Made to think once again...

I have already posted about blog land and how much that it has inspired me, challenged me, and even encouraged me, but I have been made to think once again and I have found that on this particular matter I have fallen short. The question that was asked was "when you look at your Bible do you see a love letter from your Savior or do you see a book that you take with you to Church?" (you can read this wonderful original post in its entirety at http://www.choosetobablessing.blogspot.com/ ) I could not answer this question right away, in fact I have thought about this all day long. Here is why, I am ashamed to say that I "think" that I see it as a love letter, helping me and my family through our troubles and everyday life and that I know it well. But if someone was to ask my Tyler right now if his mom or dad reads their Bible he would answer "yeah sometimes but really only at Church " (...trust me on this one I already asked him) Not exactly the answer I was hoping for. I thought about this today I tried to count up the times that we as a family have sat down and read and studied the Bible together, and I was very saddened by the number. I always have time to say a night time prayer with them and even read them a bed time story so why have I not made it a point to read and study with them before bed?? Why have they not seen me with an open Bible reading and studying God's word?? So my answer to the original question is this: First off Thank you Apple for making me think once again...I am changing the way I look at my Bible and my children are going to grow up with a mom that shows them God's written word everyday so that they see it as more then a "book" we take to Church.

Not ready for this...

I am so NOT ready for tomorrow!!!

It is the day I have been dreading for a whole year now....school registration day!!

Tyler is a 2nd grader and Emily Klair is a Kindergartner :( We will only meet their teachers and fill out some paper work tomorrow morning, but after that it is official and I am having a very hard time with it!!!

Tyler has always been my little man...we sometimes joke that he is an old man trapped in a little boys body, but for him to be so grown up already, it is really bothering me. I am so proud of him. He is a handsome, smart, funny, and just all around good kid!! Soccer season is about to start and he is all ready..the boy really does love soccer.

Emily Klair is ready for kindergarten...last spring when she was graduating from preschool it hit me...I no longer have a baby/toddler I have a little girl. (I cried like a baby that night you would have thought it was her high school graduation..) She is so cute, funny, and a joy to everyone around her. Pray for me tomorrow...

This pic is from Emily Klair's graduation from preschool last spring

"Daddy your so brave.."

Emily Klair has said a lot of cute things in her 5 years on this earth but last night had to be one of the sweetest, cutest, most adorable moments every.

We had been playing cards and visiting with some friends of ours last night and got home kinda late. As we pulled into the driveway I noticed something laying in front of the garage door. I then started asking "is that a snake?" and as I was asking, it became more of a statement then a question..."IT IS A SNAKE!!" Warren told us to stay in the car as he hoped out to get a better look at it...what he did next was absolutely NUTS as Tyler says...he bent down to touch the snake's tail, and the snake immediately turned and snapped at him. Me and the kiddos got out of the car and headed for the front door, while Warren decided how he was going to help our little creature back to the field behind our house.

Seeing as how it was late at night and not much light to work with I suggested that he use the grate that goes on the fire pit to keep him from going anywhere and he could move him in the morning when he could see better...so that is what we did. The kids got to go back out and take a good look at the snake without any worries.

We knew that it was a chicken/rat snake but just wanted to make sure so we were looking it up on the Internet when Emily Klair came over to me and whispered in my ear "Daddy was so brave...he really takes care of us" I then replied "why don't you tell him that?" so she stood there a minute and then walked over to him put her arm on his arm and said in the biggest most grown up voice she has.." Daddy your so brave...I'm so proud of you!" Talk about melting his heart...

Well this morning Warren got up and got our little visitor back to the field behind our house and I am thankful that he is so brave because I am not... and if I never see a snake again it would be too soon!!!

Have to brag sometimes...

I just have to brag on my kiddos...I'm the mom so it is my right!! Yesterday was a hard day..I had one of my horrible headaches and my vision was so messed up and it just hurt to close my eyes,have my eyes open, lay down or sit up..in other words I was miserable! My kids are pretty use to these but yesterday they were soo good...there was no fighting, no whining and they even helped me out. I know that I have some good children and I am blessed because of them! I worry about days like yesterday and think how unfair it is to them, we were suppose to go swimming, play outside and just enjoy some of the last few days we have of summer vacation, but that did not happen and they did not complain once! I often struggle with the "am I too hard on them?" question and "are they being allowed to be kids???" Maybe at times I really am too hard on them but I know that I want children that know how to behave, to know what their limits are, and that other people want around..not dread to see them coming. It is a daily struggle and sometimes I get frustrated with them but for the most part they are the greatest kids in the world....at least in my opinion!!

Feeling so small...

Every had those days that seem so hard and you wonder "what in the world, will this day never end?" I had one of those days yesterday and I was grouchy and mean to everyone around me (sorry family and vball ladies) Then this morning I read about Nate and Tricia and my heart just sinks. They have such great faith and a positive attitude as they are thrown such hard times. I have never met them but feel as if I know them just by reading their blog...if you have not checked it out you need to ....confessions of a CF husband after reading it this morning I feel so small!! I let my own little world get me down and worry about the smallest of things and here are these two people that the more I see and read about them I see that my world and my problems are so small. Please keep them in your prayers...

Memories....

We went to the park tonight with our class from church and some of us were talking about how much our children have grown and that we are really out of the baby mode and on to the children raising mode...and we were talking about how it seems like yesterday that they were babies!! Well after that I came home and started looking at some of my old pictures on the computer and I thought I would share some of my favorites...I hope you enjoy some of my walk down memory lane.....ah the memories!!!
This Easter 2005 dying easter eggs in AR.....look at how little my babies are!!
This is Christmas 2005.....Emily Klair was turning 3 ...seems like yesterday!!!
These two pictures are of the kids on our cruise in April of 2006...Thanks mom and dad..it was soo much fun.... Tyler's 1st day of kindergarten...he looks too little to be going to school..
Tyler's 1st school party in Kindergarten...and Emily Klair as Raggedy Anne for Halloween in 2006... Emily Klair's 4th Birthday princess party with Cinderella.... Just being silly for momma and the camera last summer...
Beach trip summer 2007 Beach trip summer 2008.....my how they have grown!!!
I love looking at old pictures and I love talking about my kiddos...Thanks for letting me share some of my memories with you!!!

School is almost here...argh!!!

Where did the summer go??? I feel like we just got out of school and now we are getting ready to go back. My kids register for school on the 30th of July...can you believe we only have around 2 weeks left of playing and having fun before we are back to the routine and the horror of "getting up early"..lol (me and Emmy Klair are not morning people..to say the least!) I am sad about this summer ending more so because this year my baby is starting kindergarten!!! I know she is ready and she is so excited to start but I on the other hand am dreading it and want her home with me. When Tyler started he was so bored and ready to be at school and I was soo excited about him starting..sure I cried the first week and missed him something terrible but I knew he was going to be ok. With Emily Klair I have so much I am worried about and I am also very sad that she is old enough to be going to school...in my eyes she is still my baby. I know she is not a baby and she will be fine but I am still worried about her...what if she has a seizure and no one really knows what to do, and she is out to long??? What if she is not having full seizures but is not there and misses out on what she is suppose to do?? What if she has a big seizure and loses ALL muscles control..will the other kids still want to play with her and be her friend?? I could play the "what if" game all day all night. These thoughts have consumed me for the past few weeks and I must admit they still do, but after church Wed. I realized something.."why am I afraid?" The lesson that night at church centered around Matthew 8:23-27...as I sat there I realized I was not having any faith...that I had not turned any of my worries or concerns about Emily Klair starting school over to God. I'm not sure why?? but I hadn't and I am trying really hard to do so. I never have pegged myself as someone that is a control freak but when it comes to Emily Klair I think that I may be just that!! I pray that I have more faith and that from now on when faced with even the smallest of worries I can stop and remember Matthew 8:26 Jesus answered, "why are you afraid? You do not have enough faith." Then he stood up and gave a command to the winds and the water. The wind stopped, and the lake became very calm.

So cute..and so true!!!

The seniors on the volleyball team always get to pick one of the three practice shirts that we get every year...well this year's seniors did a great job...I love them!! when they told me about the shirts I was not so sure but now that they are here and I see them..yeah !!! The front is no big deal just has our schools name on it...but the back says...... IF VOLLEYBALL WAS EASY, THEY WOULD CALL IT FOOTBALL!!! not only is it cute it is soo true..hehehe

When do you stop being nice??

I want to ask a question of all you blogger friends....When is enough enough and you stop being nice??? Oh lets just say that there is one person that no matter what you say and do you are belittled, or made to feel like the worse mother...worse wife...or the dumbest individual on the planet!!! over and over again, and usually in public....when can you turn the filter off and just let the person have it??? tell them what you really think and quit sugar coating it or holding back so that their feelings are spared?? I just spent about 45 minutes typing away about this and well I really think that I need to wait at least 24 hours before I post about this with more specifics...you know try to cool off and read it again to make sure that it is OK and not just a bash fest... I have been struggling with this one person for awhile now and not sure when(and I say when because it has to be done...it is not option to just not have this person around..) and how to do this...so I am asking you my blogger friends...WHEN DO I STOP BEING NICE!!WHEN DO I GET TO TURN THE FILTER OFF AND HOW DO I GO ABOUT IT AND NOT HURT THIS PERSON THE WAY I HAVE BEEN HURT???? Please know that this has been a daily prayer for me for years now....so know that I am trying to do what is best and right but it gets harder and harder...

and so it begins...

Tomorrow is our start of volleyball for this season. We are taking the girls to Belmont for a one day camp. I love this time of year...I love volleyball!!



The gym is always 112 degrees(very old and no air) and my kids love playing and helping shag the balls...but most of all they love the girls. The girls are so sweet to them and really treat them like a prince and princess!!

After tomorrow it seems like I will live and breathe volleyball till Oct. and as much as I may whine about it during it, I absolutely can not wait for it to get started...and then I am so sad every year at the end.
(me and my JV girls, I had just broken my ankle)




I was looking at pictures from our end of the year party last season and it really made me sad...we lost 5 seniors last year!! They will be greatly missed...not just on the court but on the bus, in the gym for practice...being silly with my kids!!

(the whole team..Varsity and JV......)

I thought I would share some of the photos from last season...and I look forward to posting and sharing stuff throughout this season...

This is Tyler with one of his many crushes...

This is the gang....back (L-R) Tammy, Angie, Destiny

front ........me, and Stephanie

We normally go to the beach but this year we thought we would stay closer to home and go to Gatlinburg, TN...and we had a ball!!! We relaxed by the pool, went shopping, and ate anywhere and everywhere BUT McD's!! it was a good time with good friends!! One night we went to the Dixie Stampede it was the first time for most of us....I am already counting down the days till our trip this winter!!! Love you girls!!!

Friends!!!

I am not even sure how to start this post?? I have so much that I want to say and share, but not so sure how to go about it? I just got back from my "girls" trip that I take every year and I always feel so blessed afterwards, not that I got to go on the trip itself ,but that there is a trip!! A little background info on the trip: this was the 5th year that we have done this trip...the 1st year we brought the kids and 2 babysitters (first and last time we did that...hehe) it is also only the 2nd time that all five of us got to be there...and we had a ball. Angie, Tammy, Stephanie, Destiny and myself have been friends for awhile now. We can go months without talking, emailing , just letting everyday things keep us apart but when we do get together it is like nothing has changed and we pick up right where we left off. Stephanie and I are the only ones that are still living here in town. The others have all moved away and are missed greatly and on a daily basis. We all met at church and became fast friends....Tammy, Destiny, Stephanie and I all lived in the same neighborhood (Destiny and I lived one house from one another)we all started our families and went through pregnancies together, becoming 1st time mothers together, and just trying to figure it all out together. We helped each other, watched each others kids, cooked meals for one another, prayed for one another and was just there for one another 24/7!!! (hard to believe that between us we now have 12 kiddos....whew) I still have friends from high school, college, and even from grade school that I keep up with on a regular basis but these friends hold such a special place in my heart. It is hard to describe the bond of friendship that we have!! I want them to know that I cherish them and our trips...I am blessed because they are in my life and my family's life. I look forward to this winter to our annual weekend trip with the hubbies and the kiddos....because it reminds me of a time in my life that was precious and priceless because of them!!!! ****Insert photo here of the five us on this years trip....(but Stephanie who also is my sis in law)...has not sent me the pic yet...so after she does I will post it!!!