! His first day of preschool (for this year) that he gets to go to EVERYDAY!! He's so excited! And he was excited that he got a different teacher than Chayse had when she was in preschool - hey, it's cool to be different when you're the 2nd child.
Posing for mom before we left the house
He wanted to pretend he was shy... but he's still cute!
Then his puppy had to check out Colton's cot for naptime and make sure it was ready. So Colton decided that puppy needed to take a nap - so he had to snuggle him for nappy-time (that's what Colton calls it)

And lastly, he went into his class, hugged his teacher and then found his "spot" at the tables - complete with his own name tag (to wear and one on the table) "Look Mom, I found my name!"
I think I'm going to miss him today... but I have Connor to keep me busy so far!

A moment from last night... "YOOK IT"

2008-09-05T08:38:00.005-05:00

I was trying to post this last night, but couldn't get my wifi to work... oh well. You can enjoy it now!

After the HEIGHT of Connor's 2's behavior - he's two, he wants to get into everything and just learned that he can say "no" and how to run away when he knows he's in trouble... resulting in many moments spent in the time out chair.

So my new solution when I'm frustrated with his behavior is to stick him in what I call "the containment field" (Fred hates that name) - otherwise known as the high chair. He can't get out and I can keep him busy there while I get dinner ready or school stuff done. So last night after two consecutive time outs I put him in the time out chair (of which he replied "NNNooooo") - after about 10 minutes there I hear "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy - YOOK IT!" (That's Connor's version of "look at this" and here was his accomplishment:He balanced his phone (an old one that doesn't work) on his cup of milk and was quite proud of himself.
He then followed that up with his usual pose when he thinks he's cute (I don't know why he does it - but its Connor, what can you say!)

School has officially begun...

2008-09-03T08:37:00.001-05:00

Today is Chayse's first day of school... last night we went and talked with her teacher (whom she loves) and this year (as a big 3rd grader) she gets a LOCKER!!!
which, as you can see, she is pretty excited about! She also loves the fact that some of her "friends" (really my friends) used to have the same teacher!!
So today, I got her all dressed up, did her hair, made a lunch (at 7:15 am - that's a change), packed her bag and got her ready for school... my little girlie!
THEN - her father took her off on his silver horse to school and probably messed up her pretty hair - but that's okay... the smile on her face is worth it.

so... no I may not have the "perfect-looking" little girl on the first day of school - but I know my girlie is happy! :) Her mom may be a little sad at how quiet the house is right now... but I know I'm sure going to enjoy that in about 4 hours when it's NAP TIME and I'll actually get some work done! YAHOO!!

The cheapest fun you'll ever find...

2008-09-02T22:23:00.000-05:00

So this is my children a week ago Sunday (yes, Connor is in just a diaper - look at who his dad is!)... having TRUE hillbilly fun! The three of them are gathered around a paint bucket with about 3 inches of water and a Christmas candy cane (hollow) that my dad bought at Menards for "a buck" and Colton is using that cane to blow water on his brother and sister.

So I ask you... why do I spend PLENTY of money each year on toys when my children laugh and scream at a paint bucket, a cane that costs "a buck" and 3 inches of water??? Oh, the joy of childhood.

The funnier thing is - they want to go back again this Sunday because my dad found (just as we were leaving last time) a BIGGER bucket that I used to play with when I was little (no judgement please - yes, a bucket and a little water entertained me as well when I was a toddler!)

crickets and stars....

2008-08-30T07:29:00.000-05:00

okay, I am a born and raised city girl and all of my husband's "country ways" are usually not that appealing to me... until last night.
Growing up in the city all my life I would see a "starry night" from time to time but nothing like being "in the country"...

And one of the things that I love about our new house is that it's "in the country" a little bit (we live by a lot of farms and fields and people around here refer to Maple Grove as "going into the city") but we're only 2 minutes from 94.
So last night, stepping outside and gazing at the beautiful starry sky and enjoying ONLY hearing the crickets was so peaceful!
I guess maybe there's a little "country" in me after all... well, we'll see.

SO much to say...

2008-08-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

Okay - I started this blog back at the end of June with the GREAT intention of keeping everyone "in the know" as to all that was happening in our lives - but to be honest TOO MUCH happened! And now I'm trying to play catch up... well, after moving, a trip to the hospital, a funeral, camp and another trip to the hospital - here I am trying to catch up. I just have to say though, God is faithful! I could have NEVER made it through the last 3-4 weeks without His grace, mercy, love, patience and faithfulness! And there is SOOO much more good stuff to tell everyone that's happened - but I will take time later to catch you up on God's goodness... so be looking for it later! :)
ANYWAY... today God hit me with this really cool thought, so I wanted to share it.
THIS:

is what I spent my evening last night and about an hour (so far - I'm currently taking a break) today doing - PULLING WEEDS! I love my new house - but it sat vacant from sometime around the end of April - and someone mowed the lawn but there are TONS of weeds all over.
And the one thing we all know about weeds is they SPREAD!! So as I was picking all of these AWFUL things, I got to thinking about all the "weeds" in my heart (that seem really little to me) like this...

Just a small "innocent" grouping of green in my rocks... but OH HOW QUICKLY it becomes:

IT SPREADS... so trying really hard not to be judgemental - because we all have weeds... what "weeds" are trying to "spread" in your heart?

I think about how my whining attitude can quickly become complaining, and then yelling at my husband and can quickly turn into unforgiveness (because he didn't baby me like I wanted him to) - all from one little "weed" of complaining. Like I said, it SPREADS!! All I can say is thank you Lord for your grace when I think I'm so perfect, but really I have more weeds to pull.

Which brings up another point - did you know its easier to pull weeds when the ground is wet and soft??? Kinda like coming home from camp when you spent some time in awesome praise and worship and had our Father TOTALLY touch your heart - your heart is tender (you've been rained on by His presence and your heart it tender towards Him) and ready for Him to gently help you remove those things. (It's SO much easier with help - its hard to do it on your own!)

This is the beginning....

2008-06-28T17:29:00.000-05:00

Life changes... all the time (so I've learned). And since life is changing a lot lately at the Shirley household - I figured it was time to start letting people keep up with all the changes.

Two and a half years ago we had the awesome privilege of having Fred's parents (Lee & Irene) move in with us (just 3 months after finding out that we were SURPRISED by a 3rd child on the way). This has been the BIGGEST blessing of my life (having Lee & Irene here) - and I'll never be able to explain all that they have blessed our household with, but I try day by day.

So at the time of their moving in - we had Dad (Fred), Mom (Kelly), Chayse (6 years old), Colton (2 years old), and a friend from Russia - Dasha (who was 17 at the time) living in our 4 bedroom, split entry house in Brooklyn Park that we really liked. At the thought of it soon becoming EIGHT people living in this house - we decided to start believing for a new house. Well, God opened the door for us.

We moved into a beautiful 5 bedroom HUGE house in Brooklyn Park right off of the Edinburgh Golf Course with 4 bedrooms upstairs, a huge main level, and a "mother-in-law" space downstairs with their own kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom, bathroom, 4 season porch and their own washer & dryer. It has been a huge blessing! :)

Well, one month (almost to the day) after we moved in our youngest Connor was born! God knew what He was doing when He sent Connor to us! He's been such a fun addition to our family - the smiling, how smart he is, his laugh - everything!

And now the 8 of us have lived happily this wonderful house since... until today!

Today, Dasha officially moved out on her own (tear) - we're happy for her but I don't think my kids (or Dasha) have fully realized how life will be with her not there (or her stuff in her room). I'm excited for her new step in life (moving out and living with roommates) but we will all miss her greatly!

More of an update to come - just don't want this post to span a couple of pages! With more EXCITING news to come! So don't miss it! :)