The best gift ever..

A couple of young teenage girls I know decided they wanted to bless me by coming to my house and watching my kids, every week in the summer, free of charge. These sweet girls have earned more respect from me in one week than most adults do over long periods of time. I am so grateful for their help, as I was about ready to check myself into a mental facility just before they offered to help me, with this summer being more difficult than summers past with work and having the kids home. Mostly, I feel horrible because the kids want me to hang out with them and do things with them and I can't because I have to get all my work done, not because I'm irritated with them for continuously come down to the basement needing something from me. I mean, I AM their mom, and moms are supposed to meet their kids' needs, right? I WANT to be there for them, especially since the years of them needing me are quickly disappearing..

However, these girls have stepped up and have made sure my kids are well taken care of and having a good time for a couple of hours while I work, and that means so much to me! And it's all out of the kindness of their hearts. That is a rare find and I'm so grateful!

I think we could all learn a little something from this....that serving others in need comes with the greatest reward.

Weddings, & more weddings...

So far this summer I've been asked to be a bridesmaid in 2 weddings, and have another one to go to as a guest. My little princesses are the flower girls in one of them...they're so excited!

The down side......having to buy 4 dresses all within 2 months' time.....



At least my friends have GREAT taste in dresses. :)

It runs in the family...

That's me and my dad...cute, right!?!

Kids.

Recent essay written by my 9-year-old son, Josh.

Without a doubt, brocolli is my least favorite vegetable for many reasons. It looks like a small tree and eating a small tree makes me throw up. Tasting brocolli tastes like dirt from a real tree. The color green from the brocolli is a grass green and it makes me feel like eating grass. Clearly brocolli is my least favorite vegetable.

I would have given anything to see his teacher's reaction on this one!!!!

Karaoke

Last weekend Mikayla had a sleepover birthday party for her 7th birthday and got a karaoke machine. She and her friends had a blast with it. I also may or may not have had a blast with it. :)

Megan and Ashlyn


Mikayla and Taryne

No Words...

This past weekend I went up to Estes Park as a leader for a winter retreat with the youth group (SIM) from the church I go to (Vinelife). It totally rocked everyone's worlds. Really, there are no words to fully describe how awesome it truly was, and I'm dead serious about that. People's lives were changed...

However, I do have documentation of some of the activities that took place in the boys' cabin after the girls had left for the night (me and 2 other girl leaders stayed there in a room by ourselves because there wasn't room at the other cabin for us), and I was fortunate enough to be able to capture this...

It's been a long time coming...

On January 1st, I began something that I have wanted to do for a long time....attempting to read the entire bible, old and new testament, front to back, in one year. I found a really cool website (www.youversion.com) that tells you exactly what books and chapters to read each day. I really like how you read out of both the old and new testament at the same time. Right now, I'm in the middle of Genesis, Psalms, and Matthew. If you haven't read Genesis, you should! I'm finding it fascinating. I've heard all the stories before, but when you read them all together and understand how they tie into one another, it's much more meaningful. And, man, some of the people in those days were messed up!! But it all makes so much sense...