For Aunt Angie

Here are some picks from our trip to Nana and Papa's

Can you see that Papa let Judson drive! He LOVED it!

So did Olivia!

We got lots of good time with Memaw Crabb!

We like to refer to this little hike as the Bragdon Death March. We are carrying on a grand tradition. It used to be called the Clark Death March. Good Times. This beautiful shady path is how it started out.This is how it ended up. There were a few leeches involved too. And we were all quite possibly closer to heat stroke than this Momma likes to admit. But look there....I did admit it. And on the internet where anyone who want to can see it. That little rock was the only shade to be had.

This is the only picture of Youth Camp I will be posting. Most of you don't know the kids in our Youth group and they don't read my blog so I will spare you. We had a WONDERFUL time. This right before we left to come home. Only the third time I put on make-up that week.

So many things I SHOULD be doing.....but in the true spirit of procrastination:

Here are Elise's Preschool Graduation pictures.

Mrs. Cathy and EliseSuch a big girl!

She loves her Daddy!

Proud of our Sister!

Here are all the table mates!

We leave for our family vacation tomorrow! Tomorrow also happens to be Cow Appreciation day at Chick-fil-A! We spent a good part of today making our outfits. If you dress like a cow you get a free combo. If you make an effort you get a free entree. Tomorrow we might happen to drive past one on our way to our vacation destination right about lunch time. We might even find one around dinner time, too! But we haven't mapped it out or anything!

Now I guess we better get our packing done! Happy July! Try to stay cool. I said TRY!

Life is Movin' Along

I have been terribly remiss in my blog posting. But that's life. I am trying hard to be faithful to the job the Lord has given me. The computer can be a terrible distraction in my line of work as Wife and Mom.

But I have lots of pictures to upload.

-We had Elise's Pre-K graduation.
-Youth Camp- SO FUN!
-Some backyard pool time!

Maybe I will actually get those pictures uploaded soon, but maybe not.

I have to make sure I am living life instead of worrying about recording it all. I would much rather participate!

HAPPY SUMMER!

Famous Last Words...

There are lots of famous last words....

Frankly my dear, I don't give a da*n- Rhett Butler

Rosebud... -Citizen Kane

Et tu, Brute? -Julius Ceasar

Let's Roll! -Todd Beamer

It is finished. -Jesus Christ

There are also some infamous last words.....

like

It will only take me a few hours. --Me

I will be done by the time FaithLyn gets home from school.... -Also ME

And with those words I began my painting project.

The girls have been waiting for me to paint their room for two whole years. I woke up Thursday last week and decided to just do it. I had all the stuff and it's a small room. I could do it in one morning, no problem!


So I started painting. The paint was ok while it was wet. I knew it would dry darker....but I was not expecting my green to be ARMY green! GROSS. It was like Mossy Oak with out the Oak! It was A.W.F.U.L!

So, I took a trip to Lowes and spent about $50 bucks on some wash to try and lighten up the nastiness. And about 5 hours later and one major meltdown later I realized all I had to do was to add some left over white paint to the green and I did. I started painting coat #3 at about 9 pm that night.

And ONLY 36 hours later I was finished with this room. I am not in love with the color but it is WAY better than Army green. All the walls are one color and it works.

Sheesh!

Ode to Our Moms

We have been incredibly blessed by our mothers. Dan and I lived worlds apart growing up. I grew up on a farm where my Mom took me with her in the tractor to help Dad out by plowing. Dan grew up in the military. Both of our Moms made hard choices. Diana moved a LOT and kept such a wonderful warm home and a magical sense of normal for her family in all those different places. My Mom lived on a farm and it was our life. In the summers we all put in long hard hours but my Mom would then come home and prepare a meal for us and do laundry and somehow managed to keep the house clean.

Both Moms faced challenges I can only imagine. Both Moms taught us to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Both of our mothers showed us the self-sacrificing love that is so like the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Both put in lots of long hours of worry, work, and tons of laundry with very little thanks. And neither of them expected thanks for the hours of prayer, labor and sleepless nights.

Every year that I am a mother I appreciate the love of our mothers a little more. I see a little more clearly the path that they so lovingly and dedicatedly walked. I am blessed to walk the same road. It's tough. But it is the most wonderful kind of tired you will ever experience.

I am not sure I would like to compare myself as a mother to our own mothers. There is no comaparison. I am so thankful to have such faithful friends, prayer warriors, advice givers, encouragers, and lovers of my children in not just MY mother but my sweet Mother-in-Law as well. I have been doubly blessed. I am praying the same for my children.

I pray that the Lord will encourage me on this journey to never let good enough be enough. May I always love my children more than myself, and help me, Lord, not to resent their every minute of the day need of me. Rather allow me to embrace it and loose myself in it so that these precious blessings might find themselves in You. In reality I ask only to be the kind of mother that our Moms were for us!

The Progression

Addendum

I had some pictures I wanted to share from the Kindergarten Cowboy day.

I also realized that not all my readers are from Texas or have my cowboy background....My ancestors helped settle Texas....just so you know I am qualified to say I have a cowboy background; I could pull a Paul and tell you all my other qualifications but I will spare you.....So I thought I might share some of the fun activities the kids got to do. Of course there was the Hula Hoop Roping. I helped with that...

There was also Stick Horse Barrel Racing:

Then some of my other favorites: Steer Branding

Cowpatty Toss (Much like Throwing the Discus)- Don't worry they were only tossing cookies -we aren't uncivilized!

Cowboy Duds Relay

Bandana Water Relay

And the Sack Race

I also wanted to mention to Stella the reason that my yearly exam made it into my rundown...

I forgot to mention that I WAS going to have to take my three youngest children with me. Yeah, there isn't enough therapy in the world to make that right! Who wants to have to calm a hysterical 3 yr old and explain why that is ok? I wasn't really looking forward to that......But my appointment was at 2 pm and I didn't figure I could make it back in time to pick up FL from school so I asked a friend to pick her up and she offered to keep the other kids! WooHoo! No mental/emotional scarring for MY kids. Not on that day anyway, but there's always tomorrow!

Here's a Run Down....

Ok, this is for my one friend who still checks...

I am going to try and give you a run down of the last few weeks to get all caught up so I can start again.

March:

March 4- Took Judson for his 18 month check-up ~ got some shots.

March 10- PTA meeting

March 13-15 Visit to see Angie and Luke. Fun but rainy. The moms got stir crazy with 5 kids stuck in doors....

March 17-19 Youth Group Spring Break Trip to Robbers Cave State Park, OK

March 9ish-22ish -Long hard battle with chemically evolved Head Lice resistant to even the most deadly of chemicals! One of the joys of Public School...it happens to the best of us. This also blessed us with LOADS of laundry, all the linens, coats and clothes, many long tedious head checks and we finally won the battle by picking out the bugs and nits one. by. one.....BY HAND! It makes me sick just thinking of it. I am an expert on Head Lice now...Have any questions? I bet I can answer them. I am also pretty adept at spotting those TINY little bugs in even the lightest of hair!

March 25- 6 month Cleaning appointment for FaithLyn and Elise

March 26- VBS Training Conference

This year I am teaching the Missions Rotation. I am super excited, it's always my favorite part of VBS. Here is part of my room. The chairs are set up like a boat.

March 27- Kindergarten Cowboy Fun Day at the Camp

I love helping with FaithLyn's class. I got to help with Hula Hoop Calf Roping. The kids had a great time. They also got to do some Square Dancing and got a real Roping demonstration. But we live in Cowboy land so it wasn't too new for many kids.

March 30- I made a whirlwind trip to Lubbock to be with my family while Dad had his surgery.

It went really well and I am SOOO thankful that Dan made it possible for me to go. What was I thinking that I didn't need to be there??? My dad is recovering super quick from the surgery and it was a complete success! No more cancer. Praise God!

I had to rush home that afternoon to make it back for a date with Dan. He got a babysitter so we could go the High School One-Act Play Dinner Theater. I was pretty pooped.

April:

April 6- Yearly Exam with my OB/GYN....NEVER fun!

April 7-9 Quick visit home to see Dad. Again thanks to Dan for making it possible. FaithLyn got some good Daddy time!

April 10 Good Friday- Dan got the day off. We did some landscaping and got some hair cuts for Easter. I cut Dan and Judson and the girls went to a local hair cutting chain.

April 11 Worked on the piles of laundry and cleaned on the house. Dan took the kids to an egg hunt in town. I got a much needed haircut from a friend who came to my house! Talk about convenient!

April 12 -Easter I didn't get any pictures....BOO! My camera was dead....5 people to get ready is a LOT. I forgot to put the turkey in the oven, I came back in the middle of Sunday school. The turkey was done at 2...We had some for dinner.

We had a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. It didn't quite go as I had planned....But still full of God's grace, mercy, and the joy of our salvation!

April 14- PTA meeting

April 21- Elise went for her Kindergarten screening!!!

We have a pretty big weekend planned ~I hope to tell you all about it!

Good Grief!

Has it really been that long? Well. Sorry. Life did a 180 when everyone got well and I haven't had much down time since then.

My Dad had his surgery to remove his prostate. They found some cancer there and feel hopeful that this surgery will take care of it all. He is home recuperating and doing well.

Honestly I am too tired to do a 4 week run down. I have dinner on the stove and kids in the tub. My house is a wreck and the laundry is piled higher than should be allowed by the law.
So til next time!

Sweet FREEDOM!

It had to happen sometime. We all knew it would, even though at times I almost convinced myself it couldn't possibly. It Has!

Elise is now fever free!

I am dancing a little jig in my heart even as I type the words!

It has a been a GLORIOUS day. And it is even more glorious out of doors so we are taking a little trip to the park!

PRAISE the LORD!

Free at Last! Free at Last! Thank God Almighty I am free at LAST!!!

The Madness Continues...

It's day 15. I think. I have almost lost track of all time and anything that might happen outside of our house and yard. Yesterday I was a casualty to the war on illness. I am so thankful that I have a husband who is capable of handling the children when I am sick. He took them to church, well-all but Elise- and brought lunch home, and kept taking the kids to church. I wish I could have slept. It would have been a wonderfully quiet day to sleep. I watched the A&E Pride and Prejudice instead. It was time well spent!

This morning I was ecstatic when Elise's fever only registered in at 101! Now we are back to the fever she had for the first week of illness. Maybe that antibiotic is finally kicking in! I knew were making some progress when she was actually smiling today. And she ate TWO meals instead of only one! She's already small, she can't stand to loose lots of weight! But I know she is a resilient little gal.

The other thing that brought joy to this Wild-eyed, crazy haired Mama? Dan fixed the fence so that the wonder dog can't escape anymore...for the billionth time. I got a whole day of being able to put the dog outside and go get him when I want instead of when he is baking at the front door or the porch door. I had no idea how stressful it was to me to have to watch him constantly until I got some reprieve! Now I don't have to put him in his kennel and listen to him whine. I can put him outside and if I am not in my room I don't have to listen to him whine....sigh. The simple pleasures of life.

Mondays are long days for us. It's Danny's seminary day. He doesn't get home until 8 on most class nights. It's become a sort of tradition to have breakfast for dinner on those nights. It's easy and I know the kids will all eat it so it helps me cook. For some reason, when Dan isn't here I have a hard time cooking. I mean, maybe when Judson gets older and actually eats like a boy, unless he's like his Dad was as a boy....It's usually like cooking a whole meal for myself. NO one else will eat it and then what's the use! I would rather have a sandwich than do all those dishes and then try to figure out what to do with the leftovers.

Anyway, Monday Breakfast for dinner works. Tonight we had french toast and bacon. Yummy!

Chronicles of Momma Madness

So. Someone or multiple ones have been sick since Feb. 15. FaithLyn got sick on Sunday afternoon. That day was the last time I got to spend time with people outside of my home who weren't running a fever. Except of course standing and waiting with all the other parents who are picking up their children at school. My poor sick children have no choice but to tag along with me to pick up the school-aged child. The government won't allow me to leave them home....Certain parents* frown upon me leaving them in the car unattended....(not that I disagree with the safety of these measures...I just find them bothersome at times.) I figure since that is where the original illness was contracted it is only fitting to bring it full circle. I mean my hands are tied. I can be a good parent to my children....Or yours, but I can not serve two masters! Sorry, it's scriptural!

I haven't been to church. I haven't done a LOT of things, like fix my hair or put make-up on.

For the sake of posterity I will try to keep this blog positive.

I HAVE watched about 1,000,001 movies. You would think I would have used this time that I have been sequestered in my home to bring the living quarters into a livable condition.... You would think. Sorry we were thinking positive weren't we?

I HAVE stayed caught up on my Beth Moore Bible Study despite having missed more video sessions than I have actually attended.

I HAVE worked with the wonder dog, who is at the moment less than wonderful in my estimation, to only pee and poop outside.....with out the satisfaction of complete success.
-I realize that one isn't positive no matter how I word it....work with me here, people.

I HAVE taken my sickest child to the doctor. She is being treated for an ear infection. The doctor assures me the antibiotic will take care of the fever in another day or two. She was rather easy with her days....Apparently she hasn't been cooped up in the house for 12 days with sick children/spouses....To me EVERY day counts.

I HAVE been preparing myself mentally for the disappointment of missing the Marriage Conference at our church tomorrow that we have been anticipating since NOVEMBER!

OK, it's going downhill fast. I don't like to complain to the Internet. I try to keep the semblance of a happy non complainer for all of you in the blog sphere. Those of you that know me can laugh to yourselves....I try to save all of my complaining for my Darling Husband. He is thankful that after a day of meeting the needs of all of those around me I have saved at least one part of myself all for him. Beggars can't be choosers, you know!

Please enjoy your day as you go about your daily routine with all your well children....




***That's a story to be told over a cup of Coffee...not the blog. It's a good one too! At least I think I can laugh about it now.

Picture Update

Here are a few pics to update you. This is Elise's birthday party. I now know why parents spend tons of money to NOT have the party at home. WHEW! From now on we will adhere to the 3-4 friends birthday party! This was CRAZY! It was like Girls Gone Wild: Preschool edition! At one point we had about 5 little girls naked in the back closet changing into dress-up clothes.....Dan called me back to ....help? I just turned around and left. I didn't know what to do. These girls had minds of their own.
You see we have a rule that dress-up is worn OVER your clothes. I simply knew that if we let the girls change their clothes it would 1. be a huge mess. I am not a fan of messes and let me remind you that we have 3 little girls. SO mess x 3! 2. They would strip their clothes off when ever they wanted to play.......just seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. 3. I didn't want to fight with my darling little girls who decided they would be snow white all day no matter if Mom did need to go to the store. It's just easier all around.

Apparently not all moms think like this. Everyone had a really good time at the party, I think. Dan planned a scavenger hunt that ended up in the cave he made out of our laundry room. If you look at the picture below you can see the X that marks the spot on the laundry room door.
That took about 6 minutes. It was fun. They all liked it. I am glad it is over. When the girls arrived they decorated their crowns. That really was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed that. Not to mention it kept them occupied for a good 20-30 minutes!

Here's the cake I made for her. It's supposed to be a crown but....well it is what it is...

Here we are at Elise's V-Day party at her preschool. Isn't she cute?

This is a cute one of the kids playing when The Barkers came to visit! So much fun!

It is hard to get a shot of 4 kids all looking at the camera. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get a shot of 7!

Happy 5th Birthday, Liesy Piesy!

Five years ago, today, I became the proud mother of this sweet, caring, little girl! She was the BEST baby ever! She was so content, she smiled, and she slept! This little girl slept through the night at 6 wks! She always sighed with relief when we put her in her bed. She has always slept with her snuggle bunny. Always. She still does, thanks to Memaw Crabb who patched the hole in his chest. I was threatening to throw snuggs away, but Memaw saved the day!

Elise is so creative. She is never bored! Like her Daddy she can create a whole new world from the most mundane things. And her memory is amazing! Words have always been very important to her she is very careful to enunciate when she is singing! Her attention to details can be meticulous. Sometimes she will ask Dan or I to draw a picture for her and she gets so frustrated when we can't draw it just like she imagined it. She will have us try again and again until we get it right.

When I started teaching Elise to read, she took off! Once she grasps a new rule or concept there is no stopping her! Every once in a while she will amaze us with some knowledge she has stored up in her brain. One day we were asking FaithLyn how many kids were in her class. Dan was helping her figure it out.
He said, "Well, how many people sit at each table?"
"Four."
"And how many tables are there?"
"Four."
"So, how many kids are there?" And at this point Elise pipes up, "Sixteen!"
Dan and I just looked at each other!!!? I have no idea how she knew that unless she remembered it or just figured it out. But she pulls stunts like that all the time!

She brings lots of sunshine and laughter into our home! We sure do love you, Elise! I pray that God will unfold even more of his divine mystery to you this coming year! Happy Birthday, Sweet girl!

Meet TIGER, The Amazing Wonder Dog!

I should give a little background here. Most of you know my children. If you know my children you also know that they are scared of dogs. We have made LOTS of progress on this irrational fear/phobia. FaithLyn was the worst. She was paralyzed with fear every time a dog came near. We decided the best thing for her to overcome her fear is to have a dog. So when the right one came along...we welcomed him to the family. Anyone seen the movie My Dog Skip? Well this little fella is a Jack Russel Terrier Mix. Skip is a Jack Russel. I have always wanted one. The girls named him. He is lots of fun and loves to cuddle up and snuggle. I took FL and Elise with me to look at the puppies. I thought if FL is ok with one then we will bring it home. She, grudgingly, agreed. But we HAD to bring the "calm" puppy home. The only time I have regretted our decision is late at night/early in the morning when he is yapping for attention in his box. EVERYONE loves him. And he has helped me to meet my goal to get up EARLY in the morning!

Livey is a very EAGER friend. Tiger is a little wary of her and rightly so!

This is the picture that I am most excited about. We haven't pushed FL to play with Tiger or hold him. But today after school she played outside with him for an hour! I peeked outside and found her sitting on a large rock holding him. What progress!