What I should be doing....

...finishing my grocery list.  I started it about 10.5 hours ago.  Yeah....about that.

What I am doing....Everything but that.  I have checked on a washing machine part for my brother-in-law, looked up how to write I LOVE YOU in some binary form, looked at a low carb website while eating cake, and even considered doing the 30 Day Shred exercise video (I ruled that out after the whole "eat cake" thing).

I had better go do it.  I wish Mom was here already.  She is the one person I know who actually LIKES to cook.  She cooks almost all day long.  It's insane.  I'm glad she's coming to visit, but I'm even happier that she's insane!!  6 days and counting......

Jesus loves the little children...and their Mommies.

Benjamin will start the first grade tomorrow. I have been feeling like my world is coming to an end. Yes, Benjamin went to school last year, but only from 8-11:45. This year he will be at school from 7:30-3! I am already worried about missing him so much and about only having around 4 hours with him each day. I adore that boy! Being without him makes me sad.

I have a whole new respect for Kevin's mother now (not that I didn't have any before). She and Kevin's father were missionaries in Africa. They were doing work for the Lord and the education that was available for their children was less than appealing. Kevin and Michael went to a boarding school 400 miles away for about 9 months out of the year. How did she do it?! I have heard her say before that she just had to trust the Lord with her children when she didn't know what else to do. They are amazing!

Tonight I feel like the Lord really made an effort to show me that He has all of this in His hands. We were getting ready to do our devotion time with the children tonight. I told Benjamin to go and get our Bible story book. We started a new one tonight, so I opened it up to the first story. It was titled "Jesus Loves Children." It talked about how Jesus loves children and how he thinks we should all be like children because of their simplicity and their faith. It went on to say how Jesus doesn't like anyone to hurt His children and how He takes care of them because He loves them so.

It was really special to me. Not only was this story a good one to encourage Benjamin for tomorrow, but it was also a loving reminder to me that Jesus loves Benjamin more than I ever could and that He will take care of him when I can't.

Thank you, Lord, for loving me so much that you would make this happen like it did tonight. I see your hand in this and I am thankful!!

Just like us

Our children really do seem to do a lot of things just like we do. It's funny!

Having fun outside. Notice that instead of riding his bike, Benjamin is investigating how it works. Just like Daddy!

Turning the pedals to see what happens. Just like Daddy!

Analyzing. Just like Daddy!

Reading the Sunday comics. Reading-Daddy. Comics-Mommy

More comics!

Playing a computer game called Crossfire. Obviously Daddy!

Olivia playing the Wii. Just like us!

Olivia playing the Game Cube! Just like us!

Wearing glasses. Just like Daddy!

Geocaching. Just like us!

Listening to Mommy's headphones. Love of music...Just like Mommy.

For Stephanie and Laura

A "Real" Friend

"What is real?" asked the rabbit one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you, and a stick out handle?"

"Real isn't how you were made," said the Skin Horse, "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real. It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time...Generally, by the time you are real, most of your hair has been rubbed off and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Margery Williams
From The Velveteen Rabbit

I know that this is an excerpt from a kid book, but it is meaningful to me. I love this book. I was especially reminded of you both when I read the part about "when a child loves you...not just to play with, but really loves you." It is nice that, even though we can play, that our friendship is more than that There is something deeper there that is far more important than the surface garbage that today's world seems so obsessed with.

Thank you, Stephanie and Laura, for loving me even though my "hair has been rubbed off and my eyes drop out" It's nice to have people who want to be friends through it all! You are a blessing to me and I just wanted you to know it.

Interview with a 5 year old, Part 1

I have seen several people post these, and I thought that they were cute. So, I sat down with Benjamin and did one this afternoon. We did a Mom and a Dad version. Here's the Mom one:

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Clean up your room

2. What makes your mom happy?
That I love her

3. What makes your mom sad?
If I don't listen

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Tickles me.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Funny!

6. How old is your mom?
16. Is that right? (I say no, I'm 30) Can you write 30 then?

7. How tall is your mom?
25 feet

8. What is your mom's favorite thing to do?
Play with me.

9. What does your mom do when you aren't around?
Clean the house.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Studying...even though you don't do it.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Cleaning the h-o-m-e (he has taken to spelling everything lately)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Spanking

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Clean the h-o-m-e

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Chinese, no, um....

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
When she cleans MY room

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Girl Superman

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Sometimes clean the house (you'd think I have no other life), and sometimes play Wii racing.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We're both 13. (LOL!! Perhaps he means that we are the same, in that, neither of us is 13. *shrug*)

19. How are you and your mom different?
We don't have the same shirts.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
She tells me that she loves me infinity.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
That Daddy can fix her computer

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Wal-Mart

Sister Time...and babies too!

I forgot I had this sitting in the "Draft" folder. I'm glad I found it!

Back in April (yup, April!), I went down to New Orleans for a Sister Weekend. Kelly was coming in from Georgia and I hadn't seen her in almost 3 years!! So, we all decided to meet up and just have some sister time. Later in the weekend, Jenny's babies joined us. It was a very special time!

Kelly and Jenny

Me and Jenny in front of St. Louis Cathedral

Me and Jenny

Me and Jenny....again!

Jenny kissing the voodoo dude.

Kelly and Brandyn playing a Contact Guitar Hero. Notice Brandyn about to strike! Oh, and I'm totally digging Kelly's glasses!

The June Bug!

Sweet June.

That boy loves his Momma!

And, as you can tell, she's pretty smitten too!

Happy June.

Kelly, Jenny, Allie (in Kelly's lap), and Kaylie.

Brotherly love.

Allie loving on the babydoll.

Allie loving on the real baby! She is fiercly protective of June Bug. It is adorable! Well, except when she tries to correct Jenny for correcting June. ha!