1st Grade and Pre-K, can you believe it?

Well, we survived Maddie's 1st day of 1st grade today...barely! Maddie didn't want to go. The night before, the school jitters got the best of her and she didn't want to go because she had to wake up early, her best friend wasn't in her class, she wasn't "sure" about her teacher, and the list goes on. I feared the morning but with lots of prayers on her part and mine (and I am sure others out there! :-)), she woke up ready to go! Yipee! I was nervous for her as Ally, Hunter and I walked away but she looked confident! Well, when we got home after school, all the stories told with a smile on her face for the most part and it was time to stop playing with friends and do HOMEWORK, yes, you heard me.....a test on Thursday AND Friday! YIKES! Well, let's just say that Maddie was less than enthused.....can you blame her? At that moment, her summer was officially over! "Why do I have to go to school?" "Why, why, why?!?!?!?!?" "You see, THIS is why I didn't want to go in the first place!"~ And this went on and on and on. ;-)

Again, I say we survived! And I say this again as a reminder because we still have Ally's first day to "tackle!" So look forward to another post that only my sweet Ally could inspire!

Which Way to Go...

It has taken me a week to get my thoughts together and even then I don't know that they are.... There is so much to feel and think and remember that is it almost overwhelming. And there are so many "shapes" that this story can take....which way to go, which way to go....

I will start at the end because that is where we all came together. Sunday night the 19th, one week after the incident we all came to watch Paul, Brian's father give his testimony of what had happened the week before. When I say "we all" I mean, Paul and Charlotte and all of the "kids", Brian and I, Josh and Amy and all the girls. It was in one word, amazing and the tears came; finally some release to all of this. As Paul recounted his memories, I was sitting besides my mother-in-love in her church and with my precious sleeping baby in my arms, crying these tears of, as Paul said in his testimony, "so many things"....tears of happiness that my dear "Baba" is still here in my life, tears of amazement at just hearing the story told by the one who holds Charlotte's heart, tears of joy that my Lord had made his presence known during all of this, tears of triumph that this was all for a reason, for His glory- Amen, tears of love for all of those that I adore and couldn't imagine losing....

On Sunday morning, July 12th, my sweet Charlotte, went in to cardiac arrest at her home in Tom Bean, Tx. My husband received the call from his dad that his mother was being taken to the hospital via the ambulance with chest pains. Oddly enough, there was no panic, no tears- just words and prayers... God was in control...we waited, can you believe it?!?!? Almost as though, we knew that it was OK, but even then we waited to hear some news. She was in surgery and that was when we headed up. The prayers were coming, the visitors were there to offer support as Charlotte battled her way "beautifully" through ICU. Paul took Charlotte home from the hospital on their 37th wedding anniversary, July 15th and she is doing great. Ultimately, Charlotte went through something that should have taken her life on so many levels. But the circumstances, the friends that were there to lend a hand, the timing of it all...EVERYTHING...the Lord our God had his hands on this family and I will continue to thank Him for that. There is a song by Casting Crowns that touches my heart every time I hear it and I wanted to share it. Read the word carefully, it will touch you- then buy the CD~ :-)

Praise you in this Storm

God you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say “Amen”, and it’s still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as You mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I’ll praise You in this storm
And I will life my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I’ve cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can’t find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
“I’m with you”
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth


God wants to raise us up, God is real, He is here, He never leaves, He wants all of us to believe and be with Him in heaven.....the way to go is.....UP!

Summertime?

Is it only me or is Summertime stressful for others too?

I keep seeing and reading how happy other mothers are that summer has arrived and I absolutely LOVE that I can spend the time with my girls and I don't want to take that for granted but I was not warned that they would want to be entertained EVERY second of EVERY day of Summertime!!!!

Maddie even asked me tonight..."Mommy, what are we doing tomorrow???" I went from being a full time working mom, who had no idea of all the summer camps there are out there to a summertime mom of an almost 1st grader. 4 yr old and a 4 mo. old, who STILL has no idea of all the summer camps there are out there and I find that it is hard to keep up with the expectations of summertime. Can anyone relate?!?!? There needs to be a summer magazine of summer crafts, activities and summer fun for reference.

I am trying to take a deep breath and I will get on the computer and find some activities for my girls to make their summer as special as it can be... but for future stay at home moms....beware of the "activities addiction", there needs to be a PLAN in place and now I know through experience! (There is only so much swimming you can do before it becomes old news!)

I love my girls and I love that I can stay home with them part time and experience a Summertime through their eyes. I want them to remember summer like I remember summer...an incredibly exciting and fairytale time. I hope that after a few "google searches" and brainstorms that I can find what will make their summer as magical and as memorable as I hope!

Happy Anniversary, Baby!

It is amazing how the years have flown by and even more amazing to see where we have been and how far we have come in THIRTEEN years! We have had our ups and downs, there have been tears and laughter, we have been frustrated and in awe of each other, there have been sacrifices and compromises, we have been angry and we have been ecstatic. But as all of these emotions have come and gone, the one thing that has been steady is that we have always and will always be IN LOVE!
Thank you for these thirteen years and counting! I love you!

Always!
Q

With God All Things are Possible

This story has been weighing on my heart and I feel that I need to share it....

I was recently watching a show called "Locked Up Abroad" on the National Geographic channel. It was about Martin and Gracia Burnham, Philippine missionaries and parents to three children. The story is incredible and inspiring and heartbreaking. I found myself holding my breath and trying not to cry as the wife, Gracia, told her story of being taken hostage with her husband, while on vacation. They were held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim terrorist group, for over a year. Unimaginable. As I watched the story on t.v., I was inspired~

Gracia described her incredible experience....the terror, the strength of her relationship with God and her husband to pull her through, the hunger, the desperation, the waiting, the death. I couldn't even begin to imagine what she went through. But my heart was touched as she spoke of her feelings while she was captive. She compared herself to her captors, because she had the sin of jealousy and hatred towards them. "How am I better then they when I have this hatred in my heart." And I kept thinking, "How could you not?!?!?" She looked beyond herself and saw a people who needed the Lord and ministered to them throughout the time that she and her husband were there. As her story continued, my heart ached...for the person that she was, and the person that I was not....Her husband died the day that she was rescued. A year and 11 days after they were taken captive.

At the end of her story, she wonders if she has become the person that God wants her to be from this experience. She HOPES that she is exactly what God wanted her to be, how incredible after all that she has been through. And I find myself hoping the same thing but knowing that there is more that I can do to be all that I can be in the Lord. I know that there is something in me that can be used to inspire but I also know that I am scared. My hope is the same as Gracia's~ I want to be all that I am called to be. I will be honest in saying that I know that there is more that I can do. I realize that I need to go beyond myself and my comfort zone. I hope that you will read her book and get inspired, In the Presence of My Enemies, Gracia Burnham

Her story reminds me of Ally's memory verse...."With God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 And how sweet to hear her sweet voice say these words....With GOD all things are possible. I pray that the lives of my girls, my husband and myself would be full of all things possible, because of God's will in our lives!

Already???

Seriously, do we ALREADY have a teenager??????? Maddie's door is closed and this "note" was posted...
Keep the prayers coming, please!!! :)


(Translation: Don't come in this rooom!)

P.S. I knocked before I went in.....

Thank you....

Today you turned 35! I kept thinking about you all day, about the man you have become before my eyes. We have grown up together and I smile thinking about it. And I want to say thank you, baby....

Thank you for....
being so in love with our Lord.
falling in love with me.
being my best friend.
being an amazing father to our little girls.
helping me to see the good in a bad situation.
praying for me and for our children.
working so hard.
surprising me with little and sometimes big things.
being silly with our children.
loving with all of your heart, all of the time.
overlooking my weaknesses and trying to make me stronger.
pushing me to my potential.
making me laugh.
your hugs and kisses.
making me some incredibly unique and creative dinners.
striving to be all that you can be.
being the best driver in the world. :-)
for calling me before you go to bed if you are out of town.
our always FUN date nights. (We need another one soon!)
keeping me up to date on politics, even when I am tired of hearing about it.
kissing me goodbye, every time you leave in the morning.
waking me up if I fall asleep in the chair in Hunter's room, in the middle of the night.
always being there when I need you.
giving me your heart!

I love you, Baby! Happy Birthday!

Love,
Q