Friday, October 7, 2011

Birthday #10?!?!

I can't believe that it has been a decade since I welcomed Kristyn into this world.  My life changed in obvious ways and in ways I never knew I could be changed. My life was no longer about me. I wanted more than anything to make this little girl's world amazing, exciting, safe, loving... She is a sweetheart who is always willing to share a smile and a hug. I couldn't be prouder of who she is today, and the beautiful young lady the Lord is molding her to be!

So how did my "Stinkerbell" spend her day.  The started with chocolate chip waffles, the Birthday Girl's request.  Then she headed off to school, and I took her McDonald's for lunch. Normally she gets a Happy Meal, but today was different. You see, I remember what I had for lunch for my 10th birthday.  I have a vivid memory of that meal.

We were visiting my dad in Joliet, Illinois and my mom asked what I wanted for my birthday lunch.  As many 10 year olds I wanted McDonald's, and up until that day I always ordered Happy Meals. (They weren't as expensive, and the toys held up a little better, but I digress)  That day I decided that I was now double digits, and this meant I was too old for such childish things as Happy Meals. My older sister, who was 12, always ordered a quarter-pounder with cheese when we went to McD's. By golly, this was what older, mature girls ordered, so from now on that is what I would be ordering. I love this memory. I love that I remember it so detailed, and I wanted to share that memory with Kristyn.

She enjoyed her first Quarter-Pounder with Cheese

And I enjoyed the time with her.

That evening she chose to eat dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  I am pretty sure this is the main reason for it...
She wasn't shy about getting to ride the saddle!

Lastly we opened gifts.
Priceless!

All in all, I would say birthday #10 will be incredibly memorable!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Lessons Learned

I have been a parent for nearly ten years... I can hardly believe ten years ago I was anxiously (and I was a bit terrified) awaiting the birth of my daughter.  During each pregnancy, The Lord has drawn me nearer to Him, and taught me incredible, life-changing lessons.

With Kristyn I learned about consequences, unconditional love, and forgiveness. With Branden I was taught to trust and rely on Him and putting my trust wholly in Him and not in worldly possessions or other people. I LOVE how God can continue to teach me, mold me, and ultimately humble me!

I have always heard about how "prayer is powerful."  I believed it, but didn't always practice it.  I have prayed daily, as a family, as a couple, as an individual. But I feel as though I usually pray "safe" prayers, "bless our family" "bless our food" "keep us safe"... I admit I did not pray boldly. However, the night of August 31 that changed.

I knew that for me to deliver our new child by a VBAC I needed to go into labor soon, because I had 2 previous C-sections the Dr was hesitant to let me go to my due date.  I had evaluated my motives, and was confident I was not desiring this delivery because of my pride, but because I knew this was better for my child and for me. After coming home from my Dr's appointment, I began boldly praying. Taking my requests to the throne, I also asked many friends and family members to pray that I would go into labor soon. We had friends praying for us across the country, and around the world!  Zach and I prayed before we went to sleep that I would go into labor and deliver our son as soon as possible.  We were detailed in our request... That was about 9pm.... 1:30am I was awakened by contractions. At 2:45am the contractions were getting stronger and coming every 12 minutes.  We called our Dr and headed to the hospital... Within hours God had answered our prayers.

At 2:40pm Jaxon Wade Fulton was born.  Within minutes they whisked my newborn away to the nursery, later we learned he he had transient tachypnea. This is when the fluid in the lungs from being in the womb is not completely extracted from the lungs.  Essentially Jaxon had "wet lungs" causing him to have labored breathing.  He was taken to the NICU.  Zach and I listened to the Dr as she told us the specifics Jaxon needed to overcome to be taken off the oxygen, eat from a bottle, what his bilirubin level had to be before he could be released.  Zach, Jaxon and I spent 5 days in the hospital, and Zach and I had never prayed harder, more boldly, or more specifically.  By the end of our stay we were literally praying for poop!  (Moms of kids who had jaundice understand)

The beauty of it all was Zach and I were in constant conversation with our Heavenly Father. Yes, he answered our prayers, but more importantly He taught us how much we needed Him. We needed to lean on Him when in the middle of the night in the hospital room I was awakened to pump milk instead of the cry of my son wanting to eat... A sad feeling that would bring me to tears, but instead of wallowing I fell into the arms of God and let Him console me and give me strength.  Zach and I were humbled as we were taught how to pray: continuously, without ceasing, boldly, with the absolute trust that God's will is perfect.

In his first few days of life, God used our son Jaxon to teach us lifelong lessons that Zach and I will carry with us and teach our children. 

Thank you, Lord for you unconditional love, and for humbling us and teaching us!

Cloth Diapers: Week 1& 2

We started cloth diapering last week after being home from the hospital a couple days.  We have been using our cloth diapers in combination with disposable ones for two main reasons:
  1. We only ordered 7 newborn sized All-in-one (AIO) diapers because I wasn't sure how big Cub was going to be. Branden had to be squeezed into newborn size diapers and after a week couldn't fit in them anymore; however, Kristyn was in newborn size for over a month.  Since I wasn't sure which way the pendulum would swing with Cub, I decided not to buy too many.  Plus my sister had given me a few of the newborn sized "gdiapers" that she uses on her daughter. These are hybrid diapers and with the right insert you can reuse these a few times before they have to be washed.  (We don't have a the right insert)
  2. All of the suave diaper changing moves I may have acquired 7 years ago have vanished... On more than one occasion since Cub's birth, I have been peed on, pooped on, put a new diaper under him only to immediately change it because he pooped more in the brand new diaper. We have had to change multiple onsies in a single changing, and changed sheets on the bed because the changing pad doesn't take into account the arch fountain that is my son's pee stream.
So with these factors, we have been cloth diapering in combo with some disposables.  My only complaint has been I didn't purchase enough so I am doing diaper laundry every day, but that will be over soon because he is just about ready to be in the One-size AIOs we bought. The cloth diapers are the only diapers that have not leaked on Cub regularly.  I can say definitely is that Huggies are my least favorite diapers of all time. They have been leaking on my kids for 10 years! LOL. 

So for our first two weeks of cloth diapering I can say I LOVE my bum genius newborn, AIOs. They are absorbent, have a great fit, and are just adorable on Cub's little bum.  Not to mention the laundering of the diapers is much easier than I anticipated. I was concerned that since I cannot dry them in a dryer they would take forever to dry, but that is simply not true. They have dried quicker than I expected.

I am pretty excited about this cloth diapering business, and pleasantly surprised at how much easier it is than I was anticipating! :-)

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Top 10 Memories of Year # 28

These memories are in no particular order, but I thought it would be fun to look back at the amazingly blessed year I have had!

1. Taking the kids to their first day at a new school!  It was roller coaster school year, but to see them start at a new school with a smile on their face was awesome.
2. Learning that a boxer WILL eat a raw turkey if he can get to it and is not supervised. (This is probably one of my all time favorite holiday memories!)
3. Spending Christmas in St. Thomas.
4. Meeting my niece Sophia Jean.
5. Learning we were going to have a baby!
6. Sissy and Bubba's reactions to having a new brother or sister.
7. Seeing Zach's face when the sonogram tech told us "You're going to have a boy."
8. Spending quality time with my 93 year old great-grandmother, and seeing her fawn on her great-great grandchildren.
9. Hearing Sissy tell me that she was happy my job was to stay home and take care of her and Bubba.  She said it was the most important job.
10. Anytime Bubba asks randomly if he can cuddle with me. 

I have been blessed beyond measure... I have so many more memories that are also collective. This was our first full year in Abilene and the friendships I have made have helped me grow in the Lord, and helped make this first year, the transition year, a memorable and wonderful one.
Each day my husband and kids remind me of the Lord's love. He has blessed me with an incredible family and their love fills me with joy. Year #29 will be just as memorable, even more so since I will have an extra member to our family to add to our memory books. Cheers to a new year!

Wow... What a Summer!


The biggest roadblock in blogging, is when you don’t have a computer on which to blog… I realize my last post was back in June, and Cub has grown into a watermelon, but Zach has been cross-country multiple times since then and that means the laptop has also been across the country.
            Sunday was the 36 week mark of my pregnancy. Which means I am officially 9 months pregnant!  I am so anxious to meet our Cub.  Sissy was born at 37 weeks and 2 days, and Branden was born at 36 weeks and 6 days, so obviously we are anticipating that Cub will make his arrival soon.  The hardest part of this is not getting disappointed with each irregular contraction that is not productive…  Today is my birthday, and what a cool present that would be, but clearly it is not my timing. This is a lesson I should know by now, I should know it and be able to teach it; however, when you are nine months pregnant, have been pregnant through the hottest summer on record, feel like the size of house, and every movement takes effort because my body isn’t my own, the idea of an impending birth is awesome!!!! One thing I do know… you can’t will your body into labor. I am all about “the baby will come on his own time,” I just have to keep reminding myself of that, and keeping busy.
           And wow have we been busy!  Our summer has been filled with trips, visits, pools, sunshine, preparing for Cub, and loving all over Sissy and Bubba!  Those kiddos got to go back to school with amazing stories. Trips to the beach in CC, cross-country road trip to Elizabethtown, PA, Hersheypark, Connecticut & Hammonassett Beach, a cruise with their dad to Cozumel and the Yucatan, and a vacation to Branson with Nanny & Dadad. I am so excited for the upcoming year for our entire family!  It is going to be Legen… wait for it… dary! J

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Craving to be crafty...

There is something about being pregnant that makes me wish I was a "crafty" person. I tend to look at cute projects at arts and caft shows and say I could totally do that, but it never comes out just right. I am not particularly crafty, but enjoy taking a stab at it every once in a while, and with a baby on the way I really am trying to do some crafty things to make our house a home for all of our kiddos including Cub. A project is under way for all three kids, but these are baby focused. Not even sure they are for Cub, I like to give them as gifts also.  So, we shall see... Here are my attempts at being crafty :-)



A Summer Swim

So, I went to the pool this morning... Before it got to be 106... That's the normal here in Abilene. And I'm ok with that as long as I have a pool to go to and an air conditioned place to relax... I went to get some sun and swim some laps. Turns out I got more sun in than laps... I am out. of. shape!  Ugh, guess I need to swim more often.  Oh well, at least I got to work on my tan. :)

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Art of Being Alone

So this is not something I have to do often. Usually my home is filled with two energetic kids and a husband that brighten and bless each day.  But every so often, when the stars align just right (usually in the summer), Zach will have to leave for a few days, and the kids will be away at their dad's.  This leaves my once noise-filled house with silence.... Which to me is deafening!

This happened a couple weeks ago over a weekend, and I had a friend ask "Did you just love the time you got to yourself?"  I replied brutally honestly, "No, I suck at being alone." But, that weekend made me start to think about why I hate being alone so much, and what I could do about it.

The why was the convicting part. The silence of being alone in my house usually leads to filling my time and home with useless, meaningless noise. The TV, the radio, a movie, etc.  I suddenly find that my email needs to be checked countless times, and facebook needs to be thoroughly stalked, and before I know it I have wasted hours on  the computer or watching meaningless TV. And when that isn't enough, I get in the car and drive... I drive to the store to shop for things I don't need, or to get something to eat that I easily could have made at home. So what happens when the noise and business stops?  Silence, which leads to my wild imagination wondering if that creak I heard was someone trying to get into my house, and if it is can I get to my phone in time to call 911 or get to my gun in time to scare them off.... Or even worse, I have found that I allow the silence a time for me to dwell on mistakes I have made, sins I have committed. I find myself doubting that I am forgiven, or even lovable. In the light of day, when all is well and the noise is plentiful this seems ridiculous, and logically I know this; however, logic doesn't play a large part in the thought process when you let the enemy into your mind.
So what can I do about this? 

First things first, I acknowledged that time alone can be a blessing. Not because I wouldn't rather spend time cuddling and playing with the kids, or doing things with my husband, but because it is a time I can be productive and focused to a degree I can't when my attention is divided.  This past weekend the kids were gone, and Zach left for a 4-day weekend. Yes, I had time to spend with friends and do activities, but I also accomplished things that needed to get done. I did not sit idle with nothingness.  In the evening, when the deafening silence is the worst, I filled my time with God's word, and prayer. It was a true comfort and  joy to read the Bible and spend so much time in conversation with my Lord. I also read...  just for fun!  I haven't done that since probably last summer! These activities sound as though they should be easy and logical choices for a Christian. But sometimes when your are so filled with silence it can be terrifying and it seems easier to be idle, or busy with nonsense. I can attest to the fact that filling your time with God's word, and tasks that better your home and family are so much more rewarding and encouraging!

I was so grateful when Zach got back Monday, but the weekend was not a waste, as they have been in the past. This is probably a post I will have to come back to periodically when I am alone, to remind myself what the Lord truly desires for me.  "She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." (Proverbs 31:27)

I can do this!

A Two Pounder

Well, there is good news and bad news....

The good news is, it looks as though we have finally moved beyond papaya (which is good because I never saw any at the grocery stores) and I am now carrying around inside of me an eggplant sized baby. "The Bump" also says that the baby is somewhere between 1.5 and 2.2 lbs!  I would like to blame that on my boost in weight gain, but let's be honest it probably has more to do with the cinnamon roll I indulged in than the tiny baby :)... Oh well, I'd do it again, and I'd eat that New York Super Fudge Chunk as well!

The bad news, no one in my family actually likes to eat eggplant so we won't be enjoying this piece of produce the next few weeks. Guess we'll have to wait and see what is in store for us in the next few weeks.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Falling behind...

Ok, so I fell a week behind.  Last week at 21 weeks our cub was approximately the size of a banana, and he certainly has started acting b-a-n-a-n-a-s! Lots of wiggling and kicking going on in there. 


On this week's fruit photo is labeled "month 5"... MONTH 5?!?!?! When did that happen? I mean seriously, where has the time gone. I am just now getting to enjoying my baby bump and all the twitches, actually feel like movement of my cub... Not to mention it would be helpful to have a mattress for this kid's crib. Oh well, that's what the summer's for I guess. Anyone like to paint?  Regardless of my momentary freak outs of not having enough time I still need to find time to search for our cub-sized produce.  This week will be a little more difficult to find our "cub is" produce, though.  I am not sure papayas are wildly available in the metropolis of Abilene! :) I will still try and find one though, I may have to settle for the photo and some papaya juice from H-E-B.  We shall see.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Cantaloupe

As we stroll down the produce aisle  we find that our little cub is a cantaloupe.  The kids were a tad disappointed in the cub's development this week. Mainly because we make a snack, side dish, or a meal out of what the cub "is." Turns out Sissy and Bubba are not fans of cantaloupe.  Oh well, hopefully next week will be more appetizing to them. :)

Thursday, April 28, 2011

No more guessing...

Sugar and spice and everything nice
This is what little girls are made of....

However, come September 2011, the Fulton household will be full of

Slime, snail, and puppy dog tails!

According to our ultrasound tech she is 99.99% certain that

IT'S A BOY!!!

Never a dull moment

Wednesday was going along, like any other typical Wednesday: doing laundry, dishes, and other around the house chores. In the afternoon the phone rings and caller ID informs me that it is Wylie ISD.  This typically means I have a child throwing up, or lying down with a fever in the nurses offices at one of the campuses. Today, however, turned out to be a little different.

"Hi is this Katie?" (They call so often the school nurse is comfortable enough to call me by my first name)

"Yes it is."

"This is Sandy, the nurse at the Elementary school. I have Branden with me, and he had an accident at recess. He fell on his chin..." That's all she had to say, I knew exactly what was coming next. When Branden was about 22 months old he had fallen and split his chin.  It was able to be butterfly bandaged and we avoided stitches.... According to the nurse, we weren't getting away that lucky this time.

Here was my dilemma, I was without a car.... Because of the hailstorm, Zach's car was being repaired, and he had my car at work. Luckily we have terrific friends, and I was able to call up a friend a couple blocks away and she swooped in to pick me up and took Bubba and I to the ER. Meanwhile I had to call the Intermediate school to explain that Kristyn couldn't ride the bus home. Another blessing in friendship came through and Kristyn was picked up after school, while Branden was being sewed up.

We were in and out of the ER in two hours, which I thought was pretty good. And he made out with 6 stitches, and a great story to tell his friends. As he left for school this morning he was blushing at the idea that the girls would want to take care of him! :) 

Boys and their scars!

Waiting patiently for the nurse to come back and numb his chin

It was worse than it looks... trust me.

A numbing agent applied before the shot of lidocaine.

Ended the visit with six stitches! He was very strong and brave!!!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Mango says No!

Does anyone else remember that SNL skit with Chris Kattan, as Mango?  As ridiculous as it was, I always laughed hysterically... So I thought of Chris Kattan in short shorts, and a bright hat as I read what our Cub was this week.


Wow, look at that, 6 inches!!! Mango isn't saying no to much according to my ever growing appetite!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Easter Weekend 2011

Wow, what a blessed weekend we had! Zach's parents came into town and we got to spend the day with them Friday, while the kids made up a snow day at school. Zach and his dad got a round of golf in, while Mom and I did some Easter Dinner shopping, and then waited for the kids to come home. They were thrilled  to come home to their Farmor (Swedish for father's mother, and what they call Zach's mom), and were also happy that I suggested Shaved Ice for an afternoon snack. (This was such a hug hit, Farmor and I repeated the trip Saturday afternoon after stopping at HEB for some dinner groceries)

Saturday Farmor, with the help of Branden, made plattar, small thin Swedish Pancakes.  They were delicious, and I perfected my ability to flip the pancakes... These particular ones are quite tricky!  Then we ventured to downtown Abilene.

The first stop was the Grace Museum... The children's section was a huge success!


The kids got in touch with the Fine Arts!

Kristyn definitely has a flare for the dramatic... I have no idea where she gets that from (wink, wink)

Branden enjoyed playing this fun musical instrument... He wanted to play it all on his own! After The Grace we enjoyed some terrific art at the NCCIL, walked through the 12th Armored Division Museum and tried to take a look at Relics, but it was closed for the Easter weekend.


After walking around downtown we enjoyed lunch at Cypress Street Station.
Saturday night we enjoyed dinner at home and terrific company. Then rested up to celebrate our risen Savior at church Sunday morning.  Zach woke up extra early to help out for breakfast at our church. After a great service we headed home and took a few family photos.




After our photo shoot we had an Easter egg hunt in the backyard.



They were very eager to find the eggs... Zach hid them really well.





And of course you know this South Texas girl has to keep the tradition of cascarones going with her own kiddos!


We even got the Georgia boy in on our fun! :)


I'm pretty sure I was finding confetti in my hair Monday morning!

After the "egg"citement (sorry I couldn't resist) we finished preparing our Easter dinner and: Leg of Lamb, Au Gratin Potatoes (They were extra cheesy), Pineapple Casserole, Spinach and Strawberry Salad, Cherry Pie & Strawberry Pie with homemade whipped cream. It was a delicious feast! After our dinner we watched as the clouds rolled in. We were a bit skeptical, since we have seen the clouds and lightning, and heard the thunder, but have not seen rain in quite a long time... In fact, we have probably seen snow more recently than we have seen rain.  It did indeed rain however, and it didn't stop there. We were treated to a hail storm. We watched, entertained from the safety of our kitchen window as the golf ball sized hail fell onto the trampoline and bounced really high... But you know what they say about hail, "it's all fun and games until someone loses a back windshield." Well, I don't think it's really a saying, but it is now in the Fulton house! :)


It's better than one of our house windows, and no one was hurt. Praise the Lord for the much needed rain.

After dinner, the weather excitement and bath time the kids treated us to a puppet show.

All in all we had an amazing Easter weekend. We were so grateful and blessed to have our family here to celebrate with us!

Rejoice, rejoice oh Christians lift up your voice and sing
Eternal Hallelujah to Jesus Christ the King
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind
He lives!
He lives!
Christ Jesus lives today!...
You ask me how I know He lives
He lives within my heart!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

To Hear Him Say My Name

Sometimes I wonder if I learn more than my Sparkies during AWANA on Wednesday nights.

Since last night was the Wednesday before Easter, I thought that it would be appropriate to give a lesson on the resurrection on Jesus. As Christians we know that dying on the cross, while unfair and cruel, was not the miracle that gives us eternal life. It is the fact Jesus did not stay dead, but on the third day, rose from the dead and spoke to Mary Magdalene.

What amazes me, is that a story I have heard my entire life, can teach me something new, or remind me of something different each time I read it.  This leads me to what I learned last night.

Mary was the first of Jesus's followers to discover that the tomb was empty.  She was devastated. She assumed his body had been stolen. If I was Mary, I would've been beside myself, trying to figure out a way to put my Lord back in his proper resting place. I would've been furious thinking, "can't they leave him alone, even in death?"  She tells the disciples, and Peter and another disciple come to see for themselves. After they see what Mary said was true, they go back to their homes, but Mary stays outside the tomb weeping.  I don't imagine these are small "ladylike" tears either. I imagine they are tears like raindrops flowing from her eyes.  Then angels appear to her, and then a gardener (or so she thinks) approaches her and asks her "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"  This is not a gardener, but Jesus Himself!  She doesn't recognize Him, instead asks him to give her the body and she'll take care of it.  Mary is so distracted with her grief that she doesn't recognize her Savior as He is standing in front of her.  But then the best part of this story happens (in my opinion).  He speaks to her again, and she recognizes Him.  It must have been the most beautiful word she had ever heard, and she knew that this was not a gardener but Jesus Christ! Jesus said

"Mary"

He said her name and she knew who He was. Oh the overwhelming peace and joy she must have felt to hear His voice saying her name.

It made me think, who's voice do I recognize above all else?  My husband, my children, my parents, my sisters... People I have close relationships with. I invest time in building and deepening these relationships. Would I recognize The Lord's voice if He said my name?  I would hope so, but to be certain I must invest in deepening my relationship with Him.  I want more than anything to hear Him say my name, and know with such certainty that it is my Lord speaking to me. My desire is to know Him, the way Mary knew Him. To trust Him and hear His voice, and recognize it when He calls...

Thank you Lord, for the miracle of Easter, so that I have the freedom to approach You and know You so intimately.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I am what yam...

Our baby is the size of a sweet potato! :)  This is one delicious preganncy, I think I may make mashed sweet potatoes this week in honor of our cub!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Guacamole???

So last week (week 16 for those who are keeping track) our cub was the size of an avocado. 
This week the cub is measuring in at the size of an onion!... Mmmm this makes me want guacamole, just need the lemon from a couple weeks back! :)

A friend loves at all times

Branden came home this afternoon, rather upset with one of his friends. In fact he went as far to say, "I am not John's friend anymore." (Since I don't know John or his mother I will be calling him John instead of his real name) This was quite surprising because since "Meet the Teacher Night" Branden has called John his best friend.  I was curious as to what would cause Branden to be this angry with his best friend. I didn't have to wait long because Branden proceeded to tell me that John had gotten physical with a little girl in their class. 

From the explanation it wasn't violent and she wasn't hurt, but from a young age Branden has been taught "You don't hit to solve problems, and you NEVER hit a girl."  Called me old-fashioned but that's the way it is in our house.

So when the little girl told Branden this he confronted John about it. John didn't deny it, just said that it wasn't that hard and he didn't hurt her. Branden said it didn't matter, you don't touch girls, or treat them like that, and if John was going to act like that Branden wasn't his friend anymore. (I was gushing inside at what a gentleman and knight-in-shining-armor my son was for this little girl).

I listened to the story and then reinforced how proud I was of him to stand up for the little girl, and that he was right to rebuke John for his behavior.  I was also proud that he didn't get into a fight with John and simply walked away. I then reminded him that John was his friend, and because he was human, he made a mistake, and when we make a mistake God forgives us. So, maybe before he ends his friendship with Johnhe should give  him the opportunity to apologize. He listened to what I said, and then as most kids do got distracted with the idea of playing outside with his sister and went on his way for his afternoon activities.

We had AWANA at church last night, and the lesson that Branden heard was on the Crucifixion and why it was necessary for Jesus to be a sacrifice. We all need forgiveness. We got home from church, got showered and ready for bed, and what seemed like a random questions Branden asked, "Is there a verse in the Bible that says 'if you want a friend you have to be a friend?'"  I said I knew there were lots of stories and verses about friendships, and I would look later for that one. 

Then the coolest thing happened. Branden sat next to me on the couch and looked up at me and said, "Can we look now?"

I looked at him questioning his motives, I had to make sure he wasn't just trying to prolong the inevitable bedtime.  He must have sensed this because he said, "I want to talk to John about what happened today. And I want to tell him about being a friend, but I want a Bible verse to tell him too."

Wow, was it possible? My six year old son, understood the concept of a biblical rebuke? He was being the best friend John could have...  An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. (Prov 27:5-6)

My heart was filled with joy, as I began praising God for speaking to my son's heart, and giving him the desire to share scriptural truth with his friend.  We searched for some verses, and with Branden's help we decided on Proverbs 18:24, There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother, and Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times.

My prayer this morning is that God would speak through a six-year old boy, that loves Him, and loves his friends enough to share the Truth with them. My prayer is that the children Branden speaks with will hear God, the way only children can.

As a parent, my prayer is one of praise, that God is following through with His promise, Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (Prov 22:6) May the Lord continue to guide Zach and I with wisdom as we train our children.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"Why"

God as my friend…
Throughout my life, and my walk with the Lord, there have been various analogies that I have drawn about my relationship with God, and in turn they have led me into a closer relationship with Him. I remember being a teenager in high school, and my youth pastor told us that it was okay to tell God we were mad. This was a new concept. When I didn’t like the way things had gone I could just tell God? It stemmed from the lesson that God wants a relationship with me, His child. A relationship is one-sided and non-productive if we don’t communicate and have conversations. So, I began conversing with God. My conversations ranged from the good, the bad, and the shallow (I was a teenage girl I had my moments). The conversations I had with God, allowed me to draw closer to Him, and feel His presence. A song by Nichole Nordeman describes this stage in relationship with God ideally.

“When I was weak, unable to speak, still I could call you by name. And I said, heartache healer, secret keeper, be my best friend, and you said I am.”

Christ as the groom…
Being married my eyes have been opened to the marital relationship as one that is parallel to Christ’s relationship with the church. In Ephesians there is a command, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” As a church we are submit to Christ’s authority, so as a wife we are to submit to our husband’s authority, as it is God ordained. This isn’t a bad thing, or a restrictive measure. It is a glorious thing because our husbands love us as themselves! This is a whole debate on it’s own and actually not what I have been meditating on today.

God as a parent…
Mother of two and a “cub,” I would lay down my life for these kids. I have an undeniable instinct to love and protect them. I feel pain when they are suffering, a physical pain inside of me when my child is hurt, emotionally or physically. They are my babies.

When Kristyn was about 6 months old I was cleaning house and listening to a new CD I had just bought, This Mystery by Nichole Nordeman. As the song Why was playing, I stopped in my tracks. I stood in the middle of my living room, listening to the lyrics of this song. By the end of the song, I was on my knees sobbing into my lap. I cried, unable to get any words out to God, but cried to Him.







I had heard the Easter story countless times. It never felt redundant or old, I knew Jesus was killed for my sins, and because he was raised from the dead and alive, I was able to accept Him and have eternal salvation. This was not new to me. Somehow, for the first time in my life, Jesus the Son stepped aside and I saw that God was a Father.

A parent.

Like me.

He had the same instincts to love his child, protect his child, hold his child when he was hurt. And somehow, for some reason, He pushed aside those instincts and let his Son suffer…. For me… I saw my God in a new light. I had a different understanding and appreciation for the sacrifice that was made on Calvary. Jesus the Sn made a sacrifice, but so did God the Father. He watched as His son was hurt and rejected and killed. Praise His name that the story doesn’t end there. Because he lives there is eternal salvation, and Glory in heaven for someone as imperfect as me.

As my relationship with God grows, so does my understanding that He cannot be kept in a box. He is not just a “heartache healer,” or a “bridegroom,” He is the Alpha, Omega, King of kings, Lord of lords, Prince of Peace, Yaweh, I Am… Glory be to God in the Highest as we celebrate Easter.

Why by Nichole Nordeman

We rode into town the other day
Just me and my Daddy
He said I'd finally reached that age
And I could ride next to him on a horse
That of course was not quite as wide

We heard a crowd of people shouting
And so we stopped to find out why
And there was that man
That my dad said he loved
But today there was fear in his eyes

So I said "Daddy, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why is He dressed in that bright purple robe?
I'll bet that crown hurts Him more than He shows
Daddy, please can't you do something?
He looks as though He's gonna cry
you said he was stronger than all of those guys
Daddy, please tell me why
Why does everyone want him to die?"

Later that day the sky grew cloudy
And Daddy said I should go inside
Somehow he knew things would get stormy
Boy was he right
But I could not keep from wondering
If there was something he had to hide

So after he left I had to find out
I was not afraid of getting lost
So I followed the crowds
To a hill where I knew men had been killed
And I heard a voice come from the cross

And it said, "Father, why are they screaming?
Why are the faces of some of them beaming?
Why are they casting their lots for My robe?
This crown of thorns hurts Me more than it shows
Father, please can't You do something?
I know that You must hear My cry
I thought I could handle the cross of this size
Father, remind Me why
Why does everyone want Me to die?
When will I understand why?"

"My precious Son, I hear them screaming
I'm watching the face of the enemy beaming
But soon I will clothe You in robes of My own
Jesus, this hurts Me much more than You know
But this dark hour I must do nothing
Though I've heard Your unbearable cry

The power in Your blood destroys all of the lies
Soon You'll see past their unmerciful eyes
Look there below, see the child
Trembling by her father's side
Now I can tell You why
She is why You must die"

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Our baby is....

An orange! :)  This week the Cub is (allegedly) weighing in at a whole 2.5 oz. Branden is eager to get to the grocery store and buy an orange to hold up to my belly so he can have a visual of how big his brother or sister is in comparison to my tummy. Branden is interested in the growing process, while Kristyn just wants to hold and cuddle the finished product! :)



Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Lord's Prayer

In previous weeks during our council time at Sparks we read a story that teaches the kids about the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
   on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
   as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:9-13

I committed this prayer to memory by the time I was 7 or 8 years old, and it was one of my favorite parts of the Sunday morning service when the congregation would recite it in unison. It was like a song and everyone knew the words. The tempo was kept, the words were perfectly recited. Again, when I got into high school, before each basketball game our team would get in a circle and recite this in the locker room before heading out for a warm up. Hind sight... In all those years of recitation I probably said the prayer out of habit more times then I genuinely prayed it.

In my adulthood, however, there have been times that I needed to pray. I could feel the need for me to converse with my heavenly Father, and yet I didn't have the words. Essentially I didn't know what I needed. But the memory of Sunday mornings in Robstown, Texas would come back to me, and I would hear Brother Green's voice saying, "Let us pray as the Lord taught us to pray."

Jesus taught us to pray.

My savior taught me to pray.

When I don't know what to say, what I need, or how to pray, Jesus has me covered. Why am I surprised?

Individual chapters in my life find me convicted by certain verses of this prayer. Today, I wonder "do I mean it when I say I want His will to be done?" If I do, then why am I so disheveled when His will doesn't match with my plans. He has a plan that far exceeds mine, and my hind sight is always 20/20, but in the thick of disappointment I have to stop and remind myself that I ask that His kingdom will come, His will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.

We are an Air Force family, and there are times, it seems especially lately, that the Air Force is in control of our lives. This is frustrating, for lack of a better adjective. It  feels as though I am helpless when plans change, or something doesn't happen the way we have understood it to be happening. I don't do well with feeling helpless. You see, I am a planner... I like to know how I am getting from point A to point B. If I have to detour to points E, L, and Z along the way, that's fine just let me know so I can plan for it... Guess what, the Air Force doesn't see it that way. Sometimes this is a fun adventure that leads to eating delicacies in Portugal... Other times it leads to frustrating disappointments.

But when I pray to Our Father, Your will be done, I am trusting that He is ultimately in control. Not me, not Zach, and especially not the Air Force. Our life is not controlled by the Air Force, and when we are seeking God's will, we can trust that even when disappointments occur it is according to God's will as long as we are obedient to Him and seeking His directions.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Our Baby is a Lemon...

Since we found out we were going to have a baby, I signed up for different maternity e-newsletters. One of my favorites comes from The Bump. The kids love this one too, because each week it gives the reader something tangible to grasp how large or small the baby is. You can give me inches and ounces all day long and I can't visualize it, but tell me something is the side of a poppy seed and I gotcha!  The kids are the same way.

So, immediately after we told them they were going to have a brother or sister they wanted to know how big was it? Why wasn't my belly big? Why can't you tell if it is a boy or a girl?  I went to the bump and found this a great reference to explain how small the baby was at the time. Since then every few days one or both of our kiddos will ask, "How big is Cub today?" (That's our nickname for the baby, Cub) 

This week Cub is weighing in (approximately) at a whopping 1.5 oz, and 3.4 in.  Or if you are like me, this week Cub is the size of a lemon! I kinda miss last week. Last week Cub was a peach, and a peach baby sounds way sweeter than a lemon baby, but that's okay, in less than a week I will have a navel orange on my hands (or in utero rather), and we will just keep making our way through the produce section.

How Big Is Baby???

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

It isn't fair... It is Grace and Mercy.

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God smitten by him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV, emphasis added)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Soccer Season Begins!

Zach is a soccer fanatic. He has played since he was a young kid in clubs then played in high school and leagues in college and as an adult. He loves this sport. I grew up playing volleyball and basketball, my tiny South Texas school didn't have a soccer team, so I could have cared less, until last summer. The FIFA World Cup (which I have to say in it's entirety because it's just so fun to say FIFA) was in full swing and we cheered on Landon Donovan and the entire USA team! Much to Zach's delight we became a soccer family!

Fast forward seven months and Kristyn has decided she wants to play soccer. Zach has coached little league in the past and thought this would be a great experience for him and Kristyn to spend quality time together. We signed them both up and this weekend the Blazing Blueberries had their first game!

Coach Zach watches over as the girls start to warm up.

Coach Zach gives the Blazing Blueberries a pep talk as they get ready to start their first game!

Kristyn (#7) is getting ready to get in on the action.

Coach Zach just finished encouraging one of the players as she get ready to go back into the game.

Bubba was a tad bored, but cheered on his sister's team the whole time.

Kristyn and her teammate get ready for a kick off.

My favorite Blueberry after the game!

They didn't win, but they had fun and had a great time as they started their Spring season!!!