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.

A long week...

My husband is on a mission trip this week. He is in Pensil, which is located about nine hours south of the Texas-Mexico border. He left on Saturday, July 19, and will return this Saturday, the 26th. The night before he left I was anticipating a very long, lonesome week of work, laundry, and of course kids. I have to be a single mom for a week. Fortunately, all the grandparents live within ten minutes of us, and they have been a huge help. Suprisingly, my kids have been on really, really good behavior. Ordinarily when my oldest, Nate, realizes dad is out of town he tends to challenge the childcare workers and myself, but he has actually been very obedient (except when it comes to putting the light-sabers away). Calvin, our 20-month-old, has his moments, but he has been in a pretty good mood the last few days.
We cannot wait until Chris returns, but I am so thankful that God has blessed us with a pleasant, uneventful week. It's been nice.

First Blog

I've created this blog, and oddly I find that I have very little to say (very odd if you know me). I have been wanting to create a blog since last fall (I'm a terrible procrastinator), but I did not give much thought as to what my blog would contain. Well, I've taken the first step. I've created a blog for me and my family. I'm sure it will soon become populated with profound thoughts as well as pointless monologues. Nevertheless, it will be interesting and fun to reflect on at times. I look forward to my next visit,... be it tomorrow or a year from now!