Happy Annibersary

Well, I am really late on posting about our anniversary, or annibersary, as Brice would put it. AND, since Billy has already blogged a little, I thought I should atleast add my 2 cents, right? Always gotta have the last word :)

This year our anniversary was clouded with sickness. I have been sick for the past week and it is not getting any better. I ofcourse caught it from poor Brice, who IS, by the way, improving. Well, we do think of ourselves as a sharing family, so we just had to give it to Billy.

Saturday marked 11 years of marriage. After we finished rehearsal at the school, we went home and medicated, and really just did nothing all day. We had not made any grande plans - after all - we do have 3 celebrations in the month of June - so by the time we get to our annibersary - we a little partied out :(
However, last night we decided to go to out and I needed to get some medicine that they only have in Fort Myers - yep. That's right. Gas is so expensive, I wanted to get 2 boxes of the medicine and had to sign some waiver and let the drug store scan my license so that I would not make drugs from what I bought. I understand why they do it and I complied, but people were wondering why I had to buy that much - you know there were!

Anyhoo, some dear friends of ours gave us a gift certificate to eat at this really great restaurant in Fort Myers, so we went there while we were out. We had decided to bring Brice along since we were not going to be out too late. We had a good meal and it was pretty much the norm. Billy starts a conversation . . .Brice interrupts and changes the subject. 3 minutes later I try to continue that conversation . . .Brice interrupts with an important news bulletin about the tree on his plate. 3 more minutes. . .Billy once again attempts to go down memory lane with me in the conversation . . .Brice interrupts with an important bathroom need.
SOOOOO. We didn't really get to talk all that much, but it was a normal meal out for us and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My parents used to take us with them every anniversary . . .everywhere they went. For a long time I felt bad for them, thinking that they could have had such a much more meaningful time without us kids tagging along. Then, Brice arrives in my life and it all makes sense. Yea. We do need some adult time every now and then and enjoy time alone with each other, but one day Brice is gonna be grown up, and I will probably have to beg him to come and eat with his parents, so I better enjoy it while I can. After all, 11 years has flown by and these years don't seem to slow down any.
Happy annibersary, Love. I am thankful for the time we have had together and look forward to what God has in store for us as we continue on this journey each day.

Happy Birthday!!!

Yesterday was Billy's birthday. He was at a training seminar all day and we were able to meet him for dinner last night. We had a great time and Brice somehow thought it was still his birthday - the balloons, the singing - ofcourse it was all for him . . .not DADDY!
As I said before June is a month of celebration all the way around in our household, so this weekend Billy is churning homemade butter pecan ice cream (from my mother's stash of recipes - thanks, mom!) and we are once again having a little party - since Daddy was away most of his birthday. The Scooby-Doo decorations are still up and we will probably wear those masks again just to be silly and allow Brice to once again feel that he is the center of the celebration.
I look at Billy and to me he hasn't aged a bit, but he is different than the guy I first met in college. The guy who would come by my desk in Old Testament class and put candy there to get my attention (I think in reality it was to get a look at my homework, lol.) I remember the first time he called me and I didn't know who he was, but he was determined to keep me on that phone and eventually he asked me out. I should have known something was up when our first date was to a crusade. Nonetheless we had a great time and so as we are entering this next week when we will celebrate our anniversary, I will no doubt share more about this wonderful man that I have married and some of the funny memories that have kept me laughing all these years. But for this day I say "Happy Birthday, Babe." And we will wear our Scooby masks and toast our kool-aid cups to you!

Answered Prayer

I just needed to share what else happened yesterday (Father's Day) at church. I had been praying for the past 2 weeks that I would cross paths with the gentleman that recovered my wallet. I wanted to share with him how thankful I was and to offer him some kind of reward or just help HIM in some way. I couldn't remember what he looked like, so I was praying that the Lord would help me recognize this man, when and if I saw him.
Sooooo. At the end of the service yesterday, I am putting away equipment and rolling microphone cords when 2 people walk towards the stage. One I knew and spoke with right away. The other I did not know but I smiled and said "Hello." I assumed they were there to speak with someone else who was also working on the stage. WRONG. My friend got my attention and said "I believe you have been looking for this man." She pointed to the guy next to her.
CUE THE TEARS. Yes, I think I literally jumped off the stage (okay it's not that high, but I am not a jumper) and through tears I tried to thank this man once again and explain just how much of a blessing he had been to me, my family and our church. I expressed how glad I was that he was there (at church) to visit with us and went on and on about how I had prayed for this moment. I am not a "hugger" but I asked this man if I could hug him. I think I freaked him out a little, but the Lord had answered this prayer for me to see him again and I was so grateful.
What is also interesting is that once again our family went to the grocery store after lunch yesterday to pick up a couple of items and there that same gentleman was - walking out of the store once again, just like he had 2 weeks before, probably not too far behind me.
We never know who is walking behind us and learning from our "walk." So I have to ask myself a question. What kind of impression am I leaving for those who will be walking behind me on this journey?

Father's Day

Father's Day. Today was a good one (I hope so for Billy) and we had a great time in worship this morning. This is Billy's 4th Father's Day and he is an excellent Dad. When we brought Brice home, Billy was involved in every part of the daily duties. He stayed up at night for the feedings, got up early for the feedings, and still is the first line of defense when those late night "cries" come from the other room.
Billy is a patient father and is a great encourager to Brice. Billy loves to wrestle and just have "boy" time with Brice. They are two peas in a pod.
There are things that a mother specializes in, but there are certain things that only a Dad can do. Brice loves riding with his Dad and singing together in the mornings. It's a great bonding time for the two of them. When Brice gets scared, he calls for Dad. I think that's pretty special. Brice feels protected and safe with Billy. Daddy doesn't let any monsters come around! Brice looks up to Billy and I can already see those signs that he wants to do whatever Daddy is doing. I am thankful for a husband who makes his family a priority. We are truly blessed. Happy Father's Day, dear :)


Father's Day. Today is also sad because I cannot be with my Dad. I did get to make a phone call and spend a few minutes catching up, but it's not the same as being face to face. I miss not being near my Dad. Like I said before, there are certain things that only a Dad can do. Today I celebrate my Dad for all the things he taught me. I celebrate my Dad for teaching me how to laugh and to never stop. I celebrate my Dad for his work ethic. I celebrate my Dad for teaching me the importance of family and making that time a priority. But most of all, I celebrate my Dad for the greatest thing he has ever done for me. It was my Dad who answered all my questions about having a relationship with the Lord and it was my Dad who knelt beside me on a Wednesday night, July 11, 1984 and let me in the prayer that changed my life. I gave my heart to the Lord that night and I am forever grateful for a father that took the time to be the example of Christ to me and introduce me to my Savior. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.

Brice and the Pledge of Allegiance

I wanted to post this video - we finally got it on camera- enjoy!

Clean Sweep!

For the past week, I have been working on a project, little by little. My office/scrap studio. Since I work from home, I spend a lot of time in this room. For over a year now it has been in limbo. Not quite an office . . .not quite a scrap haven . . .but more of a "catch all" for our family clutter. NO MORE, I TELL YOU!

While my mom was visiting last week, I put on my "Mr. Clean" gear, white t-shirt, shaved my head and started the cleaning process (okay, I didn't shave my head, but Mr. Clean does have a great look :). I was determined to get everything organized and make this space a great one for me to work and play. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel 2 days ago and I wish I had taken a "before" pic of this room. Fortunately, I found a pic online that is quite similar to the situation I was in:


Now, this room was actually a little more organized than mine and it didn't have laundry and baby furniture - so I give kudos this person for being one level cleaner than me!

Anyway, last night I took pics of the NEW office/scrap studio. It is not yet finished, but it is pretty darn close:

And with that behind me, I was able to scrap some last night for the first time in a LOOOOOONG time. Here's the layout for Brice's 3rd birthday photos:

I found things this past week that I forgotten even existed! Memories, photos, certificates, articles, and all kinds of "treasures." It's amazing how productive you can be when you get rid of some clutter. Sometimes I need to clean out some "life" and "habit" closets and organize things so that I can be who God is calling me to be and be the wife and mother I am meant to be.

Now, to keep it clean is a whole different ballgame. It takes that "daily sweep" to ensure that our lives don't get cluttered once again. All it takes is one item at a time to add up and take us back to that dark and scary place where we can't move, can't really function as the Lord would have us to. I didn't like that place and I don't plan on going back. I am enjoying the freedom to move, be creative and enjoy my work once again. This is how it's supposed to be. Now . . .I better go sweep!

Crush is ALIVE!

This morning has been a great one. Today is Brice's birthday and last night I put on my "chef's hat" and made some cupcakes for his party at the daycare today. No. I don't really have a chef's hat, but it would be cool. I'm not a baker either, but Betty Crocker and I can make some fantastic teamwork :)

So, this morning I send B and B off to work and daycare with cupcakes in tow. Brice knows he is having yet another party today and is yelling "I'm so excited, I'm so excited!" He will have sugar withdrawals for the next couple of days from all this birthday partying!

After they left I was having my quiet time and doing my normal morning routine when I threw back the curtains to let some sunlight in and there was CRUSH!

Let me give you a little backstory on Crush. Crush is our next door neighbor. He lives in the lot next to ours and he comes out a couple times each week to eat and stretch his legs, get water and let us know he's still there. He and I chat sometimes, but his is more of a "hiss". He has been getting more and more comfortable with us, but we give him his space. He is a protected turtle and no one can do anything to that lot while he is living there. We like to think of Crush as one of our family members.

Soooo. Last week, I was driving home on a road near our house and saw a turtle that had been killed in the road. Immediately my heart sank, because it was close to our house and I was afraid that it might be Crush. I had Brice in the car, so I didn't say anything and just went home, all the while hoping he would come out at anytime and show himself. For a week . . .no sign of Crush. I was beginning to believe that he was gone. It was sad for me, because I had become a big fan of his and enjoyed watching him stroll around our back yard. . .letting himself in and out of our fence.

But this morning I was overjoyed to see him in the back yard! I ran out with the camera and he, ofcourse is hissing and kind of cranky. So I perch myself and just start talking with him and he starts walking toward me! Now my first thought was "is this his attack mode?" Turtles are not very fast, but Crush works out, I think, because he can run. This wasn't a run, though. He was just casually walking toward me, as if he WANTED his picture taken. We had a little photo session and I told him how glad I was that he was back and to stay away from the roads!

Now, having a turtle next door and a family of bunnies in the lot behind us, you would think we were living on "Old Macdonald's Farm." There are animals that I am a little fearful of, but it amazes me how the turtle next door has made me appreciative of God's creatures. To think that each animal was created with intricate detail and loving care is wonderful, but how much more wonderful were we created!

I look at the details on Crush's shell and wonder what caused this scar and that scratch. Crush cannot hide those things and no matter how hard we try, neither can we. The Lord knows my scars and sees those scratches, but I am His creation, made with love and created to worship Him. So when I look at Crush, I give thanks to the Lord for He knows us inside and out and He alone knows how to heal those wounds and buff those scratches for His glory and purpose.

Grandma's On the Plane

Today Grandma had to go back home and was trying to explain to Brice, her "Number One Fan" this morning that she was getting on a plane later on. Brice was not having any of that. He kept telling her "no - - you don't get on the plane, Grandma. You stay here." Eventually, Brice left for daycare, all the while thinking that Grandma would be waiting for him when he got home.

Brice is now starting to put things together as he is growing and learning and that's great in so many ways, but it makes things tough when you have to explain "sad" topics to him - like his Grandma leaving. He will come home today, as he always does when Grandma has left and he will search every room, calling her name. He will yell for her and ask several times where she is. He will then ask if he can get on a plane (which I think is hilarious.) But then He will realize that she is gone. He will be sad and so will I. We love having Grandma around. She makes us laugh and it's especially nice for me to have someone at home while I am here. We have gotten so close and it's hard living so far away.

I think about the years I spent as a "know it all" teenager and fought with my mom all the time. I would give anything to go back and change that, but I can't and all I can do now is let her know how much I love her and cherish the times that we do have together. Billy and I moved away from our families 2 weeks after we got married (11 years ago this month) and it was tough, but we had to learn how to function and depend solely on the Lord. It's amazing to look back and see how God prepares you for the journey ahead.

God has not called us back to live near our families and sometimes I struggle with that, but I know that I would never be happy if I was not in the center of His will. His will is for me to be here and be used here right now. In His will alone is comfort, peace and joy. And that's where I want to be. Our families are respectful and supportive of our calling and we are grateful for that.

Thanks mom, for being a best friend, grandma and burning up those airways as much as you can. We love you!

Birthday Boy

My baby will turn 3 years old on Tuesday, but we had a "pre-birthday" celebration for him today at the house. We invited several of his friends and had cake, ice cream, games and a special surprise from some of his local heroes. He had a blast and we did too.

It was great to see him open his gifts because this was the first time he didn't need any help doing that. It was bittersweet. No more does he need Mommy to help tear the paper - nope. He's a big boy now. He had no trouble ripping into those gifts! His favorite phrase is "I got this Mommy . . .I got this."

Our birthday theme was "Scooby Doo" and we had the masks, the cake, the decorations, the plates, the napkins - and on, and on and on. We were even playing the Scooby Doo movie in the background. The masks were so cute. Daddy even got to wear one.

It was too hot to play outside, so the majority of the play was in Brice's room. He shared all his toys and was a great host to his friends. Mommy was extremely proud!

All in all, it was a fun time for everyone. June sure is a busy month for our family. Brice's birthday is June 10. Billy's birthday is June 20. And our anniversary is June 28. That's a lot to celebrate in June. I better to get to work on birthday number 2!

Step and Play

Don't freak out. That is not a picture of Brice. That is a happy child on the "step and play" activity station :)

So. Today was "clean out the garage and pretend to like it" day.

After rehearsal I stopped by Subway to get sandwiches for everyone. Mom is here this weekend for Brice's birthday party and I wanted to make lunch easy for everyone. So I am leaving Subway and I see a familiar object in the back of a pickup truck. It's Brice's old "step and play" piano station. No, it wasn't stollen. Billy had given a lot of the Brice's baby items to the Girl Scouts for their yard sale today. I was fine with that and thought I could handle it. WRONG.

I see the "step and play" in the back of the truck and think, "wow, it really is gone. No big deal, you are fine, just pull away from their vehicle." WRONG AGAIN. They were in front of me now, and they were going the same direction, same road, same "step and play" throwing memories at me all the way to the turn off for our house. As I followed that "step and play," I remembered all the fun Brice had playing in that little contraption and how he started moving to music more and more with that little education station. Then I was a blubbering mess.

Well, I get to the house, I walk in to my family who is wondering what terrible thing has happened because I am crying these crocodile tears. I explain how sad I am that one of Brice's cherished toys is flying down the highway and we will never see it again. My sweet husband says. "just think about the child who gets to learn and have fun with it now." I know. That is the "point." Who knows what the "step and play" will teach it's new owner ?!

Sometimes I try to hang on to "things" that I think will help me remember and hold on to the past, when in reality, I end up missing out on what's right in front of me.

Don't get me wrong. It's good to remember and cherish our past. It's also good to take advantage of the here and now. Tomorrow may never come, and this moment is all we have. I think I will "step and play" a little more today with someone special who's about to be 3!

2 Flat Tires

Today we had a great worship experience and it is such a humbling experience to lead in worship. The message today was about "unbelief" and how our beliefs will be shown through our actions. It's one thing to praise the Lord in the company of his people on Sunday, but what do we do when we leave the service and have "2 flat tires?" How do we respond to the Lord then - with praise or disgust?

Well, my "2 flat tires" came in the form of what was a very scary situation after lunch. Our family had just eaten lunch out at our fav mexican restaurant and I had to get some groceries for the youth dinner tonight. After the grocery run, I am at home putting everything together, when the phone rings. Disgusted because I see "private number", I think that it's a sales call and I reluctantly answer the phone. "Mam, my name is ------- and I have your wallet." At once the color left my face and he began to explain further "I found it beside an overturned shopping cart in the grocery store parking lot. Would you like to meet me and get it?" Ofcourse, I said yes and hopped in the car going frankly a little faster than I should have, all the while thinking - will there be anything left in that wallet? Will I have time to notify all the credit and banking places in time before someone uses my cards?

I arrive to meet the gentleman, who was there with another man and they handed me the wallet. I opened it and all of my receipts and cash were gone. They said that it was laying open, and they picked up everything they could and put it back. I over and over said "thank you" and in the haste of the moment didn't get their address or phone number (it came up private when they called) and I got back in my car shaking. As I opened the wallet I was frantically going through every part of it to see what was missing. Only the receipts and a small amount of cash were gone - and that I believe was from the wind that had been quite gusty this afternoon. I was overwhelmed. All cards and checks were there. Then came the tears. I kept crying out to the Lord in thanks for sending those angels that had picked up my wallet.

Lots of things were learned today. This could be several blogs on "learning", but one in particular is when that phone rings - it may be a miracle of the Lord on the other end - so answer the phone, Jenn!