1,000 Tickets

The kids and I had Stevi B's for lunch yesterday before co-op. As usual, they scarfed down their food and went to play video games. I had just finished my meal and was getting up to get a water refill when I heard, "1,000 tickets. 1,000 tickets! Mom. Mama. Mom! We won a thousand tickets!"

Honestly, I thought Jordan was confusing 1,000 with 100. But no, Shaun hit the jackpot with his very last token and did indeed win 1,000 tickets.

Needless to say, we were late to co-op because those babies took for-ev-er to print out and then my boys took for-ev-er to decide what prizes to get. I didn't mind. They were so thrilled. In fact, Jordan called winning all those tickets his dream come true.

I love it when they're happy.

A Pictureless Account of Our Field Trip to the Georgia Aquarium

The kids and I went on the best field trip ever on Monday. We visited The Georgia Aquarium. Did you know they have an amazing homeschool field trip program? Not only did we get to visit the aquarium and stay as long as we wanted, but the kids each attended a class which included a "behind the scenes" tour. After learning about the eating habits of different fish species, each group was able to go up to the top of the main tank. It was really amazing. We saw all the marine biologist people working away and we saw how the water makes it into the different tanks.

We all had a great time. Of course there was some drama. Jordan tried to climb under the barrier to get closer to the water. The water in the largest aquarium tank in the world. I don't remember how deep it is, but it's HUGE and filled with sharks and sting rays and other lovely things. He said he wanted to touch one of the Whale Sharks. I don't know about him sometimes. I'm just so thankful I saw him in time to grab him.

Other than that it was a good day. The kids all behaved, for the most part.

One funny thing. We stopped at the restroom in the courtyard before we walked to our car. Jordan ran to the water fountain and Shaun went around the other side of the building to the restrooms. When Jordan and I rounded the corner, Shaun met us with a terrified look on his face. Turned out he had pushed the "emergency" button. He was scared to death! Then the security guard came of the speaker and asked what the emergency was. I explained that there actually wasn't an emergency and that the button was pushed by accident. "No problem", he said. By this time everyone had gone to the restroom and my sister had begun the walk of the stairs to the parking deck with her kids. That's when I tripped over my own feet and fell on my butt. Classy. It's a good thing I'm used to being clumsy. I hardly even get embarrassed anymore. Before I could get up, Jordan ran and pushed the emergency button again. I guess he thought we were having an emergency. Or maybe that big blue button was just too much for him to ignore.

We finally made it to the car and after about three hours in rush hour traffic, we were back home. What a great day. I was so upset that I didn't get any pictures. My phone battery died. We have plans to go back again for another field trip soon. I can't get over the prices. Each child's ticket was only $12 and one "chaperone" per every two children was admitted for free. Can't beat that. A 3-D movie was also included. The kids' only complaint was that we didn't have time to see the dolphin show because the show was the same time as our movie. We will definitely have to plan on that for next time.

Random Ramblings Regarding Jordan

Took Jordan to his six year check up the other day and the two of us went out the wrong door and became momentarily locked inside an entry way. No way in, and no way out. I finally just unlocked the door that was locked and high-tailed it to my car.

Jordan's appointment was great. Still only in the 5th percentile for his height, but his BMI is finally on target.

He saw his old friend, "The Pricker Lady". Yes, he calls her this to her face. They've come a long way. No more fighting and punching. He had his finger pricked like a big boy.

I broke down and finally let him have some of his 5 year boosters. But I prayed over them before the nurse injected him. So far, so good. No weird reactions like last time.

We'll be seeing a dermatologist next week because of weird mole on Jordan's back. Prayers are appreciated!

At the end of the appointment Dr O grinned at me and said, "He's doing just awesome. I love it. He had a rough start, but he's going to be okay".

After the appointment we went to Wal-Mart so that he could spend his birthday money. He spent his money in record time.

On the way to church the other day he said to me, "Mom, if you played X-Box your name could be ESmittyTwilight. Because your name is ESmitty and you loooooove Twilight! Ha ha ha ha!"

He received his first iPod as a reward for turning 6 years old and we took him to dinner at Stevie B's.

The next day Papa and Susie took him shopping and he picked out this bike:

A waitress at Waffle House asked Jordan what his teacher's name was. My little man looked at me, grinned, and announced "Mama!".

Have I mentioned lately what a blessing he is to me?

on how to pray

My prayer life has not been the best lately. This is especially disheartening since I've been fasting for 21 days with my church. I think this year was our 4th or 5th corporate fast, and I've never had this problem before. Usually it's the opposite. My prayer life soars during fast time. This year... I don't know. I've never been so unmotivated. At first I thought that maybe I felt like I wasn't truly Daniel fasting, because my doctor said it would be better if I would eat meat. So I did. Nothing fried or greasy, mainly just grilled chicken along with the fruit and vegetables. And it felt wrong. I felt like I was missing something from God because of that meat. I know that's silly. God knows that I'm pregnant and that the doctor told me to eat that meat, and He knows the desires of my heart. I was still distracted.

And then, two weeks into the fast came the morning sickness that lasted all day. I had been fasting bread and crackers but had to add them back in. I felt so guilty the first time I ate some crackers, like I was driving a huge wedge in between myself and God. I would try to pray but wound up getting sidetracked. Not because I didn't need to pray. I have a personal prayer request list that's a mile long. More like I just didn't know where to start. I'd pray and feel like my prayers just bounced back to me off the ceiling. It was like God wasn't even hearing them.

Cue Jordan's behavior issues at church. That boy has a mind of his own, and frankly, we don't know what to do about it. We've prayed and prayed for him to be obedient and respectful. He gets punishments and consequences when he does wrong, but so far nothing is working. Truthfully, I was beginning to think our prayers were falling on deaf ears.

Last week I went took Jordan to a play date at a friends house. This is a new friend of mine and her daughter is Jordan's age. We met back at the "old" co-op last fall and realized that we go to church together. This sweet lady was a Godsend to me during the plate date. We were discussing the fast and she was going on and on about how close she was getting to God during this fast and how she didn't want it to be over. In all honesty, she was beginning to make me feel like the worst Christian on the face of the Earth! Then she began telling me about how she prayed as a new Christian. After her salvation, she would pray during her daily walks. Into her cell phone. You know, because she likes to pray out loud and didn't want anyone to think she was nuts. At first she had the same problem as me. In reality, she didn't think she knew how to pray. So, she just asked God to teach her how to pray and what to pray for. And after awhile it worked!

I was floored. I'm not a new Christian. I'm not even newly rededicated. And it had never, ever occurred to me to ask God to lead me in the direction of my prayers. This morning, I tried it and I was amazed. I began to pray about things I didn't even know I needed to pray about. It was truly amazing. One of the most intimate times I've had with the Lord in a long time.

Later on in the afternoon I received a tweet with a link to this article. I love it when God confirms things for me so blatantly.

Now, I'm praying in a whole new perspective. Not for things I want, but for God's will to be accomplished. And before I say amen I make sure to thank God for loving me enough to send spirit-filled friends and blogs to keep me enlightened.

jordan's birth

I've been wanting to write up Jordan's birth story, mainly for myself. I don't want to ever forget it, and since he's turning six years old tomorrow I figured tonight was a good time to do it.

Two days before Jordan was born, I went in for my weekly doctors appointment. His heart rate was high when they monitored him. They gave me a non-stress test and the heart rate went back down to normal but Dr. Harrison wanted me to come back in the next day for more monitoring just to be on the safe side.

My mom came with me the next day. Same thing. High heart rate and non-stress test followed by... um. I think it's called a biophysical profile. This involves an ultrasound and we learned that Jordan wasn't breathing as often as he should, and his heart rate kept rising. I began to cry and my sweet mother got down to eye level with me and told me that I just had to give this whole thing to God. So I did. And things started to calm down.

I was seeing Dr. Harrison again that day. He wasn't my regular doctor, but I'd seen him the day before. It was a Friday and he originally wanted me to go home and come into the hospital for more monitoring the next day. I'm so glad my mom was with me. I can never think clearly when I'm stressed and that day was no exception. She asked the doctor if he knew about my history and told him a little about what had happened with Shaun. He left the room for a minute to review my chart, came back in and announced the new game plan: I was to go home, grab my stuff and then go check in to the hospital. He'd come by later that evening to do an amnio and if Jordan's lungs were okay he'd be born the next morning.

So on to the hospital I went. My sister met us there and Chris came as soon as he got off work. He stayed for awhile and then my sister agreed to stay with me while he went to lead worship at a youth rally. I think my mother left, too, so that she could pick Shaun up. Or maybe she went home to get my dad. I don't really remember.

Lori and I hung out at the hospital. We talked, laughed, and watched Full House reruns while we waited on Dr. Harrison to come do the amnio. I was so afraid of this. I hate needles, and let me tell you, that is one long needle! The doctor finally came into the room- he had to wait until after office hours because he wasn't on call that day. It means the world to me that he did that. I remember feeling so safe and cared for.

The doctor came in and told me what to expect with the procedure. I'd never had one before but kind of knew what to expect. He left, saying he'd be back with an ultrasound machine. A few minutes later, he stuck his head in the door and said, "Hey. Have ya'll seen an ultra sound machine in here?". Lori and I looked at each other and then glanced around the room. "Nope, not in here" we replied. Dr. Harrison sighed and left again.


After what seemed like forever, he came back into the room with a nurse, pushing an ultrasound machine. He plugged it in and, I swear to this, said "I don't even know how to use this one. How do I turn it on?". My sister said my eyeballs were about to pop out of my head. He must have noticed because he laughed and said, "Oh, don't worry. I didn't mean that I don't know how to use it. I just don't know how to turn it on. I've never used this one before. But they all work the same way once they're on!"

Okay.

He turned it on and began the ultrasound, explaining everything as he went: "See, baby's way down here so we'll insert the needle all the way up here so that it's far away from him." I laid there with my eyes closed, sweating with anxiety, with my huge stomach exposed for all to see. He reached for the tray beside the bed and suddenly stood up, slammed the tray back down onto the table and said (very loudly), "This tray doesn't even have a needle! This is a stupid tray!" He turned to look at the nurse, who was just standing there looking bored. "What do you want me to do", she asked? "I want you to go find a needle! I'm sure she's ready to have this done!" yelled my doctor. At this point the nurse scurried out of the room and I began to squeeze the life out of my sister's hand. Dr. Harrison turned to us and muttered, "Whoever heard of an amnio tray without a needle? I'm so sorry this is taking so long. Are you doing alright?"

We assured him that I was fine. The nurse came back and the doctor began another ultrasound to make sure Baby J hadn't shifted position. He hadn't, so we were good to go. He put the needle in (which actually didn't hurt at all) and began to draw the fluid out. That's when Jordan decided to kick the needle, sending it swaying back-and-forth while it was sticking out of my stomach. Once again my eyes turned into saucers and I squeezed my sister's hand. Dr. Harrison exclaimed, "Wow, I've never seen that before. Usually they shy away from the needle".

And that was my first sign that I was in for another strong-willed child.

The rest of the night was uneventful. My parents came by with Shaun. I think maybe my grandparents came too. That's a little fuzzy. Some people from our church came to pray with us. I wasn't in a regular labor and delivery room with a comfy bed. They put me in one of the rooms used for monitoring. Maybe all of the good rooms were taken. All I remember is that was one uncomfortable bed. Bright and early the next morning a nurse came by and said that the amnio results were great and that we'd be having a baby in about an hour. We called our parents and sat back to wait.

My family arrived and was able to see me before I went back for my c-section. I don't remember anything until I was getting my spinal block. I remember that because, like I said, I hate needles. When I was pregnant with Shaun, before the labor pains really kicked in, I had said there was no way in heck I'd get an epidural. I saw one at my childbirth glass and it had terrified me. Later on in my labor I begged for one, but I never progressed enough. By the time I was ready for my spinal block with Shaun I was too out of it to care about the huge needle going into my spine. Not this time. I was about to hyperventilate. The spinal guy got it all the way in and then, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to take this out and do it over". Ugh.

Somehow I made it though. Dr. Harrison came back to the hospital when he wasn't on call to deliver my baby. I think he's the best doctor ever! The surgery went smoothly and Jordan was born without a hitch. When the doctor held him up to me the first thing I noticed was that his nose was teeny tiny compared to the size of Shaun's. I think I was expecting him to look identical to Shaun, but as it turned out, he was his own person. Ha!

Chris went with Jordan to watch over him while he was getting checked out and my sister and cousin Ashley stayed with me in the recovery room. I think I kept asking if Jordan was breathing. After what had happened to Shaun while I was in recovery, I wasn't taking any chances. I got back to my room with my family and we waited for the nurses to bring the baby in. Shaun was there. He announced that he was going to hold the baby first, and then everyone else could except Lori. He didn't like her much back then for some reason.
We waited and waited and Shaun got antsy. My sister left to go do something but came back right after she left because she had run into her new nephew in the hall. Shaun was a total baby hog. No one could hold Jordan because Shaun wouldn't let him go!

After awhile the nurse came back in and took Jordan back to the nursery because his temperature was a little low. This visit turned into a week long stay in the hospital for antibiotics due to an infection. When this happens, every base is covered. Including a lumbar puncture to check for Meningitis. All I could think of was my friend from work. Her granddaughter had Meningitis right after birth and was brain damaged from it. Major panic set in. I didn't tell anyone about my fear. I preferred to suffer in silence back then, but I was scared out of my mind. I've never been so relieved as when that test came back negative a few days later.

Because Jordan was technically in the NICU, the neonatologist came in to talk with us. He had been Shaun's doctor six years earlier and he remembered us. Shaun got a kick out of that. He even talked to the doctor on the phone. Another thing Shaun did while I was in the hospital was to discover that hospital beds will raise all the way to the ceiling. I kid you not.

I stayed in the hospital a few extra days, but I still had to leave for home without my baby with me. My mom found me crying in the bathroom that morning before I was discharged. Shaun saw me too, which upset him. We made it though, and Jordan came home a few days later.

He had a wonderful homecoming, coming home to a house filled with his cousins. In fact, the first thing his cousin Jaycee did was try to pull his head off. We think she thought he was a baby doll.

And there you have it. Jordan's birth story. I can't believe he's going to be six years old tomorrow.

meeting the peanut

I had my first official OB appointment today, and Chris and I were so blessed to be able to "meet" our new little peanut. Chris calls the baby a peanut. So I guess I will, too.

The appointment went well. One funny thing was that we were asked by several nurses if this was our first baby. They all seemed so surprised when we announced that this was indeed our third baby because, and I quote, "You both look too young to have three children". I took that as a definite compliment, even though I think we look every bit- if not more- as old as we actually are.

I was worried about this appointment. I had prepared myself for every possible scenario that could have went down today. In fact, when the ultrasound began I had my eyes closed until I heard a heart beat. It was music to my ears. I know living in fear is no way to go through a pregnancy, or life for that matter. My faith is really lacking in this area. I've had two NICU babies, and I just always expect the worst. I would appreciate any prayers for this. I want to be able to expect the best, not the worst. Hopefully I'll get there soon.

Like I said, the appointment was good. I love my doctor and feel comfortable that he'll take good care of us. He did such a good job with Jordan. I'll have to write about his birth story soon. There are some extremely funny parts to it!

We were kind of surprised today because the ultrasound revealed that I'm not as pregnant as I thought I was. Previously, my due date was September 4, which put me at 7 1/2 weeks. Today my due date was changed to September 13, which means I'm only 6 weeks and 1 day pregnant. So, I was only 4 weeks pregnant when I took my first test. No wonder I was acting hormonal! Apparently I ovulated later than I thought. Those ovaries of mine are always causing confusion!

I can't end this post without mentioning that Shaun requested prayer for me at co-op yesterday. Unprompted and in front of everyone he announced that his mother was pregnant and that he was praying for everyone to be healthy. I love him, and I love that he has such a tender heart.

Christmas 2011

We're still recovering from Christmas around here. It flew by. We were so busy that it crept up and before we knew it, it was here.

It can't be Christmas without a photo in front of the upside down tree at church, so here it is. This is one of the few pictures I took this year:


My brother-in-law came to Georgia for Christmas. He moved out to California and it had been a few years since he'd been home. It was good to spend time with him. Of course, the boys were smitten by him and are already asking when he's coming back.

We usually go over to my parents house for breakfast and gifts on Christmas morning. Since Christmas fell on a Sunday this year and my parents' church had service, we had Christmas morning on Christmas Eve morning. My mom cooked a delicious breakfast and we opened gifts. It was loud, hectic, and wonderful- as always!

Later on that afternoon my parents and my Aunt Rita came to watch Shaun sing at the Christmas Eve service at church. It was nice to be in church with them, and Chris and I were able to be in a service together, so that was nice too. I never went to church on Christmas Eve until we came to Free Chapel, and I'm so glad it has become a tradition with us. I look forward to it every year.

The choir was amazing, of course. Jordan was a little bummed that he wasn't able to take part this year. He was a cow during the nativity scene in last year's service, but couldn't make it to the rehearsal this year because we were spending time with Uncle Jeremy. Jordan said his time with Jeremy was worth the sacrifice, but when he saw all of his "barn yard" friends up on stage he sat up in his chair and whispered (loudly), "Hey! I'm supposed to be up there!"

There's always a funny moment, right? Ha ha! There's always next year!

Here's a picture of Shaun and some of the other boys in the choir before the service. Jordan was there, too.

And here's a shot of Jordan in his new boots from Susie and Papa. He insisted on wearing them. I think they were his favorite gifts.


After church we went back to my parents house for my family's Christmas get together. We ate too much, laughed a lot, played Dirty Santa, watched all of the kids be spoiled with gifts. Both of my boys were given Star Wars items from my Aunt Jenny. I'm pretty sure she's their favorite aunt after those gifts!

Speaking of favorite gifts, here's mine:

My Aunt Nancy made all of pillow cases out of my grandmother's old shirts. I couldn't love anything more.

Before the boys went to bed we put out a treat for Santa on the fire place...Aunt Jenny's famous fruity Jello dessert dish. I'm not sure what its called but she's been making it on Christmas Eve since I was a child. It is delicious, and Santa was really pleased to have been left something besides milk and cookies. The boys fell asleep in record time, so Chris and I went to bed early too. We slept in until about 8, when the boys woke up and wanted their presents. Jordan's favorite gift was his new scooter. He'd been wanting a bigger one for a long time. Shaun liked his iPod Touch best. It was already loaded up with his favorite music and movies.

We went out to Chris' sister's house for Christmas lunch with his family. We had a nice meal and got to visit for a long time. We were all spoiled (again) with too many presents.

We headed back to North Hall for Christmas dinner with my grandparents later on that night. More food, more laughter, and togetherness. We all had a good time, ate too much, and opened more gifts than we deserved.

When we returned home that night we were exhausted and everyone slept really well. It was a great Christmas!

my boys rock

Last weekend Chris asked Jordan if he wanted to play his guitar during the KidPak Jr service on Sunday. Jordan looked up at his dad with an expression of utter disbelief on his face and said, "Not with your band, Dad. I'm starting my own band. It's gonna be me, Christopher, Myles, Benjamin, and Elijah. And we're gonna rock, too!"

I guess Jordan's "real" band couldn't get it together on such short notice, because the next morning he did indeed play his guitar with his daddy and the rest of the KP7 band.

He was great! Even though he's just started with guitar lessons and wasn't allowed to play "plugged in" until he gets a little more practice, he still rocked it.

Later on that same evening we headed to Lula for the AMPED service. The hubs and his other band, Ambered Stripes, have the honor of ministering here one Sunday night each month. We have come to love this church and all the people in it. Chris asked Shaun if he wanted to help him lead worship. Have I mentioned lately that Shaun has a beautiful voice? Before long he'll be giving Chris a run for his money! He was glad to be able to worship on stage with his dad. And of course, he rocked his songs too.

Jordan was allowed to go up with his guitar again as well. This was the first time my three boys had been on stage ministering together. What a sweet sight it was. I'm so proud of them all.

Before service started, Chris had a talk with the kids and told them that they could only stay on stage for the praise songs. When the worship songs began, they had to come down in the audience. Because, let's face it. They're so stinkin' cute no one would be able to concentrate on worshiping because they wouldn't be able to tear their eyes away from all of that anointed adorableness. They both said they understood. But when Jordan came back down to sit with me he had tears in his eyes because, "Dad said I could play three songs and then he only let me play two! Wail, wail, siffle, sniffle".

I snuggled him up and he whimpered for a few more minutes before falling asleep in my arms. I guess he was a little tired.

I was sort of tired too, but it was a good tired. It was a good day.

on the time Generation Praise sang with Mac Powell

Today was a big day at church. Mac Powell was there. Yes, Mac Powell from Third Day. Not only did he sing, but he sang a song with Generation Praise. We had a lot of excited children on our hands! Us adults were pretty excited, too. I mean, it's not every day that your kid gets the chance to sing on stage with Mac Powell!

Shaun had been looking forward to this for awhile now. It was really easy to get him out of bed this morning, despite our late hours last night. We got to church super-early, warmed up, had a sound check, and then I watched from back stage as our kids ministered alongside the one and only Mac Powell. They were great, as usual. Even if they had to have a lecture after first service about proper stage decorum. You know. No picking your nose, biting your nails, staring at yourself on the big screen, or asking Mac Powell for an autograph on your way offstage. Ha ha!

I didn't get to watch the sound check because I was downstairs getting attendance reports together, but my friend Kendra took this shot. I love how all the kids are looking up at Mac in adoration. He was so good with all of them! They sang Children of God. This was the first time Mac Powell had ever sang this song with a kids' choir. Pretty awesome!

I got this photo from my friend Melissa.

I snapped this one myself. This is actually a picture taken of the screen from backstage. I think it's pretty cool, anyway.

It was a great day to be at church!

sam and pam

Today was another one of those hectic days. One of my nieces had an appointment, so the other two came to stay at our house. My sister got caught up in town and the girls wound up staying with us a lot longer than we had planned. Not really a big deal, but it didn't leave any time for school work. Before they came over, the boys completed one assignment each... Jordan did phonics and Shaun some math. But that was it.

After dinner I told the kids that they would have to finish some more work before bed. Shaun did his reading and spelling and Jordan finished his math. Shaun did really, really well with his reading tonight. Maybe we should do it in the evening every day? I'm not sure what that was all about, but he was more focused than he's been in a long time and he was able to read his entire selection with just 2 helps from me... and he knew all the answers to the questions without having to go back and look anything up. I was proud, to say the least.

Jordan's reading is also coming along. I took a good friend's advice and started Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons with him a few months ago. I was surprised at first, because it turned out to be the same method Shaun's teachers used to help him learn to read in kindergarten. It looks really strange, but it works. Here's a sample page I found online:


I figured that if it worked for Shaun, it would also work for Jordan. I seem to be correct so far. The lessons are short, which always works best for my children and contain lots of review. Jordan has responded really well. He read his first book a few weeks ago, which was really exciting- even if the pages each contained only one word.

The other day I was boxing up all of the K12 stuff I need to ship back and going through all of the materials that I get to keep. I found a whole set of paperback phonics readers that are mine to keep. I browsed through them and thought I'd give them a try, even though Jordan might not be quite ready yet. And then tonight, Jordan and I curled up in my bed and he read aloud the riveting story of "Sam and Pam at Bat". This is the first "chapter" of the level one phonics reader. He worked so hard and was so proud of himself. And of course I was proud, too. Even when he stumbled, he kept at it with fierce determination and when he was finished he looked up at me, grinned from ear to ear and said, "I'm good at reading now!".

We called Shaun in so that Jordan could show off his new skill. And then something happened that I never dreamed would take place: my children began fighting over who was going to read a story to me first.

Voluntary reading time. Not something that happens every day around here.

why I'm thankful, day 18

Tonight I'm thankful that I found Shaun's Generation Praise shirt. He needed to wear it tomorrow and I thought it was lost for good. I'm also thankful that I was able to pry Jordan out of that stupid punching bag thing. Again.

why I'm thankful, day 15

I listened to the kids sing "Beautiful Things" in the car yesterday. They kept asking to hear it again and again, and they got more into each time. I'm thankful for their sweet voices and that they love to sing about Jesus.

why I'm thankful, day 9

I gave Shaun a writing assignment today. A standard creative writing exercise that required him to brainstorm some topics, pick the one he wanted to write about, and then create an "idea web" so that tomorrow he'll be ready to write a paper.

I wanted him to do this by himself. He wasn't happy about that. Like most boys, Shaun doesn't like to do anything that requires him to sit still and think- but I made him do it anyway. His brainstorming list included pirates, XBox, God, and... something else. Star Wars, I think.

He chose to write about God. Heaving a huge sigh, he wrote GOD in big capitol letters and then started listing the main points for his idea web. He sat at the dining room table while he did so, while I got lunch ready in the kitchen. As usual, I walked by to check to make sure he was staying on track. He asked if I wanted to see what he'd come up with so far, and of course I said yes.

I looked at his paper and felt like shouting... his first main point about God was simply: He Wins.

Oh, how true this is. And how encouraging to know that my kid knows that God wins.

You see, I've been a little panicked lately. Lots of things are happening in our family. How many of you know that I don't do change well? And to top it off, I can practically feel Satan trying to beat down our door. I really hate it when he does that.

But, at the end of the day... GOD WINS. He's got this. As we sang in church tonight, "He holds it all together". How thankful I am for this truth, and that my Lord used Shaun to remind me.

why I'm thankful, day 7

Tonight I'm thankful that we were able to get Jordan out of this punching bag thingy.


You see, instead of going to sleep tonight my youngest "monster" thought it would be fun to wedge himself inside this punching bad cover... or whatever it's called. I actually thought he was asleep and then I heard both boys calling me. I walked into their room and saw Shaun pointing to the floor with a horrified look on his face. When I looked where he pointed I saw Jordan laying inside this thing, face down on the carpet.

He was stuck.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. And then I went and woke Chris up so he could see this for himself. Then, finally, I tried to pull Jordan out... to no avail. I thought maybe my strength was being compromised by my fits of laughter until I realized that the poor guy was stuck in there with his knees bent. He wasn't going anywhere!

We pulled and pushed until finally Chris decided we should just cut some of the padding out from the inside of the bag. And now all is well.

Yes sir, it's never boring around here.

why I'm thankful, day 2

Today I'm thankful that I was able to sit on the couch with this little boy while he read his first book to me.

why I'm thankful, day 1

These people.

I don't even know their names, but they blessed me today.

Shaun and some friends were given the chance to minister at The Guest House today. The Guest House is an adult day care center here in town. I had never been there before, but hope we get to go back. At the end of our "program", a lady took hymn requests from the audience. Everyone was singing away and Jordan was getting antsy so I took him out into the front room to sit in some rocking chairs.

The precious lady on the right was giving it her all, belting out the words to the songs. Sometimes she was a little mixed up, but it didn't matter to her at all. I just sat there and took her in as she sang about one day getting her robe and crown, and then she got happy! "Whoo! That line gets me every time", she said.

Here sat an elderly woman who was losing her memory and probably her sanity as well. She was obviously unable to care for herself while unsupervised... but she still had her Jesus.

How thankful I am that even on my worst days, I still have Jesus- and that He cares enough to remind me no matter how many times I forget.

our low-key halloween

Halloween was tonight. I used to love Halloween. The dressing up and being scared... I got all into it. I haven't really been feeling it the past few years, though. The Hubs and I even agreed that we would pass up trick-or-treating and go to a friend's house for a get-together instead. At the last minute we realized that he was on-call tonight and that our friends lived more than 30 minutes away from the hospital, so we stayed close to home.

To take the sting out of missing the party, we took the kids trick-or-treating. My mom blessed the boys with their costumes for the Fall Festival at church last week. Shaun was a ninja and Jordan was Darth Vader. They both loved their costumes, so I was quite surprised when the time came to get dressed and Jordan told me that he wanted to be a chef instead. He had made an apron in his art class before our co-op broke up (that's a post for another day!) and his teacher brought it for him today when we met with our new co-op for lunch and a planning meeting (again- that's a post for another day!). Jordan fell in love with this apron and wanted to be a chef. I gave him a spatula from the kitchen and he was set.

Then Shaun informed me that instead of being a ninja tonight, he wanted to be "himself with a sword". He's eleven and beginning to go through changes, if you know what I mean. Maybe he thinks he's too old to dress up. I remember being that age and feeling too old for some things and not old enough for others. Eleven is a hard age, so I didn't push the issue. We were only making 3 stops, anyway.

We went to visit my parents, my grandparents, and Chris' parents. We all had a nice time at each place. The kids wracked up big-time at Nana and Papa's. Shaun scored a twenty dollar bill and some Fuzzydoodles. Jordan got a few bucks and some Bendaroos. After that, we had dinner at Wendy's.

As I said, very low-key. I liked it.

And no- I didn't even take any pictures.

Generation Praise!

Generation Praise had it's big debut this past Sunday. The kids were fantastic. Months of practicing paid off in a HUGE way! Originally, GP was only going to sing one song. Then last week we were pleasantly surprised with the news that the kids would be singing the whole worship set. Even though this was exciting, it made me nervous. We'd only prepared one song. And the other two songs on the set list were new. And we weren't going to have another practice, just a dress rehearsal on Saturday morning. I was stressing just a bit, but it all worked out just like it always does. The worship team taught our choir the new songs on Saturday morning and sent them home with practice CDs. And the next morning, they nailed it!

I had tears in my eyes as I stood backstage and watched them worship. My friend Karen said it best... "You can't teach kids to worship like that". Yes, it's true. Kids can't fake it; they just do what's in their hearts. And let me tell you- these kids can worship! We were all blown away by the way they forgot about everything around them and just sought after the Father.

Saturday morning dress rehearsal. It lasted over 2 hours and the kids were so patient. They're learning a new song here.


Early Sunday morning sound check! Shaun's on the 3rd row, kind of in the middle. It's hard to tell who's who...iphone photos and bright stage lights don't mix well.


And here's the leadership team, being silly.



Just in case anyone wonders what we really look like!

I'm so blessed to be part of this group. Shaun has had a blast, and Jordan can't wait until next year so he can join, too!

His Harvest House

His Harvest House is the food pantry ministry at our church. I must admit that I didn't know too much about it until yesterday. Shaun's small group, Kid Force, had been given the opportunity to serve here back in August. I had some errands to take care of, so Chris and the boys went by themselves. It was extremely hot, but they had a good time anyway.

Kid Force was able to serve at His Harvest House again yesterday evening, and I came along this time. I didn't have to do much... the kids and other volunteers took charge and everything went smoothly. I mainly had to keep an eye on Jordan. His job was to deliver desserts to the cars, and he didn't want to wait his turn! I was blessed to be able to stand back and watch my boys, along with other people from our church, serve the Lord.

Here are some pictures from yesterday and from August. I found them all on Kidpak's Facebook page.

The long line of cars waiting for their food. This picture really doesn't do it justice. It snaked around the entire parking lot.

Group prayer.

Pastor Jason giving out instructions to the Kid Force volunteers.

I absolutely love this picture.

Shaun picking out a family's dessert.

Chris and Pastor Brock. There's no telling what they were talking about.


The Hubs with our friend, Chuck. We love him and his family!

Jordan tried to carry a cake that was bigger than he was!


Because I was accused of never posting any pictures of myself... here I am with Chuck!

We were treated to pizza afterward. I think this made Jordan happy!

It was a great night! We can't wait to do it again.

another little God thing

Our little family got together with our friends the Haag's yesterday to collect cans for His Harvest House, our church's food pantry ministry. We met in their subdivision. The dads pushed a wheel barrel, the kids went door to door asking for food donations, and Kendra and I watched to make sure no one was kidnapped. They did really well. I was proud of them all... even if Jordan had to be reminded constantly to stop peeking in windows. Sigh.

Here are some pictures from our day.




One gentleman didn't have any cans... so he donated cash instead!

This was what we had at the end of the street. Not too shabby!

The whole gang, minus most of the adults.

The best part of the day occurred at the last house we visited. Kendra summed it up beautifully in this email she sent out to our homeschool group:

"Today we had a Can Food Drive Collection Day on the HSC calendar. The Smiths (Chris, Erin, Shaun and Jordan) joined my family this morning to collect cans in my neighborhood. We step out of our driveway and I tell the kids to practice their speech by going to our friends' house across the street. While Brandon, Chris, Erin and I stayed on the road watching them ring the door bell a lady walks by with her dog and recognizes Chris from the hospital. He tells her what we are doing, and she said to be sure to come to her house. Because of this invitation we turned right instead of our preplanned left and worked our way up to the top of the street. We get to the last house, the kids are at the door and the man who answered the door doesn't understand what they are asking. So I walked up to explain to him we were doing a can food drive and then it was like "oh... ok." He then proceeded to tell me that his mind is foggy because his 21 year old son, a police officer, was killed last week in a motorcycle accident on 985. Long story short, Chris and Brandon were able to pray with him and we just stood there and listened to him talk about his son for about 35 minutes. He thanked us and told us that God sent us to him at this time.

Had we not been collecting cans on this day... Had Chris Smith not been with us... for one of my neighbors to recognize... and invite us to her side of the neighborhood... which caused us to change our plan... WOW... I just stand amazed how God carefully orchestrated today for the sake of this one man and his family. Every person mentioned played a part to send God's Love to a broken and grieving man, to hug him, cry with him and pray for him! I'm so honored to have been a witness to Him at work through us, even we least expect it."

Wow. Just... wow. We were trying to teach our kids about compassion, and they wound up learning a lot more. I'm so glad that God worked it out so that this family could be loved on and ministered to, and I'm honored that He used us to do it.