Chin Puppets

Today we spent our time wisely. No school. No cleaning. No solving world problems. None of those time wasting things!! Nope! We did something fun and silly, chin puppets!!!


It was hilarious! The kids were not too sure at first. They all acted as if writing on your chin with a marker is a sin. But finally they cooperated...and...well, had FUN!

See for yourself!

Wedding Day

My bestie got married!!!!!!!!

There is a long back story....and it isn't mine, so I don't have the authority to share it. Let's just say that it could DEFINITELY be a Lifetime movie. There is betrayal, pain, suffering, long-waiting, and finally amazingly answered prayers.

I WILL share one thing: she patiently waited on the Lord to bring her a husband. I mean she waited p a t i e n t l y. For 8 years. All the while wondering if she was destined for solidarity. Loneliness. Rejection. God is faithful though, as always. She had traveled A LOT of tough and painful roads. She had endured what most don't have to endure. She kept her eyes on her Father all the while. It wasn't always easy but it was CERTAINLY worth it.

God brought her an amazing man. A Godly man who loves her. A man that won't allow her to travel dark roads again. Her heart can rest in his hands and I'm so thankful she finally has that.

She could have gone on a million dates during those 8 years. She could have slept with many a men. She could have partied. She could have allowed herself to be tainted with lust when she felt those very lonely moments. She could have....but she didn't.

And what came from that beautiful faithfulness to God was more than perfect. She had no regrets on her wedding day. She was asked many times if she was nervous. How could she be? She KNEW her prayers were answers with her new husband and her heart couldn't feel nervous!!! It could only feel that perfect joy that comes from God.

I am so happy for my bestie. I was there in so many of those dark times. I was there watching her as she wondered if she would ever be married again. I was there as we prayed for her to be whole again. I was there as she struggled.

And I was there as I watched God unfold a beautiful plan of redemption and love.

What an amazing day!!!

Congratulations Amanda!!

Best Hubby!

Soooooo......I have the best hubby in the world! I had to leave last night to do a few errands for a wedding coming up this weekend. I say "errands"....but really I was getting a pedicure, shopping, and having dinner with a friend. Poor me.

Anyways, as I was "erranding" (that's a word!) my sweet hubby was working hard on a big surprise. He was CLEANING!!!! That might not sound like a big deal. Or it might sound as if he never does anything and it shocked me to see him working, or something. The reason it was so amazing was because our house. was. terrible.

Our house was THE WORST.

Condemnable.

Horrendous.

Awful.

I could give you a million excuses as to why it was so dirty. I have plenty of pretty good ones. Truth be told, we had just put cleaning on the back burner for quite some time. Like, too long.

So I came home last night to A CLEAN HOUSE!!! It was so clean. And I was so happy.

And I have the best hubby in the world. He said that I had been so stressed lately that he wanted me to have a clean house for a fresher mind.

I DO have a fresher mind. And a filled heart.

Thanks Nik!!!

Bluebonnet Pictures....Kinda

I absolutely LOVE bluebonnet pictures. They are beautiful, nostalgic, and just so darn "Texan". I could look at bluebonnet pictures all day. However, TAKING them is another story. 

First of all, I have to find the right clothing: 

I am NOT the type of person who goes out to buy brand new clothes for all FOUR of my kids....just to get a "matching" picture. I AM the kind of person who frantically scrambles around trying to creatively concoct a matching ensemble of random clothing we already have, only to be upset that nothing "matches" (or fits correctly). Sigh.

Next, I have to find a nice bluebonnet patch:

This part isn't too hard. I see them everywhere. However, the background is usually not great for picture taking. Or the bluebonnets are too close to a major road and it would be dangerous with four kids running around. Luckily, I found a good patch close to my house. It was a tiny patch but it would have to work.

Then, I have to corral all four kids, make them smile simultaneously, AND watch out for bees (all by myself):

I have plenty of shots where three out of the four look fantastic. There is always one kid who cannot smile with the rest. Or is terrified of a bee. Or running away. Or wants me to hold her. Or has a question. Or has to pee. Or...or...or...

Myleigh is terrified of a bee!

Those darn bees even photo-bombed a few pictures!

All in all, I still enjoy bluebonnet pictures. I might have to whisper Philippians 2:14, "do everything without complaining or arguing" to myself the entire time, but gosh darn it, I GET those bluebonnet pictures. They aren't professional. They aren't perfect. They won't be nominated for any kind of fancy award. But you know what? I like it that way. My kids are not professional, or perfect (no really, they aren't!), or fancy. So the pictures depict exactly what my kids were like in this moment of life. That is more precious to me then any kind of "fake" picture that I see on pinterest or something. (Although, I wouldn't mind one of those pictures too.....hee hee). 

Delaney was trying really hard here. HAHA!

Goofy boy. Always a silly smile.

She had to use the restroom the entire time. She was trying not to right here. HA!

Totally messed up her hair....but that's my girl!

There is No Crying in Triathlon!

There is no crying in Triathlon, you say?

Wrong.

Oh, the tears.

I have cried so many times in the past few weeks. I mean, that doesn't say much because I cry ALL THE TIME anyways. These tears are just coming from a new place in me.

I cried when I began my 112 mile bike ride. I cried when I finished. I cried when I couldn't get my sports bra off. I cried when I my run was slower than normal.  I cried when my swim was getting boring and I still had more than hour left to swim. You get the point.....

So there is definitely crying in Triathlon.

But why??

Why do I have this new feeling? Why am I suddenly so emotional?

My prayers have started to show me a little bit of why.

 I started this "impossible" goal with the mindset of "you-have-never-finished-anything-let's-see-if-you-can-finish-THIS". It was important to me to finally finish a goal that was "too hard". It was important that I instill a determined/keep going attitude in me that I have never allowed myself to have. This was actually easier than I imagined. Being determined and finishing a goal is just that. You keep going until you are done. You just do it. Sure some days are harder than others but the end isn't out of sight, so you push yourself until you're done and at the end. It was the unexpected that caught me off guard and tore me to pieces. I didn't even know what hit me because...... it was myself. I am my own worst enemy. 

I was listening to some music and the song "Demons" came on. Part of the lyrics say, "it's where my demons hide" and it finally hit me. The place where my demons hide and the place that I use for hope and encouragement just happens to be the same place. I know God is the giver of hope and encouragement; however, as He places them in me I allow my demons to enter as well. These demons are really good too. So cunning. They really do come to steal, kill, and destroy. I didn't even know they were there. I didn't even know that I had a problem. They weren't shouting at me "you can't do this" like I imagine demons. They weren't screaming "stop - this isn't good for you" or "you are unable". No, no....those thoughts would be easy to counter. They simply put a certain subtle dark cloud in me. It was like this black cloud in my mind that I am still unable to pinpoint exactly. Whatever they did, it worked. It took me down and made me feel like even though I knew I was going to do ironman, it would be "too" hard and not fun. It made me feel like every step was dragging in mud and quitting would be so much better, even though I knew I would never actually quit. It's like they knew that they could never really get me to quit but they sure could make it miserable every step of the way. I certainly was miserable. WAS.

I never knew that this race would be this hard. I figured that it would take every bit of me, physically. And it has. I knew that I would have to work hard. And I certainly have. I just never realized that it would cause me to work through "dark" areas in the tiny corners of my mind. I never guessed that it was going to be so very mental. Not just "you-can-push-this-last-mile" mental but a deep, meaningful mental. It has been a challenge of dusting out the cobwebs in my mind after years of slacking. My broom is out though and I'm getting rid of these spots, one by one, with Gods help.

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith."

Psalms 26.2

"Test me, oh Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."

Phil 4:13

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Isaiah 40:31

"May you run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint."

 If these demons have been trying to stop me then I must be doing something great? This race has been such a wild journey and I know once I cross that finish line that I will have conquered so much more than a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run.

 I can't wait for that moment.

Bring it.