Life with the Dingmores

Softball Girl

2011-08-22T23:03:00.004-04:00

Kenzie is loving playing second base for the Little Lady Trojans this fall, and I am loving watching her! She absolutely loves the game! They are undefeated after their first two games, and have two more this week...I love her serious face.

Decisions, decisions, should I stay or should I go...she went, and she scored, btw.

Life as we know it...

2011-08-21T21:23:00.003-04:00

Three weeks ago, as most of you know, our son was in a horrible car accident, where his uncle was killed and his aunt was critically injured. As a result, our lives have changed. That may sound like a dramatic statement, and it probably is, but our family is changed, and I think it's for the better. God really used this incident to grow us closer, to slow us down, and to make us all realize what is really important in this life. It has birthed a tenderness amongst my children with their siblings that is so sweet to watch. Yes, they still bicker, but they are much more intentional about finding ways to show eachother that they love one another.

Kenzie, my almost 13 year old, as we were visiting at bedtime, "I'm so proud to be a part of this family." Thank you, Jesus, for showing her Your love and faithfulness through our family. Colton, my 11 year old, hugs us all a little tighter now; he asks alot about what Uncle Jay's doing in Heaven and has a spirit of thankfulness about all of his relationships that is new. Work and social stuff doesn't seem as urgent as it used to. Yes, I have time to read that book or snuggle some more before bed. We have had some amazing and tough conversations through all of this, and although I wouldn't ever choose to walk this path, I'm so thankful to see what God is doing in all of us through it all. So, if we seem a little different, we are. Thanks for walking with us through this storm.

Fall Recap

2010-11-27T22:38:00.001-05:00

Colton played quarterback for his 3rd/4th grade football team. As much as it makes Mama worry, he loves football! We celebrated homecoming at TSA with Camo Day...

And they really showed out for Blue and Gold Day...Kenzie played a mean 2nd base for the Tattnall C-team...never seen a girl who plays with so much heart!

We finished the season as champions in our end-of-season tournament...

It's been a busy season with fall with fall baseball, softball and football, but I love to watch my kiddos play, and I love our family time together at the ballpark!

Thanksgiving - 30 Days of Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

Many folks took the 30 days of Thanksgiving Challenge this year, so here goes...

1. My Savior, Jesus Christ, whose love and grace I absolutely do not deserve.
2. My husband, Jerry, who puts up with me, is my best friend, and can make me laugh harder than anyone.
3. Kenzie, my heart, my princess, who has become one of my favorite friends...she is becoming such a young lady with a heart for Jesus.
4. Colton, my warrior; he is so passionate about life, his family, about whatever he is doing at the moment, fiercely loyal and loving.
5. Asher, my little man; always in it for the party, makes me laugh, and always has the best, can-do attitude of any kid I know.
6. My children's health. 46 children a day are diagnosed with cancer. My children are healthy. I no longer take that for granted.
7. My Mom and Daddy; they celebrated 50 years together this year, not a lot of people can say that. I am blessed.
8. My sister. No matter how far apart we live for how long, we pick up immediately where we left off. She has an amazing heart and she is an amazing mom and friend.
9. For Piedmont Church. It's been the hardest, best thing we've ever been a part of. The people, the volunteers and the staff blow me away with their heart for Jesus, this community and the world.
10. For my friends; for my entire married life, I've lived away from family. I've always been blessed with friendships that have been like family no matter where we've lived.
11. For our soldiers, who are standing in my stead, fighting for my freedom, while I sit home and enjoy the freedom they fight for.
12. For my home; it may not be as fancy as most homes in North Macon, but it is my home, and it is filled with love.
13. For the opportunity to go on an incredible trip with all of my family this summer to celebrate my parents 50th anniversary; the memories will last a lifetime.
14. For my kids having strong relationships with their cousins...they have texted little inside jokes nonstop for the last 3 days...goofy, but I love it.
15. For snuggles in front of the TV with my sweet boys.
16. For Mamaw, who comes and stays every fall for a couple of months. I'm so thankful for all of her help and the memories she makes with the children.
17. For my students, past and present, and what they have taught me.
18. For Texas A and M; I truly love being an Aggie, and all that it means. I don't care if we're winning or losing...that's not what it's about (although this winning season has been rather sweet)
19. For a husband that takes his boys hunting, because he'd rather be with them than pretty much anyone else.
20. For the Freeman Farm; it is such a place of refuge and acceptance for me and my family.
21. For Diet Coke and Walthall ice.
22. For a daughter that still likes to play pretend (and she's 12).
23. For a son that says his only girlfriend is his Mama.
24. For Christmas lights and Christmas music.
25. For Friday night family nights and fires in the backyard.
26. For neighbors who meet me in the yard for last minute supplies that our children need tomorrow morning, and it's 10:00 the night before...
27. For the wonders that a coat of paint in a tired room can do.
28. For Christmas cards; I truly love getting them each year and seeing all the people we love, all over the world and how they have changed and what God has done in their lives this year.
29. For salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbuck's.
30. For God's amazing handiwork in the colored leaves every fall - stunning!

I am honestly so blessed and humbled, even more so because of this list. God has been so good to me. Is life perfect?
No way, but it is good.
How about you? Have you stopped to ponder what you are really thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday...Why I Love Piedmont Church

2010-09-08T21:29:00.004-04:00

All Star Kids and our awesome volunteers

Community Groups...
Worship with All Star Kids
Baptism in the river

Ten on Tuesday

2010-09-07T08:02:00.004-04:00

Ten Reasons Why You Should Get Involved With Childhood Cancer Awareness Month:

1. 46 children are diagnosed EVERY day.

2. Less than 3% of Cancer research money goes to Childhood Cancer.

3. Cancer affects children of all ages, but the average age of diagnosis is 6. They should be going to t-ball practice, not chemo treatments.

4. Because of the amazing ministry Jay's Hope has with these families. Learn more about them here.

5. Because it is your child.

6. Because it is not your child.

7. Because cancer is the #1 disease killer of children.

8. Because of Holly, and Abby, and numerous others that are battling the beast of cancer every day.

9. Because you can.

10. Because children ought to be free of these kind of worries...their biggest worry ought to be what teacher they got this year, not what protocol they will get next.

Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are. Visit Jay's Hope today.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2010-06-17T23:39:00.011-04:00

Well, as you can see, my last post was in February. Ball for us begins in February, and we're currently still playing. As a matter of fact, we have 6 games between now and Sunday. So, we've been a little busy, but I am going to try to get back into blogging. I find myself writing them in my head throughout the day, so we'll see. Even if no one reads them, I keep them for my kids to read some day.
Ballpark times have been some of our funnest times, and we've found it to be a great mission field as well. Each year holds someone new for us to invest in, and we never know what God has in store...but for this phase, it is what God has for us, and I love every minute of it!

Kenzie trying to steal...

Colton found his love - pitching!

Asher became one heck of a ballplayer, and was probably our most serious one!
Not much got past him...

Right Now

2010-02-08T10:35:00.007-05:00

A friend of mine did a similar list on his blog and sort of challenged us to do the same. Feel free to contribute your own list at your blog or in the comments below.

What I was listening to when I began this post:
the washing machine and Kenzie typing on the computer

What I am drinking right now:
Diet Coke - same thing every morning.

What I have just finished doing:
Reviewing Kenzie for a history test over the progress of transportation and communication in America.

What I will do immediately after posting this:
Do a science lesson with Kenzie comparing the scientific evidence of the Flood with the biblical evidence for the Flood

What books I am reading now:
What Difference Do It Make? by Ron Hall and Denver Moore (excellent follow up to Same Kind of Different as Me)
Good and Angry by Turanski and Miller

Last email/text I received:
Confirmation e-mail from my Feb. 28th storyteller for All Stars (thanks David Mathis).

Last email/text I sent:
A text to Jerry about the Journey.

Last article I read:
"Brees: Victory is for Whole City" from the Press Association this morning.
I really was drawn to Brees last night after the game when it showed im tearing up holding his little boy (yes, I'm a sucker for stuff like that). Just about the sweetest moment...so I wanted to read more about him.

Favorite Super Bowl commercial from last night:
the David Letterman with Oprah and Jay Leno - cute, simple, clever. Overall, disappointed with the commercials as a whole.

Least favorite Super Bowl commercial from last night:
The one about Casual Friday with everyone in heir underwear - a visual I really didn't need, and not very effective because I can't even remember what the ad was for, just that I was disgusted.

btw...totally missed the Tebow commercial, but loved the video on Focus on the Family's website. The liberals look like fools and probably gave us the best promo ever to get people to go to the website and watch the video.

What I just looked at right now:
Some tree men cutting down three trees in our back yard, thinking that Colton would love to be watching this right now.

What I was listening to when I finished this post:
Kenzie telling me she's ready for her next lesson...

gotta go - join in on your own blog or in the comment section and tell me what you're up to - right now.

Out with the old

2010-01-05T11:58:00.002-05:00

Okay, new year. Out with the old, in with the new, right?

That's what I've been doing - cleaning out closets, drawers, hanging pics around the house, etc.

So, this morning, I picked up a bottle of salad dressing in the fridge, expired in 2008. Threw it out. Next bottle? Yep, expired August 2009. Then (and this is embarrassing) - one from 2007!

That's not all - 5 of the 8 bottles of salad dressing in my fridge - expired and in the trash! Now, what else do I need to clean out? Yikes!

Asher in pictures

2009-10-17T22:31:00.003-04:00

On decade day at school - 1960's, obviously posing for Mom here. Asher is my snuggler. Here he's snuggling w/Grandaddy; if only we lived closer for more snuggles!

Asher loves an adventure! Here he is with Pappy in Longview, shooting the slingshot.

He thinks his cousin Robert, a senior in the Corps at TAMU is about the coolest thing ever. He was his constant shadow this summer at the lake. Asher is my watcher. He doesn't miss a thing!

Here he is with two of his favorite buddies - Griffin and Emma - at a tailgate party before one of the games. He is all about a party!

Colton in Pictures

2009-10-17T22:00:00.004-04:00

True pic of Colton - always full of love and hugs. Loving on everyone else on his birthday. Asher loves him some Colton!

Colton's birthday...he wanted a coconut (not sure why).Birthdays always start with a special breakfast...a waffle topped several different ways - one part peanut butter, one part syrup, one part strawberries, one part strawberries with whipped cream...he was so excited!His first football game of the season, and two of his favorite guys came to watch - Dretti and Seth made this little boy's day! Colton is the kicker for his team. This was his first kick of the season.

Perfect birthday - a new Aggie jersey and a new Braves cap, and he got to go to the Braves game on his birthday!

Drowned Rat

2009-08-19T22:02:00.003-04:00

Kenzie got a yorkie for Christmas, "Addie". Kenzie adores this dog, but she is the only one in this house who does. Addie has not trained well, and in general does not have any endearing qualities.

Yesterday, when it had been raining outside, Jerry and Colton had gotten wet at football practice. After we came home, we were talking about Addie, and her lack of successful training.

I asked Kenzie, "Where is the drowned rat?" She replied, "He's out walking Addie." She honestly thought I was talking about Jerry! She cracks me up...

Little Bit Country

2009-08-04T23:16:00.004-04:00

Last night, I was cleaning up around the house, and I tend to be a "tosser" while my husband is a "keeper". Well, I found this trinket of Colton's that I thought was long forgotten, but I thought I would verify with my beloved husband, so that I wouldn't scar my child by throwing away some precious childhood memory.
I held the object up to him and said, "I don't think Colton cares two hoots to a holler about this, can I throw this away?"
He looked at me and said, "Are you 80?" I looked at him, bewildered. He then said, "Two hoots to a holler? Who says that?!"
That got me to thinking about all of our sayings that are a "little bit country." Here are a few that I've been made fun of for, but I still continue to say them. (Now, I may guard my tongue in some circles, for some just wouldn't understand.) I'm a West Texas girl, and some things are just better expressed in down-home terms like these:

"Who in the Sam Hill is that?" (expression of bewilderment)
describing something as "colder than a well-digger's behind" (really, really cold)
"Good Golly Girdie!" (an exclamation that can be used for various emotions)
"Well, slap me naked and hide my clothes!" (extreme surprise)
"possum on a gumbush" (another exclamation)
"Sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade." (say it how it is whether acceptable or not)

Now, for those of you laughing at this West Texas girl about these, I've heard a few sayings that were new to me, that I found quite funny when I came to GA:

"I don't know him from Adam's housecat."
"Taste this. It's so good it'll make you slap your grandma." (really? I don't think I would ever...)
"It is what it is." (okay, yes, it is, but what does that mean?)

Now, it's your turn...what are some of your faves?

Cousin-in-law

2009-08-02T21:58:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure exactly if there is such a thing as a cousin-in-law, but I guess that's what Jason is to me. He is married to my cousin Aimee, whom I grew up with, around the corner, from my house.

Only now, Jason's kinda famous. I guess.
Famous for our family anyway.
He is an author.
He's been on the History Channel.
His books are at Barnes and Noble, at Lifeway and on Amazon.
Anyway, he's really sharp and has an amazingly quirky way of looking at things. He is known as the "Pocket Guides" guy in some circles.

I just read a blog that he wrote as a guest blogger on Stuff Christians Like that I got a kick out of...thought you might enjoy it too.

And, he just did a really cool promotion with some of his first edition of his Pocket Guide to the Bible that we are excited about being able to give out, so I thought I'd take the chance to give him a shout out.

Check out his blog...I think you'll enjoy it too. Let me know what you think if you check it out. Here's a look at the newest Pocket Guides...

Ten on Tuesday

2009-07-28T14:20:00.001-04:00

Ten Things I Love About Texas:

1. My family and my roots...both are in Texas.

2. Watching a big ole thunderstorm roll in.

3. The food...barbecue beef brisket, tex-mex, Mrs. Bairds powdered sugar donuts, plain Doritos, Donut Stop donuts, Taco Villa...

4. Walking in stores (and restaurants) and hearing country music playing.

5. Men in cowboy hats (especially old cattlemen that I've grown up around) and boots.

6. People who pull to the side of the road to let you pass.

7. Wide roads with shoulders.

8. Aggieland and Aggies..from the inside looking out you cannot explain it, from the outside looking in you cannot understand it.

9. West Texas people...those who are blatantly honest - mean what they say and say what they mean and will stand by you through anything.

10. All my exes live in Texas...hee, hee (Jerry actually added this one)!

Green Thumbs and Gardens...

2009-07-27T15:43:00.003-04:00

We attempted a garden this last fall with some success, learned some things (I have never had a green thumb, but my good friend Libby told me to keep on trying anyway), then called Stone (couldn't do it without him) once again to come help us get our summer garden ready. We have had a bountiful summer crop, and it has been so exciting for the kiddos...here is our first harvesting session back in June:

We have had cucumbers and green beans running out of our ears! And our tomatoes and squash are now producing well too!

We wer all very excited as you can see. The kids have eaten more fresh veggies than ever because they grew them and picked them themselves!

Anyone who knows Asher, knows that, before long, he's got to take a break for a snack...

Kenzie's Macon Noise

2009-07-26T21:12:00.004-04:00

Wow! I tried to start catching up on my blog at the end of school and had started writing about our spring, when...my computer crashed, so I lost all of my pics. Well, Kenzie asked when I was going to write about her ball season, so here it is...

Kenzie loves softball...I mean, she looovvves it! She had prayed for God to give her an opportunity to play travel ball, so when she got the opportunity to try out, then made it, she was soooo excited! She played on the Macon Noise this spring. She came such a long way in her hitting and she dominated left field. I was so proud of her!

She had the best experience with the best coaches - truly a team of men who coached with integrity, love, and grace - all the while with a very competitive edge. I could not have asked for better as a mom. We were so blessed to be a part of this team - great girls, great parents, fabulous coaches!

We had a rough start as we were a very young team; Kenzie was the second oldest girl on the team! In our first few tournaments, we played whatever games we were guaranteed, then went home...then slowly, we began to win a few games each time.

Then, for our last tournament, we lost our first game, then we played five games in a row with no break in between (98 degrees, mind you), because we were WINNING! We didn't win the tournament, but we came in third and I was so proud of our girls! They were elated! As a matter of fact, one of the umpires for that tourney caught us at the end of the day and said, "You know I had my doubts about your little team when I first saw you, but I have never seen a team with such heart and determination...it was a treat to watch them play and win today!"

The best thing for me was seeing Kenzie grow through all of this. She learned about being a part of a team, about doing your best and playing your hardest, even without success for a while.

She had an incredible time and never once complained...she loved it and can't wait for some more NOISE this fall!

Fun at the Freeman Farm

2009-07-04T10:46:00.002-04:00

The 4th of July has always been a big holiday in my family. Growing up, it was my sister's birthday, so it was extra special -family picnics, church picnics, fireworks, birthday cake.

When Jerry and I first married, it was a special time for all of the Dingmores to gather at the lake with family since we were all scattered at Christmas. We would camp at the lake for a couple of days, and great family times were had.

Then, in Wichita Falls (where we pastored for 9 years), there was a huge air force base there, Sheppard AFB, and during that time of getting to know, doing life with and worshipping with the men and women of our military, made me prouder than ever to be an American, and gave the celebration an entirely new meaning. They were family.

When we moved to GA, there was not a community celebration really, we spent one at Lake Tobo, a couple of sweet ones at a family picnic with friends, and one watching fireworks at the "club", but nothing stuck...until a few years ago when my friend Lucy asked us to come to the family farm for their gathering on the 3rd to cook the pig for their celebration on the 4th.

We had no idea what a tradition it would become. Now, our whole family looks forward to it every year...the family gathers at Granny and Grandaddy Freeman's farmhouse to cook the pig, and for my non-Georgia readers, yes, it is an entire pig stretched out on a grill-like pit in the ground. A fire must be kept going to the side of it so that coals can be continually heaped into the pig pit throughout the night. Meanwhile, the kids are gloriously entertained by playing with the goats, rabbits, donkeys and chickens at the farm, or swinging on a rope in the barn, or playing a giant game of Hide-n-Go Seek with all the kids from 16 years old - 5 years old, or visiting by the fire, or riding 4-wheelers...it really doesn't matter, it's family and it's simple, good, clean FUN!

The cooking of the pig takes 12-16 hours depending on the pig's size, and it has to be flipped half way through...so the Dingmores stay until the flipping, which usually takes place about 1:00-2:00 AM. It is quite a procedure to watch for this Texas girl!

I guess I got to rattling on, and I'm not sure if this makes sense. I'm just full of gratitude for what we celebrate today and for how God has always provided "family" for me when I needed it, no matter where I am.

Good intentions

2009-07-02T23:26:00.003-04:00

What is it that they say about good intentions? Hmmm...

Well, I had good intentions of getting back into blogging...then my computer crashed, and all of my pictures are on a disk instead of being in my computer, but at least they're not lost...so I will attempt again to catch up on life in the Dingmore household. I do have a new computer, so that is a good thing...except I don't adapt to change so well sometimes, and I'm still "adapting" to my new computer. I know it's faster and better, but it doesn't work just how I want it to. Okay, okay, I know, it's technology - it's got to change.

Kenzie had a fun spring/summer season with the Noise. I will post pics soon.

Colton has one more tournament with the Storm. Asher got to play one game with the All Stars (he was thrilled).

We leave Monday for camp for a week, then home for the weekend...then finally home to Texas for two weeks. Whoop! We will miss Daddy, but so ready to get home and be with family and friends that we don't see enough!

Will try to catch up on some more summer events over the weekend...

Colton's Baseball Season

2009-06-01T13:31:00.003-04:00

Colton had a great rec ball season. I was really proud of him. Last year had been rough, but he had come out of his slump during All Stars. In the meantime, he had fallen in love with football (me? not so much...I'm still a baseball mom at heart), so we weren't sure what to expect with baseball. But, he had a great season. We won some and lost some, but Colton really enjoyed it. He played first base, pitcher and was the cleanup hitter for the Red Sox. For him, it was probably his personal best. I loved watching him. He struggled so last year, and that's hard on a mama, so this season was much better for both of us!

These two pics of him pitching make me think of my daddy...he always had a certain way he would hold his mouth when he was working on something, and we would always joke about "holding your mouth just right to get the job done". Look at how intense Colton is and the way he holds his mouth...he is his Grandaddy made over!

Sliding into home...he loves to slide (me? i don't love doing the laundry on those pants after sliding - ha!)

During our last regular season game, the coaches let the boys all change up positions and did a reverse batting order - just for fun. Colton got to play catcher - he loved it, and thought it was fun!

another shot of him at catcher...

All in all, I'm thankful that my sweet boy loves baseball, and I'll keep praying for him to love it more than football because I don't like the tackling part of football (after all, he's my baby).

Asher's T-Ball Season

2009-05-30T22:57:00.003-04:00

Asher had a great first season of T-Ball...he loved every minute of it, and played his little heart out! He may be small, but he has a big ole' baseball heart and gave 110% every game!

Ready position...

playing first base...

so excited - priceless pic!

Thanks to Coach Daddy, Coach Jarrod Durden, Coach Keith Hardy and Coach King Kemper for a fabulous season!

back to the pitcher - hold it up to stop the play...so proud!

I'm still here

2009-05-30T22:29:00.003-04:00

Okay, I know, it's been 2 months since I've blogged. Pitiful. Life has just been way too busy.

I'm going to try and catch you up on what's been happening the last few months at the Dingmore's...it was a beautiful spring...the cherry blossoms in our front yard were amazing...

here's a sampling of the azaleas...

but here's how we felt alot this spring...way too busy...

too busy to even be healthy, but no time for whining because God is just too good! He has blessed us in amazing and incomprehensible ways...

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2009-03-17T19:46:00.004-04:00

I was tagged to do this on Facebook, so I did and it was really fun...thought those that read my blog that are not on FB (Grammie and Grandad) would enjoy it too!

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Kenzie - Do you know how much I love you?
Colton - Be kind to one another
Asher - I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
Kenzie - When Colton gets a good grade on reading
Colton - When we say something nice to each other
Asher - when I obey

3. What makes mom sad?
Kenzie - When me and Colton fight
Colton - When me and Kenzie fight
Asher - when I don't obey

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Kenzie - when she dances in the kitchen
Colton - by telling me stories
Asher - be silly

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Kenzie - cool
Colton - funny
Asher - like me

6. How old is your mom?
Kenzie - 41
Colton - 35
Asher - 51

7. How tall is your mom?
Kenzie - 5 something
Colton - 5'10"
Asher - 23 feet tall

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Kenzie - go to the movies with the family
Colton - read or be with us
Asher - play with me

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Kenzie - clean house
Colton - grade papers and teach
Asher - do laundry

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Kenzie - famous cooking star
Colton - her kindness
Asher - acting

11. What is your mom really good at?
Kenzie - cooking
Colton - teaching us
Asher - keeping me safe

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Kenzie - being on time
Colton - football
Asher - breakdancing

13. What does your mom do for a job?
Kenzie - teaches
Colton - make candles and teach
Asher - teach

14.What is your mom's favorite food?
Kenzie - Mexican
Colton - sugar snap peas
Asher - green beans

15.What makes you proud of your mom?
Kenzie - when she hosts at pc allstars
Colton - her love
Asher - when she hosts at all stars

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Kenzie - Minnie Mouse
Colton - Maddie at the Tipton on Suite Life
Asher - Curious George

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Kenzie - shop
Colton - go on a date
Asher - eat lunch together

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Kenzie - both really good dressers
Colton - our freckles
Asher - same hair

19. How are you and your mom different?
Kenzie - she gets up early; I hate to get up early
Colton - I'm tall; she's short
Asher - we don't have the same skin

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Kenzie - by doing stuff she doesn't always want to do, but she does it because I want to
Colton - she helps me read
Asher - when I smile

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Kenzie - that he makes her laugh
Colton - everything but his toots
Asher - when he hugs her

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Kenzie - Texas
Colton - DisneyWorld
Asher - bowling alley

Let's Play Ball

2009-03-14T21:30:00.005-04:00

Around the Dingmore house, spring is baseball, and this past weekend was very exciting for us as it was opening day, and the start of two new teams for Kenzie and Colton.
Colton and the Macon Storm rolled in with their first tournament in Pike County. We placed 3rd...very exciting! Colton also had his first game of the season with his rec. team, and they won. He got to pitch one inning, and did quite well. Mommy was with Kenz at her tournament, so I don't have pics for that, but here's a few of the Storm...

Colton at first base:Colton at bat...

Then it was time for Kenzie and the Macon Noise to kick off their season with their first tournament in Pike County. It was a big jump for them as this is the team's first tournament of fastpitch. I was proud of our girls as they played their hearts out in the freezing cold and pouring down rain (no game delay in tournament play unless there is thunder)...they were soaking wet and cold. All of the moms ran in to Zebulon to Fred's Discount Store and bought everything from garden gloves to tights to oversized sweatshirts to keep our baby girls warm...it was quite a site, and more action than the Zebulon Fred's had seen in quite some time, I think!

Kenzie at bat... Kenzie in the field...

Last, but not least, it was Asher's first t-ball game (which Mommy missed because I was in Pike County with Kenz), but I got a play-by-play from Daddy and Miss Kim. Here's Asher showing me how he batted...

Here's Asher showing me how he made his double play...yes, very exciting! He was so proud!

The Cardinals won too, by the way, although we don't keep score (officially that is, but all the parents do)!

Win or lose, this is one proud Mama that loves her three little ones more than words can say!

Macon Snow

2009-03-07T09:25:00.004-05:00

Well, so much for all of the global warming hoopla. Last Sunday, it snowed in Macon.

First time in seven years, or so I hear; we've been here for 5 years, and it certainly hasn't snowed since we've been here.

That is one thing my children really miss about living in Texas was getting a good snow a couple of times a year. So, needless to say, they were really excited! It was Asher's first snow ever!

Miss Kim and Mr. Rodney stopped by to play for awile...aren't they cute?We had snow ball fights...We made snow angels...We played with neighbors...have you ever seen such big flakes? (the snow, that is)Mom's favorite pic...beautiful flakes falling all around the barn in the backyard with all the trees lightly dusted with snow...so peaceful!

Hope it will last us...I think it will be a while before we see any more snow!

Asher's First T-Ball Practice

2009-03-02T16:34:00.002-05:00

Asher has officially started t-ball. He is so excited! Here he is with proud big brother, Colton. Colton has helped at every practice. I think he loves it as much as Asher!I think his bat bag is as big as he is. After a little instruction from Coach Durden, he's off to run the bases...Don't forget to touch the bag!

Playing second base...doesn't he look like such a big boy (I think those are the smallest cleats I've ever seen)???

Family Getaway

2009-03-01T21:51:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, we snuck away as a family and had a "retreat" from the "busy-ness" of life...it was wonderful! We went to a friend's cabin in Murphy, NC. It has become a special place for us as a family. My kids love it! We did a whole lot of nothing besides laughing, playing games, hiking, snuggling and watching movies. Here are a few highlights...

Eating on the deck after a long muddy hike... climbing rocks along the river...

driving over to the snow in Maggie Valley one day...

Tubing down the mountain in Maggie Valley...

Jerry crashing into the barriers after tubing a little too fast down the mtn. at Maggie Valley...

Asher chillin' on the rocks. We spent hours just skipping rocks. Good times. Good times...

At the end of the trip, Jerry said, "so what did you think about our Dingmore Family trip?" Kenzie replied, "Dingmores rock!"

They do. I love my family!

Time Out

2009-02-18T21:51:00.002-05:00

Asher was in "time out" in his room yesterday. I heard some guitar music coming from his room, when I came to check on him, this is what I saw:

Does he know his Momma is a sucker for a cowboy? Or is he just that cute?

Letters to God

2009-02-18T21:44:00.002-05:00

I found this beside my daughter's night stand.

Dear God,
Thank you so much for letting me try out for the travel team. Can you please let me get on the team? I know I am'nt very good, but can You help me with that?
Love,
Kenzie

p.s. I love you!!

Love her heart! She did make the team, and she has her confidence back. She totally feels like the Lord has given her this opportunity. I'm so proud for her, love to see her doing what she loves! I plan to keep this so that she can see that when she trusted God, He came through for her. I think it's good to set up modern day "altars of remembrance" of God's faithfulness in our lives. It helps us to remember His faithfulness in the little things, and reminds us how He can absolutely be trusted in the big things too!

Colton's Shiner

2009-01-20T22:38:00.004-05:00

"I came home from school one day with a shiner on my eye...fightin' was against the rules and it didn't matter why..." so begins one of my favorite George Strait songs, "Love Without End, Amen". Well, that's not exactly what happened.

Last week, when Colton was playing out in the barn with a friend, I was in the kitchen looking out the window when I saw them come around the corner...it literally looked like someone had shoved a golfball up under his cheekbone. He looked deformed! It scared me to death! Apparently the handle of the wheelbarrow had caught his cheekbone/eye as he fell off a ladder in the barn. This is five hours later...

A closer look (swelling way down, but still pretty swolen)
This is morning, Day 2...he was mortified! Stayed home from school for that one...

Three days later...much better! Glad to report that he is on the mend...only permanent damage...mom's gray hairs (but even that can be remedied by a good hairdresser!) lol

New Year's Eve

2009-01-07T20:20:00.003-05:00

On New Year's Eve, we were sitting around a bonfire with some friends making s'mores, and Jerry suggested that we go around the circle and each of us share what was the best thing that happened to them in 2008. I love stuff like this (and Jerry usually doesn't), so I listened intently to each person. Kenzie said that getting a puppy was the best thing, then Colton shared that his was scoring his first touchdown, then it came to Asher. He very confidently said, "What I liked best about 2008 was Cohton's babatism (Colton's baptism)." Well, there you have it. My year ended beautifully. My heart was full.

On a lighter note, what they were looking forward to in 2009 was Kenzie -playing in her first travel ball tournament, Colton - playing football at Covenant, and Asher - finally getting to play t-ball. We will have a busy, sports-filled year, but we ended 2008 and begin 2009 with an incredible sense of the goodness of God and His amazing gift of His Son, our family and friends. Happy New Year everyone!

More Christmas 2008

2008-12-31T15:00:00.006-05:00

Christmas Eve pajamas...so that everyone will look good in the Christmas morning pics...some excited children eagerly awaiting the gifts of the next day. A treat this Christmas arrived from our Aunt Lori in Saudi. The kids love getting gifts from there because they are extra special treats from overseas. Kenzie and Aunt Lori have a special connection.

Bangles and bracelets...

head coverings...

the boys had fun dressing up (and mom is thinking great props for Allstars!)

The staff party...we have the best staff ever...Curt, Greg, Brad, Val, Torie, Nolan and their spouses...what an incredible team we are blessed with. PC wouldn't be without them. They strive for excellence each week in all that we do...not to entertain but to capture someone's attention so that God can speak to their heart. Amazing instruments in the hands of our Redeemer. PC staff rocks!
Greg and Curt try to battle it out wrapping gifts with one arm as they race the girls...they were good sports though, and no one went home empty handed!
Val and Holly clearly won the best gift wrapped with one hand tied behind their backs!

Our home was filled with much love this holiday season as we had several gatherings for friends. As we wrap up 2008, we are filled to the brim with God's blessings and goodness to us that we so do not deserve!

Dingmore Christmas

2008-12-30T13:56:00.004-05:00

Since we've been so far away from family for the last several years, some things change from year to year about how we do Christmas, but a few things remain the same. I suppose you would call them our traditions...things that are important to us and we make a point to do them.

1. Gingerbread Day - we use a recipe from my great grandmother that is an all day affair. This really gets us all in the mood for Christmas. We do all kinds of shapes and never the traditional colors of frosting. We prefer blue, purple, yellow, green because the red never tastes good by the time you get it red enough.One of the funnest parts is remembering all of the folks through the years that have been a part of our Gingerbread day (Wests, Keelan, Bill and Shane, the Nortons, the Khouris, Frank and Aaron, Lucy and Brit, the Potkulskis, and this year Hilton and LillieClaire) This was something my sister Steph and I would do every year, so it is so cool to see my kiddos doing it with their siblings. Not to mention, they are the best gingerbread cookies ever!

Colton says the best part is the messy part! 2. Advent - Granny Lu gave us our Advent calendar when Kenzie was just a baby, and the kids take turns each day putting up that part of the Christmas story. We do different things to focus on Jesus throughout the season, and this keeps us focused each day as we add a new piece to the story. Most years we do an Advent wreath as well, but this year, Mama went back to work and didn't get that done...we'll have to bring it back next year.The 3 kids rotate days to put up each piece, and they alternate who gets to put up the most important "Jesus" piece...this year was Asher's turn.

3. Heart gifts - each of the kids has a stocking on his/her bedroom door, and they fill out pieces of paper with their gifts of the heart to eachother. Some from this year were, "I'll take Addie on a walk for you." from Asher to Kenzie. "I'll play house with you and be whatever you want me to be." from Colton to Kenzie. "I'll work a puzzle with you." from Kenzie to Asher. "You rock. You're the best sister ever." from Asher to Kenzie. "I'll read 2 books to you and 1 Where's Waldo? book" from Kenzie to Asher

I was especially proud of Kenzie this year. She never had to be reminded and she really came up with some sweet thoughts and truly heart gifts. God is really doing a work in her little heart.

4. Christmas story - we've always read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve, but since we've been at Covenant, the kids memorize the Christmas story. So for the last few years, one of the children have recited the story from memory then we talk about a particular aspect of the story.

5. Christmas lights - sometime during the Christmas season, we all load up in the car in our jammies, roll down the windows so that it's really cold, snuggle up with blankies

and hot chocolate and drive around looking at Christmas lights and singing songs (some traditional carols, lots of George Strait Christmas songs)

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2008-12-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

Linus reminds us of the real reason for today.

May you be in awe and worship Jesus today, on His day. May you honestly consider what your gift will be to Him this day, this year...I'm contemplating that today as well.

Happy Birthday, Jesus, with my whole heart!

Recent Developments

2008-12-25T20:37:00.006-05:00

A few days before Christmas, we had an exciting development...our first "harvest" from our winter garden! We've never done a winter garden, but my good buddy Elizabeth inspired me this year, so we planted brussel sprouts, carrots, lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli.

I couldn't have done it without the help of Stone the Gardener. He's amazing!

Colton was the most proud because he has helped the most in the garden...watering, weeding, etc. So fun!

Then, on to our next big news...Kenzie got a puppy for Christmas! After 3 Christmases and birthdays of begging for a dog, Daddy finally gave in and gave Kenzie a puppy. Addie Mae is a sweet 4 month old yorkie that has a little girl that adores her.

The Christmas Musical

2008-12-22T08:47:00.005-05:00

The Christmas musical at Covenant Academy was another big event in the life of the Dingmores! We had a shepherd and toddler Jesus in the family.

Of course, Jerry claimed that now he finally knew which child took after him the most - Asher, because he was chosen to play toddler Jesus, so it was definitely because he took after his daddy! (Puh-lease, give me a break!)Colton as a shepherd

Accepting the gifts from the wisemenMary (Millie Durden) and toddler Jesus (Asher)

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-22T08:00:00.004-05:00

I know, I know, you're thinking...Thanksgiving? It's a few days until Christmas! But, I'm trying to catch up for me and for all of our Texas family that reads this.

Our Thanksgiving is usually a little different because all of our family is away. The one thing that is steady is that the five of us have a good time together, have some good food and fun.

Two years ago, we had T-giving at the beach...last year in the mountains...

this year, thanks to our sweet friend the Murpheys and the Mathis,

we had a fabulous Thanksgiving out at the River! We even got to have Mamaw with us which made it special, of course.

Here are a few pics from our day:

Lynn and Clay Murphey, and David Mathis, enjoying T-giving dinnerA little monster volleyball...the kids loved it (and Allison and David)
Asher enjoying a s'more by the campfireColton and little Clay tearin' up the woodsGood food, great friends, beautiful place, long walk, four-wheelin, volleyball, campfire...what more could you have to be thankful for?

Asher's Thanksgiving Play

2008-12-13T21:51:00.003-05:00

Grandparents have been asking, so here are the pics from Asher's class Thanksgiving performance. They were precious. I'm going to try and figure out how to upload video so they can see more...
Asher was so proud playing his drum...And he was very enthusiastic about singing...So sweet and precious...I know one day he'll be way too cool for all of this, so I treasure each and every moment.

Zach

2008-12-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

Five years ago today, he left us.
He was one of the first people I met upon arriving in Macon.
I'll never forget that first meeting, in Kitty's kitchen, him perched on the stool while we visited.
The honk of his horn every time he rode by Kitty's house.
The conversations and laughter at the lake cabin...
I knew him such a short time,
but even in that short time, he made an impact on our family.
No one quite like the Z-man.
Carla, Johnny, Kitty and Big, and all the Kemper clan...
I know the ache is always there,
and you wonder sometime if others have forgotten,
so this is just to let you know...
that you are loved...
and thought about...
and prayed for...
more often than you know,
and those who love him,
and you,
will never forget...

" Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:21-23

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. it is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart..." Philippians 1:3-7

We will never forget, nor tire of your grief.
We love you, Carla, Johnny, Kemper, Cole, Big, Kitty, King Katie, Alan and Kathy...
And we love and miss you, Zach.

Kenzie's 10!

2008-11-25T19:42:00.002-05:00

Ten years ago today, Kenzie Grace came into our lives 6 weeks earlier than expected.
Random memories...
Jerry had taken a Tylenol PM because he had such a bad headache that night, so I could barely get him awake to take me to the hospital, then after we settled in for a night of labor, he fell asleep!
Renita ran to my house in the middle of the night to pack a bag for me, and stayed up with me all night at the hospital while Jerry slept...
Stephen and Peggy drove all night after being at Bonfire to get there for the birth the next morning...
Grammie and Grandad came up early the next day to make it just in time...
Grammie and Stephanie unpacking shower gifts and setting up a nursery so we would have a place for our sweet angel when we finally got to come home a week later.
Danna coming to the hospital to fix my hair and do my makeup, just to take care of me because I was so worried about my girl...
Dr. Sultemeier praying with us as each test came back negative...
God healing our little angel, and finally getting to bring her home.
Thank you, Jesus, for my 10 year old angel!

Can someone please tell me when this little girl...

became this little girl?

And where does the time go?

I can't believe that my sweet angel that didn't even weigh 5 pounds when we brought her home from the hospital 10 years ago is now 10 years old, and...

will be driving in 6 years...

going to college in 8 and who knows after that?

Happy Birthday, Kenzie Grace!

Papaw's Birthday

2008-11-20T23:36:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Papaw Dingmore's birthday. We have a tradition in our family for Papaw's birthday. Because our children never got to meet him, we wanted to make sure they knew him and remembered him. So, each year on his birthday, we reminisce about funny stories about Papaw, let the kids each write him a note, tie it to a balloon, then send Papaw balloons in Heaven. It has become a very special and fun time for our family. Especially when Mamaw's here to enjoy it with us.
Happy 87th birthday Papaw Dingmore!

Ten on Tuesday - Covenant

2008-11-18T22:05:00.003-05:00

Ten Reasons Why I love Covenant Academy:

1. the Covenant Declaration "We go to Covenant Academy, a Kingdom school. We exalt the name of Jesus and recognize His presence here. We believe in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit...God calls me to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ to listen and obey, to listen and obey the first time. Not the second time or the third time, but the first time. To use words of kindness, to respect God's creation and all authority...I will display a crown of beauty instead of ashes, an oil of gladness instead of mourning, a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. We will be called oaks of righteousness a planting of the Lord for the display of His Splendor." There is more to it, and Covenant students memorize it and recite it several mornings a week beginning in the first grade all the way throught middle school as the way to start their day. What a declaration for them to hide in their hearts! Amazing.

2. When a teacher or other adult enters a classroom, my 11th graders stop what they're doing and stand up in respect of their elders. I've never asked them to or told them to; they just do.

3. When I ask my 11th graders to stand in honor of the Word of God and read some Scripture together, they thank me for it. They ask me to pray for them, and let me know they pray for me.
4. The teachers. Mrs. Callahan, Mrs. Howd, Mrs. Gottlieb, Mrs. Foxworth and Mrs. Bush, specifically, not to mention a slew of others we have yet to experience. They start every morning with a devotion from the Grammar school principal and prayer.

5. Their commitment to the Word of God. My 4K child has already memorized 10 verses this year, and quotes them when he is facing a situation that calls for a word from God. Example- the other day Asher was struggling with putting together a puzzle. He looked at me and said, "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13." Wow. My 2nd grader and 4th grader come home with questions about Scripture that I never would have thought of at their age.

6. The innocence. My children are so sheltered and protected there. My 11th graders have a great time and enjoy life, but I love their innocence compared to the 11th graders I have taught in the past.

7. My 11th graders are thinkers, processors. Covenant has taught them to be deep thinkers. For example, today, when we were studying Dante's Inferno and the particular circle of Hell we were discussing had to do with those who were corrupt within the church. Dante was very critical of the church of his day (1200-1300 AD). One of my students asked if I thought Dante would get along with Martin Luther, or would he think Luther was a heretic and blasphemer? How many 11th graders do you know that would ask that question?

8. There are no locks on the lockers. Anywhere. No need. Amazing.

9. The curriculum. They have Bible class every day, and pray with their teachers every day. History is taught from the Biblical perspective. The students begin learning Latin in the 4th grade. The classical approach makes so much sense to me as an educator and as a mom.

10. Reformation Day Celebration. Kids look forward to it every year. We have always struggled with the whole "Halloween thing" and have avoided it as a family; Covenant has given us a celebration of Reformation Day, to be for something rather than against something else.

Is Covenant Academy perfect? No.
Am I blind to the struggles we're having? No.
But, I do think sometimes when we're caught up in the midst of difficult times, we need to remind ourselves of the blessings we do have.
At least I do.
When our family goes through difficult times, we sit down together and remind ourselves of all the ways God has blessed us, then things don't seem so insurmountable anymore.
I forget how blessed I am to be a Covenant mom and teacher, sometimes, so I reminded myself.
Thought maybe some others might need to be reminded too.
Let's be on our knees in gratitude and intercession for our school.

She Did It!

2008-11-16T19:46:00.003-05:00

Well...she's been waiting for this day, and it's finally here!

Kenzie got her ears pierced for her 10th birthday. Mamaw took her for the big event; it was Mamaw's gift to her.

Here are some of the highlights...the actual piercing. She never flinched, and she said it didn't hurt.

She was so proud! She couldn't stop smiling...And looking at herself in the mirror...She is one happy girl!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-29T22:31:00.003-04:00

Colton's baptism Sunday night...

Will try to find words for it soon...but for now a pic is worth a 1000 of 'em

2008-10-26T22:01:00.001-04:00

Tag, I'm It!

2008-10-25T20:56:00.002-04:00

A sweet friend of mine, Aimee (whose blog is private) tagged me recently, so here goes...

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

10 years ago I:
1. was expecting my first born, Kenzie Grace.
2. was teaching English at Rider High School...ROHO!
3. thought I was busy, oh, was I wrong...what did I do before I had kids???
4. scrapbooked every Friday night.
5. had no idea I would ever live in Macon, GA and have 3 kids...

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. laundry
2. bake a cake
3. clean up house and get ready for the week
4. make snacks for Monday night staff meeting
5. finish grading my student's journals

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. corn chex
2. sugar snap peas
3. chex mix
4. pretzels
5. cheese

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Buy Jerry a new truck.
2. Renovate my kitchen.
3. Help my sis buy my parents house, and help my parents find a house to suit for retirement.
4. Give more to Verge to help build Piedmont an awesome facility.
5. Build out the basement/workshop of our house for an apartment for grandparents, so they could come and stay a good while in their own "spot".

5 places I have lived:
1. Amarillo, TX
2. Bryan, TX
3. College Station, TX
4. Wichita Falls, TX
5. Macon, GA

5 jobs I have had:
1. Mom
2. Salesperson, Dillard's Linens Dept.
3. High School English Teacher
4. Auditor for Bulk Mortgage Loan Dept.
5. Candle Maker

The rules say I have to tag 5 people.
I'm tagging Shannon, Kerri, Steph, Lanier and Greg...

The Wives

2008-10-20T15:37:00.003-04:00

Being a pastor's wife comes with many challenges. Church work is often physically, emotionally and spiritually draining. It is one of those jobs that you can never leave at work. It requires long hours and work on the the weekends. Don't get me wrong; I am absolutely NOT complaining. God called me a long time ago to be in ministry, and He absolutely has provided everything I have ever needed.

But lately, I've had several ask how I'm doing, or how things are going with how busy all of the staff is; sometimes I really don't know how to answer the question, but today I was reading a friend's blog, and she had this posted, so I thought I'd share...

Here are some ways that you can pray for our ministers' wives... (Amber, Amanda, Valerie, Holly and myself)...pray for us

-to be supportive
-to know when to have important discussions
-to form trustworthy friendships
-to grow personally in our relationship with the Lord
-to have just the right words at just the right time
-to know when to critique and when to praise
-to have wisdom in parenting children
-to have patience on Saturday (often a very stressful day)

Colossians 1:9-10 (from the NLT version)So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better.

That is my prayer that through all of our relationships at PC that above all, we will learn to know God better by knowing one another. Thanks for being on the journey with me.

At Our House

2008-10-19T13:12:00.006-04:00

Here are a few glimpses of my favorite moments at our house...

Little brother thinks he's as big as bubba... Asher's determined...
Finally, got him down!
Brothers and best friends...
Kenzie giving Daddy a makeover at her "spa"

A simple rainy day..."Mom, can we play in the puddles?" "Sure..."
Am I in trouble? Not so sure he likes this, but...

Oh, yeah! Mud is awesome!

I am so blessed!

Touchdown!

2008-10-19T06:50:00.008-04:00

Colton has been loving football this year. I mean, really, it is his passion. How a tender-hearted boy could be such a beast on the field...I have no idea. We played our last game yesterday, so I thought I'd post a couple of highlights of the season...

This was our first touchdown...

And this was just a great play...

He tackled two boys...

He causes the fumble...

He goes over the boys to recover the fumble...And he's got it!

Whatever

2008-10-19T06:29:00.003-04:00

Recently, Kenzie and I were joking around and being a little sarcastic with Colton and Jerry...kind of a boys v. girls thing. I leaned over to Kenzie thinking I was going to be the cool mom and showed her the "whatever" sign with the two thumbs and two index fingers, and whispered to her that we would do that to the boys and walk off real "cool-like"...

Well she looked at me and said, "Mom, that is so yesterday. Here's how you say whatever..."

So...

I guess I'm not "cool like that"

What-ever...

Colton

2008-09-26T12:50:00.003-04:00

About 10 days ago, Colton told his daddy on the way home from football that he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart, so Jerry told him to wait until they got home with Mommy, and that we would all talk together.

So, later that night, we had Kenzie and Asher go to the basement while we had some time with Colton. So the three of us sat on the floor, and Colton shared his story. He told us how he felt that he was ready to ask Jesus to come into his heart because he knew that He died for him. He knew that He needed Jesus in his life to help him live the right way. We talked a long time about that it wasn't a simple one time decision, that this was a choice that he would have to keep on making for the rest of his life, to live each day for Christ, not for himself. He said that he understood and was ready.

So...in the middle of the living room floor with his daddy and I, Colton asked Jesus into his heart! Whoop! (that's Aggie for very exciting)...Afterwards, he gave us each a really big hug and said that he felt different already. He couldn't wait to call his Grammie and Grandad, Mamaw, etc. and his small group leader from church (which i thought was cool).

What an incredible blessing it is to see your children choose to follow Him!

Falling off the blogging train

2008-09-26T11:41:00.002-04:00

It's been way too long since I've blogged, so I'm going to try and catch up on all of the happenings over the last few weeks...

Life is just too busy, but several exciting things have taken place recently so I want to catch up.

Between being a wife and mom, teaching, PC All Stars and candles my brain is stretched in too many directions...so, I kinda felloff the blogging train, but there is news to come!

Another Conversation with Asher

2008-09-10T15:18:00.003-04:00

Mom: Do you know how handsome you are?

Asher: Yes

Mom: How do you know?

Asher: Because you telled me.

Mom: God sure made you extra special

Asher: No, God made me for His glory.

What do you say to that?

Thankful Thursday

2008-09-04T23:37:00.003-04:00

I'm thankful for...
-cool mornings
-bike rides with my kids (except the uphill parts)
-healthy children
-sweet husband who helped me paint the laundry room
-my freshly painted chocolate brown laundry room
-Piedmont Church is one year old!
-Piedmont All Star Volunteers
-21 eleventh graders who I get the privilege of teaching each day
-Covenant Academy and what it's teaching my children
-home grown 'maters
-sweet neighbors
-freshly baked banana nut bread
-friends who run errands with me
-college football
-snuggles
-giggles
-boys who love to play in the rain and come up with muddy smiles to proudly show their mama how much fun they're having
-children who still think their parents are cool and want to hang with us
-the song "How He Loves Us"
-Benadryl
-ice cold milk
-cold pillow
-ceiling fans
-Mrs. Foxworth, Mrs. Howd and Mrs. Bush (my children's teachers)
-Fabulous Fridays and
-sleeping late on Saturdays

Dinner and a Murder

2008-08-23T20:54:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday, a friend of ours had his 40th birthday bash. His wife, did a wonderful job of putting it all together...it was a Murder Mystery Party set in the Roaring 20s. Everyone dressed up and had a fabulous time!

Feathers and boas everywhere for the ladies...Definitely a criminal element to the gentlemen...

Al Capone and his secret girlfriend, Carrie, the jazz singer...

The baroness of "the Family" and the Detective for the evening...

Cash and Cassandra Steal...the new head of the Black Hand Gang (but nobody knew this tidbit)Fun was had by all...if you want to host one yourself, click here

Conversations with Asher

2008-08-19T22:11:00.004-04:00

At lunch today (on going to school):

Asher: When you asked me if I wanted to go 3 days or 5 days, I did not understand what you were talking about.

Mom: What do you mean?

Asher: You know, when you asked me if I wanted to go to school 5 days. I said yes, but I didn't know what I was talking about. Now, I want to go 3 days.

Mom: But, Asher, now Mommy has to work 5 days. So you have to go to school 5 days.

Asher: No, I can just stay in bed.

Yesterday morning upon waking for school:

Mom: Asher, time to get up and get ready for school.

Asher: No, I'm just going to stay in bed.

Jerry then picked him up and is carrying him out of his bedroom...

Dad: What do you want for breakfast?

Asher: I'll tell you when I get there.

On the first morning of school, when I started crying because he was hugging me so tight:

Asher: Mommy, why are you crying?

Mom: Because I'm going to miss you.

Asher: But, Mommy, I have to grow up.

...more tears from Mommy...

First Day of School

2008-08-13T22:35:00.004-04:00

Here are pics from the first day of school 2008-09! The kids were so excited! No, I did not make them dress alike, they all chose their red shirt for their first day.
Colton said his teacher is the best ever, and...

Kenzie said that Latin is going to be her favorite class. I can't believe they take Latin in the 4th grade. Kenzie and Colton were so proud of their little brother going to big boy school. But, as for me, I cried and cried. I don't know what it is. I guess because he's the baby.
Or because I'm going back to work this year.
Yes, it's just one class.

Yes, it's at their school.

Yes, I am very blessed.

But, it closes a chapter in my life just the same.
I thought I was prepared, but I certainly wasn't ready.
I was a basketcase.
Not sure when I'll be "okay" again. Whatever that means.
Leaning on my "Papa" God these days. Reaching for the pole and following the rope, and trusting Him.

As for Asher...see for yourself.

He's all about big boy school. Having a ball, totally doing his own thing.

While everyone was at centers, he went and got a book to read.

He's so excited to be in class with his new buddies, Jake and Camden.

Now, I just have to get a grip, and hold on to Him!

The Last Hurrah

2008-08-12T20:49:00.003-04:00

Jerry and Colton spending some time on the beach...Colton was so proud of his airbrush "tattoo" (see the shark on his back?) He thought it was so cool!

Asher loves his snack time...he usually had both of his snacks for the day eaten before any of us even had one!

Kenzie preferred the pool most of the time this trip...too much seaweed and jellyfish for her liking. The storm (Eduardo) kept everything churning until our last day there, then it cleared up and was beautiful!

She looks so grown up!

This is their Ralph Lauren ad...

The boys do love each other! Two sweet boys, but all boys!

The last hurrah of summer...school starts tomorrow!

My Father's Eyes

2008-08-12T20:32:00.002-04:00

One day at the beach I was with Asher at the little water slide at the condo where we were staying. I had inched my way over closer and closer to the water slide because several big boys had taken over the slide and were ruining it for the little children (it's the teacher in me...I can't stand it when children are unsupervised and ruining things for smaller children...that's why I pretty much avoid Chuck E. Cheese altogether).

Anyway, I digress, I began to watch this little boy who would come down the slide, pop up then feel around for the pole, then the rope, and hang on to it all the way to the line, then go up the stairs, down the slide, repeat. It took me awhile to realize that this little boy was blind. I watched him, amazed at his confidence and independence. I looked around because I was the only parent besides one other dad in the water with the children, and that dad was obviously not with him.
I kept looking and wondering...where are his parents?
I still kept looking, then I saw her.
His mother.
Sitting in her lounge chair, never taking her eyes off of him. She was oh so aware of his every move, but even when he would stumble or bump into someone, she didn't move. She quietly watched (with baited breath I'm sure) her boy whom she loved more than words can say, and while I'm sure she wanted to protect him from every bump and misstep, she knew that she must let him find his own way (he was only 6). I talked to her for awhile and was amazed by her spirit and confidence in him.

It got me to thinking that it was very much like our relationship with God. When He sees us bump and stumble and mess things up, He is so very aware of our every move, but He knows that it is better for us to find our own way and come to Him, than for Him to protect us from everything. He allows us to choose to follow Him and to love Him. He could absolutely sweep us up in a heartbeat and take us home, but He has bigger plans for us than that. He loves His children, and His eye is absolutely on us.

I've been pondering this a great deal lately since I read The Shack during vacation. Anyone out there reading it? Let me know your thoughts...

It's Outta Here!

2008-08-03T13:36:00.001-04:00

During the last tournament of the season, Colton hit an out of the park homerun. He was so excited, and I was so proud for him...this season has had lots of ups and downs, so this was a great way to end it...in a blaze of glory!
The dugout cleared, and they all came out to cheer...

The look on his face...priceless!

Heroes

2008-07-30T22:47:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite people stopped by my house today. His name is Keith Hardy. He is also one of my heroes. You see, he took the time to give my boys a special day at the fire house a year or two ago. They still talk about that. They both follow him around like he hung the moon whenever he's around.

When Keith stopped by, he told me of a story of two heroes in Macon that were buddies of his. They risked their lives the other day to save two little boys. The outcome wasn't what they would've wanted, but they were heroes still the same. You can read the full story here. The thing about it, though, is that they do that sort of thing every day, they work long hours, they don't get much recognition, and they sure don't get enough pay for what they do.

They love what they do, and they're proud of what they do. I'm proud to know Keith and other firefighters like him.

So, the next time you see one of these fellas, tell them thank you for the job they do. It just might be your baby that they're risking their lives to save one day.

Divided Heart

2008-07-25T09:47:00.008-04:00

I've had a hard time recovering from cousins week.

not because i'm tired

but because i miss them so much

and others

it's hard sometimes

when God has called your heart to a place

that is so far from

those you love

and all that you've known

for so long.

most of the time

my heart is so here

but at times

(especially summer and Christmas)

my heart is so divided.

reminded of all that i love

there

and

here.

my sis and i are like best friends

blessed, i know.

so i miss her

a little snippet of time together

makes me realize how much...

then, in my heart, i go there

and i spend way too much time

reminiscing of my sweet friends that are still there too.

but, if i think about going back,

i can't fathom it right now

because i know in the depths of my heart

He has planted us here.

my heart is here

so blessed, so full

yet divided.

Cousins Week

2008-07-14T13:57:00.003-04:00

They're finally here! My sister and her kids got here Friday night from Texas and we are so excited about Cousins Week!

Here are a couple of pics from the airport...

We leave today to go to St. Simons for a few days...we're so excited!

Arthur

2008-07-03T13:29:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, last Friday my purse was stolen from West Macon ballpark. If this has ever happened to you, you know what a hassle it is...driver's license, keys, credit cards, checking account...all have to be replaced. They had already charged $550 on my card before we even got home from the ballpark. I was so angry! I mean, I will give you anything, but don't steal it from me! I really wasn't worried about the credit card stuff once we got all that squared away, but just the hassle of replacing keys, pics, license, etc. was not something I wanted to spend my time doing.

Then, last night, my friend Lucy called me and said, "did you lose your wallet?" I told her the story, then she told me that she had gotten a phone call on her cell from a man who had my wallet. I was so thankful! I called him, his name is Arthur and he works at a waste management company. Yes, he had my wallet with my license and my keys! He said he saw them in the garbage and thought that someone would definitely be missing them. So, he looked through what was left in my wallet and found a 478 number, and it was Lucy!

When I walked in the restaurant where I was to meet him, I just hugged him, and it was so nice to meet him! He restored my faith in humanity, and challenged me in the way I live each day. It would have been easy for him to leave the wallet in the garbage and continue in his business, but he took the time to dig it out, look for a number and contact me.

We come from quite different worlds, and I don't know any other way that we would have met, but I'm glad we did because I think I'm a better person for having met him. It was a great teaching moment with the kids last night as we reviewed the story of the Good Samaritan and thanked Jesus for Arthur and prayed for God to bless him.

The next time I have the opportunity to go out of my way for someone, you better believe I will. Thanks Arthur for reminding me what we are to be about on this earth!

Two mommies road trip

2008-06-29T16:01:00.004-04:00

Last week, my buddy Shannon and I loaded up the car and took our six kids to the beach. We often call ourselves Lucy and Ethel because of our many escapades and this trip was no exception! We had a fabulous time!

Here's a story...we felt like the Brady Bunch with three girls and three boys all week, but we never did find Alice to cook and clean and offer pearls of wisdom for us!

Here's the whole gang at the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Carolina-California League All Star Game. That was a fun night of baseball!The girls at Libby Lu's...true divas!

The funny story for the week...my kids had these matching outfits, and Shannon had bought the same outfits for her kids, so we thought it would be fun on the last night to dress them all alike and take some pics. Then after pics, we went down to a place called "Broadway at the Beach" to eat and walk around.

What a spectacle we were; people acted like we were a circus act coming towards them. Suffice it to say, we attracted a lot of attention. Then, at the restaurant, Emma said something about to the waiter about that she and Asher were sitting with the mommy and daddy and the big kids were sitting at their own table. Well, then Millie pipes up (very innocently), "we don't have a mommy and a daddy, we have two mommies!" We were looking for the quickest exit!

From then on, we made sure to tell everyone that we left the daddies at home working!

It's not about me

2008-06-15T21:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, my son taught me a huge lesson. He is on the All Star Team for c-ball this year, but he is an alternate, so that means that he could play in every tournament except for the district tournament. Well, this weekend the district tournament began. We told him that he didn't have to go, but we would leave it up to him.

Our main concern was that one of the boys might ask him why he wasn't playing, and that was a lot for a 7-year old to explain, and we had already had a bad experience at one of the early practices where one of the boys had made a comment to him about being "just the alternate". Well, being the mama bear that I am, I didn't want to risk someone hurting my baby's feelings (he is very tender-hearted). So, I had really discouraged him from going.

Well, it came down to Friday night, when we got our uniforms, I asked him one last time if he wanted to go to the game or not. He said, "Mama, I need to be there to support my team. It doesn't matter if I don't get to play, and besides, Coach Bruce told me that he needed me to help him keep the books and help warm up the outfield."

All this month at PC All Stars, we've been studying humility: putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. Colton got that. He taught me a big lesson. He suited up in his uniform, warmed up the outfield, was Coach Bruce's little shadow yesterday, and cheered for his team...with no concern for himself. He absolutely has the biggest heart and is mature beyond his age when it comes to giving of himself for others.

What if we all "got it"? And realized it's not about us...or about our recognition...or our success...or about this church or that church... but about THE CHURCH?

Quirky

2008-06-13T10:34:00.006-04:00

I've been tagged! Aimee tagged me this time. I could provide a link to her blog, but it's private, so I won't.

Here are the rules:
*Link the person who tagged you.
*Mention the rules in your blog.
*Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.
*Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking them.

My Quirks:
1. I can't sleep unless my pillow is cold. I keep two pillows at all times so I can rotate them so that one is cold all the time. When we first married and our air conditioner didn't work that well, Jerry would put my pillow in the freezer before we went to bed. Seriously. I'm not kidding. I think that's why I love him so much. Ridiculous, I know.

2. I have to have diet coke out of a bottle (preferably the 16 oz size). I don't like it over ice, I can't stand it out of a fountain. It taints the taste. I like an ice cold one first thing in the morning...breakfast of champions. I was pondering giving up my diet coke for lent one year and Jer quickly requested that I not do that. Apparently, I'm much nicer when I've had my diet coke.

3. I cannot go to bed with dishes in the sink. I will stay up late no matter how tired I am just to wash them. I've tried to go to bed and deal with it in the morning, but I end up laying in bed thinking about it, give up and go to the kitchen and get them done.

4. I secretly love trash day. If the trash can isn't full on Tues. night, I will go around and find more stuff to throw away before we take we take it to the curb. I can't wait until they come pick it up the next day and I bring the empty ones back down. It's so cleansing. I can't stand clutter, so trash pickup day is a little-known favorite day of mine.

5. I love for all of the bands on the towels in the cabinet to line up perfectly. I don't demand it anymore because three children later, I'm just happy if the towels are clean and in the cabinet. I have been known to refold all the towels in the cabinet to have them line up, but not so much anymore. (I think this quirk can be traced back to working in the linen dept at Dillard's for 3 years of high school)

6. I don't like to talk on the phone. I'm a terrible phone caller. I am always late RSVPing, put off as long as possible any kind of "duty" phone calls that I need to make, I'm terrible about returning phone calls...this probably goes beyond a quirk to a character flaw, but it's the truth. If I've ever not called when I was supposed to, I apologize. I'm the worst in that area. It's nothing personal. Really.

Okay, now I'm tagging:

Steph
Jan
Shannon
Cindy
Lanier
Kerri

I hope you'll join in the fun! Come on! Fess up! What's quirky about you?

One Prayer

2008-06-08T07:04:00.002-04:00

This morning

One Prayer

begins in over 1200 churches worldwide

all denominations

One God

One Prayer

four weeks

We start this morning at PC

So many divisions in the "church" at large

how amazing would it be if

four weeks

would start a movement to unify

and do what we're supposed to really be about

being used by God to change lives in this world

four weeks...

one prayer...

don't you want to be a part of what God is doing?

The Getaway

2008-06-05T22:38:00.005-04:00

After we had survived a tornado and class parties and team parties, and put Grammie and Grandad on the plane back to Texas, we hopped in the car for a quick getaway to St. Simons. It was incredible! Our sweet babysitter and friend, "Miss Kimmie" went with us...

The weather was perfect...cool evenings.

Nice breeze all day long, so we could ride bikes, build great sandcastles and sand cities and play on the beach and never break a sweat!

What is it about the beach that gives you such great perspective?

I really needed a big ole heap of perspective

I got it

I'm still processing, but I'll be blogging about it as I go.

I'm back!

2008-06-05T21:50:00.009-04:00

Hello everyone! Yes, I'm back to the world of blogging!

May was crazy!

My parents came for three weeks. My kids loved having Grammie and Grandad here all the way from Texas! Here are a few highlights...

We went to the peach farm in Fort Valley... and picked strawberries...
stole lots of snuggle time...
went and played on the river one day (thanks Clay and Lynn), what a special night!

Grammie fell in the river fully clothed!

What a great time! We had lots of laughs and fun! Wish they were closer...it was hard to see them go!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-21T22:53:00.004-04:00

Some of my favorite pics...for no particular reason...

Tornado Cleanup

2008-05-13T12:32:00.001-04:00

PC Volunteers Rock!

2008-05-11T21:33:00.003-04:00

This morning, when the storm hit...5:45 AM, sirens blaring, wind blowing, rain coming down in sheets, limbs and trees falling...our PC volunteers were getting out of bed and going to set up.

Jerry got to Stratford to set up at 6:30, there were 10 volunteers there ready to set up, and set up they did.
In the dark.
Because we had no power.
Several crossed downed power lines to get there.
With a joyful heart and spirit.

By 8:30, about 40 volunteers were there. Amazing.

By 9:00, we had decided to call church off as they were broadcasting to not leave your home, to stay off the roads.

One of our key volunteers came up and asked how much the rent for Stratford was, and wrote a check to cover it right there.
On the spot.

Our volunteers packed everything back in the truck, with never a complaint.
Some drove 30 minutes, some drove an hour to get there, but they were there...
Because that's the kind of volunteers we have.
They absolutely blow me away...

One by one, several PC folks stopped by just to see if we were having church;
they just wanted to be together
to see their "family"
many dropped off their tithe, because they know it's important to be obedient...
Several have called ready to get out and serve our community tomorrow...

The movement of Christ called Piedmont is inexplicable...
God is doing something incredible and I'm just glad to be a part.

Blah, Blah, Blog...

2008-05-06T17:10:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, it's been two weeks since I posted...can you tell it's spring??
Who wants to be inside when...

there are walks to be taken

kids to be played with

swings to be swung

ballgames to watch

husbands to hold hands with

flowers to plant

frisbees to throw

bird nests with new baby birds to watch over

balls to throw

caterpillars, ladybugs and butterflies to watch

strawberries to pick

But I promise, I will blog something soon...God has been doing all kinds of tweaking in my life over the past few weeks...so fresh I'm still processing...

Ten on Tuesday - Spring

2008-04-22T09:09:00.013-04:00

Ten things I love about spring:

1. Picking strawberries at Elliott's Farm

2. Sleeping with the windows open and waking up to a cool, crisp morning

3. Softball (Kenzie is a spunky little player...go Doodlebugs)

4. Baseball (Colton got me hooked at t-ball...now I'm a baseball addict...go Braves!)

5. Cherry Blossom Festival (pink poodles, pink stripes on the street, pink trashcans, men in pink suitcoats, pink, pink, pink!) You can see pics here.

6. Azaleas blooming everywhere and the smell of wisteria blooming...

7. School's almost out...so ready to have my babies home and play!

8. Family walks through the neighborhood after supper.

9. Cleaning out and getting organized

10. Doing anything and everything outside...I love the spring. I don't enjoy sweating, so pretty much all I do in the summer outside must involve water...

Aggieland

2008-04-18T10:47:00.004-04:00

Just had someone share this video with me and I had to post it.

I can't help it.

I'm a diehard Aggie! I know, some parts only Aggies will understand, but I think it is worth a watch anyway! You know what they say about Aggieland, "From the outside looking in, you cannot understand it; from the inside looking out you cannot explain it."

Enjoy...and let me know what you think!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

2008-04-16T16:09:00.006-04:00

I must admit...I love baseball season! I wasn't always this way, but ever since Kenzie started softball, then Colton had his first season of t-ball...I was hooked. I am their number one fan!

I love the crack of the bat, the pop in the glove, the sunflower seeds and peanuts...I even don't mind washing uniforms every other day (well, most of the time). I even love being dugout mom! (I think I might need counseling)

It's gotten so bad this year that we were at the ball park last Friday night and neither of our kids were even playing...we were watching other friend's children (it's free, clean family entertainment!). Our family loves the spring...I'm thankful God has given us this sport to enjoy together.

It has been a rough season this year as both Kenzie and Colton are having losing seasons. The cool thing, though, is to see how they have encouraged each other. Our virtue this month in PC Allstars is JOY-finding a way to be happy even when things don't go your way, so it has been an incredible (although tough) teaching time for all of us...to find the joy in a losing season!

Here are a couple of pics of my two favorite players!

are you kidding me?

2008-04-10T21:37:00.004-04:00

Who can look at this peacock?And this peacock? And say there is no God? He is so stinkin' creative it blows my mind!

Wow! (by the way, i took these pics in TN with the cool camera my hubby gave me, aren't they cool?)

Insomnia

2008-04-10T21:22:00.004-04:00

Hey all,

I'm sorry I haven't blogged all week...I've been a bit groggy. I feel like I am a walking zombie. I haven't slept well all week.

Last week, we went to Gatlinburg with some friends of ours. We had a great time. We had never been before, and it was beautiful.

Here we are at the top of the chairlift. It was so nice and cool! The kids had a great time with their buddies, Tanner and Kaitlyn.

Anyway, Jason (the daddy) suffers from insomnia, but the whole trip he kept talking about how great he slept while we were up there...

Now, since we've been back, I haven't slept more than 2 hours at a stretch. Last night, I woke up every 30-45 minutes. So, I'm wondering, is insomnia contagious?

Just kidding, really, but seriously, if you think about it, please pray that I will get some restful sleep soon...

Happy Birthday, Jerry!

2008-04-01T13:20:00.004-04:00

Today is my hubby's birthday! It is our family's honor to celebrate him!

-He is my rock! He lets me rant and rave, then calmly responds and helps me see the situation better. In all that we've gone through in the last year, he has let me work through my emotions, then gently and lovingly pointed me to God, the ultimate healer.

-He is my balancer. He is everything I'm not. When I worry, he calms me. When I want everything planned, he does something wonderfully spontaneous. When I think everything is falling apart, he shows me how blessed we are.

-He is absolutely hilarious. No one makes me laugh like he does...I'm talking can't breathe-laughing-so-hard-you're-afraid-you'll-wet-your-pants laughing!

-He is my spiritual leader. He is so sensitive to God's leading in our home, our ministry, our marriage, etc. No matter what we have faced in our 17 years of marriage, I know I can trust his leading because he's so connected to His leading.

-He values me as a mom. He drives an old 1989 Ford pickup, so that I won't have to go back to work to make another car payment. When I feel like I haven't "gotten anything done" on any given day because one of our children needed some "mommy time", he reminds me how much I accomplished just by being there for them.

-He is a great pastor! What you see on stage is what he is at home. He studies hard each week and seeks a true Word from God each week for his flock. He delivers truth like only one other pastor I've ever known (our pastor - Chris). He doesn't always make everyone happy, but he always speaks truth and follows God's call. I'm glad he's my pastor.

-He is a great daddy! Our kids are nuts about him!

-He's my best friend. There is no one I have had more fun with than him. Even though we are so different, we have the best time together.

I love you, sweetie! Happy Birthday!

Risk and Faith

2008-03-28T06:51:00.004-04:00

Here are the recent headlines from my Voice of the Martyrs newsletter:

SRI LANKA UPDATE: Wife of Martyred Pastor off Ventilator and Recovering " National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka

LAOS Pastors and Believers Arrested by Police, Nine Church Leaders Sentenced to Prison "

BOKEO PROVINCE " On February 22, Laotian officials arrested 15 Hmong Christian families in Bokeo province, Laos. According to Compass Direct News, the arrests occurred a day before a court sentenced nine Hmong church leaders to 15 years in prison for 'conducting Christian ministry and meetings that had grown beyond acceptable levels for Communist officials.

Yet, all over America, this Sunday (the Sunday after Easter) is typically one of the lowest attendance days of the year.
I guess we Americans feel we've done our duty by really showing out on Easter and then we deserve a rest...
We don't deserve anything...most Christians in America have no idea what it truly means to live by faith...
To be putting it on the line for our faith...
We'll make it to corporate worship this week...if we feel like it, if we don't have a ballgame, if we wake up in time, if we have something to wear, if we like the music, as long as the preacher's going to be there...what's your excuse for missing your time with your fellow believers?
Has your very life or that of your family been in danger because you might get "caught" worshipping?

Easter Reflections

2008-03-27T09:05:00.002-04:00

I have sat down several times to try to blog about Easter and I just can't wrap my mind around all of it. I'm still chewing on it. So, here are my random thoughts, observations, blessings...

-arriving at Stratford to set up on Saturday for Easter, and seeing an army of new faces ready to help accomplish the movement of Jesus called Piedmont...

-my children "chalking" the driveway (and a bit of the street) proclaiming "Jesus is Alive" for all to see...

-being "free" of the pressures of Easter finery on Sunday morning, and my children being thrilled to wear their Piedmont shirts on Sunday morning...

-stumbling upon the 3 and 4 year olds singing "Jesus Loves Me" Sunday morning. It doesn't get much better or simpler than that. If we could just truly grasp that one song...

-listening to Jimmy Dooley present the Gospel to 4th and 5th grade boys, when it wasn't "in the written lesson", and it just flowed so naturally from him because of the relationship he has with those boys...

-overhearing Le Kilgore talk about the "chink, chink" of the nails as she passed around a nine-inch nail to her first graders, then seeing her overcome with emotion because of her love for her Christ and His children...

-listening to Mardi Bass share with us in Bible Study about a Christ-centered Easter, and seeing several young women begin to incorporate that into their Easter...thank goodness for those older women that take time to invest in us!

-seeing Shannon overcome with emotion as she led the worship team in "Jesus Paid It All" with the children, that worship is so SWEET...

-our Allstar production team coming together to create our own production for Easter, for greater impact with the children...the chalk drawing of the crucifixion, resurrection mesmerized the children as they anxiously watched to see what would come next (Tav and Randy, you rock)

-spending the afternoon with my "Georgia family" - the Kempers, what a blessing just knowing that family has been, the love in that family blows me away...

-watching as so many children see themselves as church planters in this movement called Piedmont, the joy and energy they have as they help pack up each week. It really is something to see as we are training these children to be servant leaders in church...

-107 in the Allstars area, a family ministry that is 6 1/2 months old, God you amaze me. Thanks for including me in YOUR plan...

Good Friday

2008-03-24T17:06:00.002-04:00

I have come to love Good Friday. With all of the extra preparations that go on in ministry for Easter Sunday, it is usually an exhausting day, not much time for celebrating as a family. So, several years ago, I started a tradition with my children on Good Friday, that we all have come to love and look forward to each year.

We call it the Disciple's Breakfast. We get up on that Friday morning and go outside with a quilt and eat breakfast in the yard. We have fish (fish sticks for them), fruit, nuts, grape juice and pita bread. We talk about what it must have been like for the disciples that morning. What must they have been feeling? Their mentor, teacher, friend, Savior had been arrested and was going to be crucified on a cross like a common criminal that day. It is so cool to hear what the kids come up with each year.

Two years ago, Kenzie came up with something she wanted to add, where we would each pick which disciple we were most like...Peter? John? Bartholomew? Andrew? It has been neat to see as we do this through the years, how it has grown and matured with them. It was special this year because Colton told the story all by himself this year of the last week of Christ, from Palm Sunday, to the turning of the tables in the temple, to the last supper to the arrest, crucifixion and resurrection! It brought me to tears. It is so precious to see them grow in their knowledge of Christ.

Asher's best response to it all was "Jesus died for me. He wants to be my friend forever." That sums it all up, I think. I'm so grateful for that special time with my kiddos!

Thankful Thursday

2008-03-20T08:06:00.002-04:00

Just a quick list today...I'm thankful for...

1. Peter Pan Honey Roast Peanut Butter...after being pulled from the shelf over a year ago during the big "peanut butter scare", it's back! It's wonderful!

2. Jerry...he puts up with me, cheers me on, reminds me almost daily how important my job as a mom is.

3. Macon in the springtime...there is no prettier place to be in the spring!

4. God's Word...He so knows me! Sometimes when I feel like the worst person alive or I'm at the end of my rope and ready to quit...His word encourages me and heals me.

5. Piedmont...Yall rock! Lives are being changed. I get so amazed when I step back and look at what God has done in the last year. I love the stories, keep them coming.

6. My family in Texas...I love and miss you guys so much. This time of year gets so hard because it's almost a year since we've seen ya!

7. Diet coke.

8. My new walking buddy...she keeps me accountable and motivates me to get up at 5:20 every morning!

9. My hairdresser...he is like getting therapy for free when you get a haircut. Love him!

10. Clorox wipes and Mr. Clean Eraser...what did we ever do before these things?

Snow in Macon!

2008-03-12T08:37:00.004-04:00

It snowed in Macon on Saturday; my kids were so excited! They haven't seen snow since we left Texas! (and I'm not totally sure this qualified as a snow, but the flurries were enough to thrill them none the less)

Here is a couple of pics from their frolicking in the flurries:

Our Sabbath

2008-03-06T22:14:00.003-05:00

Lately our family has been so busy.
We haven't taken a true sabbath in quite a while.

Today, we did.
We all took the day off.

We stayed in bed until 10:30, talking, giggling, being...
We didn't really do anything.
The world would say we accomplished nothing today.

I disagree.

I believe that no amount of success in ministry will ever make up for failure at home (a wise woman shared that with me once, and Scripture proves it).

So we guard our home and our family. We don't apologize for it.

We ministered to our kids today. That's all. That's enough.

It was a great day. I will go to sleep in peace tonight.

Thankful Thursday

2008-02-29T00:01:00.002-05:00

A few things I'm thankful for today...

-my Thursday morning Bible study...ladies, you rock. I love that we're all so different, yet somehow the same. I love that it's raw, fresh, real and chock full of Jesus.

-PC's Allstar team...every Sunday, your enthusiasm and faithfulness amazes me.

-ball season...baseball, softball, I love it!

-the church planter's conference last week...it filled my tank. i'll be posting some about that soon.

-old friends and new friends, both have refreshed me this week.

-Super Suppers...fun night out with the girls and I'm doing something for my family

-my community group...we love you guys!

-flipflops! i hate closed toe shoes, and it's almost flip-flop season...my toes will be free once again!

-early morning snuggles and watching cartoons

-bagels

-did i mention that it's baseball season?

What are you thankful for?

Old Friends

2008-02-27T21:48:00.002-05:00

What is it they say about old friends?

I can't remember the quote I'm thinking of...
but there is something about catching up with an old friend that fills my heart.

It's like there's a little place that they've carved out
a long time ago,
and when you go a long time
without seeing or talking to them,
you don't feel the hole so much because life goes on.
But then, many years later, out of the blue,
you reconnect.
You pick up where you left off.

And your heart is full.
God gave me that today.
My heart was encouraged
to hear of the journey...
We caught up today.
It's been 4 years
Since we've seen each other
Life has changed...
The friendship remains.

I still can't find the quote I'm looking for, but I found this one worth sharing:
When we hurt each other
we should write it down in the sand,
so the winds of forgiveness can make it go away for good.
When we help each other
we should chisel it in stone,
lest we never forget the love of a friend.

E-mail to God

2008-02-20T21:45:00.002-05:00

All of my daughters e-mails go through my inbox for monitoring. It is precious because she often writes e-mails to herself and characters from the books she writes or reads. I love to see how her mind works. Jer and I were in Atlanta over the weekend when there were some bad storms at home. When I returned and checked my e-mail, this one brought me to tears.
She e-mailed God.
I love her heart!

dear God,
hi,thank you soooooooooooo much for us not being hurt in the tornato and God please keep my mom and dad safe and for them to have a good no great time at there little thing.Thank You so much for mema and God please help her rib to heal fast.Thank You again for Ms.Kimmy and God keep her and her house safe.Then I pray for the ones that did get hurt or their house damiged in the tornato for them either to get well or if their house is damiged for them to find a house.

And God help me bring others to You!!!!!!!!!!
Your friend,
Kenzie

The Many Faces of Kenzie

2008-02-15T20:39:00.008-05:00

Wow! Kenzie has started 2008 off with a bang! She has already accomplished so much this year. I'm so proud of her, the choices she is making, and that she gives 100% to whatever she goes out for. I can't wait to see where she lands in the end...what will be her true gift.
Here's what she's done in the first six weeks of 2008...

She memorized one of Aesop's Fables...

and recited it in front of the entire school!

She played Upward Basketball (and loved it!)...

She played "Susan" in the Chronicles of Narnia...

And she continues to sing on Praise Team at PC...

And softball tryouts are tomorrow! Whew! What a gal!

Colton's Perspective

2008-02-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, Colton decided to clean out his tithing cup and take it to church on Sunday. He had a pocket full of money, and he was so proud. I told him to be sure and give it to his Coach (small group leader) at AllStars. He said, "No, I'm just going to give it to Mr. Durden and Mr. Whitworth because they're the money counters." Then he paused for a moment and asked, "I know the men take the offering, but how do they get it to God?"
Love him!

I've been tagged (part 2)

2008-02-07T17:46:00.000-05:00

I've seen these "meme" things before, but not quite sure what they were, so my buddy Kerri enlightened me. When you tag someone with a set of questions or a list or a game, they respond in their blog, etc.

Here are the rules for this one:
Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more (no cheating!)
Find page 123
Find the first five sentences
Post the next three sentences
Tag five people

The closest book to me was Same Kind of Different As Me, which is a complicated book and page 123 makes no sense if you just pick it up, so next one down is my favorite and I'm going to post from that one.

The Barbarian Way by Erwin Macmanus

...The brokenness of a lost and unbelieving world is not enough to inspire the painful changes necessary to make the church relevant to the world in which we live.
One of the tragedies of a civilized society is that no one wants to get involved. What becomes appropriate is to mind our own business.

Oh my! Every time I open this book, my world is rocked. My heart's cry is that I will truly live The Barbarian Way. It has been huge for me. His message is passionate and challenging and uncomfortable.

Now, I'll tag Cindy, Lanier, shane and steph, Shannon and John. Whatcha readin?

I've been tagged (part 1)

2008-02-07T17:24:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by a blogging friend of mine. That's the cool thing about blogs is that it has reconnected me with people from my past who stumbled onto my blog. Kerri is a friend whose husband was a youth pastor for a while at our church in Texas. God later called him away to pastor and now they are adventuring into the world of missions. I love to see the way God works.

In this last year of feeling very discouraged and maligned by people we served with and trusted, God restored to us three lost relationships. Three families that served with us on staff in the past came back into our lives this last year. All through different circumstances, all contacted us in a different and surprising way. I believe it was God whispering to Jerry and I that He was still there and reassuring us that God had blessed many relationships with staff and leadership, and it could be that sweet again, when He is in it. Over this last year, I was able to reconnect with three couples who had served the Lord with us in the past, and God has taken us each on different paths now, but the sweetness of those relationships were immediately restored.

Anyway, Kerri and Robert are now seeking God, preparing for the mission field, hoping to leave sometime next year. She blogs, but it's set to private so I can't link you to her. As soon as their mission status is public, maybe you can read of their adventure too!
She tagged me and now I need a new post to do participate because this one has gotten too long and I got off task.

Wordless Wednesday...Anyone relate?

2008-02-06T11:35:00.000-05:00

Girl's Day Out

2008-01-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

Last week, I took Kenzie, her buddy Kaitlyn and her mom to Atlanta for a special girl's trip for Kenzie's birthday. It was a perfect day and we had a blast! We went to the American Girl Doll Place in Atlanta and just followed the girl's schedule...whatever they wanted to do...
Fun memories!

Pirates and Princesses

2008-01-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Today my friend and I made 8 little cakes and 48 cupcakes for her daughter's birthday party tomorrow. It is pirates and princesses. They turned out so cute that I had to show ya...

Here are the princesses...
Here are the pirates on their island...

I love doing birthday cakes. My kids love it too. I usually let them frost one just their own way. They do a great job. I'll have to see if I can find some pics of those and post.

Why don't we celebrate like this for our birthdays when we get older? Are we not glad to be here another year? What message are we sending to our children? Kenzie once informed me that she didn't want to be a grown up because when you're a grown up, birthdays aren't fun anymore." Sad statement...

Maybe we just need to find a reason, any reason and celebrate something today!

Let me know if you think of something.

Fabulous Friday

2008-01-25T15:34:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day of Spirit Week at Covenant...

It was CA day...

Colton won most spirited 1st grader...very exciting! Then, Kenzie was picked for the relay at the pep rally and her team won!! Very exciting day at our house.

Spirit Week

2008-01-24T19:39:00.001-05:00

It's Spirit Week at our house...our school.
Monday was Tacky Day...aren't they precious?

Today was Western Day...

Yesterday was Camo Day. I wasn't here to take pics. I'll let you know why in my next blog. Daddy said Colton looked very cool.

Kenzie won the prize for the "Tackiest 3rd grader"...should I be proud? Hmmm...

Yummy...had to share

2008-01-24T19:33:00.000-05:00

I love roasted veggies at restaurants, but had never tried them at home. I had a good buddy of mine post a yummy recipe on her blog and I just had to share...
my whole family ate their veggies, every last bite! I happened to have a frozen bag of veggies that included cauliflower, broccoli, squash, zucchini and carrots. I also didn't chop the onion. I sliced it because I love onion. I used the same recipe and it was fabulous! Let me know if you try it!

Roasted Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and separated into 1-inch florets
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In large bowl, toss cauliflower florets, chopped onion, soy sauce, olive oil, and crushed garlic until evenly mixed. Spread cauliflower mixture in 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan or large cookie pan.
Roast cauliflower about 35 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring occasionally.

p.s. Steph, I especially thought of your family. Abbey would love these!

Therapy

2008-01-18T16:09:00.000-05:00

People often ask me how I survive as a "pastor's wife" with all that we have going on and all that comes our way, well, truthfully, here's my answer.

My therapy...
I love a bargain...

I found this at the discount store for $39

and turned it into this...

And I took this...

and turned it into this...

I found this old telephone table for $59 at a hotel liquidation store (it was light wood)...And turned it into this...

This is my next project; I found this by the dumpster...

I'll keep you posted on this.

All of these projects drive Jerry crazy, but I've convinced him that it's cheaper than therapy. I do much thinking and praying while I paint. And the thrill of beating "the system", creating something special out of something not-so-special is very satisfying.

I had a dear friend over the other day, who said something that stuck with me..."Anyone can spend lots of money and have a beautiful home, but it is a gift to make a home on a budget!"