Why help?

Okay, I'm attempting another "blog category"...the Tuesday Ten. It is supposed to be a list of ten...something, anything...so here goes.

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month. Many of us may not have even noticed.

I probably never noticed before I met a special little girl named Kaitlyn who became Kenzie's best buddy, that had a little brother, Jay, who was fighting cancer. After walking with that family through the battle and final victory for Jay when he went to be with Jesus, I guarantee you that I'll never forget this important month again.

Now another friend of mine is in the battle fighting for her child's life against the beast called cancer. Her name is Abby. I hope you will do your part...do something to support the cause...to find a cure. For local folks, Jay's Hope is sponsoring "hats for hope" this Friday, where at area schools, your child can wear a hat to school if they bring $1 to go towards the Jay's Hope Foundation that helps families who have children with cancer.

Now, for the list: Why should you get involved with the battle against childhood cancer?
1. Because it's your child.
2. Because it's not your child; your child is healthy.
3. Because cancer is the #1 disease killer of children.
4. Because of Abby...www.caringbridge.org/visit/abbywilson
5. Since 2004, Childhood Cancer in Middle Georgia has increased 347%
6. Because of Jay...www.jayshope.org, www.caringbridge.org/ga/jay.
7. On average, 3 local children a month are diagnosed with cancer.
8. Because it could be your child.
9. Because of Summer www.caringbridge.org/visit/summercurry.
10. Because you can.

See how you can help http://www.jayshope.org/.
Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.

Throwing Rocks

My children constantly teach me. Saturday was our first Saturday in quite a while that we had nothing we had to do...no football games, no setup for PC, etc. We started the morning slow with lots of cuddle time and wrestling, then we cleaned house and hung pictures in the apartment. As the day progressed, the kids played their "DS", watched a movie on DVD, rode their scooters worked puzzles, played around the house, etc.

Late in the afternoon, we went driving around looking at houses, and we ended up in Juliette. We decided it would be fun to stop at the Whistle Stop Cafe (from the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes), and eat some fried green tomatoes; we were all thirsty and wanting some tea. So, we stopped and ate, then afterwards we walked out back and watched the train go by on the tracks (it goes really fast right there and you can get really close to the tracks). In the parking lot, there was a pile of rocks, so we stayed there for probably 30 minutes throwing rocks and making up different targets.

That night, when I was putting each of them in bed, I always ask, "what was the best thing about your day today?" Each one of them (separately) said, "throwing rocks".
I wonder how often we miss the best things because we're so busy filling their schedules with good and important things.

Thankful Thursday

I have an old college buddy who is a faithful blogger and she has all of these cute categories that she blogs, so I'm going to give a few of them a try from time to time. My first one is Thankful Thursday.
I'm thankful for...
1. My husband who really knows me and loves me anyway.
2. Kenzie, my baby girl, my only ally in this house full of boys!
3. Colton's hugs and earnest heart.
4. Asher's morning hugs and the way his face lights up when I walk in the door.
5. Diet Coke in a half liter bottle.
6. The gift of laughter.
7. Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate ice cream.
8. Healthy children
9. My favorite old blue jeans and an old football jersey on Saturdays in the fall.
10. Crisp fall mornings.

Random? Yes. Just what came to mind...what are you thankful for?

Kenzie's Niche

Kenzie is my quiet one, the only girl...sometimes with two rambunctious boys, she can get overlooked. Since beginning Piedmont, she has found her niche and she is loving every minute of it. I'm so proud of her. She is so excited about being on the Game Day worship team, and she even seems to get a glimpse of what it's all about. She is thrilled when the kids are really participating and getting into it. Here are some pics of her in her element. She really loved it last week when one of the "iTeam" (aka thing 1 and thing 2 from Dr. Seuss) was out and she got to be "iT1" for the day. They demonstrate initiative by seeing what needs to be done and doing it. (We could all learn a little from that.)

Put me in coach

Call us crazy, I know, but Colton is playing on two football teams this fall. Because we wanted to support Covenant's new athletic program, we signed him up for flag football at school, but then his coaches from this summer asked him to play tackle at another school in town, so we basically have football five days a week. Yikes! I don't even really understand the game. I like it when the Aggies play, and I'll watch my children play anything. That's the extent of my knowledge. Period. The one thing I don't like is that I can't see his sweet face with that big ole helmet on!

However, Colton is loving tackle football. He is so aggressive and physical by nature, that he has found his sport. So, I sit on the sidelines and try to figure out what is happening. I get excited when he's the one on the top of the pile!



The other day at his flag football game, I was listening to some of the dads talking. They were mouthing flag football saying that it's not really football because you really can't teach them the game that way, and that it's "glorified recess", etc. (The boys, however, seemed to be enjoying it)



My mind was drifting, and I thought, this is kinda how we are as Christians. Too often, we want to "pretend" and half-way play the game. We don't really want to fully suit up, get dirty and take the hits to be fully committed. We would rather sorta play the game, pick and choose what we like, as long as we don't really put ourselves on the line...and it got me to thinking, am I pretending to play the game or am I really suited up and ready to tackle? My prayer is put me in Coach!

The Good Stuff

Sometimes in the "busy-ness" of life, we can forget about the really "good stuff". Here are some glimpses of the "good stuff" at the Dingmore household.
Colton and Asher (he loves to dress up like his fave race car driver - Beau Slocumb) put on a show that Kenzie hosted and handed out medals at the end for how well they did. They were so proud. Colton and Asher had a blast playing in the mud after the rain!
Asher and I danced in a contest that Kenzie had in our living room. We dance and laugh alot at our house...that's the good stuff.

Take some time today, no matter how busy you are...for the good stuff!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday, so Happy Birthday Mom (or as my kids know her, Grammie)! How do I write about someone that is so much a part of who I am? Since becoming a mother, I have come to appreciate so much more all that my mother did for me growing up and who she is as a woman.

Some of the things I appreciate about her:

her amazing gift of hospitality...

-I can remember in junior high and high school all of my friends liked coming to my house. My mom actually made lunch for my best friend and I every day of my sophomore and junior year of high school. We would race to my house on our lunch break (in the days of open campus) and my mom would have lunch waiting for us.

-I remember in college, telling my youth pastor that "sure it would be okay" to stop at my house on the way to summer camp, and having 30 kids (whom they did not know) spending the night at my parents house. She fixed a huge breakfast for all of them the next morning and sent them on their way.

-I remember telling a family that I met in Australia that my parents would love to have them stop by on their way through...I think they stayed for almost a week, and my parents treated them like family!

-When my parents were coming to spend Thanksgiving with me my senior year in college (the big TAMU and UT game), I asked ten Chinese students to come spend it with us; she never skipped a beat, and somehow there was plenty of food to go around!

-When four couples were going skiing for the weekend, we got in really late, she had a spread of munchies ready for us, let my friends sleep in my parents bed (while they took the couch) and made breakfast the next morning; I think she even packed us snacks for the trip!

her stubborn love

-Through my rebellious phase, she never gave up on me.

-I have a wayward sister, and no matter how many times she falls on her face, my mom never quits praying and never gives up hope.

-She has a chronic, quite debilitating disease that causes her to not feel good much of the time, yet she still gets down on the floor to play with her grandkids, has tea parties, helped them set up a lemonade stand this summer and even went to the waterpark with all of them!

her support

-When I was the first one to go away to college, and I chose one 9 hours from home, she supported me 100%.

-When I wanted to do mission work on the other side of the world, she never talked about how it would affect her, she just did everything to get me ready, and sent me off with a bag full of notes for whenever I got lonely in Australia that summer.

-Each spring while I was at Texas A & M, she and Daddy would take off from work and drive nine hours to be with me for Parents Weekend. They would hang out with my friends and I and do all sorts of crazy stuff with us!

-In the difficulties of the last year, she always assured me that God had a plan and we have yet to see how this is going to glorify Him.

her tender heart

-She cries at sappy movies just like me. She cries when I cry. She cries when my sister cries, she cries when the person on the long distance commercial cries!

her friendships

-She has friends spread out all over the place, from all stages of life. She taught me that distance doesn't separate friends and that you can stay close through all that you face in life, in all the phases of life. I never understood the value of her example until I grew up and built friendships with women who were crippled by the fact that they didn't know what true friendship looked like.

her love for God's Word

-As I've grown older, I notice that she sits on the back porch with her Bible each day; maybe she always did this, but I never noticed until it became something I valued in my own life.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it gives you a glimpse of the woman I am blessed to call Mom. I'm not always very good at expressing my love and appreciation for her, so on this day, her day, I want her to know how much I celebrate her.

Asher's First Day

Yesterday was Asher's first day of school. He started 3K, three mornings a week. As you can tell by the pics, he was very excited about going to "big boy" school. He has been doing his "homework" with Kenzie and Colton every day since their school started 3 weeks ago. Jerry and I were talking about something yesterday and we were saying that we were a "little shocked" about something, and Asher chimed in and informed us that he was "a little shocked" too. He is a mess! Pray for his teacher Mrs. Vance - ha! We are tickled to be in her class. He is a joy! We can't imagine life without him!

Our Family Song

Music is one of the ways God really speaks to me. This last year, one song that a dear friend gave me that helped me in the midst of the hard times was "Praise You in this Storm" by Casting Crowns (if you've never heard it or really listened to the words, check it out at http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/castingcrowns/praiseyouinthisstorm.html). It was like a healing balm to my wounds on many a night. I would drive in my car and sing it at the top of my lungs (which is the only place I should be heard singing at the top of my lungs!) God would minister to me through His music.
When I was in Texas this summer visiting my parents, my mom asked me to share some of the "good stuff" that God had done that could only be explained as a "God thing" in the past several months.
One of the things I shared was about our family song, "Everlasting God". I shared that this song had really grabbed my heart at the Chris Tomlin concert last winter. It had become our family song as we were teaching our children about waiting on the Lord. There were many areas in our life that we were waiting on the Lord, and they were full of questions, like, where are we going to go to church? where are we going to live? how long do we get to live at miss lucy's? are we moving back to texas? and many, many others! (my children are never short on questions - how about you?) We began to scour the Scriptures for verses about waiting on God, and God gave us this song, so we began to sing this song often around our house and in our car.
This past year we visited ALOT of churches from mega churches to brand new church plants, and every time we would go to a new place, somewhwere in the service, God would give us this song! Seriously, are you kidding me? We were at a lot of different churches with a wide variety of music, but it was always one of the songs! God is so cool! Kenzie and Colton would instantly grab my hand or put their arm around me and sing at the top of their lungs. How awesome is that??
To look back on it now, it was a huge lesson for me and for my children. Would I have chosen to teach it this way? probably not, but it is a lesson that I'm confident that they will never forget it.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

I share this because life is generally alot of waiting, and alot of feeling weak and in need, so wherever you are on this journey, wait on Him! He will give you amazing strength, more than you can imagine, for He is the giver of life! I would never have imagined PC and where we are ready for this week and here we are!

Check out our PC All Star Team!

I'm so excited for another Sunday with our All Star Team at Piedmont! As you can tell from the pics here, we have a blast! It's just as much fun for the grown ups as it is for the kids. We are so blessed with an incredible team of adults who are committed to working with our children! When I see what God has done in the hearts of so many in the last 8 months, I am totally overwhelmed and totally humbled to be leading this awesome team with Shannon! From the crazy shopping trip to Ikea this summer with Shannon,Val, Pam, Le and Maria, to late nights with Lucy and all of those crazy days of trying to put together a family ministry with six children running around by the pool this summer...God is good, no AWESOME and He has done immeasurably more than we could have ever asked or imagined. Shannon, Tate and all of the All Star crew...YOU ROCK! Thanks for sharing this journey with us!