What did you say?

Like most boys between ages 4 and 6, Cal and Nate are full of energy but they're also full of sarcasm. Here are only two of the many, many examples I could include.

First, there's Nate.

Nate had a reading assignment for homework. When I told him it was time to read he began to whine and complain. "Nate, remember your Bible verse. 'Do all things without grumbling or complaining.' Right?" I was trying to gently correct his behavior.

Nate started in again. "But mom, I hate reading. It's taking up all of my playtime. I am not going to read, right now." he demanded. "I don't want to. This is dumb!"

I was really disappointed in his attitude. So realizing a gentle steering was not going to work, I decided to unload the most painful punishment of all. I was preparing the perfect lecture in my head... a lecture that would make him feel so bad about his attitude that he would not only repent but be excited about reading when I was done with him.

I began. "Nate, listen. There are people all over this world who cannot read that book in front of you. They were never taught. There are little kids just like you who cannot read. There are even people my age who cannot read because they've never learned. Maybe they weren't able to go to school or maybe they were taught but they didn't want to practice. Perhaps they had your attitude." I went on for just a little while about all the things you are not able to do if you cannot read.

Nate sat patiently listening as I enlightened him as to the importance of reading. Finally I asked "So what's it going to be, Nate? Are you going to complain about having to read or are you going to be thankful that you can read?"

When I was finished, Nate just looked up at me and said "Sometimes I wish you were a potato head."

"What?" I asked.

"Then I could do this," and Nate, straight-faced and with a steady hand calmly leaned in and pretended to remove my lips.

"Nate, are you saying you wish you could remove my mouth so that I can't talk anymore?"

When he saw that I was not laughing (and luckily he did not notice his father in the kitchen hunched over in a silent laugh) he looked sheepishly up at me and simply shook his head yes.

Shortly after that he had finished reading his book!


Then there's Calvin.

We went out to eat with family the other night. Each person, including the children were given a menu. Calboy was staring intently at his with one finger up his nose.

I whispered softly, "Cal, get your finger out of your nose. Now what do you want to eat?"

"I want a hambugger!" He still has that cute way of mispronouncing words.

"No Cal, you never eat hamburgers when I order them. Think about it some more."

A few minutes later I looked over at Cal, and again he had his finger up his nose. "Calboy, I said stop picking your nose!" I insisted. Then he removed his finger from his nose and stuck it in his mouth. "Calvin!" I was so frustrated. "Cal, do not pick your nose and DO NOT eat your buggers!"

He glanced up at me, and then with just a hint of a smirk but still looking very serious, said "That's why I said I wanted a hambugger."

Trying to hold back a laugh I said, "Calvin, do not say that again. That's gross."

"Then I want that..." and he pointed to the picture of a hamburger on the menu.

I love my sarcastic munchkins!

A Great Day

So as I am rushing to get ready for court this morning when I hear what I think is our garbage disposal. It sounded like it was grinding rocks. It was loud and then nothing. Then I hear Christopher say, "Uh, oh." I peer through the bedroom door with a curious look. Suddenly Chris pops up from behind the counter, "Um, I don't know what that was, but now we have a busted pipe under the sink!" The solution, "Just don't run water on the right side of the sink, and I'll fix it when I get home." Great! Oh, well. I didn't have time to worry about it. I had disgruntled clients and a contested hearing to face, and I was going to be late to them all. I rushed out the door.

I get to court to find that our contested hearing has been reset. Great! The client I was on my way to see was upset because his hearing was reset due to this other matter. Frustration sets in as I scurry down the courthouse steps and across the street. Thoughts are racing through my head. "How am I suppose to explain to my client that the matter that caused me to reset his hearing didn't even happen? And on top of that, opposing counsel has thrown me a curve ball and I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to handle it." At the same time I'm thinking, "I better slow down because I do not want to fall flat on my face again." Upon my arrival to the F.P. Building I am met with a panicked investigator who is working the case and co-counsel's assistant. Then I realize, "Oops, I forgot to update them on the status of the case." Yet I had to appear confident, unfazed and in control, while I met with my client and the five potential witnesses that accompanied him. Why did I choose to wear pink on a day like this? Luckily I had on my brown high heels, in which I could find at least a scintilla of confidence.

After nearly two hours of putting out fires I headed home for lunch. I was starving. When I arrived I found my driveway full of cute but obnoxious children and a distracted mother-in-law, but God love her, she had pizza. Amen. My day was already getting better. I just wanted to escape to my bedroom for a few minutes. As I entered my quiet sanctuary I saw a large wet spot on my carpet. Great! Which one of those munchkins broke the golden rule and came into my bedroom? "Ok, whose been in my room? And what is this on my carpet?" I just heard a bunch of "Not me's" as each child excluded themselves from the accusation. Resigning myself to the fact that I was not going to find the culprit I returned to my room. As I entered the master bath I nearly fell flat on my rear as my right foot slid across the floor. The bathroom floor was flooded. "What the heck?" Great! I checked the toilet, sink and shower but there were no signs of a leak. Where was all this water coming from? Then I heard what sounded like running water. It was in the wall. I began to panic... "I bet our walls are going to be full of water, eventually causing mildew and wrought. We're going to have to replace the carpet and the walls." As I came running out of the bathroom I noticed that the spot on the carpet was much larger than I thought. I had no idea what to do. After my six-year-old son told me how to turn off the water to the house (that story is for another day) I felt relief knowing that my husband was on his way home to save the day.

It was like playing Marco-Polo trying to find the exact spot in the wall where the leak occurred. I had my ear pressed firmly against the wall listening. It was not hard to find because it sounded like Niagra Falls. We had to move our queen bed in order to get to the leak. Unfortunately, Chris cracked the beautiful cherry wood bed frame in the process. I didn't even have to say anything. Chris said it, "Great!" Followed by, "Sorry." Chris cut into the wall to find that one of the connectors came loose. I don't really know what that means, but it was causing quite the mess. Praise God, it was an easy fix except Chris had to remove a chunk of irreplaceable paneling from our wall. There was water everywhere. I had just finished washing our towels the night before, and here we were having to use them up on this mess. Chris vacuumed up approximately six gallons of water from a small 3'X 5' area. Our carpet was soaked. I did the best I could to clean up but I had another meeting to get to at 1:30. I rushed off again.

When I returned home this evening Chris decided it would be a good time to replace a piece of paneling in the boys' room. Because he had to cut out portions of their wall to fit the new paneling their room was covered in saw dust. Great! I have been cleaning up dust from our living room and kitchen from the remodeling we did last month and here it is again. I could not hardly stand to look into the room to see their dust covered beds and toys. I decided I was just going to bathe the kids, put them in bed and resign for the night. I guess my frustration got the best of me because I nearly scrubbed the boys' scalps raw when I was washing their hair. As I was about to get the last child out of the bathtub I heard something snap. Chris had purchased a large sheet of paneling and cut it to size only to have it break into two pieces when he tried to install it. Great! He had forgotten to hang sheetrock behind the paneling for support. Even he was ready to give up on this day. Chris, knowing I was about to blow, cleaned the boys' room and changed the sheets on their beds. Now they and their beds were nice and clean.

My house is filthy; we only have one clean towel; there is still a gaping hole in the wall behind my bed; and the busted pipe under my sink was never fixed, but I got to pray my sweet boys to sleep. And that truly is great!

I don't really see a moral to this story other than pure entertainment. We're exhausted. I'm not even sure how I've been able to muster up the energy to tell this story, but I hope you enjoyed it. I am going to bed now because I have court again in the morning. Great!!

"... Maybe she'll say yes."

I had one of the cutest conversations with my three-year-old son, Calvin. It was hilarious and he did not even know he was being funny. This was our conversation.

Out of the blue Cal says, “Hey, mommy, you know the weirdest thing? I want Addy (Addison) to be my wife,... you know when we grow up.”

Me: “Oh, yeah. Why’s that weird?”

Calboy: “Because she said no. I wanted her to be my wife because I like her... But maybe I can marry her little sister.”

Me: “You mean Emmy Claire?”

Calboy: “No, I mean the girl who wasn’t there.” (Referring to our play date at the Murphrees the other day)

Me: “Oh, you mean Anna Kate.”

Calboy: “Yeah. Anna Kate.” “Yeah, I’ll ask Anna Kate to be my wife. Maybe she will say yes... you know when we grow up! And then I will kiss her, and kiss her, and kiss her... I will kiss her to death. Cause that’s what you can do to your wife; you can kiss her. Right mommy?”

Me: “Yes, Calboy, you can kiss your wife one day.”

Cal: “Yeah, I will kiss her. When I grow up Anna Kate will be my wife... when I grow up.”

Me: “Calvin, you are so adorable. I just love you.”

Cal: “I AM NOT ADORBBBLE!”

Me: “Adorable. I said adorable.”

Cal: “I am NOT ADORABLE!”

Me: “Cal, adorable means cute.”

Cal: “I am NOT,... Um, I AM cute.”

Then he choked on air! Oh what a funny child and a funny conversation. I laughed and cried at the same time. It was so sweet. It may not come across so funny and sweet because I’m not good at telling stories, but I hope you enjoyed it.

Kinda like a fish out of water!

We are well into the summer and loving it. Well, I'm loving everything but the HEAT! It is hot. It's hotter than hot; it's boiling. The only thing worse than a really hot day is a hot, humid day. Every women knows that a hot, humid day is generally not going to be a "pretty" day. Sure it may look pretty outside (once the steam clears), but then look in the mirror. Your once styled hair is now flat, frizzy and stuck to your forehead and neck. Your makeup has slid down your face, and sweat beads are sitting on the bridge of your nose. You feel like taking your sweat drenched bra off, but then your shirt would stick to your chest like wet toilet paper, and you feel lines of sweat forming on your back as if someone poured warm salt water down your shirt.

And it's not just me. Somehow, the heat and humidity seems to effect everyone around me. My children tend to move slower (any other day they run and jump in the car, buckle up and off we go). On hot, humid days it takes those same children twenty minutes just to find the car parked in our driveway where it is always parked. It takes them another ten minutes to get into their car seats and buckle. Sweat is then pouring off my body as it takes the air conditioner more time than usual to cool our car. On hot, humid days it takes the cashier at the snow cone stand twice as long to make the snow cones and count our change. By the time they hand us our icy treats we're ready to dump them over our heads rather than eat them. Then when we go to get back in the car it takes me forever to find my keys in the bottom of my purse, which also means the interior of our car has reached 210 degrees once again. By the time we have cooled and our sweat glands have dripped completely dry we have reached our next destination; the gas station.

This brings me to one of life's great mysteries. Everyone knows that gas prices generally peek in the summer months, and in no time the ticker on the gas pump reads $50.00. But even when gas prices are at their highest if it's a hot, humid day the ticker on the gas pump moves at sloth-speed. For some reason it takes twice as long to fill the tank. Luckily the children are sitting comfortably in the cool car, watching a Disney classic, sipping on ice cold Capri Suns. I find myself glaring at the back of their tiny heads in envy, but then every thing goes blurry as SWEAT drips into my eyes and gas spews out onto my new, cute sandals. I'm hot and miserable, but like any woman I raise my armpits to the air vents for a few seconds and press on until it's finally time to go back home where I can relax (which means I throw myself down on the kitchen floor pressing my red, hot cheeks against the cold tiles). At first it kinda freaked the boys out, but now they join me. We lay there like fish out of water; I mean once they've stopped flopping around. You know, when a fish finally looses the energy, their very will to flop, then they just lay still as if in shock. It's like that, only instead of dying I actually feel revived once my body temperature lowers from the triple digits. I have never appreciated a hard, cold surface so much.

I am really enjoying the summer, but the kids seem to enjoy it the most. For our sons summertime means a break from school and early bed times; camp fires for weenie roasts and Smores; catching bugs and frogs; climbing trees; having more sleepovers and movie nights; and of course swimming. The boys like to be outside and you can tell it. They are already ten shades darker than they were a month ago. They spend most of their time swimming or playing in the sprinklers. I think the skin on their fingers and toes will stay shriveled until September! Chris has built them a sandbox, but I'm pretty sure it will turn into a litter box for the neighborhood cats (and the armadillo living under our house). We've planned a camping trip with some friends in July, and we hope to take another family vacation in August before the boys return to school. I've decided that our vacation must be somewhere within a very short driving distance or we will have to fly (can your children fly in the cargo area of the plane if you put them in a kennel?). Perhaps we'll visit Sea World again and enjoy a weekend at the beach. I'm not sure what all we will be able to fit into the summer, but we must decide quickly because the days are coming and going very quickly (well, except the hot, humid ones). :)

What's new for us? Well, besides building a sandbox Chris has taken on a much larger project. We have decided to renovate the living room and kitchen. We are doing it ourselves. That's right, we're taking on the challenge. We can do it because, like any healthy relationship, we are working together as a team. As the Scriptures say we are all members of one body. I am the brains (I come up with the ideas) and Chris is the arms, legs, back, shoulders,... well, let's just say he's everything from the neck down. I plan and Chris executes. I must say that it's worked out quite nicely! I think Chris would blog about how wonderful this experience has been for him as well if his arms were not so tired and weak.

Honestly, I have the best husband! He does it all. He's a great cook, a great carpenter, and great at keeping our yard looking nice. That's not an easy job, especially during the summer. The only thing growing faster than our kids is the grass in our yard! Chris mows and two days later you would never know it. Weeds pop up in the flower beds faster than pimples on a teenager with hormones in hyperdrive, and our plants dry out and wilt unless their watered every day. But somehow we manage; and by that I mean we manage to ignore the wilting plants, ugly weeds, and tall grass! We've had so much going on at home and at work that we take whatever time we may find to just relax. If that means we might loose a few tomatoes that fall 5 feet to their death (because they are hanging upside down from our not-so-beautiful, green, plastic hanging bag my husband affectionately refers to as a "Topsy Turvy"); or if it means one of our flower beds turns into a weed bed, or if it means guests must use a machete to find their way to our front door than so be it. Whatever it takes to relax and leave the world behind for just a few moments!!!

Isn't that what summer time is about; it's not just for the kids is it? I believe that we adults deserve a break from the daily grind. And I like to think that those hot, humid days are the Lord's way of saying to us -- take a break from the heat, go inside, fix yourself a glass of ice water, turn the fan on high, put your feet up, lay your head back, and RELAX. The only thing is that you won't appreciate those moments if you don't work hard enough to build up a good sweat. I joke, but it is analogous to the Psalm that speaks of God as our shelter and in Him we can take refuge. What a wonderful reminder in times when things heat up and the air around you is so thick that you have trouble breathing (kind of like a fish out of water). If during those times you continue on, trusting that the Lord will eventually bring you peace and relief (even though in the moment you feel as if you're choking and about to sweat blood), then you will not just appreciate the refuge, you will treasure it! "Wherever your treasure is your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21.

So Much For Commitments!

I've never been that good at committing myself to the small stuff like blogging, scrap booking, or exercising. I'm trying though. I'm trying to be more consistent in all three of those areas and in life in general. I do realize there are things in my life that are not "small" like staying healthy, being a faithful wife and mother, taking care of our home and finances, and being the best attorney that I can be. Most importantly I recognize my total and complete dependence on the Lord, and despite that acknowledgment I have not been truly committed to the Word. I am not consistent in my study or meditation of the Scriptures, nor am I praying throughout the day like I use to and know to do. I do not live as though I am completely void without Him.

Before I commit myself to the small stuff I must at least make a strong effort to be more committed to my spiritual walk. I must read scripture more often and pray throughout each day. I want Christ to be my first thought each morning. I want my focus on living a God-glorifying life to be intertwined with each thought and each decision I make, and I want to fall asleep singing praises to Him who has seen me through another day! That is what I desire to desire, but I'm not there yet. I was there at one point, but I have allowed life (the small stuff) to get in the way. I have allowed the small stuff to dominate my thoughts, to take first place on my priority lists, and to stir up confusion in my head and heart.

Some of the best advice I have ever received from a friend was to starve the flesh and feed the soul. (Thank you Xandra!) Although I have not completely starved my soul-to-spiritual-death (as that is not possible since I am His), I am somewhat Spiritually famished. Therefore, I am going to leave my blog and spend some time in the Word and on my knees in prayer. I look forward to whatever the Lord my give me to chew on this week.

Been a long time.

So I created this blog more than a year ago, and I have blogged twice. What is even worse is I knew I would do this and yet I still created the blog. So I am committing to blog at least once a month; to keep this current... if for no other reason than to journal for my family.

There is just not enough time or space to cover all that we experienced and learned since my last blog. All I can say is 2008 ended rough, but 2009 started out just right as we welcomed our beautiful baby Elijah into the world. The rest of the year proved to be tough but was full of blessings as well.

2009 in a nutshell --

Nate played t-ball for the first (and possibly the last) time, he had a very exciting snake party to celebrate turning 5, and he started kindergarten in the fall. He's grown like an entire foot in a year, or so it seems. He is now reading and writing, doing math, and is quite the artist. Nate loves to "explore" in our backyard, play basketball, and wrestle with his dad and brother. He can't get enough of Animal Planet or Star Wars...however, he is now willing to sit and watch a little football with me (and I think he actually enjoys it for a few minutes). Nate likes to play with his friends from church, but his best friend (and probably favorite person in the world) is his cousin Katherine.

I believe Nate is the wittiest five-year-old ever; he's also the quirkiest kid ever. He's amazingly smart and strong but sometimes comes with a short fuse; which can be a deadly combination. I think he may be able to outsmart me sooner than I would have expected. His curiousity has gotten him into trouble on several occasions, but it's also pushed him to know and understand things like the Scriptures. One of the biggest blessings in 2009 was when we realized Nate had gained a basic understanding of salvation. Thankfully he is a compassionate child who seems to want to do the right thing -- most of the time. :)

Calvin provided us with lots of much needed comic relief in 2009. He is still a tiny thing, but it seems he has grown so much. At the beginning of 2009 he was just beginning to speak in full sentences, but it was like pulling teeth. Now he won't stop talking. Although he speaks clearly, he is still in that stage where certain words are distinctly his,... it's adorable. We love to hear him; especially when he's telling an "exciting" story. He was potty trained by early Spring and took his first swimming lessons in June. He turned three in November, and at his request we had a "cowboy party." He attends daycare three days a week and is home with me and Eli the other days. He loves wrestling with his dad as well, but I think he may be an even bigger Star Wars fan than Nate.

Although Nate is so much bigger and stronger than Calvin, Calvin has no problem holding his own. If it came down to a punching match Nate would win only if Calvin stood still. Calvin is little but he's agile and his tiny legs can move really fast. It's like he's the offspring of a spider monkey and a cockroach. You might find him swinging on the chandelier or catch a glimpse of him as he scurries across the living room. I think it's precious that Calvin loves to cuddle and still wants me to sing him lullabies at bedtime.

Our newest addition is Elijah Owen. Eli, as we call him, changed the most in a year (which is no surprise since he was born on January 9, the most exciting day of 2009). I was in a hearing at the Liberty County Courthouse when I went into labor. I left the courthouse at 10:20, and Eli was born in Kingwood Hospital at 11:20. The trip to the hospital was almost as memorable as the delivery. Eli's birth was the most painful experience of my life, but the pain quickly passed once I laid eyes on my blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned child. He looked nothing like the other two... not what I expected, but just as beautiful. At a week early Eli weighed six pounds six ounces and measured 19 inches long. Although he grew like a weed in 2009 he is still little like Calvin.

Elijah had a busy year in 2009 as he went from liquids to solids, learned to sit up, crawl and eventually stand, and even cut SIXTEEN teeth! He loves watching his older brothers play and shows no interest in watching t.v. (unlike the other two). What I find most interesting about Elijah is that he is the combination of Nate and Calvin. He looks like both of them even though the two of them do not favor each other so much. He is strong like Nate but little and agile like Calvin. He's sensitive like Calvin, but seems to have a great sense of humor like Nate. He is unique though, in more ways than one. He has an awesome smile with two deep dimples; one on each cheek. :) He's clever for a one-year-old and he knows what he wants,... and what he does NOT want! I can't wait to see what he learns next. As of today he is learning to walk,... already up to 6 steps.

We are so blessed to have three beautiful, healthy, charming boys!!

Since December of 2008, Chris has been the primary preaching pastor at FBC Dayton. He's done a fantastic job, not only at preaching but also at leading the church and other pastors through a very difficult time. I am very proud of him, but I know it is only by and through the Holy Spirit that Chris has had this opportunity. God has surrounded Chris and our family with a support network of loving, generous Christians. He has provided Chris with wise and godly counsel from others. Chris' love and compassion for our church family is growing and so is his desire to lead a Christ-centered, God-glorifying life.

I have continued my private law practice, but in 2009 I began to cut back my workload. I started working only three days a week. My primary focus is child advocacy. The more I have been able to narrow down my practice to CPS court appointments and private adoptions, the more I have enjoyed my career. I also love being able to be home with the boys two days a week. I am learning to manage my home and business simultaneously, but it has been very difficult. It's still a work in progress.

In 2009 I was not able to be as active in church or the community as I would have liked to have been because the boys really needed me home most of the time. Eli was an infant, and Calvin and Nate were going through various stages that require a great deal of time and attention. With Chris spending so much time working and attending meeting after meeting, my family really needed me at home. However, I believe this year I will have a bit more freedom. The boys are becoming more and more independent and easier to handle. Chris and I have been able to establish more structure and boundaries for the boys through routine and discipline. Chris is and has always been very generous with his time; which has allowed me time to be involved in the women's ministry and hangout with my girlfriends. I hope to take on a leadership role in the women's ministry at FBC Dayton and possibly participate in more community events.

In May Chris and I celebrated our fifth year at FBC Dayton and in September we celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. My marriage to Chris has grown stronger and our relationship is so much deeper than I realized it could ever be. I am so, so thankful for my husband. I could never have imagined the blessings I have received from being his wife and best friend. Although things are more challenging, including in our marriage, we are more in love than ever. He is my partner in everything and my true love forever!

I pray that we will take the lessons learned from the past year and push forward with confidence and humility as we journey through 2010. I pray that we do so in a manner that is most pleasing to our Father in Heaven. May our individual lives and our family as a whole be a ministry that points to the One Most High, and may He be glorified in all that we do.