In Wonder

So many things are beginning to bloom in my front yard, that I had to share a few of my favorites. When we moved in two years ago we splurged a bit and had a professional come in and do some landscaping for us. She was a gracious church friend and gave us an amazing deal. The one thing I told her was that I had absolutely no desire to have to do a thing except water the plants. I wanted hearty plants that required little tlc. She did just that. I can't tell you how amazed I've been that when you plant a firm foundation with good "stuff" that it continues to bloom and flourish year after year. Of course I have to do the occasional weeding and adding mulch and a bit of miracle grow, but it continues to get better . It made me think about my children and how I am raising them. Have I laid the best foundation I could? Will they continue to bloom and flourish in their christian walk by the things I have taught them and prayed over them? Will the weeds of sin begin to grow in their hearts, if I forget to water them with discipline and fertilize them with the word of God. I know that these precious children are only on loan to me for such a short time. I want the time I do have, to make all the difference in the world.

There is a beautiful song out right now by the newsboys called "In Wonder", and I wish I knew how to put a song here so you could share in it's beauty. Instead I will leave you with the lyrics. If you get a chance find it, and listen. You will be blessed!

So much wonder
Carved in your coral seas
So much wonder
Shaded by ancient trees
I consider all that your hands have made
Every newborn’s eyes, every new sunrise
No power can tame your presence
No light can match your radiance

LET ALL CREATION SING IN WONDER
EVERY SEA, EVERY CREATURE, EVERY STAR
YOU OPENED UP MY EYES TO WONDER
WHAT A VISION, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

Such a wonder
Ordering time and tide
Such a wonder
Bridging the great divide
I consider all that you had, all you gave
And all that you endured
From this rebel world
What a wondrous cross you chose to bear
What a wonder you would even care

REPEAT CHORUS

LET EVERY ROCK CRY OUT
LET EVERY KNEE BOW DOWN
YOU OPENED UP MY HEART TO WONDER
WHAT LOVE, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

No power can tame your presence
No light can match your radiance
Such a wonder...Such a wonder...

LET ALL CREATION SING WONDER
EVERY SEA, EVERY CREATURE, EVERY STAR
YOU OPENED UP MY EYES TO WONDER
WHAT A VISION, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE


LET EVERY ROCK CRY OUT
LET EVERY KNEE BOW DOWN
YOU OPENED UP MY HEART TO WONDER
WHAT LOVE, WHAT A WONDER YOU ARE

Friday Fun!

Well, we finally had another house hunter come today. I am really excited! They came at 11:00 this morning. I haven't heard anything yet, but I am praying that they liked it. We recently went down a little bit in price, so this is the first to see it since then. The house is literally sparkling clean right now, and smells like sugar cookies. I am trying to be patient while we are selling, but it has been on the market now for four months. It is hard to keep up with a clean house for 4 months! With three active children! When all you want to do is be lazy for a change!

I finished The Journey to Desire by John Eldridge this week. It was a very thought provoking book which I really enjoyed. This book really opened my heart to some truths of God that I have somehow overlooked. Great read!

Off to take the kids for a swim at a neighbor's. Sorry to those of you still thawing out from the cold. It is a heated pool but it is only 76 degrees outside and windy, so it will probably be a short swim. Have a blessed week!

Prayer Request for Addison

I was just about to post a prayer request for myself, when I saw at Barb's that Bev's granddaughter Addison is in need of prayer. Please go here to find out the details.

Love Those Dolphins, But Ants....Not So Much

Isn't this a cool picture. I rarely take a photo that I'm proud of, but I thought this one I took at the Texas State Aquarium turned out beautiful. That's Annie on the left, her friend Maddie in the middle, and Seth on the right. Ashley was busy hanging out with her friend talking on the phone to another friend or she would be in there too.

We had such a good time on our last day of spring break, other than Annie who is suffering from fire ant bites. She received about a 100 bites yesterday while playing in a dirt pile in front of a new home construction site. I was outside at the time, but at the other end of the cul-de-sac. She managed to get them off quickly and they didn't get past her ankles, but I kid you not, it is not a pretty site to look at those feet and ankles. The crying started last night at 1:00pm, which is the time they started forming those white postule thingys. I was googling like crazy to find a cure for the itch. We prayed, we cleaned the area and then we did something wierd. We made a oatmeal paste and put in all over the bites, gave her tylenol for the pain (I was out of Benedryl) and put socks on her feet to keep her from scratching. She actually slept about 4 more hours, and then couldn't take it and woke me up. She did fine today after I picked up more Benedryl this morning and some Neosporin+Pain medicine. That really helped. She was able to play at the aquarium and go to hip-hop class. She fell asleep extra early tonight, and I hope she makes it through until the morning.

Our school had an extra two days of Spring Break, but they go back tomorrow. I haven't had anyone come look at the house for this entire week. That really was a blessing since there was so much activity here with the kids home. My house will take a good couple of days of cleaning to recover. I am cranking up the Newboys in the morning and getting my broom on. Have a great week everyone!

Do You Like?

I am so excited about the new look Susie at Bluebird Blogs just gave me. I love it. She gave me exactly what I wanted and more. Thanks Susie! I can't wait to post again.

Friday Fun!

I can't sleep, so I'm posting very late. Spring break has me completely off schedule. I am one of these people that on the surface seems fine with change and being flexible, but actually I need my routine or I go a little wacky.

Highlights for the week:
We spent Sunday evening and all day Monday in Victoria. It is always nice to stay at my in-laws who love our kids to pieces. They are never low on ice cream sundaes or hugs. Skip's mom made us fried chicken, baked macaroni and cheese, some kind of cold pea salad(delicious), and french bread for dinner Sunday. I love the chocolate/chocolate chip brownies my sister-in-law Angie made too. I slept in late as my mother-in-law made breakfast for the kids. We then went to see my precious baby niece and nephew who are 18 months old now. By the cute chubby cheeks and bellys, you would never guess they were in the hospital for a month premature. They are talking up a storm and love to take walks with my mom who keeps them three mornings a week. I took my mom and my other niece Stephanie(who's 19) out to lunch for their b-days. I had missed both of them so much and we laughed and giggled for two hours at Johnny Carinos. We shared a family portion of chicken parmigiana and ended with a very large slice of turtle cheesecake(my fav.)

I rented two fabulous movies this week. I hadn't seen Casino Royale and Skip had not seen The Holiday. Both movies are must see! Daniel Craig is phenomenal as James Bond. By far this is my favorite Bond movie. Skip loved The Holiday as much as I did the first time I saw it. It is a chick flick, but your man will think it is great too.

Tuesday night our family went out to the new church building to meet as a staff for a quick fellowship. I am amazed that Skip started working at Bay Area Fellowship nine years ago when there was only about 25 people and now we are running over 4,000 a weekend and about to have our Grand Opening in our new building on Easter. Only God could work this miracle! I am so humbled to be a witness to so many people come to know Christ and lives being changed. It is truly awesome to watch!

Wednesday we took Seth in for his follow up appt. with the gastroenterologist. All the tests came back and everything looks great! The doctor isn't sure what was going on with Seth and says that there isn't anything to worry about. His blood work was better than normal, and there was not any indication of malabsorbtion as we thought there may be in the stool tests. We have been more intentional with giving him a healthier diet, and I know God has blessed us through our faithfulness and prayers. Can we just stop and say, "Thank you Jesus." I was really scared here , here, here, and here. I think I am just going to have to live with the fact that Seth is going to be a thin boy. Everything is checking out medically okay, and I need to accept that. I will continue to give him my best care, and pray for his health daily, but also I need to turn my fears over to God. He loves Seth more than I could ever imagine.

The rest of the week has been filled with sleepovers, board games, snacking way too much(on my part), jumping on the trampoline, soccer in the backyard, and the list goes on. We didn't spend a dime this week (unless you count the blow up pool and gas to Victoria) and I feel it was a great spring break. Exhausting but fun none the less.

****About an hour ago, I read the best post yet from my favorite mentor of all. If you haven't put her in your favorites yet, you are missing out. She indicated that she is going to start writing more frequently so you better check her blog out. Liana, you are an absolute blessing to me and I can't wait for others to meet you too!****

Skip Is Such a Pushover!

My kids started begging early this morning for a blow up pool. They desperately needed one, or their spring break would be forever ruined. I said, "No, we don't need a blow up pool, just go turn on the sprinkler system ...again." They persisted, and persisted and I held strong. It is only March for goodness sakes. They continued to beg, even say things like, "We will do ANYTHING!!!" I should have taken them up on it(pulling weeds, cleaning out the garage), but I continued with something like, "No means no. If you keep begging there will be consequences." They then proceded to do what every good, sweet, obedient child of mine would do...They called Daddy. They must have used their "I love you" charm" (which I must admit I often use on him too), because two hours later this was what was happening in our back yard.

Spring Break?

Spring break? Says who? I definitely don't think it is a break for parents. I actually think it is a very big hint for parents who don't have a serious plan for summer yet, TO GET ROLLING ON IT. I have played Disney Scene It, visited grandparents, sent the kids with dad to the zoo, played basketball, played Clue Jr., helped clean out closets, visited Sonic drive in twice, watched Ice Age 2, played in the sprinklers and we are only into our second day. I'm exhausted! I decided this morning to have everyone read or work on any school work they had for the week, and it was a nice quiet break. It only lasted about an hour and they were ready for the next activity. It's raining today, so sending them outside to play isn't an option. If I don't blog for a day or two it's because I have officially been worn out by my children. I hope you all know I'm not really complaining. The kids are a joy, and I'm sure a dance competition will be happening shortly in the living room so I better say goodbye for now. Happy Spring Break.

P.S. Oh, by the way, I am also trying to keep a house ready to show at a moment's notice if someone calls. Arrghhh! I guess I actually am complaining a bit now. Sorry (0:

Bloggity Book Club

I'm joining Robin and Boomama for the Bloggity Book Club. This is the first book review they have done and they picked an excellent book. We read Beth Moore's "Get Out of the Pit." I thought it was an amazing book full of truth and help for those of us who are struggling "in a pit". I loved the practicality and the scripture filled steps to finding freedom out of our pits. It ultimately came down to relying on God to heal and help us onto solid ground, as only He can do. I would strongly recommend this book, in fact, I've already loaned my book out on Thursday. If you want to hear some great reviews stop by Robin's post to learn more.

Friday Fun

First of all, anyone of you dear ladies that has a chance to do the Daniel study by Beth Moore, please do! It is so incredible. We are only on the third week, and my group is literally in awe of how good it is. We don't want the dvd to end each week.

Ashley ran in her first track meet this week and came in last place in her 200 meter heat. I am so proud of her because she loves to try new things despite not doing well. I love that about her! I am always afraid of failing, and its almost like she could care less. She ran her best and that is all that matters. To put it honestly, it is almost always about hanging out with her friends and having fun. She is such a social butterfly.

Annie is our little princess, and she tends to say the funniest, yet dingiest(is that a word) things ever. Yesterday I had to laugh when out of the blue she said, "Mom, when is the Fourth of July." Remember this girl is seven now and making straight A's in school. With the most serious face and voice I could muster I replied, "Well sweetie, I 'm pretty sure it is going to be on the fourth of July this year." I quickly shot a "you better not say one rude or degrading thing to her" look at the older sister and brother. Believe me their mouths were ready for a comeback. Annie quickly rethought her question and saved the day by saying, "What I meant was, where are we going for the fouth of July this year?" That's my Annie. Skip always says this about her, "Well, at least she's beautiful."

I would love to once again ask for prayers for the sale of our home. It has been on the market for 3 and a half months now, and we have decided to lower the price a bit. We really want to move to another house by summer, so we feel that this is a necessary decision to speed things up.

May all of you have a great weekend and a safe spring break for those of you traveling. God bless!

My Early Christmas Gift

I already have the perfect Christmas gift idea for myself this year. It is verbal filter for my mouth. Do you know if there is such a thing in existence? I often say the wrong thing, say too much, say not enough to explain myself, or worse, I say nothing. If I had a filter I could simply know when to speak or when to (sorry ladies) shut up! Since the human mouth filter is not yet been invented, I do know of an alternate device. It is one that I already have access to, but often forget it is available for the asking. That would be the HS series which has been on my soul shelf for many many years now. I am refering to the Holy Spirit which is with me at all times. It can direct every word that leaves my tongue if I will only just stop before speaking and turn it on. I would avoid so much guilt, embarrassment, and worry if I put this amazing HS series into practice.

"Father, forgive me when I use my words carelessly without thought of You first. I want to be honoring in my speech so that everyone knows who I belong to and to whom I serve."


"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear."
Ephesians 4:29 (NASB)

Monday, Monday ...

What a great weekend! I really didn't want it to end. On Friday night Skip and I went to see "Music and Lyrics" which basically will now enter into my top 10 best movies ever. I know I've heard a few people (a very few) say that it was just okay, but it you loved the 80's or just comedy in general, you will laugh from the beginning to the end. Hugh Grant is the best! I liked this movie most of all because it reminds me of any typical day of the week at my house. Skip is always writing music and recording it and then saying to me, "Just go write me some lyrics." Please take a chance, and go see it. It is precious. My in-laws saw it before we did, and also loved it.

After the movie, which was a 5:20pm showing, we took a drive by the bay and the water was beautiful. Skip wanted to show me where he had fished earlier on his day off. I am so glad he has a friend with a boat willing to take him. I am really trying to encourage Skip to go do more of the things he loves. After our drive, we took a 30 minute trip to Port Aransas and ate at Seafood & Spaghetti Works. We each had a salad bar, shared an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms, shared an entree of tempura battered fried shrimp, and we finished with delicious bread pudding. It was such a perfect evening. Of course then we came home to a crazy messy house with children completely mad that we didn't stay out longer. They love their babysitter and felt they needed to play longer. Did I ever mention how much I love our babysitter Sara? No, you cannot have her number, she is MINE!

Saturday, we hung out at the house. The girls had friends over, and then we went to watch Annie's friend play basketball. It was the cutest thing ever! Seven and eight year old girls playing sports in general is pretty hilarious. Their little personalities came out as they dribbled and shot blindly at times. I would love for Annie to play next year, but she said, "No way, I want to be a cheerleader." My girl knows what she wants. Seth had a chance to watch his friend play at the other half of the court. I wish he would give it a try, too. I know he lacks in strength and speed, but he can shoot very well. He has practiced everyday since we bought a basketball goal at Christmas.

The best part of the weekend was definitely our church service. The series is called "Words" and Bil's message was amazing. I was totally tearing up at the end. You can watch it online if you have an extra 4o minutes of your life to spare. The band played a Nickelback song "If Everyone Cared" which was phenomenal. You'll have to take my word for it because we can't put copyright music online. After church the kids and I indulged in a little KFC, well actually a lot of KFC. I know, not healthy but it was finger-licking good. Skip and I did a little yard work with all the beautiful sunshine we were having. I am so ready for our grass to be green again. Okay, I think I have officially bored you enough for one day. I have to go do some exercising. It has been 3 months of nothing, and my body is telling me that swimsuit season in Corpus is beginning in one week. Happy Week to all of you. May God be glorified in our lives today and always!

Friday Fun

Here is Annie at her 100 Days of School Celebration this morning. They had all different kinds of activities and fun. Annie is finally getting the knack of jump roping. The picture on the right is Annie with her friends Lauren and Abby.

I want to wish my brother-in-law Mark and my step-father Bobby a very Happy Birthday today. I also want to tell my sweet sister-in-law Angie Happy Late Birthday. I completely forgot her birthday was Feb.20th. Oh well, I think if you are family, you have to forgive certain relatives(that would be me) who completely can't keep track of even what day it is sometimes.

Lastly, I am so excited to go see "Music and Lyrics" tonight with my hubby. He has watched about every clip that there is on Youtube, and has a video from the movie on his blog right now.

FYI: If you want a romantic show to watch with your hubby this weekend, there is a great dvd out called "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe. Skip and I both loved it. It makes me want to go on a vacation to Europe. We also rented "The Prestige" recently, but I fell asleep while watching it. It was 11:00pm when we put the video on, so it was only because I was exhausted that I couldn't watch it all. I am going to go pop it on I can finish it while I fold my mounds of laundry that I have staring at me. By the way, Skip said it was a really good movie he would recommend.

Looking forward to a great weekend. Blessings to all of you!