Ethan's Faith

Well, Ethan is my middle child. Quiet and independent but not at all shy. He just turned 5 on his birthday, May 3, and is about to begin kindergarten. He loves to play the Wii especially any kind of Super Mario Brothers games. In this picture he had just gotten his trophy for finishing his first season of t-ball. He doesn't talk a whole lot but when he has something to share he will make his opinion known. I never know what he might say and sometimes hold my breath when I here him saying,"Sir, Sir, excuse me but...". One day he told a man he liked his hair which was very polite however, the guy was bald with a comb over. It was probably the only time the guy would get a compliment on his hair. He always makes a point to speak to police officers not sure why but he likes to say hello. Some police had a person pulled over in our driveway right off of Highway 301 the other day and I had to run out to stop Ethan because he was making his way out there to speak to them. He's not at all bashful when we pray at meal time he often volunteers to pray and for a long time his prayer was "God shares, Amen." Short and sweet and completely true. He didn't ask for anything just praised God for sharing. Another time when he was having some trouble with nightmares he would just simply come to me and tell me we needed to pray so he wouldn't have bad dreams then he would go right to sleep. I began all this to actually tell a story about him that just happened today. Brandon had gotten home a little earlier than usual and so Ethan wanted him to play the Wii. Brandon was using the excuse that there was a glare on the t.v. because he wasn't doing so well playing the game. Ethan says "I think God wants me to talk to Him." So he goes over to the window looks up to the sky and then bows his head. Then he prays, "God will you move the sun, please. Amen." Of course, Ethan just wanted to finish playing the game with his dad. He has no other worries in this world, if he even knows what the word worry means. He just knew if he asked God to move the sun that He could and would do it for him. Why can't I make things that simple?

Eli is 3 today!!

My baby is 3 years old today! I wasn't really expecting a third child and wasn't excited about being pregnant for a third time but I certainly couldn't imagine life with out him now!! Right now you love all things in the form of a motor vehicle (cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, etc). You are proud of the fact that your daddy is a fireman and you say you want to be one too and I have no doubt that you will be. You also enjoy working on your cars and trucks and hooking them up to things to tow stuff around, which would be a lot like your Pop and your daddy. Your favorite color seems to be blue right now and your favorite show is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and you like the movie Cars. You really like music and you are always telling mommy to sing. Brayden Lemonds is your best buddy and of course you love your big brother, Ethan. You love your sister because she babies you and she will probably do that your entire life. I'm afraid you are quite a handful for mommy right now. When you don't get your way in stores like Target or Walmart you sit down in the floor and take off your shoes. You know good and well what the wooden spoon that I carry in my purse is for and Mommy uses it often. You are in potty training mode right now and you do well for the most part but we have definitely had some interesting situations arise. Right now I am just praying that you will be a godly man and that you will love the Lord with all your mind, soul, and strength. Strength is the word for you because you are strongminded and strong physically so if that strength is used for God you will be a mighty warrior. I love my little man.

"The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon." Psalms 92:12

Visit with cousins

Here are all seven of the kiddos together.

We all know Ellie loves babies and Kara Lynn is one of her favorites now. I think Kara Lynn kind of liked her big cousin too.

Rub a dub dub 3 wild boys in the tub!

Beautiful Cupcakes!

Making the cupcakes was hard work because we had to taste test each candy to make sure it was good enough to decorate these special creations.

Some of my most cherished moments were spending time with my cousins during summer vacation or during the holidays. I have a lot of cousins and we are all close in age so whenever we had family get togethers there was a lot of kids and a lot of fun!! This week my cousin Kelly brought her four children to visit for a couple of days. Kelly and I have spent the past several years being pregnant and usually around the same time. When Kel came to visit newborn Ellie she was pregnant with Katie. Kelly had Clay in July 2004 then I had Ethan in May 2005. Then we found out Kayla was coming and everyone looked at me and said "Well, what about you MB?" I promised them I would not be joining her this time. . . Kelly had Kayla in March 2007 and Eli was born in July 2007. Finally, Kelly announced that the fourth was on the way and I told Brandon to go sleep on the couch. Kara Lynn was born last December but I stopped at 3.

Let me give you a break down of all the activities. On Monday afternoon when all the cousins were finally reunited (we haven't seen them since last summer), we went swimming at Uncle Tim and Aunt Tricia's. A swimming pool with lots of fun memories for me. Then everyone came over to our house for supper. It sounded like a 3 ring circus. Everyone was sooo excited. Ellie and Katie were doing arts and crafts. Ethan and Clay were playing the Wii and Kayla and Eli were chasing eachother around the house. Aunt Tricia, Uncle Tim, Mama, Brandon, Kelly and I enjoyed a not so quiet dinner but we enjoyed watching the kids play. Everyone eventually headed home and Kelly and I straightened up the kitchen and then headed upstairs to round up kids for bedtime. Kayla wanted to sleep with the boys so we headed to Ethan and Eli's room and laid sleeping bags out for everyone. The two big girls headed to Ellie's room to escape the noise and enjoy a good read. Kayla and Eli kept popping up and down. Clay was trying his best to wind down but the excitement of day was still on his mind. Ethan was face first in his pillow and the first one of the night to fall asleep except for Kara Lynn who got to sleep downstairs where it was a little quieter. Kelly and I sat down at the kitchen table to catch up. There were a few more pitter patters of little feet but eventually all was quiet. Kelly and I shared stories of potty training, tips on easy meals, and took a stroll down memory lane. We laughed a lot, cried a little, and then headed off to bed.

The next day we started off with donuts for breakfast. Ellie and Katie began planning a surprise party for Eli and Clay who both have birthdays in July. I decided it would be fun to load the 3 older girls up and head to Dollar Tree for some party supplies and Kelly stayed behind with the boys and Kara Lynn. On the way to the store Kayla (3 years) was thinking hard about what we could buy. She spoke up and said I know what we can get at the store, some "go ticks". I needed her big sis Katie to translate... glow sticks was what she said. I thought this was a great idea. When we got there you could tell I had some professional shoppers on my hands. We could have easily spent $50 if we had let Kayla take control so I had to step in and take control of the final selections. We headed back home to start on the cupcakes and to prepare games for the party. We started out with hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, then we had the lovely cupcakes, then there was time for games and opening gifts. All the kids had tons of fun and Kelly and I were impressed with Ellie and Katie's party planning skills. One of my favorites was the sign they made which said "Hey, Eli ...What's Up, Clay...Yahoo...It's your birthday!!!" For the big finale we waited until it was dark outside we turned off all the lights, turned on music and danced around with all the glow sticks. We did take the time to bathe all of the kids. We took shifts. The boys were my responsibility and they basically splashed around until I thought they were clean enough. The bathroom got a nice cleaning too. It was a busy and fun filled day and all the kids went straight to bed with almost no trouble at all except for Kara Lynn. We think she was a little overstimulated. I can't imagine why.

Sad to say the fun had to end and our cousins headed back to Arkansas on Wednesday morning. The kids said there goodbyes and I got some hugs and kisses and now we are looking forward to the next visit. Ellie, Ethan and Eli love their cousins, Katie, Clay, Kayla and Kara Lynn!!

New Orleans Wedding and VBS

The children are sitting on a fountain in the French Quarter. We were just out sightseeing after breakfast and checking out the more kid friendly part of New Orleans!

Here are Allison and Eric tying the knot! We pray for God's blessings on Aunt Allison, "new" Uncle Eric, Peyton and Atley.

Here are the kids performing at the Riverbend VBS finale. We had a lot of fun and are truly blessed that we are a part of this church family!

I haven't posted anything in a couple of weeks so a lot has been going on since my last post. We went to New Orleans for Aunt Allison's wedding and we came home to VBS festivities which were a lot of fun.

We enjoyed visiting with family in New Orleans but to be quite honest Brandon and I are truly country folk so the city is only a place for short visits. I do however love to walk and window shop. I love to look at the artwork and the historic buildings so I wish we had had more time for that but when you have children that need naps or would rather be at the hotel pool there isn't any time for what mom wants to do. Mostly, I just enjoyed being with my husband because it's a rare occasion that I get to spend and entire day with him much less an entire 4 days so that was a highlight. The wedding was at Benachi House in New Orleans which I believe was built in 1859. Brandon was especially impressed with a certificate hanging in the hallway that was signed by Abraham Lincoln. Ms. Nancy, Aunt Brenda, Cousin Amy and Cousin Ann Martin worked really hard to create a beautiful ceremony and reception for Allison and Eric. Of course both Allison and Eric's families had a lot of sweat on their brows after setting up and then cleaning up. Of course the ultimate goal was to get Allison and Eric hitched and we accomplished what we went there for so you two enjoy marital bliss!!

So Monday June 21 we headed back home from New Orleans so that we could get home for Ethans last t-ball game and to go to Vacation Bible School. The kids really enjoyed Bible School. Ellie got to take her friend Andrea and Ethan took his friend Tony. Eli just enjoyed getting to be a big boy and joining in the fun. He also got to be with his best buddy Brayden. They sang, they crafted, they listened to stories, they enjoyed every minute and looked forward to every evening when it was time to go to the church. Ethan and Ellie especially enjoyed Ms. Theresa as she told the Bible stories. I believed that was the favorite of most of the children. I'm so glad they enjoyed hearing God's word and truth. We as adults forget that the Bible is full of wonderful characters and amazing stories filled with drama and suspense. Special thanks to our Children's Director, Liz, that works hard to organize all of the activities for the kids. She is just a big kid herself and I know God made her that way for this very reason. Brandon, another big kid, and I had the pleasure of working with Liz ahead of time to prepare some of the decorations, namely the big ship that took up most of the stage. Brandon did the building and I did the painting and we enjoyed taking part. I also enjoyed assisting Ms. Shelley with craft time and Brandon was there most evenings not sure for what other than to stir up trouble. I think his excuse was to come help Mr. Clay with rec time. Anyway it was a nice week with plenty of fellowship and learning how to be more like Jesus so I am thankful for our Riverbend family and the dedication they have to our children.

Sanctus Real - Lead Me (Slideshow With Lyrics)

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you , O valiant warrior." Judges 6:12 It's Father's Day and I wish my father, Tim, and husband, Brandon, a joyful day. We love you and pray for you. I know that leading a family must seem impossible sometimes but I plead with you to stand firm and look to our Heavenly Father for strength because your family needs you to be warriors for us and most of all for Christ. When Gideon heard those words "valiant warrior" spoken to him he did not believe he was capable of leading his people to victory against the Midianites but God doesn't see us as weak human flesh He sees how He is going to use us. He sees the end result... the redeemed, the sanctified, the cleansed, the forgiven, the valiant warrior.

I realized, Daddy, that you are the patriarch of this family. Know this... your family kneels behind you in prayer. "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies at the gate." Psalm 127:4-5 You are blessed, your quiver is full... me, brother, Ellie, Ethan, and Eli (and I'm sure more in the future). I love you, Daddy.

For my husband... thank you for your hard work and perserverance. I mostly appreciate and am thankful for your spiritual growth. I pray for your protection as you enter the world everyday and I pray you will be a light among the darkness. I pray that other men will see you are different and they will desire to know what makes you different. When you take my hand I feel the result of hard labor but when you hug and kiss your children I see the result of a gentle spirit. Continue to grow and walk in Christ and I will continue to pray and support you. We love you.

I pray this for my father, my husband, my brother, and my sons...

The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:12-15

The song I have posted above I feel has a wonderful message so listen and enjoy. Happy Father's Day!

What will we do today?

Well, we have been busy the first 2 weeks of our summer vacation. First of all, this is the time that I enjoy being a stay at home mom the most. Everyday the kids get up and ask "what are we going to do today?", and we go from there.

We started off with Memorial Weekend and spent most of our time with the Lemonds (refer to Amandas blog or facebook for pics because she always has her camera and I always forget mine). On that Memorial Day Monday Ethan had to go to the doctor and get his 5 year shots so he can go to kindergarten in the fall. I haven't cried yet but call me on the first day of school and I'm sure the floodgates will open. Also, that week I had to go meet with the insurance agent about life insurance because they so graciously reminded Brandon and I that we are ten years older and we need to go over some things and update policies. We also went shopping on Ellie's birthday but she managed not to purchase anything with her money. We had a special lunch at KFC and then that night we ate supper at the Mexican restaurant. Ellie got to wear a sombrero and the waiter sang to her (once again sorry about the pics but I took one with my phone and I don't know how to download it, upload it whatever I'll do better next time.) We ended the week with a t-ball game and Ellie had a sleepover with her friend Andrea. I spent some time baking a barnyard cake for little Jake McGinnis' first birthday (yeah go to Jen for pics). We also cooked out with the McGinnis', you will learn that Todd and Brandon share a love for food and grilling. It's kind of ridiculous really. Jennifer and I sit through many conversations about meat and seasonings. Well that's just the first week.

What's next, you ask? Well I will tell you. This week we went to the dentist. No cavities for all three kids, what are the odds? After the dentist we stopped at the Collierville mall and walked through Build a Bear, too expensive for Ellie, we used the potty in Gap, went to Dillards just to ride the escalator at Ethan's request, went in Barnes and Noble so Eli could play on the train table, and finally I managed to get to walk through Charming Charlie's with only a few complaints and grumbles from the kids. Finally, we had a cookie. Also this week, Ellie and I dragged the boys thrift store shopping. Ellie loves to buy books at thrift stores. She always has her nose in a book and is usually reading 2 or 3 at a time. Brandon and I have been building and painting props for VBS. Brandon has built a ship and a ships wheel and I have painted a ship and a ships wheel plus a jungle scene. Maddi and Wade Malone came over for a play date on Wednesday while I was painting the ship and the kids spent the day splashing in the pool. Yesterday Ellie went to a friends to play and Ethan, Eli and I went to Pop's tractor store. Ethan got to help Pop park a brand new tractor that had been delivered that day. Then we visited Aunt Gail at the bank and got loaded down with suckers. I also put some of my paintings on craigslist and through that I got a job doing some custom paintings for a lady who is redecorating her living room. So today is Friday and what will we do today? I don't know. Wherever the wind takes us!

Happy Birthday, Ellie!

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl, Ellie! You are growing up fast. Today is your ninth birthday and I can't believe how quickly those nine years have gone by. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you. You are so smart and you do so well in school. You are happy and you make others happy when they are around you. Remember to always be kind and to make others smile whenever you can.

We love you sooo much!!!!

Lord, I pray that Your Beauty will be upon my precious daughter that you have given us and that you will establish the work of her hands. I pray that as long as she lives, her life will be dedicated to you Lord. Use her, work through her, bless her all the days of her life. AMEN

"I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." 3 John 1:4