Happy 11th Birthday Kenner!

She's growing up too fast!  Can't seem to stop her and now she is even wearing my shoes....what to do?

This is a good goofy picture of her tonight at Maggie Moo's....we celebrated with ice cream tonight and will celebrate with ICE on Friday when we all go ice skating.  She was my Mother's Day present in 2003 :) AND....I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by...whenever I think about her and her goofy personality and how easy going she is...I am so thankful for her sweet spirit and that she always tries so hard to put others before herself.  She really enjoys making others happy....I have taught kids and really love being with kids and working with them, but I have not encountered many that are as selfless and sensitive to the needs of others as she is.....She is a rare gem in a world that is full of people who have a "me first" attitude.

Happy Birthday, Kenna-Boo!  We love you!

Daddy, Mommy, Vannah, Kassi, Dani, Karly....and Kooper too!

Skirting The Issue

Apparently, ping-pong tables can't (or just won't) wear skirts!  This is what I have been told...and, in case you are wondering.... I already asked about kilts too because I thought I would try a more masculine angle...haha!

Everyone has the problem in their home with not enough storage space, right?  So, we have a ping-pong table and a foosball table in our basement now, but I need somewhere for all the girl's toys, stuffed animals, and board games and it makes me crazy that there is all this space under the tables that is not being used.  I am one of those people who feels the need to utilize space wisely...I deplore wasted space and I like everything I buy to already have a spot that it can call "home" before I bring it home.  (But, please still invite me over...I will not bring my weird space/stuff issues into your home....I realize not everyone is like me...I feel like that needs to be stated.) So, tonight I bought these black storage bins and filled them with all the girls wonderful toys and goodies and I put them under the game tables....and I am happy the toys are organized and out of the way, only I really don't like seeing the bins either....So, now I am trying to convince Brad that we need to make table skirts for the two game tables, so people won't see all the stuff under them and the basement will appear....clutter-free and well organized *insert sound of wind chimes here* or is that clean as a whistle...not a wind chime....well, those chimes pop into my head when I think of a clean basement.

My attempts at persuasion are not going so well...I think this will end up being a "home alone" project...if you know what I mean.  My help-mate will not be helping me in this endeavor :)  I have been researching table skirts for ping-pong tables and I have just learned that many tournaments use them because they keep the ball from going under the table...now, that is a great angle!  I am going to try that one next.  We could have a table just like the pros, Brad!  Wish me luck :)

It's Unreal!

So, Brad went to the store yesterday to pick up some sour cream for us because we were having tacos/nachos, but that really goes without saying, right?  He grabbed a container that said, "tastes great!"..."It's unreal!"...and he fell for the advertising....really, the sour cream was NOT REAL...it was a disgusting imitation brand that had a really weird aftertaste :)  I had to laugh at that because what he thought it was saying it was and what it actually was were two completely different things....but, it was kind-of meant to lead him astray....

Moral of the story...BE GENUINELY REAL or REALLY GENUINE...whichever you prefer!...then you won't have to make statements about how great you are...people will just know from experiencing the real you.  Then they can say, "She's UNREAL!" and mean it in the best way :)

Because of Christ

I've been thinking about some verses I read in 2 Corinthians this past week.  Chapters 5 and 6 explain how we are to have a ministry of reconciliation.  I really love those chapters because they lay out what I think our mission is all about so simply and beautifully.  To me, it is a great reminder that my job is to love others, to help remove any obstacles that may be in their way of meeting or returning to Christ, and to urge them in that direction in whatever ways I am able...whatever ways God has equipped me for whoever He allows across my path.  This also reminds me that it is not my job to judge anyone or to put any obstacles in their way by my words or actions that could hinder them from finding Christ or returning "home"...I should not have the attitude of the "older brother" and miss out on truly allowing Christ to give me a heart like the Father....a heart of compassion to see as many people come to Christ as possible.

I needed those verses....I needed to renew my mission.  I have had a few days to consider those chapters and I have realized I am sometimes really quick to see faults in others, but I am not as quick to love unconditionally and to offer my hand in this journey.  I don't have to understand everyone's journey....I won't always "get it"...why they made the choices they did....why they took this road when I thought they should have taken the other...and that really doesn't matter.  How many times I have sought to be understood by those I respect only to realize I will not make the same choices as others....and they may not ever "get" me?  That's OK.  So, the journey is not completely about understanding everyone or being understood....but, it is about loving everyone because of Christ.   

May the 4th be with you....

Always.

Sorry.....just couldn't resist it....I love their smiles in this picture.

Tonight, for youth group, Brad used Yoda's Jedi training of Luke Skywalker  as an example and compared it to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he kept finding the disciples sleeping....he said Yoda's quote..."Do or do not.  There is no try." was similar to Jesus' statement to the disciples when he said, "The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."  He challenged them to continue training in their own discipleship and following Jesus Christ...asking the hard question of what God wants from them or what he wants to do through them and listening for the tough answer and being willing to push through their "flesh" to accomplish it.  In our flesh...we struggle with trying and failing because only in the Spirit can we be given the power to do the things He asks of us.  That is why we have to trust and have faith that He can and will do great things through us.

Now, where is my M.Y.?

My girls asked me what I want for Mother's Day and I said I want my M.Y. back.  They were very confused with that for a little while....I enjoy letting them wonder a little bit :)  All my girls are calling me "mom" now and not "mommy"....it is kind-of sad that those days have passed.  I start getting all sentimental around Mother's Day because I start thinking about what a great privilege it is to be a mom and then I start to think about how fast my kids grow up and then I start thinking about how much time I have left with them at home....and, even though some days it seems like for-ev-er....it really is just a short amount of time.  So, I asked for my M.Y. back for a day :)  I'd ask for a cake, but I might get this...

Too funny!

I spent a little time wondering how I lost my M.Y., but then I came to the conclusion that it is just part of being a mom....you have to learn to let go of the "my".  Some days, that may seem really hard to do and your mind may be tempted to wonder what life would have been like for you in other circumstances, but...if you are like me, you will come back around to understanding that the things you have given up....all the "m.y.'s" you let go of for the love of your family are not lost! God has a way of transforming them all to blessings that are way better than if you had...let's see....maybe tried to be a famous actress or singer, or pediatric heart surgeon, or geneticist, or chef, or attorney, or journalist, or fashion designer....I went through times in my life when I wanted to be all these things....but, being a mom is super important.

Have you ever heard the "Mom Song"?...it is hilarious...I have tried for several years to get all the words down, but I can't seem to say them all as fast as Anita Renfroe in this video.  Anyway, this is to celebrate all the ways we guide and train our children!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do....I watch it every year and laugh because I really have said all the things she says :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxT5NwQUtVM

Your life speaks volumes to your children!

Spoken Like A Fox

I am pretty sure it feels furry...don't you think?!

I just read an article that explains why I am still talking, at length...when I finally realize Brad has been sleeping for quite some time...ha!...ever had that happen?  Foxp2 protein...women have more of it than men and it is located in the language area of our brains...funny!  That could explain my extra 13,000 words a day...and how come many of them are not responded to :)  Blogging definitely helps me get some of those extra words out.  Anyway, I thought that was interesting and decided to share it...I guess the fox has a lot to say! :)  Isn't that a cute little fox?