Narnia....here we come!

The past several weeks we have been reading "The Chronicles of Narnia. The Lion,the Witch, and the Wardrobe." at bedtime. We have finished all 17 chapters and it was time to watch the movie. The kids could not have been more excited. We ate our supper (chicken tettrazini from baking day....yum yum!) and then took early baths. We cuddled up to start the show.

We even had lion cookies (in honor of the great King Aslan).

Throughout the movie Kaleb kept declaring, "I've seen this movie before." We were trying to explain to him that he hadn't but that he knew what was going to happen next because he had read the book. He wouldn't go along with us....he kept insisting that he had in fact watched this movie before. He's a stubborn little rascal....you'd think he was a firstborn....oh wait, he is a firstborn! That explains so much!

We also let Aubri Jane watch the movie with us even though she did not listen to the book (we read it after she was in be each night). She really liked it as well. She became particularly interested in Mr. Tumnus (or "Mr. Tum" as she called him). She kept saying, "Mr. Tum have so silly ears!" and after the White Witch turned him into stone she became increasingly concerned about him. Every couple of seconds she would declare, "Mr. Tum cyin cuz he not want be stone. Dat witch be mean him." She could not get past the fact that he was crying when he became a statue. What a glorious moment it was for her when Aslan breathed on Tumnus and he came back to life. Truly, Aslan was a hero to ALL that night!

NYC may have the Naked Cowboy...

but we've got the Naked Cowgirl!

And I think she's WAY better!

Baking day #1

I title this post "baking day #1" because I can assure you that there will later be a baking day #2....and #3.....and so on and so forth. My sweet friend, Karen, and I share a love of couponing and "blog stalking." One of the blogs we love is "money saving mom." This blog is written by a godly lady who is doing her best to honor God with all of her families resources (they are just now, after like 7 years of marriage, going to buy their first house....and they are paying cash for it!). One way that "money saving mom" (I have no idea what her actual name is at the moment) saves money is by preparing meals at home from scratch. She hosts "baking days" where she prepares lots of meals at once and then freezes them for future use. Karen and I decided to give it a try. We made our menu, gathered ingredients, sent my family over to her house to hang with her family, turned on the radio, and went to work.
We got out our extra tables and spread out everything we needed to make chicken tetrazzini, chocolate chip muffins, breakfast hot pockets, meatballs, whole wheat waffles, southwestern roll ups, and stuffed shells.

Our husbands were most excited about our breakfast hotpockets. This recipe was very elaborate and involved yeast (something I have NEVER used before). It took about 3 hours to make these....you mix stuff then it has to rise.....then you add some stuff......then you let it rise.....then you knead it.....then it rises again. You get the picture. They sure are yummy though!

After about 6 hours of cooking and cleaning we were finished. My freezer is now stocked with 3 meals of chicken tettrazinni, 6 whole wheat waffles, 2 meals of southwestern chicken rollups, 2 meals of stuffed shells, extra filling for stuffed shells, a dozen chocolate chip muffins, 50 meatballs, and about 15 breakfast hot pockets.

We'll begin gathering recipes for next month's baking day soon!

There's a first time for everything

And today was my first time to dye my hair. I have never ever colored or even highlighted my hair before this week. I have always thought that I would just go grey gracefully. I actually think long grey locks look regal and beautiful. But then I saw a picture of myself from behind and I saw this web of scraggly grey hairs that oddly resemble a spider latching on to the back of my head and I changed my mind.
I told my friend Gypsy (also my hairdresser) that I wanted something close to my natural color (but if it had to be different I wanted it to be darker....can you imagine a blond with my skin tone...yikes!) She put in a temporary color called "toffee." It will shampoo out in about 6 weeks. That way I don't have to keep doing it over and over again if I don't want to. But guess what....I think I'll want to. I really like it. I also really like the hair cut she gave me. I had just asked her to thin it out a bit (I have freakishly course and thick hair) but she decided to give me side swept bangs. It turned out better than I expected.

We got a dog!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, sort of....

Thursday was the 101st day of school so the entire Kindergarten at Chimneyrock Elementary dressed up like dalmations. They had a "101 Dalmations" party complete with a movie and craft (creating a headband with ears.) Isn't our little dalmation cute? A big thank you goes out to my friend LIndsey who helped me make his shirt the night of the break-in. Not only did she let my entire family sleep at their house that night, she fed us all, made Kaleb's lunch for the next day, and took me to Target to buy the stuff to make the costume (those meanie-heads that robbed us stole his first costume!).

Again???? Are you serious????

On Wednesday afternoon our house was broken into....again. Yes, that's right. This is the second time our house has been broken into in the 5 years we have lived here. Let me tell you the story...

After preschool was over we went and picked up Kaleb from school. So far....nothing is out of the ordinary. Kaleb explains that he got a "g" on his behavior chart signifying that he had a "good" day. We celebrated! This meant that he earned for himself 30 minutes of wii time....pure bliss! We got home and the kids ran inside while I went to get the mail. A moment later Nathan ran out and said, "hey mom....what did you do with our wii?" I reply, "what do you mean, 'what did i do with your wii?' I didn't do anything with it." Still everything feels normal as I come in the door. The first weird thing happens as I turn the corner. There is squeezable grape jelly laying in the middle of the kitchen floor. Odd. But I am still not thrown off to much (my family is a bit rambunctious....anything is possible). But then I head in to the living room and notice that the back door has been kicked in. The frame of the door is just hanging there and the door is all busted up. heart. is. racing. I yell, "who wants to go visit London and Liam (our friends about a mile away)." The kids just stare as if to say, "we just got in the door and now we have to turn right back around again?" With them staring at me dumbstruck I yell "first one to the car gets a cookie." Needless to say, they began moving. We buckled (faster than I ever have before) and drove (rather quickly....Lord, please forgive me for breaking the law and speeding) to my friend Allison's house. (why didn't I just use my cell phone you might be thinking. Well, I had forgotten it at home that day....of course I did. of all days, right!?)

Fast forward. I will spare you the boring details. Allison watched the kids while Rayden and I met with the cops. We discovered all that was missing and we found a fingerprint that would be useful. They didn't take much....just all the things that have any monetary value (cameras, jewelry, wii and wii accessories, Ipods, etc). But the thing that kills me is that they slashed up our trampoline. What a bunch of jerks. I mean, really. I get stealing...at least they have something to gain from that. But this was just downright rude. To be perfectly frank....it felt like on the way out they just left a little "f you" in the backyard.

Anyway. You'd think I would be devastated. Scared maybe. Sad even. But seriously I am doing alright. I mean, things aren't all peachy or anything. I definitely feel violated. I feel sort of "naked" if you will. They had dumped out all our clothes drawers looking for stuff. It bothers me to think that some bad dude was touching my panties. Sick. But, I spent the next day washing every piece of clothing we have. Really, I mostly feel grateful.

In light of recent events in Haiti....I have nothing to complain about. The thought that continues to swirl around in my head is this...."some mommies are out there searching for there babies that are missing. All you are hoping to recover is a stupid Ipod." And really, everything that was taken from us will be restored (minus our deductible) from insurance. Those sweet people may never have what they lost restored to them.

And as far as fear goes....you know I already struggle with this. But, my God is a God of peace and He has proven that to me again. While I haven't yet slept in my bed yet (I feel weird that those people were near my bed) I am not afraid of being in my home. God has kept me safe so far and I have no reason not to think he won't continue to do so.

I am praying that the police will catch these kids and that they will receive consequences for their actions. I want them to know that what they do affects other people. It's like we told the boys, "everyone in the world gets to choose for themselves whether or not they will follow God's rules. But, not following God's rules always hurts you and other people."

My daddy's girl

Have I ever told you before how much of a daddy's girl my daughter is? Well, if I haven't before, I am telling you now. Aubri is truly a daddy's girl. Given the choice between us she'll pick her daddy 9 times out of 10. That's okay with me. I'm dealing with it....sort of. I only cry every couple days. No, I'm just kidding. I LOVE that she is a daddy's girl. They will have such a cool relationship as she grows up....it's part of what I so desperately wanted a little girl.


Anyway....

Each night at bedtime I beg Aubri to let me rock her. But, alas, every night that I ask I get the same response..."No....I want daddy put me bed." Even when I fake cry she walks over to me, hugs me, kisses my cheek, and whispers in my ear "don't cry mommy....but I want daddy put me bed."

You can clearly see that it doesn't bother me at all!

So, each night Rayden rocks her for a few moments and then he blesses her. He looks into her eyes as he holds her and whispers, "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face upon you and give you peace." Then he kisses her forehead and puts her in her crib.

Well, Rayden wasn't home last Wednesday night. It was my chance to rock my sweet baby girl. And this particular night I thought I might whisper that blessing in her ear.

"The Lord bless you and keep you.....The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face upon you and give you peace." Then I added, "I love you baby girl."

Aubri's response..."Don't pray daddy's prayer. Pray your own prayer."

Christmas Pictures (and captions)

Lots of presents...oh....and a Christmas tree too!

Santa came and brought a motorcycle for Kaleb, a Wii for Nathan, and a kitchen for Aubri.

Playing the much-wished-for Star Wars Wii game.

Even Little Grandma tried the Wii Bowling.

Aubri coloring on the easel that Aunt Katie and Uncle Tom got for the kids.

PawPaw sent his gifts along with Uncle Joshie. Bakugan, a Tinkerbell movie and glowworm, and a musical sit and spin.

A beautiful princess....even without this Snow White kitchen ensemble.

Uncle Joshie gets a power drill....guess that means he's all grown up now!

Kaleb is "born to ride!"

Nathan could barely contain his excitement all day long.

Such a joy to have my brothers, mom, and grandma there to celebrate with us!

Uncle Joshie and Kaleb building a Knex truck. Wait....scratch that....let me rephrase. Kaleb watching Uncle Joshie build him a Knex truck.
Relaxing after a long day!

Playing PIT. What an awesome game!

Little Grandma laughing so hard she started to cry. It was all started by Josh saying "dooty sakes grandma" (you'd have to know my grandma, but she has some very funny sayings)

4 generations

This Christmas brought together 4 generations of ladies in my family. This is the first time this has ever happened. It was very special. This picture will forever be so meaningful to me because it captures the joy found in family and the priceless nature of the bond of womanhood. This picture has some of my favorite people in all the world in it (and don't think I mean me....I am not that self-involved....sheesh!)

My Little Grandma....don't ask me why I call her that. I am not entirely sure. All I know is that for as long as I can remember I have had a little grandma and a big grandma. I can only assume that I came up with these names because one of my grandmas is little....about 5 foot 2 and one is big....well....at least biggER that 5 foot 2. (I'm a genius, I know...)

Small side note here....a while back my big grandma wrote me a letter in which she included a post script. It read...."P.S. Do you know what you call me big grandma? Well, one day when you were about 3 we were taking a walk and I asked you why you called me that and you said it was because I had big boobies." Random post script I must say....and I can't speak to the validity of this statement because I have no recollection of this conversation. So, for the sake of not sounding utterly ridiculous, I am sticking to the story of naming them based on their height.

Okay....back to my little grandma. This woman is amazing. She is feisty, hilarious, full of life, determined, and stubborn as heck. (I'd use a different word here, but I am married to a pastor and it may not seem appropriate!). She has been through so much in her lifetime....losing her son when he was just 6 years old to ether pneumonia, losing her husband just a few short years later to a freak car accident, surviving an abusive and alcoholic second husband, being a single mom to 3 girls, helping her daughter struggle through mental illness, caring for another daughter who is dying of ALS, and the list goes on and on. Praise the Lord that my grandma is a believer because I don't know how you could walk a road like that any other way. And praise God for his perfect timing because she didn't give her life to Christ until about 7 years ago. My little grandma has taught me how to be strong and how to laugh in the face of terrifying times. She is a blessing to me and to all who know her.

My mom. What a road we have walked together. I spent most of my growing up years mad at my mom. I was mad at her for her high expectations of me. I was mad at her for how judgemental she seemed. I was mad at her for how she treated my dad. I was mad at her for the unfair treatment I felt I was getting. Mainly though, I think I was just mad that we weren't close....like I desperately wanted to be. Maybe I glamorized the mother-daughter relationship so much and had an unrealistic picture of what it was supposed to be. Or maybe, because we were both oldest children we were both too stubborn and hardheaded to let our guards down with each other. Who knows? Whatever the case, we weren't close. But then, I myself became a mom. All of a sudden I saw her in a different light. All of a sudden she became very present in my life. Things seemed to be turning around. I needed her and she was willing and pleased to swoop in and be what i needed her to be. But then...DIVORCE. My parents split up. I made it clear to them that I was against their choice. I told her that I thought God's best was reconciliation. I told both my parents that although their sins were many that they could be forgiven by God and they could work to forgive one another. I think that conversation drove a wedge between me and my mom....or it at least reminded us of the wedge that was already there. She began to shut me out. She stopped calling. She didn't come to Memphis when my daughter was born. I began to shut her out too because the pain she had caused me was so great. I felt so abandoned and hurt. The walls I were building around my heart were growing very tall. Since then I have had to demolish that wall brick by brick as I have cared for my mom in her new life (one full of hospitals, medications, and dementia). What a humbling experience it is now to mother my own mother. It is truly as if all 28 of our previous years of "wedges" has melted away and all I feel is love for her. Oh sure....the day to day stuff of caring for her needs gets really annoying sometimes....but love and loyalty to my mother is most pervading.

Then there's me. What can I say about me? Let's see...I'm 29, I am 5 foot 2, I weigh about 20 pounds more than I should. Maybe I should dig a little deeper. I am a mother who feels like I fail more than I succeed. I am someone who easily overcommits myself and then becomes frozen in an overwhelmed state. I am plagued by anxiety over medical issues (I am currently medicated for this and am also going to a psychologist) and I am trying to lose weight through weight watchers (this is most certainly an up and down battle). But, if I am going to sift through what's on the inside I must admit that I do see some good stuff in there too. Although I seem to fail a lot as a mother, I am fiercely committed to my children and to praying for their salvation and spiritual health. I know that God is the one who will capture their hearts and lead them to great things. And even though I say yes more times than I should, I LOVE to serve my God and His people. I know He has gifted me so that I can be a blessing, and I am doing my best to do just that. And yes, I do battle anxiety (ever since my dad's seizure 2 years ago), but I am pretty proud of myself that I sought help and am not content to just live this way. I am battling this disease....I will NOT let it rule me. I am determined to struggle against the enemy and let God have every victory in my life. So in conclusion, I've got some crud in me (don't we all) and by God's grace there are a few redeeming qualities tucked away inside this body. I pray that my life may testify to the fact that God is real and that He is in the business of redeeming all things to Himself.

And finally, my baby girl....Aubri Jane. This little lady amazes me daily. How on earth did I ever get so blessed to be chosen as her mommy? She brings me such joy. She makes me laugh. She is teaching me what it means to be feminine and gentle. One of my favorite things she does is when you put her in her crib she whispers, "pray for me." Isn't that so sweet? Those words melt my heart each night as I cry out to God...begging Him for the day of her salvation. She is truly a princess and I pray that she will always see herself just as God sees her.

Twas the night before Christmas....

and all through our house
lots of things were being prepared
by me and my spouse.

The bread was being broken
to prepare for a big meal
While momma was out and about
looking for one last great deal.



We all settled in to create a nice scope

"we'll spot Santa for sure....well, at least, I hope"

When what to our wondering eyes did appear

but mom with her camera trying to capture the cheer

"Now, Aubri, now Nathan, and Kaleb you too

please sit down and smile....please, won't you?"

Can you hear us exclaim as we sit here tonight....
"Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!"