Good things that come in threes~
1. Fun Dip- My favorite childhood sugary treat that comes with THREE yummy flavors of cherry, grape and Apple/raspberry.
2. A good book has THREE parts, the beginning, the middle and the end!
3. An "eternity ring" has THREE diamonds representing the past, present and future!
4. The THREE stooges!
5. The THREE wise men.
6. The THREE Olympic medals~ Gold, Silver and Bronze.
7. A genie gives you THREE wishes in a fairy tale.
8. The THREE little pigs taught us a lesson.
9. The sun, the moon and the stars.
10. The Holy Trinity~ The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The number THREE has been consuming me, lately. Can you guess why? For some, you know the reason! Maddie, Ally and the sweet little baby "on the way" makes THREE! I am now 11 weeks and already counting down to the end of January. I am excited and nervous and in disbelief. We are really doing this again! My biggest worry???...how will I fit all the car seats/boosters in my car?!?!? These little things along with my "evening" sickness keep me up at night and keep my mind busy.
And the girls...Maddie and Ally have become so EASY...when did this happen? They fight just a little, Ally is basically out of her tantrum stage as it only rears its ugly head every once in a while, they go to bed WITHOUT getting back out- YEA!, they say yes ma'am and yes sir with only a little reminder at times, and they love helping Mommy clean!....sometimes! (Hey, I will take what I can get!) As with any child, they love to test and whine but they really have become these awesome little people! They are excited about the new baby; Ally wants a girl and Maddie wants a boy. They pray for the baby and for mommy's tummy to feel better every night and I always find it sweet when one of them forgets b/c it seems the other one always remembers the baby in their prayers.
My heart is full and my emotions are on overdrive.(There is so much to do!) This is an amazing time in our life. Diapers and all nighters are in our future and it IS scary b/c our life is so calm right now but it is also wonderful b/c we will see another life develop into something amazing. Thank the Lord for the good things that come in THREES!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tulle, Makeup and Buns!
The girls have been taking dance at school and we had their dance recital the other day. (Maddie's 3rd and Ally's 1st) They were so excited to perform that they could hardly stand it! Here is a peak into their routines.
For Maddie, this is where she belongs....on stage. She runs to any stage at any time, whether it is the church stage or the stage at the book store, she is made to perform! I can't wait to see where this passion takes her.
I adore this picture! It is the perfect picture to show Ally's personality. She is a wonderful little NUT and she is always trying to make others laugh with her antics!And of course, we all did when she did this during her recital.
The recital is over and they both did amazing. This was Ally's first dance recital and we were so proud of how well she did following all the moves and even adding some of her OWN! :-) You did a great job, girls!
Encore! Encore! (clap, clap, clap)
For Maddie, this is where she belongs....on stage. She runs to any stage at any time, whether it is the church stage or the stage at the book store, she is made to perform! I can't wait to see where this passion takes her.
I adore this picture! It is the perfect picture to show Ally's personality. She is a wonderful little NUT and she is always trying to make others laugh with her antics!And of course, we all did when she did this during her recital.
The recital is over and they both did amazing. This was Ally's first dance recital and we were so proud of how well she did following all the moves and even adding some of her OWN! :-) You did a great job, girls!
Encore! Encore! (clap, clap, clap)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The truth as I see it now.....
The normal truth of Mother's day is a day of warm and fuzzy feelings. Your kids are smiling extra wide smiles, excited to "celebrate" ANYTHING, your husband is covering you in cards and flowers and maybe trying his hand at breakfast and whispering to the kids to remember to be good for the WHOLE day....all of this is the norm for Mother's day. And the day started this way for me and then we got to church! You would think that this warm and fuzzy feeling would continue through out the day but Ha! not this Mother's day! And the truth is, maybe that isn't such a bad thing. :-)
The sermon was not focused on all a mom does for her family or all that she "puts up with", the sacrifices she makes or even all the time she spends cleaning and cleaning. :-)It was a challenge for us to be BETTER at what we do and in the ways we raise our children. "The time to teach them is NOW!"...this was the statement that stood out to me. At first I was taken off guard because my truth of Mother's day had changed. (Where was my warm and fuzzy sermon that gave me my pat on the back?!?!?) Just when I think that I had covered all my bases, a new truth is revealed, the wool falls from my eyes and I can see that there is still more that I can do for my children. And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me now...it was a perfect Mother's day sermon. What a better time to really look back at the way you are raising your children and understanding where you can improve to make sure that you are doing all you can for them than on the day that they are celebrating who YOU are to them.
We pray before every meal and before bedtime, we read bible stories and yes, God does make it into our conversation but is He our total focus in ALL things we do? Probably not. Do I stop to pray with them over the things that seems so small? No. Do they know that they can pray for anything at anytime? I THINK so. Do I spend the time to memorize scripture with them? Not so far~(Thanks for the SUBTLE hint, Poppy!) They are too young, I will start when they are older....the truth??...the time to start is now. If they can sing a Hannah Montana song by heart then they can memorize a bible verse, right?!?!? :-)
So, the truth is that I have been convicted this Mother's day and it took me a while to grasp it and take it all in. It is not about me but still, even on Mother's day, it is about them. Those two sweet little faces that are entrusted to me are still looking up to me for guidance on MY special day. And I need to be the mother that shows them the power of prayer and the power of God's word NOW and in their future. The truth is that they NEED me to be this person in their lives. This is the truth for ME as I see it now....
The sermon was not focused on all a mom does for her family or all that she "puts up with", the sacrifices she makes or even all the time she spends cleaning and cleaning. :-)It was a challenge for us to be BETTER at what we do and in the ways we raise our children. "The time to teach them is NOW!"...this was the statement that stood out to me. At first I was taken off guard because my truth of Mother's day had changed. (Where was my warm and fuzzy sermon that gave me my pat on the back?!?!?) Just when I think that I had covered all my bases, a new truth is revealed, the wool falls from my eyes and I can see that there is still more that I can do for my children. And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me now...it was a perfect Mother's day sermon. What a better time to really look back at the way you are raising your children and understanding where you can improve to make sure that you are doing all you can for them than on the day that they are celebrating who YOU are to them.
We pray before every meal and before bedtime, we read bible stories and yes, God does make it into our conversation but is He our total focus in ALL things we do? Probably not. Do I stop to pray with them over the things that seems so small? No. Do they know that they can pray for anything at anytime? I THINK so. Do I spend the time to memorize scripture with them? Not so far~(Thanks for the SUBTLE hint, Poppy!) They are too young, I will start when they are older....the truth??...the time to start is now. If they can sing a Hannah Montana song by heart then they can memorize a bible verse, right?!?!? :-)
So, the truth is that I have been convicted this Mother's day and it took me a while to grasp it and take it all in. It is not about me but still, even on Mother's day, it is about them. Those two sweet little faces that are entrusted to me are still looking up to me for guidance on MY special day. And I need to be the mother that shows them the power of prayer and the power of God's word NOW and in their future. The truth is that they NEED me to be this person in their lives. This is the truth for ME as I see it now....
Monday, March 31, 2008
I am late posting these pictures, sorry Shelly! :-)
There is nothing like getting together with family for a relaxing weekend. But as much as we try, sometimes is doesn't turn out that way....the girls get too excited or are "moody" and it can be chaos. However, this visit was REALLY nice. We celebrated my Dad's b-day. (Happy b-day, Daddy!), took a walk around the land, just hung out, and watched the girls play and play.
Maddie and Ally just LOVE their cousins. It is always a huge treat for them to be able to play with Jesse and Elin. Maddie even cried when they left and at that moment I could feel how much she loved them. It was precious. I am so thankful that they have a relationship with their cousins and grandparents. There is nothing like being surrounded by family. We are blessed beyond measure.
Even our sweet Aunt Billie joined us. The girls and I picked her up in Burleson and we all drove together down to Abilene. When I was talking with Maddie about Aunt Billie she asked, "Aunt Billie is a girl??" I said yes. Then after a moment she said "Aunt Billie, I like that name...its an old name!"
I am so happy that the girls have such a longing for family. They LOVE talking about their cousins and Aunts & Uncles and grandparents. They are thrilled to be surrounded by all the love they give. And it make my heart full to know they have this connection and will be blessed from all these amazing people for all their lives!
There is nothing like getting together with family for a relaxing weekend. But as much as we try, sometimes is doesn't turn out that way....the girls get too excited or are "moody" and it can be chaos. However, this visit was REALLY nice. We celebrated my Dad's b-day. (Happy b-day, Daddy!), took a walk around the land, just hung out, and watched the girls play and play.
Maddie and Ally just LOVE their cousins. It is always a huge treat for them to be able to play with Jesse and Elin. Maddie even cried when they left and at that moment I could feel how much she loved them. It was precious. I am so thankful that they have a relationship with their cousins and grandparents. There is nothing like being surrounded by family. We are blessed beyond measure.
Even our sweet Aunt Billie joined us. The girls and I picked her up in Burleson and we all drove together down to Abilene. When I was talking with Maddie about Aunt Billie she asked, "Aunt Billie is a girl??" I said yes. Then after a moment she said "Aunt Billie, I like that name...its an old name!"
I am so happy that the girls have such a longing for family. They LOVE talking about their cousins and Aunts & Uncles and grandparents. They are thrilled to be surrounded by all the love they give. And it make my heart full to know they have this connection and will be blessed from all these amazing people for all their lives!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to all! We spent Easter with Brian's parents and we ended up doing the official Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday to get those nice and sunny pictures. There was fun and games and of course, crying and overly tired little girls. (They fell asleep at 8:00 that night, which is AMAZING for Ally at least, since she is my night owl.) There was basketball and horse-back riding after the egg hunt so all in all , it was a wonderfully tiring weekend!
Ally WITH a little attitude~ :-) (Probably b/c she was ready for the egg hunt, enough of these pictures!)
Ally WITHOUT attitude!
....and it is a race for the eggs! Happy Easter, everyone!
Monday, March 17, 2008
A Heartfelt Apology
(This seems like a long story but keep reading...I love the ending.)
Sunday afternoon, the neighborhood girls and Maddie and Ally were playing outside while I planted flowers in the front. They had been out there a while and had started arguing and bickering back and forth like little girls do sometimes. I finally had to sit them all down and give them my "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" lecture. As the arguing continued, I finally had to send the girls home to give each other a break....before they dispersed, one of the little girl's dog got out of the yard and start to make a break for freedom. As it ran down the street with all the little girls screaming behind him, "Come back!", I yelled (while on the phone, sorry, Amy!)for them to stop because who knows how far they would have run after this dog. Well, they all came back except one, Ilaina.
I get off the phone and tell the one little girl to go and tell her Mom and Dad that their dog is on the run. We think that Ilaina should be back once she realizes that the others are not with her any more. Maddie runs to tell Ilaina's mom that "she is lost" and she and I and Maddie set off to find Ilaina. It hasn't been long so we know that they can't be far but where are they?? Our house isn't far from the big cross over street and as we head that way looking up and down the crossing street, she is still no where to be found. At this point, Maddie has tears in her eyes and she is starting to cry. She is afraid that Ilaina is not coming back and I felt so bad for her. It had only been about 10 minutes but I am sure that is felt like an eternity to Maddie. Ilaina's mom and I separate, I go left and she goes right and Ilaina's Mom finds her down the street between some houses. As Maddie sees her she starts to cry harder....she was just so scared for her friend. We all breath a sigh of relief as Maddie and Ilaina hug.
Once we are back inside the house. I pick Maddie up and squeeze her with all of my might and reassure her that Ilaina is alright but this why we don't run off. I put her down and we head into the kitchen. Maddie grabs a pen and note pad and asks me to sit by her at the table for a little bit. I do and she then asks me how to spell "I am sorry for being mean, Ilaina" I tell her and she runs to put the note into Ilaina's mail box.
I can now see some of what was going through Maddie's head as we searched for Ilaina. She was thinking back to something "mean" she had said to Ilaina before she was "lost" and thought that she may never see her again. What a precious heartfelt apology and how incredible of Maddie to realize the need for it to be said.
How many times have you and I let our anger, pride or grudges get in the way of a heartfelt apology? Many times, I would think....I LOVE learning things from my children. They amaze me with their insights and innocent yet profound actions. I know that this is something that I will take with me from day to day. Never let the moment pass when a heartfelt "I'm sorry" is needed....
Sunday afternoon, the neighborhood girls and Maddie and Ally were playing outside while I planted flowers in the front. They had been out there a while and had started arguing and bickering back and forth like little girls do sometimes. I finally had to sit them all down and give them my "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" lecture. As the arguing continued, I finally had to send the girls home to give each other a break....before they dispersed, one of the little girl's dog got out of the yard and start to make a break for freedom. As it ran down the street with all the little girls screaming behind him, "Come back!", I yelled (while on the phone, sorry, Amy!)for them to stop because who knows how far they would have run after this dog. Well, they all came back except one, Ilaina.
I get off the phone and tell the one little girl to go and tell her Mom and Dad that their dog is on the run. We think that Ilaina should be back once she realizes that the others are not with her any more. Maddie runs to tell Ilaina's mom that "she is lost" and she and I and Maddie set off to find Ilaina. It hasn't been long so we know that they can't be far but where are they?? Our house isn't far from the big cross over street and as we head that way looking up and down the crossing street, she is still no where to be found. At this point, Maddie has tears in her eyes and she is starting to cry. She is afraid that Ilaina is not coming back and I felt so bad for her. It had only been about 10 minutes but I am sure that is felt like an eternity to Maddie. Ilaina's mom and I separate, I go left and she goes right and Ilaina's Mom finds her down the street between some houses. As Maddie sees her she starts to cry harder....she was just so scared for her friend. We all breath a sigh of relief as Maddie and Ilaina hug.
Once we are back inside the house. I pick Maddie up and squeeze her with all of my might and reassure her that Ilaina is alright but this why we don't run off. I put her down and we head into the kitchen. Maddie grabs a pen and note pad and asks me to sit by her at the table for a little bit. I do and she then asks me how to spell "I am sorry for being mean, Ilaina" I tell her and she runs to put the note into Ilaina's mail box.
I can now see some of what was going through Maddie's head as we searched for Ilaina. She was thinking back to something "mean" she had said to Ilaina before she was "lost" and thought that she may never see her again. What a precious heartfelt apology and how incredible of Maddie to realize the need for it to be said.
How many times have you and I let our anger, pride or grudges get in the way of a heartfelt apology? Many times, I would think....I LOVE learning things from my children. They amaze me with their insights and innocent yet profound actions. I know that this is something that I will take with me from day to day. Never let the moment pass when a heartfelt "I'm sorry" is needed....
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Perfection...
I have been thinking a lot about perfection....
It is something that so many people strive for and something that I admit to strive for in some areas of my life. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this is a bad thing but taken to the extreme it can make a negative impact in your life as well as those around you. Here are my thoughts...
I found myself the other evening worrying about the cleanliness of my house (I don't have a maid) and the laundry that I still needed to do in order to "keep up" with my self-imposed expectations of myself. When my house is a mess and I feel overwhelmed after coming home from work and feeding and bathing the girls and wondering if my house will ever be as clean as I really want, I can get a little cranky. :-) My strive for perfection takes it's toll on my girls and my family. I know that the girls don't care if the laundry is folded and Brian doesn't get upset if the floors are not swept every other day and I hope that my friends wouldn't compare their house to mine if they stopped by and found the counter cluttered with mail I have yet to go through. No one is perfect! (I know that I have said this before but it does us all some good to hear it again, including me!)
In today's world a women has so many roles and with many it is a race to see who can juggle these roles perfectly while attaining the best husband, house, career, children. My heart is torn for those I see striving for this unattainable goal whether they realize it or not and for what I can see in my own life as being too goal-driven. And I admit that it is easy to get caught up in striving for perfection. But no life is perfect and the sooner we all realize this, the more fulfilled we will be. How can we give those around us our ALL when we are so focused on so many "balls in the air." It can be too much and can effect our family as well as our friends even when we think we have it all under control...do we really??
You can spend a lifetime, and, if you're honest with yourself, never once was your work perfect. ~Charlton Heston
I came upon this and I agree. It helps me to realize again that it is not about perfections of our "works" but more about the relationships with others and with God and when we can admit our faults and let others see that we are not perfect, it can bring new meaning into these relationships.
Perfection....now all I have to do is let go, will you?.....
It is something that so many people strive for and something that I admit to strive for in some areas of my life. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that this is a bad thing but taken to the extreme it can make a negative impact in your life as well as those around you. Here are my thoughts...
I found myself the other evening worrying about the cleanliness of my house (I don't have a maid) and the laundry that I still needed to do in order to "keep up" with my self-imposed expectations of myself. When my house is a mess and I feel overwhelmed after coming home from work and feeding and bathing the girls and wondering if my house will ever be as clean as I really want, I can get a little cranky. :-) My strive for perfection takes it's toll on my girls and my family. I know that the girls don't care if the laundry is folded and Brian doesn't get upset if the floors are not swept every other day and I hope that my friends wouldn't compare their house to mine if they stopped by and found the counter cluttered with mail I have yet to go through. No one is perfect! (I know that I have said this before but it does us all some good to hear it again, including me!)
In today's world a women has so many roles and with many it is a race to see who can juggle these roles perfectly while attaining the best husband, house, career, children. My heart is torn for those I see striving for this unattainable goal whether they realize it or not and for what I can see in my own life as being too goal-driven. And I admit that it is easy to get caught up in striving for perfection. But no life is perfect and the sooner we all realize this, the more fulfilled we will be. How can we give those around us our ALL when we are so focused on so many "balls in the air." It can be too much and can effect our family as well as our friends even when we think we have it all under control...do we really??
You can spend a lifetime, and, if you're honest with yourself, never once was your work perfect. ~Charlton Heston
I came upon this and I agree. It helps me to realize again that it is not about perfections of our "works" but more about the relationships with others and with God and when we can admit our faults and let others see that we are not perfect, it can bring new meaning into these relationships.
Perfection....now all I have to do is let go, will you?.....
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