I was looking at Analytics that tells you how many people read your blog and stuff...
and it said that someone typed this in as a keyword which brought them to my blog....
...."shared room" sister thong stolen....
okay...which one of you had a thong stolen by your sister? the thought of that is pretty gross.
My condolences.
Curtis took the kids home tonight.
And on the way home, he needed a stress relief, so he declared that they were going to spend the 10 minute ride home saying the word "POOP" as many times as they could....in any way they could...
Apparently it was a big hit and the party van was filled with lots of laughing.
Eventually Lexi said, "Dad, I am laughing so hard that the sad drops are coming out of my eyes."
Good one Lex. Good one.
I just found this on my computer... it's fun to read now that Lexi is 3 years old. Where does time go?
2 Months Old Today!!!
Today was Lexi’s 2 month Birthday. No birthday cakes or presents, but lots of hugs and love! It’s hard to believe she’s been around for two months already. We’re now getting into the hang of things and comfortable with our new lives. Lexi is sleeping well…we’ve even had about a week of sleeping through the night (8 hours). We love that!!
Last week we got back from our trip to Kentucky and West Virginia visiting family. The girls both did well flying. Lexi was perfect on the plane. And she did great adjusting to the time changes and all the traveling we did while we were there. We had a great time visiting with family and I’m so glad we had the opportunity to take the girls to meet all of Curtis’ family.
Today I braved going to the mall with the girls by myself. It was an interesting experiment. But we did okay! Right now she is snuggled up on Curtis & he just said she is snoring. When she sleeps, she really sleeps.
Haley is still doing great with her. I love our morning times together, when Haley comes running in my room looking for Lexi Mae. Every morning begins with, “Where’d Lah – Lee Mae go?” “Oh, there she is…oooo, she’s so cute!” It’s just the sweetest thing ever. She’s looking forward to when Lexi gets “big, and bigger, and bigger, and then she can play with me.” I’m looking forward to that too!
Lexi has a doctor’s appointment this Friday. It will be fun to see how much she has grown and how she is doing.
It’s been a great 2 months, and we’re looking forward to the days and months ahead.
1. Every kid in HB is sick.
2. Every kid was in my doctor's office.
3. Every boy under 10 has no problem digging in his crotch.
4. After said crotch digging, every boy goes and plays with the communal toys.
5. 1 bottle of Purrell per visit is not nearly enough.
6. 14 year old girls when bored enough will read preschool aged books with titles such as "Barbie and the Prince" and "Courderoy goes to the doctor"
7. Single Dads check the Moms out.
8. More than 5 kids crying at the same time makes me crave a Zanex.
9. Applying a pig snout to your child's nose before the doctor comes in will make the doctor laugh really hard.
10. My 3 year old daughter is braver than me when it comes to shots.
My husband is making his nightly snack of peanut butter toast and he just said...
"Babe...you are right...we have a good life."
And I said, "Why is that?"
And then I thought I would write it down so we could remind ourselves or how blessed we are on days when we can't quite see through the clouds...
And these are his words....
We have healthy kids....
a roof over our heads....
those two alone are a dream for some people...
i can go to the gym and work out....
and i have a great dog that lays at my feet.
Okay...it may not be super deep, but he was thankful (and so am I) and I just wanted to write it down.
my husband's blog...
http://ngloriouspastor.wordpress.com/
he brings up some interesting thoughts/questions.
seriously...go ahead and read it.
Okay. My friends in College called me Spiritual Spice cause I would take a random moment and turn it into something really spiritual...especially after I read those Left Behind Books. Oh man, I think Jen Bunch coined the phrase (which wasn't necessarily meant as a compliment if I recall)...but it stuck.
I say all that, cause I am totally being spiritual spice right now and giving you 2 Jesus/Spiritual blogs in one day. You are welcome.
So tonight we had a case of the Poopy Finger.
Let me explain.
Curtis is gone. I'm getting the girls ready for bed. And I'm snuggled up with Lexi when I begin to notice that Haley is taking a long time in the bathroom. After questioning what she was doing, she finished up her "business" and washed her hands several times. As I was tucking her in, she told me her thumb smelled like poop. Lovely.
I smelled it. It did have a faint poopy smell. But you gotta know, my daughter has my husband's nose who has HIS Mother's nose...which has a VERY KEEN SENSE OF SMELL. Like a superhuman sense. Like if they were on HEROES, their gift would be in smelling. So it was apparently piercing her nasal cavity with it's horrid smell.
But I digress.
I told her to tuck it under her pillow or keep it away from her nose. This apparently did not work since I started to hear sobbing coming from her room.
Cue door.
Haley comes up devastated about the poopy finger. "It smells. It is so stinky. Why oh Why is this happening to me? If your finger smelled like this, you would cry too....etc, etc."
I pulled her out of Lexi's room so she wouldn't keep her awake. And this upset her so much, she calmed down and decided she would be okay. She promises me she will go to sleep...that it isn't bothering her anymore. So we say goodnight again. And I leave.
Cue door.
"Mom, it is starting all over again. It really smells."
Cue Hysterical Sobbing.
This goes on for 40 minutes. I can't calm her down. We wash it. We purell it. We call daddy. We pray. We try it all.
I finally put her in my bed to keep her away from Lexi who is trying to sleep. And she goes all out crazy. Like lock you up crazy. And I walked away. I went on the couch and just started to breathe.
A few minutes later, she came out and said "It doesn't smell anymore." I said, "Did you wash it again?" "No, I didn't. Just smell." And as I grab her hand, water is dripping off of it. "Wait, I thought you didn't wash your hand?" I ask. "I didn't! " She says. And then I just looked at her and said, "So now you are lying?" "Go to bed Haley". (Sidebar... there is NOTHING...and I mean NOTHING I loathe more than lying). I was so sad.
She leaves.
Then returns...sobbing. "I'm so sorry Mommy... I'm so so so so so so so so sorry. I feel so bad. I lied. I lied about the poop (how it got on her finger). I lied about sleeping. I lied about washing my hands. I'm so sooooooo sorry. I feel so bad. I feel so bad."
And then we just held each other.
I apologized for losing my temper with her. And then I said, "Let's go snuggle together and talk about this..."
She started telling me a story about her preschool teach at church (Cindy R) who lied when she was a little girl...and as that story was revealed, I realized she understood how wrong it was to lie. She knew what she had done. She had been thinking about it.
And curled up in my bed, with my broken 5 year old daughter, I could not help but feel the emotions of how God must feel when we come to him. When we confess our sin. When we ask forgiveness. When we admit our wrongs. When we reach out for him to hold us.
And while I held her in my arms, I could imagine how He must feel holding on to us. Wiping our tears away. Comforting our hurts. Embracing us with His grace. Thankful we asked for forgiveness. Wanting the best for us. Ready to give us a fresh start.
Haley and I had a bit of a rough hour or two tonight...but I feel like I've given God a rough lifetime or two... And yet his arms are still reaching out...still ready to hold me...still ready to wipe away my tears...still ready to offer me grace.
So I guess I'm thankful for the poopy finger that reminded me of all that.
So I spent some time this morning...reading Scripture...talking to God...listening....
I started working on a devotional from our Women's event last night...and that was good. One of the things that Amber told us was to really work on listening to God. BTW - this is TOTALLY my weakness. And if you know me, you know why. It's hard to listen. It's hard not to talk. But I want to. And I want to grow in this area in ALL my relationships.
So...I tried.
And while I might not have heard anything directly... I did wind up in a part of Scripture that was not part of my plan...and now I can't stop thinking about it. So I will take that as God leading me there...and speaking to me through Isaiah.
So get this.
We're in Isaiah 58.
My Bible calls this passage "THE PROGRAM OF GOD FOR PEACE." I enjoy peace. So I read on. The beginning part of the scripture talks about the wrong kind of fasting...basically going through the motions instead of being purposeful...specifically in the areas where the poor are concerned. And he compares this sort of fast to the fast that is ACCEPTABLE to him...
Pick it up at Vs.6 (and keep in mind this is the fast the Lord WANTS)
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the
oppressed free and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn
and your healing will quickly appearl
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
....skipping ahead to vs.11 (although you should read the WHOLE scripture when you have a chance.)
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will
raise up the age-old foundations,
you will be called REPAIRER OF BROKEN WALLS,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Oh how I love this scripture...it gives such a beautiful glimpse into the heart of God and how desperately he loves his people. But he is the invisible God. We have to be his hands and feet. He is the God who is able. But He is also the God who withholds his power...because he wants us to be empowered. He wants us to show His love. He wants us to share, give, love, and bring peace into the world. He wants us to REPAIR THE BROKEN WALLS and RESTORE THE STREETS WITH DWELLINGS.
I don't want to get into politics on this blog. But it did make me ask the question... I wonder what Jesus would feel about nationalized health care? Regardless of the answer, I know what Jesus does want. He wants the church to be the church. He wants his people to show his love. He is CALLING us to give, help, and care for the needy, the hungry, the poor, the naked, the hurting. Honestly, I feel like if the government steps in, it gives the church an out. And we can't take the out. We can't ignore as scripture says "our own flesh and blood." We are called to loose the chains of injustice.
So what are we gonna do? I don't know about you, but I want Jesus to one day look at me and say, "I know you... you were a Repairer of Broken Walls." So it's time to get busy....
Today was my baby's first day of Kindergarten. And to be honest, I am too tired to download all that went down...but I wanted to share some pictures (the rest are on facebook)... and write down what she told me tonight before she went to sleep.
But first...
This is how the day began...
The family waiting for Haley's class to open. 
Haley and her teacher. 
Haley kissing me goodbye.
If you know Haley or read my blog often, you know she's a pretty tough little girl. That being said, I know she loves me. Because of moments like this. She came to me. She kissed me goodbye.
And tonight, when I tucked her in, she pulled me close... a lot like the picture above... and said, "Mommy, I thought about you all the time when I was at school. I missed you. " And she kissed me goodnight.
I never want to forget how happy and complete I felt at that moment.
It was a hard day...but a good one.
My Mom and Dad turned 60 this year. My mom thought it would be fun to surprise Pops on his Birthday...so we had a little family surprise dinner catered by one of his favorite restaurants...Maggianos.
Curtis is getting into the spirit of things.
The decor is set.
The guests have arrived. 
Reading his card from the grandkids that Haley wrote which reads, "Papa, for your birthday we are taking you and Grandma to Sea World." 
I told my mother that Jennifer (my sister) and I wanted them both to have a special memory for their 60th Birthdays. (My mom turned 60 in June)... and that made mom a bit emotional. This is where I inherited my gift of "happy tears." 
At the Disney World Castle, the princesses go from table to table and take pictures with the guests. After dinner, Haley dressed up as Cinderella and went around from person to person, asking me to take pictures. I thought that was very sweet. 
Lexi dressed as Belle and took a picture with Auntie Jen.
Papa and Belle.
Cinderella and Daddy. 
By the time we got around to taking a pic with Haley/Emily/Lexi...Haley got a little bored with it all. 
Then Snow White arrived, and asked to dance with her "handsome prince." Priceless moment. 
Time for some Mini Creme Brulees.
An after-dinner concert.
Haley singing one of the songs she wrote. 
.....We went to Sea World on Saturday. I didn't take to many pictures, but these are some of my favorites.
This Walrus came over to the girls for several minutes....I think he really liked them. 
Walrus Hug.
My Polar Bears.
Haley and Emily...sweet kisses.
Nighttime with Shamu and the family.
Lexi got her glow on.
And if you keep track...this is the first Shamu show I have ever watched without crying happy tears. I think it had to do with Shamu jumping to "We will Rock You" instead of some sappy emotional song. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful show...even more special with a sleeping Lexi in my arms.
Goodnight sweet baby.
Sweet Snuggles after a fun day.
Happy Birthday Dad... hope you enjoyed your day as much as we did!
