Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Welcome to Crazy-ville...and I am the mayor.


Isn't that a beautiful sight!  We are so thankful we sold our home!


I was going to make this post a Wordless Wednesday, because it would be easy, but I hated to cheat y'all out of all my craziness.  I can't even begin to tell you how busy we have been.  I could write a country song about it.  That's how sad it is. 

I thought I would fill you in on some of our crazy-ness..long 'ole list style.  Enjoy!

*We are still looking for somewhere to live this summer while our house is being finished.  We have been apartment hunting all day.  It's exhausting.  And FYI, they like to add fees, fees and more fees.  What's up with that??

*We are packing boxes and I see NO end in sight. Doesn't my living room look lovely??


*I went to the liquor store to get boxes and he knows me by name.  Isn't that sad.  I don't drink.  But, man those boxes are GREAT!  ha!



*I had a wreck Monday.  Fender bender.  My fault.  UGH!  I guess I could put a picture of me with a sad face but I will spare you the pout.  Just use your imagination.

*I went to the Museum on Tuesday and was in charge of 10 3rd graders.  Do you know they hate the museum??  It's sad because I loved it!  I bet I heard  I'm bored about 100 times.

*We had girl scouts on Monday.  Our bridging ceremony is next Monday and somewhere between now and then I have to make 14 green ribbon sashes and puff paint names on them.

*Macy had talent show try-outs yesterday with her 2 BFF's.  It was cute. 

*Macy had field day.  Fun times!  She had such a blast.  Look at that face.....can't you tell she is loving every minute of it!

*I need to laminate some stuff for Macy's teacher sometime this week.

*Reid has a game tonight and a tournament on Saturday and Sunday.  That boy has kept us busy this season.  No complaints...we love it!


*I am having a garage sale on Saturday.  I am not looking forward to that but know that it has to be done.  You should see all the junk I have.  If you are in my area on Saturday...stop on by! 

*Macy has her recital on Sunday afternoon.

*Macy has dance today and she gets her 7 year pin!  I can't believe she has been dancing that long.  I love watching her...she is a natural.  But, then again I am her mother and all mothers think their kids are naturals, right??  ha!

*I have been going through boxes of my kids baby clothes from the attic.  Yes, I cried.  Yes, Troy rolled his eyes.  I found a box of Reid's baby clothes....0 to 3 months.  I have held on to them one year too many.  ha!

*We go to the design center sometime tomorrow to figure out things we want in our new house.  I am super excited!  More so than last year when we built.  This time, it just feels right.

*Reid goes on his field trip today to tour high school.  sniff, sniff.  I told him I would chaperone.  He said, um, no.  I wasn't really going...I just like to get him all riled up.


And by the way, this post is in no way, shape or form a whine.  :)  I am thankful for my life, my crazy life.  It just means I am healthy, happy and energetic.  I just thought you might like a sneak peek in our wonderful, crazy-ness. 




Have a wonderful Wednesday, y'all!  Thanks for stopping by!


"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
 
Jeremiah 29:11-13

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Knee deep and a case of hives

I'm knee deep in boxes.  Knee deep in memories.  Knee deep in old pictures and artwork.  Knee deep in handprints and letters from my kids.  Knee deep in tape, sharpies and newspapers.  I have had black hands all day from wrapping all my pretties.  Call me crazy but many times throughout this whole process I have wished I was Samantha from Bewitched.  Twitching my nose seems like a far easier route than the the one I am on.  ((twitch, twitch))  Um, nope.  Nothin'.  Guess I will keep on keepin' on.  Knee deep...here I come.

Yesterday I got a LOT done!  We had workers here working on some things that we needed get to get done before the closing.  Which is June 3rd.  Can I just say...ugh!  Anyway, I hadn't planned on packing yesterday.  It just happened.  I thought for a split second that I could get caught up on all my favorite shows, play on the computer or maybe take a nap.  Then I quickly decided that would not be the best decision.  So, I started packing.  Man, it really is good therapy.  Once I started packing I was a wild women.  Well, that is until I got to my scrapbooks.

Oh, man.  If you want a good cry just sit down for 45 minutes and flip through your life.  All those memories came flooding back and the flood gate of tears opened.  I can't believe how big my kids have grown.  All those pictures seemed like I took them yesterday.  I am so thankful for the memories and for a split second I wanted my babies back.  Then I thought about it and I love the age they are.  They are fun and independent.  They love God and they make decisions that make me and their Dad proud....sometimes.  ha!  I mean what teenager and tweenager really do things without asking.  I still have to nudge a little.  They are still kids and still love on me and need me.  I love that.  They are really showing their personalities and I catch glimpses every now and then of how they might be as an adult.  I am so thankful for them....and my scrapbooks.  ha!

I got about 10 boxes packed yesterday.  Between tears and giggles I feel like I am making a little head way.  It feels good to get a little bit accomplished.  I still have a long way to go.  Long way.  Makes me break out in hives just thinking about it. 

Now, speaking of hives we are looking to find a place to live for the summer.  Our new house won't be done until the end of August.  So, I have also been knee deep in apartment and hotel hunting.  Why is it so hard?  I better not ask that.  The Sab's might just be pitching a tent or sleeping in the car for the summer.  Hey, it will be an experience we will never forget.  ;)

Friday, May 06, 2011

Happy Birthday to Macy


Beautiful Little Girl
by Cheri Keaggy


Beautiful little girl, discovering all the world
I wonder what she'll be, will she take after her Daddy or me
Careful to hold her hand and help her to understand
how much we love her so and how much we like to help her to grow...

Into a woman who loves her maker and who knows what she's living for, so that nothing cam harm or take her from you, for a woman who loves her maker has a quality you can see that will certainly mold and shape her into the woman she’s meant to be.

Beautiful little child
adorning a lovely smile, eager to learn to fly.
There's almost nothing she wouldn't try.
Lord help us do our part to give her a Godly start.
Teach her what she must learn and guide her until she’s ready to turn...

Into a woman who loves her maker and who knows what she's living for, so that nothing can harm or take her from you, for a woman who loves her maker has a quality you can see that will certainly mold and shape her into the woman she's meant to be.

Happy Birthday to our beautiful little girl!  I can't believe you are 9 years old!  Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you.  You are the most beautiful, sweetest, kindest, gentle, loving and tender-hearted soul I know.  Having you as our daughter is one of the greatest gifts God has ever given us.  

We love you, Mommy and Daddy.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Embracing the Camera

I know that Embracing the camera with Emily is all about putting yourself in front of the camera.  Well, sadly I have done a horrible job of that lately.  But, I promised myself I would do better.  I mean seriously, how hard is it to ask someone to take your photo?  I guess hard because I hardly ever do it.  I guess I am embarrassed or scared of what they would think of me.  Story of my life.  Anywoo, I thought these pics were cute.  So, enjoy and embrace life today.  It is a gift.

 Now, if this isn't embracing the camera I don't know what is.  My little poser! 

Cuties pies...We were celebrating Macy's 9th birthday! 

I love this one because he wants ME! haha!  He is embracing his YaYa!


Go linky up with Emily! 

Have a great day, friends.  Come back and see me.  Leave me some love, if you feel it.  ;)

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Explaining the hard things...with faith, hope and love

Yesterday I had to explain to Macy about the death of Osama Bin Laden.  It was hard because she had seen so many people on TV cheering for this man's death.  She didn't understand that.  And honestly, I didn't either.  I mean, come on.  He did some horrible, horrible things...but to cheer?  I don't know.  I had mixed emotions about the whole ordeal.  As an adult I know what he did.  It makes me sick at my stomach.  But her, she had no idea of the magnitude of his sins.  So, I explained it to her as best I could and she shrugged her shoulders and went on to Barbie land.  She has since forgot but me, its still on my mind. 

Today as I was looking at many blogs, emails, and other fun things on the WWW and I came across this great article from Relevant magazine.  I really thought it hit the nail on the head....but that's just my own little opinion.  Isn't that what blogging is all about?  :)  I really want my blog to be an encouraging place people can come.  I want my it to be fun and have people chuckle at some crazy story I might post.  I mean lets face it, my life can be quite comical at times.  But, with a tragedy like this I only want to encourage and give as much faith, hope and love for others as I can.

I have never read anything from Relevant Magazine so can't promote it, I just thought this article was good.  And I wish I could remember how I got to this particular article to give props to someone, but in my old age, I have forgotten.  oops.  So, thanks to someone for leading me to it...so, here it is...

Editor's note: The death of Osama bin Laden is a difficult paradox for Christians, which is why we asked Jonathan Merritt to unpack it. We think what he has to say is good and important, but we also know it's not the end of the conversation. So we ask that you weigh in with your thoughts on this world-changing event. We want to know what you think, too! We also ask that you write with grace and patience for your fellow comm enters.


The snuffing of Osama bin Laden’s life has left White House officials beaming, news reporters busy and the thumbs of Twitterers raw. I can’t blame any of them. After all, this is one of the biggest events of the last decade. When I got the call Sunday night and turned on the television, I could hardly believe it was true, even though it was in bold print across the bottom of the screen: “Bin Laden Killed by Navy Seals.” My heart leapt with joy.


But as the night rolled on and I watched the reports come in and then President Obama speak, I found myself flooded with twin emotions. On the one hand, I was elated that a man responsible for so many deaths was finally brought to justice. On the other hand, I was deeply saddened knowing that someone who by all accounts never confessed Christ had passed from life to death.


I began to question my reactions, asking myself which emotion was more appropriate, more Christian? Should I rejoice at bin Laden’s death ... or mourn it?


After the announcement was made that the world’s most infamous terrorist was indeed dead, the Twitter-sphere blew up. As many as 4,000 tweets per second posted to the social networking site—each one a 140-character reaction to an event that undoubtedly deserved more. For many Christians, it seemed they were not wrestling with how they should feel. Celebration was their clear choice.


Pastor Rick Warren sent out Proverbs 21:15, which says, "When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers." Coincidentally, The Atlantic reported that Warren’s Scripture choice became the #3 most tweeted verse on this subject. Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice tweeted: “Crank this up as you celebrate the termination of bin Laden  http://youtu.be/Fk8IbcHf0Cs.

I admit that there's a part of me that wants to pump my fist, signal a flyover and spit on the dead man’s corpse. But is this an appropriate response for a Christian, to celebrate the death of the wicked? Or, to push it further, can a Christian ever celebrate the death of a non-believer?


I’m reminded of the words of Ezekiel: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live” (33:11, TNIV). The outcome that God desired and we should have too is that while Osama bin Laden was still breathing, he would have rejected doing any more evil and confessed Christ. This would have been cause for a true celebration—even the angels in heaven would have rejoiced (Luke 15:7). Anything short of this is a tragedy.


If nothing else, the propensity we feel to celebrate his death unveils the human tendency to want retributive justice for the sins of others but not for our own sins. Christians claim to believe all humans—yes, even Jesus-followers—deserve death (Romans 6:23). Justice demands such a penalty from each one of us. But we don’t want justice for ourselves; we want grace. Luckily, God has provided such grace through Christ.


“Rejoicing in the death of another, however wicked, involves forgetting the depths of our own depravity and the astonishing reality of our own salvation,” wrote Gideon Strauss of the Center for Public Justice in response to bin Laden’s death.


When a Christian points her finger in the face of the wicked getting what they deserve and shouts for joy, she is only revealing that she has forgotten her own need for grace. How can we celebrate God’s saving grace in our own lives on Sunday morning and celebrate retributive justice for others on Sunday evening? Is this not the ultimate hypocrisy?




And when justice is served to those who wish only to harm others—as it was last night—we may perhaps express relief. Relief in knowing innocent people woke up to a safer world this morning. But relief ... not celebration. God loves those innocents, and I believe He desires to see them free from fear and violence. Yet even as our spirits lift knowing that this man will do no more evil, our eyes should burst forth with weeping knowing that bin Laden will likely spend eternity like he spent his life: separated from the true God.


What do you think the Christian response is to bin Laden's death?

Jonathan Merritt is a faith and culture writer whose work has appeared in outlets such as USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor and CNN.com. He is author of Green Like God: Unlocking the Divine Plan for Our Planet.


So, what do you think about the whole ordeal?  I would LOVE to hear your comments.  I would love to know what you thought of the article.  How did you tell your children about the death that was ALL OVER the news?  It was so hard to shield them from it....would love to hear your views.  Pretty please, with a cherry on top?


"Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them. Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked, for the evildoer has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out."
Proverbs 24:17-20

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Monday, May 02, 2011

Crazy busy

Sorry I haven't been around lately.  I know my readers are just at the edge of their seats.  Yeah, right.  Anyway, just a little shout out to my peeps to let them know I am alive and kicking.  Just really busy.  Like crazy busy.  There is a lot going on in my little 'ole mind and in my little 'ole life.  A LOT. 

I hope to get a post out soon.  There are so many ramblings that I need to get off my chest.

Have a great Monday, y'all....