The Dreaded Day

It wasn't until this day did I realize how one day can impact you the rest of your life. Birthdays happen once a year. A joyful happy day of celebrations about you. Days like this, however, make me relive every detail of the events that lead up to why this that has become dreaded.


In looking for some peace and hope and something to stop my tears, I turned to her verse. Romans 12:12. However, my phone was on The Message version. This is what it said.

11-13 Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

I've been struggling as a mom (don't burn out) and I was reminded to be trying to be the kind of mom that she was. (Keep yourselves fueled and aflame). I achieved one of my goals for this year, a half marathon. Still working thru the other. Jeremiah is hard to relate to. (Don't quit in the hard times, pray all the harder.) I will get thru today because of many prayers. (Help the needy) Mom did. (Be inventive in hospitality) My distraction for the day is lunch here with some friends.

And now to continue with my day and wake up my kids....

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Easter Eggs

Catching up here...we dyed eggs with Papa. Tyler was a hoot with the eggs. He would hold the egg in the cup of color. Check it. Shove it back in until it becomes the color he wanted. We ended up calling him 'Hulk' as his hand stayed green for most of the day.

Strawberry Patch

I heard about a local strawberry patch we went and checked out. We had such a good time and had such wonderful strawberries that we took Grandma Connie, some friends and went back a fourth time!! Tyler tried almost all of his pickings...

Dance Recital

I'm trying to get caught up! I have a new app for pictures that seems to be working better. I just have to go back and adjust a few to get them all on the page....bear with me.

So, the girls have been taking dance since January. Here's a few pics from recital.

Crazy things parents will do

I'm sure there are things that parents do to make memories for their kids. The 'I can't believe I just paid money for that' phrase is coming to my mind. I wonder what crazy things my parents did...Dad, remember to tell me. So Saturday, topped our 'Crazy List.'

We went to Carolina Beach (the Saturday of a 3 day weekend, not our smartest idea). It was very busy, and very windy. I think Beryl is to be thanked for the wind and the waves. We had a great time playing in the sand (L& T), jumping waves (K), and enjoying our friends.

After the beach, we decided we still wanted to do something. So we decided to explore the waterfront area of Wilmington. While driving thru, we saw a sign or a pirate tour. We parked and walked to the sign to check it out. We asked some people about it who said the guy was good and we should do it. Being next to the waterfront, we assumed it was a boat tour....

Had some time to kill, so we found a pizza place to eat. All the kids wanted to know about was, 'how long until the pirate tour?' We get thru dinner and walk back to find our pirate. Find him we did. Our 'tour' is a WALKING tour. No boat. $10/adult, kids 12 & under free. So, $30 to walk with the pirate while he tells us pirate stories. After much discussion among the adults, Mark approached the pirate guide for a 'shortened' tour at a discount. So, $20 to walk along the riverfront and listen to a man tell us pirate stories because that's what they wanted to do.

After hearing the stories, which we all learned something about the pirates and the Cape Fear River, we realized how good with the kids he was. The stories were captivating and he kept the kids attention. At just the right time, we'd walk again.

Mother's Day

It takes a village to raise a child.

I am a fan of Beth Moore. I read her blog often. The blog post created these thoughts this week as Mother's Day approached.

I thought about the moms that came along side my Mom to help raise me. I thought about moms from when I was young and when I was a young adult. It lead me to realize how the church had played a role in her village. Not only were village mom interactions at church-as I think about stories I've heard from those watching me in the nursery, the church provided friendships of village moms. I thought about those village moms that are still moms to me.

I about the village I left. I thought my list was quite short, it really isn't. I realized how I was limiting my list to Missouri only. I thought about another village I left in Omaha.

I thought about the village the was starting to come up around me in our new place. Every friendship has been ordained before me. Some have been slowly coming. Others have been instant. Every one for a purpose.

I thought about the village moms I don't know names to, but teach or love on my kids at church and school. I wondered what other the village moms are still to come in my life.

I would do injustice to not acknowledge the Facebook village. While friends from different parts of life, we are doing life together still. My village is huge.

Thank you Lord, for the village it took to raise me and still raise me. Thank you for the village coming around me.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I have spent time thinking about 2011 and the things coming for 2012. Wow! I am amazed what we walked through and what we are hoping for this year. New experiences. New friends. A new church (YES!! We've found one and joined! Look Here) The same goals: read more, save more, less debt, pray more, better mom, cook more often/less eating out. And then my REAL focuses of 2012: read the whole Bible and a half marathon (13.1 miles). I've had my eyes on a diva run in Myrtle Beach in May since oh, October, and I'm going to do it. Just looking for buddies.

We rang in the New Year at 'official' Greenwich time, 7 pm (eastern), in Mount Olive, NC. Home of Mount Olive Pickles. Yes, the dropped a pickle. (Look Here) We have the pickle festival on the calendar....