Saturday

9:24 Run the Race


"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Corinthians 9:24~ this was the key verse for the discipleship weekend that Mariah and Mikey went to this weekend. I got them to pose for a quick pic when they got home... they were exhausted but full of awesome stories of what they got to see God do!!


Soccer Season is upon us


Soccer is here! All three of the kids are on the same team this year. How cool is that? Sadly, I did not get pics during the game today, i forgot the camera ~ but I did make Lis pose after we got home.
Mike and Rye missed the first game today because they had an overnight discipleship weekend at the church this they were attending, but they will be there next weekend! So, you'll have to come back for more pics. :)
On a hugely positive note~ WE WON OUR FIRST GAME. 3-0. Yeah "254 All~Stars". You Rock! Lis did not score, but she did make some awesome passes!!

Tuesday

Something that I love


Yup, that is our baby. So gorgeous. Pre-hair cut. But this is not really a post about her, it is more about the moment that I had with the kids the day that I took this picture. I had them out about town scouting the perfect place to take some pics...a little something that I like to force upon them every now and then...and we found this place.
The sunlight and shadows made for an awesome picture. But you know what pictures never tell you, what they hold secret from everyone else? The life that goes with that picture. This picture will never tell you that she tried on 8 outfits before she and I were able to agree on this one. This picture will never tell you that we had a "should I or shouldn't I wear my glasses in this picture moment" before deciding that it really is okay to not wear them if that is what she wants to do. This picture will never tell you that we had planned this oh-so fun day for a month, and then when that day came...it was so windy that we had to strategically wait out the wind and snap this one pic super fast, before abandoning the picture taking all together. It won't tell you how hard we laughed running back to the car, trying to not get blown across the parking lot.
What I love more than a good picture is all of the hidden secrets that it will never tell to others. Memories that go so much deeper than the colors on the paper, the ones that you get to hold onto forever~ the memories that get branded onto your heart.

Thursday

Moms and Movies

One of my favorite things in the whole wide world is a good movie. After spending 6 years working in a movie theatre, I have developed quite the affinity for a quality flick. The smell of popcorn popping calls out to me like an old friend...throw in some junior mints and life could not get much better than that.

But do you know what a popcorn loving, junior mint eating, connoisseur of all things cinematic does? They raise little movie buffs. It is like a disease, we watch movies all the time. Junkies...there should be a program we could join to rid ourselves of this obsession...if it was not such an awesome time to bond with the kiddos. Tonight as we sat down to watch "Unaccompanied Minors" together, I was reminded of a few things.

~ I love the sound of my son's laughter. It is intoxicating. Every time I hear him laughing, one of those deep down belly laughs...it makes my heart smile.

~ That what my kids really want is my time. They want me to hang with them, to take the time to get into their world for a little bit. And if that means watching a movie I was not meaning to watch, then that is what that means. Seems to me that every time I have given up what I wanted to do to invest my time in them, the rewards I reap are worth more than anything I could have imagined.

~ And something new I learned from this particular movie viewing experience...life is all about taking the things that are less than what we want them to be and turning them into something better.

All that being said, my dishes did not get done tonight and there is laundry calling my name, but as I get ready to lay my head down tonight...I will have much satisfaction in knowing that I did exactly what I needed to do...took the time to be who God meant me to be...their mom.

Saturday

Things I never meant to say...


Have you ever said something that you never meant to have to follow through on? Well, I have. My wonderful daughter (Mariah) is in love with WWE wrestling. UGH! I am not a fan. Not even a little bit. Not even a itsy, bitsy, teeny, weeny little bit. But she does. She salivates every Monday when it comes on. She begs and pleads to stay up late to watch it.

Well, sometime ago she asked me if they ever came to anywhere around here, if I would take her. In a moment of not so much clarity~ I said that I would. You moms know what I am talking about...that "sure I will," that you throw out there when what you really mean is, "ain't gonna happen, sister..."


I have found this to be another one of those moments where God is using my children to teach me. Not so long ago I felt God speaking to me about this scripture that says "Let your no be no and your yes be yes." And so, now that I want ever so badly to tell my lovely daughter that I do not really want to take her to watch men slamming eachother into the ground, I am submitting to my current lesson, and purchasing tickets to watch wrestling.
And...in honor of the little one, I am including a picture of her favorite wrestler...John Cena. lol