Mary had a baby, Oh Lord?

Today was Andrew's first program at school.  He class sang "Mary had a Baby" and "Feliz Navidad." He was center stage because of his performance during practice.  Today...he got a little stage fright.

First song - Andrew watched himself on the side screens a little then turned to face the back of the stage.

The second song - we never saw his face.

After a teary reunion, Andrew was back to good spirits.

Can I take my flashlight out?

In case you didn't hear...it SNOWED today in Houston!

I must say I was not too excited about the possibility when I went to bed last night.  But one little man changed my mind. 

Andrew went out at least 5 different time within an 8 hour period to play.  He made and threw snow balls, ate the snow, and near the end of the day pushed his lawnmower around the entire house several times "snow plowing."  After dark, he asked to take the flashlight out and play some more.

Lila, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with it.  She went as far as to raise her hand and yell "stop it" at the snow falling to the ground.

The desire of my heart

Last week I was asked about my blog.  Why I did it, how often I updated, etc.  I've neglected to share much more than photos of the kids as of late.  This week I had the opportunity to share a devotion, testimony of sorts, for my Bible study's leaders meeting and thought it was about time for me to share some of my heart with you as well.

Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I was introduced to this verse as a junior in high school. I was a counselor in training at a girls mission camp in Jackson, MS. For over 10 years, I naively claimed this verse. I wrote a list of attributes I wanted in my husband and stuck it in my Bible at that verse. For years, I would recall the verse - quickly skimming over the first part “delight yourself in the Lord.” You see I made a profession of faith at seven and had at least one mountain top experience a year while at camp so I thought I was covered with my commitment to the Lord. More than anything, I went to God when I wanted something or I felt I needed Him.

About 3 years ago, I went to a coffee house concert of a local Christian artist. As she talked of her prayers, I felt like God was speaking her words directly to me. She spoke of her desire to please others and need to be validated by them. She quoted Ps 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Then she explained what this verse had to come mean to her…Not that He would give her what she wanted, but that He would give her WHAT to want. WOW – what a fresh perspective.

“Delight yourself in the Lord”

Looking back at my teenage years, it is very hard for me to distinguish between the things I did because I wanted to and the things I did because I thought they were expected of me and would make others happy. I have always had some twisted relationship between people pleasing and selfishness. These two seemingly opposing forces have caused a lot of heart ache and emotional despair in my life. But a few years ago, I realized that these two forces are not opposing at all. On one hand, I am consumed with pleasing others. On the other hand, I am consumed with pleasing my flesh. They are both used by Satan to take my focus off of pleasing God.

For much of my life, I tried to compartmentalize God. I had my church friends and my “other” friends. I had my “religious” beliefs and my “other” beliefs. I believed that God was powerful, but a lot of life was coincidence. I filled my time with my agenda and allotted some Sunday mornings to Him. During this time, I felt in constant conflict with myself. Through the study of His word, God has broken down my boundary lines. I can no longer pick and choose when to include God. He is my center and is woven throughout my life.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Much has changed in me since the coffee house concert. He has implanted in me an unquenchable thirst to know His word. He has given me new desires that are pure, noble, right, lovely, and admirable. Let me stop here to say that I do not consider my “self” conquered. Nor do I claim that every thought, motive, or action is pure. But through His word, He is daily replacing my need to please others and please myself with my need to please Him. He has shown me that faith is being obedient to His present voice. And Obedience is not a onetime deal but a choice I am faced with over and over throughout each day. God honors each obedient step I make with encouragement for the next.

In the book Fueled By Faith, Jennifer Kennedy Dean puts it this way, “There is a way chosen for you. “Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct Him in the way chosen for him” Psalm 25:12. God has a specific plan for you, and as you trust and follow Him, the plan unfolds. His will for you, His design for your life, fits you in every way. It is not a generic, off-the-track plan that would fit just anyone. He has designed a life just for you. As you surrender to Him, you do not lose yourself; you find yourself. As you obey Him step by step, a steadfast peace settles on you. Your heart cries, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me!” His will satisfies your deepest yearnings, nourishes your soul, strengthens you. His will is all you need and all you desire.” He has given me a vision and desire to serve Him.

Another big change in my relationship with God began around the same time I learned to pray that God would make His desires my desires -- I became a mother. My whole life I have known God’s name as Father. Until 4 years ago, I only experienced the child side of that – and I was a bratty child. I saw others' satisfaction or dissatisfaction with me based on my accomplishments and failures. This is how I saw God as Father. I felt He couldn’t possibly separate what I did from who I was. I did not understand my own parents’ thoughts and motivations or God’s until I had a child of my own. With this new love I was experiencing for my own child, God opened a window for me to see another side of Him. I see that His love for me runs deeper than I could ever imagine. I see that He has set guidelines not because He wants to limit me, but because He wants to show me His Higher Ways (Is 55:9). I see that, just like when my children learned to walk, He would love nothing more than for me to “get it” the first time. He doesn’t delight when I fall. Each time He is there to love and comfort me and then stand me back up. God is cheering me on in each baby step I take.

I am under no illusion that I will ever reach a point where a lapse in faith is impossible. God allowed me to suffer through sin and its consequences so I would remember how miserable it is to live without Him guiding me. I pray that God will humble me when I am proud. Stretch me when I am complacent. I pray that I will always be able to accept His grace and my heart will not be hardened by the trials I know are ahead of me. I pray that He uses this time of what my dear friend calls steady drizzle to prepare my heart for the heavy rain that I know I will experience one day.

He is: My refuge when I feel under attack; My friend who does not disappoint, He speaks what I need to hear. He gives me so much more than I need. He is: the Giver of health, My Validation, My encourager, ALL that is good within me, My Redeemer, My creator who knit me as I am for His glory, The All Sufficient One…He is My heart’s desire.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Lila!

Lila a few weeks after birth and at 1 year old.

Stats: Height 33 3/4 inches, Weight 32 pounds

Happy birthday to our precious Lila Grace.  She is such a spunky little girl.  Cooperation and sharing come in her own time.  Every morning when she wakes up she says "I had a good night sleep."  And when I pick her up from mother's day out/church/bible study she always says "I had a good day, Mommy!"  She recognizes when I have on my gym clothes and asks, "You go excercising?" She still loves her little pink baby and her "boppy" (pacifier which she will part with over Christmas break).  She likes to watch Max & Ruby, Dora, and Elmo.  She LOVES to sing and has a pretty funny "Stevie Wonder" dance.  Lila is extrememely active and loves to climb and swing.  All of her little classmates at Mother's Day Out love to say her name and her teachers just don't know what to do with her.  For example, one day she turned herself over in her chair and began to cry.  The teachers consoled her and then began to remind her how dangerous it is to lean back in her chair.  She continued to cry and her teacher asked, "Lila, where do you hurt?"  She replied, "I hurt all over."  As it goes daily with us at home...just when we are trying to get through a serious teaching moment, she looks me in the eye and says, "I lu zu (I love you), Mama."   God has given her a quick little mind.  She loves puzzles and books and stickers and babies and cooking.  She loves anything "pank" including her new pink Crocs.  Her hair is uncontrollable and she seems to always have ketchup on her face.  Lila loves her bubba, Andrew, and tries hard to keep up with him.  She must run to give her Daddy one last kiss each morning before he leaves.  I am blessed to be Mommy to such a unique little girl.

My prayer for you, Lila, is that you will grow to love God with all your heart at a very young age and that He will not simply give you what you desire but give you what to desire.

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Andrew's Thanksgiving Feast

Today Drew and I had the pleasure of eating with our little turkey at his preschool's Thanksgiving Feast.

  Andrew - age 3 1/2

Costume Parade

Andrew and Lila had a costume parade at their preschool today.  The kids dressed in their costumes and walked around the school collecting candy and goodies (which their mommy will consume most of).

Lila as Little Miss Bumblebee

Andrew as Bumblebee the Transformer

What's on my table

I feel like I've been slacking on my domestic duties.  While I do not mind ordering out or going to the grocery store, I like to do so as part of a planned routine and not a necessity because of the lack thereof.  So last night I went back to one thing that makes life easier for me -- meal planning.  Here are our next SEVERAL meals.

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake

The kids ate every bit of this dish I put on their plates.  It was a little bland for my taste.  I think next time I'll add some cracked pepper and sea salt to the chicken.

Tilapia, quinoa (finally giving it a try), & frozen steam in bag veggies

Slow cooker roast with carrots, baby red potatoes, & onions

Make your own (whole grain) pita pizza w/ red & green peppers, onions, tomatoes, & mushrooms

Green salad w/ sauteed shrimp (from frozen seasoned with Emeril's Bayou Blast)

BBQ Mini Meatloaves (prepared in muffin pan) w/ mashed potatoes & green beans

Hamburger steak in cream of mushroom w/ twiced baked sweet potatoes & peas

Pork Chops with Apple Stuffing

(this will be my first)

Chicken Quesadillas w/ spanish rice & corn

Pepper Steak by Christa with brown rice

Ok - that should do us for a while.  I feel so much better having the fridge and freezer stocked for meals.  Makes my life MUCH easier.

First day of school 2009

Today was the first day of school for Andrew and Lila. At their school, the 1s and 2s program is all about having fun and is called Mother's Day Out. This is Lila's first year of MDO. The 3s and 4s program is a little more focused and is called preschool. This is Andrew's third year of school, and it is his first year on the "big" hall.

I had to bribe them with bananas to get them to sit for a 1st day of school picture.  Andrew picked out this shirt at the store.  We tried several short sleeves, but he insisted on the red one with a fire truck. 

First we dropped off Andrew in his Monkey room.  He walked in, found his name on the table, put it on the wall under the "gangs all here" sign and went to playing.  He gave me a kiss and did not look back.  This year I have the (very great) option of picking him up in the car pool line.  When I picked him up, he told said, "Mommy, I took turns."  That was a relief!  He just seems so grown up lately.  I cannot imagine how I will feel when he is starting junior high!

Lila was a little tentative when we walked into her Cow classroom.  She warmed up quickly.  She sat at the table and began playing with a puzzle.  I took the opportunity to sneak out to avoid any tears we might share if I stayed too long.  When I picked her up, she was up from her nap and loving on Ms Penny.  Her teachers said she layed right down on her nap mat and went to sleep.  She is going to have such a fun time at school this year!

Andrew's new bike

Andrew saved up his money from his birthday in May to get a new big boy bike. I took him last month to look at bikes and he picked out this "motorcycle." Slow and steady, in his own time, he decided he wanted to pedal his tricycle. That was the condition he had to meet to go get his bike. He hadn't changed his mind...no Spider man or McQueen this time. He picked out the motorcycle again. He rode it all the way from the back of the store and out to the truck. Unfortunately it was raining when we got home so he rode it in circles in the garage. Today after church he could hardly wait to get back on! He is very focused on his feet. Drew has to keep reminding him to watch where he is going. It is so much fun to see the pride in his face at his great accomplishment!

A week in Whistler

Drew and I spent the week in Whistler before the fall semester began. We had an amazing time hiking, biking, zipping, reading, lounging, working out, climbing, eating, shopping and just being. The kids were with my parents, and we had freedom we have not experienced in over 3 years. We were in awe of the beauty of God's creation and took it all in. While we have many trips we want to take with our kids, I certainly hope we are blessed with another opportunity to get away and remind ourselves how much we have in common when life isn't pushing and pulling us in different directions.

Click here to view a photo album of our trip.

Happy Anniversary!

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend.

Lucky to have been where we have been.

Lucky to be coming home again.

Happy anniversary, Drew. Thanks for 7 amazing years and the promise of many more. I love you.

Little Boys love their dads

We spent Father's Day weekend in Brenham with Drew's dad and family.

Pictured: Todd, Joe, and Drew on horses followed by Andrew on his tractor.

Lila's 18 mos at 19 mos

Lila turned 18 months in May. Wow...what happened to my baby? She is nonstop. People often comment how she never stops. I always want to say, do you think you are telling me something I don't know? Lila is a talker. Her first sentence was "I don(t) like it." Soon followed by "What's wrong, Andrew?" Lila is very compassionate...it melts my heart when she takes a toy over to a crying friend. She is also feisty....when the friend stops crying she may just go right back over there and take it back. She thinks she is 3. She tries most everything she sees Andrew doing - jumping out of the playhouse (2nd floor), coloring, riding a scooter. She is a sweet little mommy to her babies but also loves to take a turn with Andrew's cars and trucks. She likes to "cook" in her kitchen. Lila LOVES to be outside and she LOVES music. She has the cutest little clap and dance. She likes to count (skips numbers here and there) and sings her ABCs (choo choo soul style). She is getting a bit more cuddly which I love.

Height - 32 inches (squirming), 25-50%

Weight - 27 pounds, 75-90%

Andrew telling the good news

Andrew reciting Mark 16:15

Happy 3rd Birthday Andrew!

It is hard for me to believe that Andrew is turning 3 today but he is acting every bit of his 3 years. He is an affectionate child. He loves to cuddle up in my lap with a cup of milk in the mornings while we watch his favorite "show" which is currently Curious George. He eats waffles most mornings off his dad's plate sitting in his dad's lap. Andrew plays hard - crashes cars, likes to race, splashes in the sprinkler, plays robots - and has even become a big "helper" - helping with the dishes, getting diapers for me when Lila needs to be changed, wiping down the table, and cleaning up spills. He often asks me, "wanna play cars mommy?" Andrew is still taking great afternoon naps (in his toddler bed for a few more days) and wakes up ready to play outside. He loves school - mostly art and the playground - and comes home talking about whatever he has learned that day (weather, earth, dinosaurs). He is interested in space and wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. He is still very tender hearted. He is fairly shy when he enters a new place but warms up rather quickly. He loves his friends and is even beginning to engage Lila in play. I have no doubt they will be best buds in another year. He likes bath time and doesn't like shampoo mohawks ("keep it flat mommy"). Every night we read a book, say prayers then we must sing Jesus Loves Me and Twinkle Little Star before falling to sleep with his Lamb.

Hours after Andrew was born.

Me and Andrew at his 1st birthday party.

Andrew at 2.

Drew and Andrew last week at Kate's wedding.

Our sweet boy stole my heart 3 years ago. Each day is a challenge. The good and fun almost always outweigh the "challenges". But each night before I go to bed I have to walk back upstairs and give him one more kiss goodnight.

Stats: Height 38 3/4 inches, Weight 38 pounds

Congrats Kate & Eric!

Last night Andrew made his debut as ring bearer in Kate's wedding. Kate & Eric were stunning. The wedding was at Briscoe Manor in Richmond and it was beautiful. We had a blast.

The biggest challenge of the night was keeping the boys clean and bright for the 2 hours they were dressed for pictures...but they made it (bribed with tons of suckers and the promise of cake) and were adorable walking down the aisle. Luke and Andrew were as cute as could be. Ainsley and Emma looked like pros as flower girls. Here are a few shots of the kids playing and dancing and Andrew taking a breather at the reception.

Catching Up

It's been a busy Spring and I have just not been able to keep up! Here are some fun moments we've had late March/early April. Lila playing in the rain one afternoon while Andrew was at preschool. She had a blast.

We travelled to MS/LA to visit family and friends. This is a picture of Drew and me at ATO Crawfish Boil in Hattiesburg.
We had a fabulous time with the kids celebrating Christ's resurrection. They loved getting the candy from their eggs.

A few days after Easter still eating candy.

Lila at her very first swim lesson.
She liked the water but was not crazy about getting dunked.

Andrew cried during most of his time with Mrs. Nancy. Otherwise, he did very well.
When the lesson was over, Andrew said, "I like to swim." Hopefully he will grow out of the protesting soon.

In case you were wondering, Lila still spends much of her days at the table. She is a little parrot repeating just about anything we ask her to (& many things we do not ask her to). She has mastered the temper tantrum. Right now she gets distracted pretty easily so it is just kind of funny to see her fit routine.

Lila (17 mos) enjoying an afternoon in the sun and sand(box).

Andrew got his first "real" haircut in MANY months this weekend. It went over MUCH better than our last attempt. He looks so grown to me with short hair. I can't believe he is about to turn 3! Andrew is still going strong with his potty training. He is very motivated by prizes. We are hoping he will not still need prizes for pee peeing when he is a teenager.

Lunch at Home

A sweet friend of mine from junior high asked me what I feed my kiddos for lunch. While we do get Chick Fil A or McDonalds occasionally, we eat at home much more. Andrew has always been a very good eater. Now that he is almost 3, we are able to negotiate his intake a little better than when he was younger. I try to put a meat, a fruit, a veggie and a carb on his plate. Some days he eats alot. Some days he barely takes two bites. Lila is much pickier. I never know what she will actually eat. But I try to fix them one plate - take it or leave it. I give them fruit snacks or some other sweet if they eat a good meal. I try to hold off on snacks so they don't get the idea that if they don't eat what mommy fixes, they can just have snacks to fill their tummies.

The key for me is to have things available in the fridge that are quick and easy to serve. Anything that actually needs to be cooked(*), I do so in the evenings or plan time in the morning so that I am not scrambling when everyone is tired and ready to eat. I would love for you to share some of your kids' favorite (easy) lunch ideas!

Meat
Turkey hot dogs

Fully cooked ham cubes
Mini (or not) corndogs
Sandwiches cut w/ cookie cutters
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Fries
Mini cheeseburgers
Meatballs
Leftovers*

Sides

Canned fruit - mandarin oranges, peaches, pears
Fresh fruit - blueberries, bananas, peeled apples, grapes, strawberries
Apple Sauce
Yogurt

Broccoli w/ cheese (microwave)
Canned green beans (a little softer than the frozen variety)

Matchstick carrots w/ ranch

Corn (Kernel or on the cob)

Baby peas (steam in bag)

Lima beans (frozen)*
Steamed carrots*
Baked sweet potatoes*

Mac & Cheese*
Pasta Roni*
Cheetos

Pretzels

Snacks

Cheese crackers w/ peanut butter

Yogurt raisins

Fruit snacks
Flavored rice cakes
Reduced fat Vanilla Wafers