For Better.... And a Lot Worse

I was recently talking to one of my very good friends about our kids, our jobs and life in general. And though I hate to admit it, the conversation quickly turned "gossipy." We didn't intend to do this..it just sorta happened. My friend went on to tell me about another marriage threatened by infidelity. I want to say I was surprised, but sadly I was not. I can get on facebook any given time of the day and literally see which of my "friends" marriages are failing. So that got me thinking, "Why is marriage so disposable?" What makes a young couple give up so easily. Then I think about the kids. Parents surely think of their kids when chaos is running wild in their home...or do they. Being a Children's Director for a church I see more than my fair share of kids being affected by a less than perfect home life. The majority of kids in my program come from broken homes and have to divide their time between mom and dad. It's an epidemic. It's sad. It needs to end.

Let me clear about something. My marriage is not perfect, in fact it's far from it. Marriage is way harder than I ever dreamed. It takes constant work. Just yesterday I told Tyler, "You are getting on every single nerve I have!" He responded with, "Ditto." On the flip side, I love that man to pieces. Even when I'm at my worst (which is hardly ever, wink wink) he still loves me. He still shows me grace. He forgives me. Being married means being a united front. And of course, like He always does, Jesus spoke to me through His word:

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

Matthew 12:25

Outside forces are less of a threat for most families. They usually crumble from the inside out. A civil war raging in the home leaves more casualties than an outside attack. When God said two become one in marriage, it means will literally injure our own flesh when we tear down our partner. When I stab at Tyler's dignity, I may as well cut off my own arm. This is why fighting hurts so badly: when I injure Tyler, I do it at the sake of my own soul. And let's not forget the most important factor: Our kids. We become so blinded by selfishness that will fail to see how a jaded marriage affects them. It's easier to write it off: "They don't know what's going on." "They're too little." "They're not listening." A house divided against itself will fall. It will crush everyone taking refuge under it's shelter.

Do you want to be the mom of your kids' dreams? Want to give them security, health, stability and happiness? I know how....

LOVE YOUR HUSBAND!!!

Love him so much it's almost embarrassing. Kiss him, hug him. Talk about him to your kids as if your heart would die without him. Don't let issues fester until they are ready to explode. Have sex with him (this alone would solve most of his problems :)Tell your kids their daddy is a hero and they are so lucky they belong to him. Be his #1 fan. The best gift for your kids is parents who are crazy for each other. (Did I mention have sex with him?)

No matter what war is raging in your home right now: infidelity, addiction, financial issues, the list goes on.....

Bring them to Jesus. Don't give up my sweet friends. Love each other well and your house will stand.

Losing Me

There is a "me" buried somewhere under "mom" but I am struggling to find her. Have you ever been there? I can't tell you how many times I've been introduced as "Keller's mom."

The role of a young mother is so consuming it threatens to eclipse every other title we have: wife, friend,sister,daughter, professional, woman. That's just the way it is. I feel like I am in one of the most demanding seasons of parenting and no amount of fussing (on my part) is going to change that. The purpose of my blogging was to let young moms know that they could have it all. But to assume that our other roles should receive the same percentage of our energy as young motherhood is unrealistic.

However, I am slowly learning that no one role can take all you without some sacrifice of the others. When we make our children the center of our universe, we do so at the expense of our other relationships. We will fall out of touch with our husbands, our friends and ourselves when our kids consume everything. So leave it to Jesus to give me a wake up call while I was reading His Word a few days ago. He made a rather shocking statement about relational priorities as He sent His disciples out to minister:

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

Matthew 10:37

Dang! If you picture Jesus sitting in the grass petting kittens and lambs, you must have not read the Gospels. This scripture was a big, "Hello, Kara! You have to love me more!" There was a truth that Jesus was getting at that should resonate with us, moms. Here it is: There is a you that exists only in Jesus, and that identify far outweighs those found in other roles. The central makeup of you- your gifts, your passions, talents, personality, purpose-all of those were woven into your DNA before time began.

Before you were a daughter, sister, a wife or mother, you belonged to God. You were His idea. That statement alone makes my heart sing.

You'll be His daughter after your parents and kids are gone. You have a purpose outside your husband's. When you stand before Jesus one day, it won't be as someones mom or wife, or as your parent's daughter. It will just be as you.

Jesus is warning us to not allow our other relationships to get in the way of our own identity. He didn't say, "Don't love your kids or your parents or your husband." He said, "Don't love them more than me." Let me tell you something: If we keep this straight, if Jesus received all of our heart, we'd never lose our self again. How could we?

Jesus would never let us forget our gifts and passions; He put them there!

We would have a grip on reality and we would be less likely to get distracted. We would remain attached to the source of strength and peace.

If we loved Jesus more than anyone else, we would be the best possible mothers, the wives of husbands' dreams. We would maintain our sparkle, our flair, our laughter. The "you" buried under "mom" is vital, essential, important. Hang on to her. Make sure she gets plenty of face time with Jesus. He'll remind her who she is.

So here is my question to you. Are you lost? Which relationship has suffered most from your absence? I would love to hear your response and talk with you more. Shoot me an email: karastribling@yahoo.com or comment on here.

You are loved, my sisters and brothers in Christ.

Kara

Ladybugs in Heaven

If you are a mother, no doubt you have heard this statement at some point, "Enjoy it! This will be over before you know it!" When other moms would tell me this, I would think to myself, "It better be!" Nothing in the world could have prepared me for just how hard motherhood would be. Up until 3 a.m. crying right along with my baby, been there. Nursing, while grocery shopping, done that. It seems those first couple of years would never end. Tyler would come home everyday (after being at work for 8 glorious, uninterupted hours) and tell me, "Everyday he's one day older, it will get better." Insert an eye roll from me right here. Young moms live in a perpetual state of "what's next?" We are constantly looking ahead to the next stage of our kid's development: nursing -->rolling over--> teething-->sitting up--> baby food--> crawling-->walking-->talking (kind of) -->getting rid of the pacifier (or a mimi as we call it, and we are still working on this) you get the idea.



And because every one of these stages has it's struggles, a thought enters our minds: "If I can just make it to ______, this will only get so much easier." We mentally live in tomorrow, while simply managing today. We forget to relish the charms of the present, allowing them to be overshadowed by our daily challenges. We, translate, I get so caught up the everyday of life that I forget to stop and take it all in. Then it happens, something that puts it all in perspective.

I was tucking Keller into bed and saying all of our usual night time things. Then he stops and says, "Do you think there are ladybugs in heaven?" I respond, "Ladybugs were God's idea, so I'm sure there are." He said, "Good, because my baby girl (the name he has for his sister) loves ladybugs and I bet it would make her real happy if they were up there when she goes to heaven one day." Oh! Heart be still! That baby boy of mine just makes my heart sing. Gone in an instant were all the memories of the sleepless nights and throw-yourself- on the ground tantrums. I realized I don't want these moments to be over, I want to enjoy them!



It seems at times, my Jesus is lovingly saying, "Kara, don't obsess about tomorrow. Live in this day without worrying about what you'll do or need later. What is good today will be spoiled tomorrow. Enjoy it today, or enjoy it never." Keeping an eye on our kid's tomorrow means we only have one eye on their today. We're missing so much. Our kids are going to grow up, with or without us, and once it's over, it's over. I won't spoil this day for grieving what has passed or longing for what has not yet come. I will notice how Keller always wants me to do our secret handshake when I drop him off for school, I will pay attention to the way Presley hangs on for a little bit longer to our good morning hug. I will look my kids in the eye and listen to what they are saying , or in Presley's case, trying to say, and I will try to give a real, genuine response. I will still go into their rooms at night and tuck them in a little tighter and push their hair behind their ears.



You will never have this day with your children again. Tomorrow, they'll be a little older than they were today. This day is a gift. Breathe and notice. Smell and touch them; study their sweet little faces. Relish the charms of the present.



Enjoy today, mama. It will be over before you know it.

Fall is here...Hip, Hip, Horray!

Isn't my house beautiful? I can only dream about living somewhere like this for now. But I can imagine heaven being pretty close to this. Oh! It takes my breath away! Today is the first official day of Fall and that makes this mama very happy. The air is turning and getting a bit cooler, and the leaves have just started their intial descent to the ground. If I had to pick one season I loved the most, Fall would get my vote eveytime. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas time but that is so magical in itself and gets enough attention. So, let's "fall" right in to the top 5 reasons I love this yummy season...

1.) My own little pumpkins:

Having kids gives you the greatest excuse to act like one yourself. I love when the weather starts to get a little brisk and we can take evening walks around the neighborhood. We like to look for the trees with the prettiest leaves and take in the smells around us. It also means getting to dress them in the cutest little outfits. Don't believe me? Wait till you see my Presley in a pea coat and suede boots! I also love the nights we spend at Mamsie & Big Daddy's Shack, carving pumpkins at eating yummy food (more about this later)

2.) The Clothes:

I can only handle shorts and sleeveless shirts for so long. Give me a roomy sweater and a pair of leggings any day. I totally believe I live in the wrong part of the country when it comes to my obesssion for fall clothing. A few months before the season starts, the favorites page on my computer is inundated with websites showcasing their new fall lines. I started this obsessionwith ankle boots last season, and that obsession has only gotten worse. I've been coveting this pair of buttery leather ankle boots for a few weeks now, but I have to justify spending that much money on them. So, Tyler if you are reading this, I totally wouldn't care if you decided to make that happen!

3.) The Shack:

Mamsie & Big Daddy (Tyler's parents) have the coolest "Shack In the Back". We call it that because it's literally at the back of their house. But to call it a shack, doesn't let it live up to it's full potetnial. First off, it's not a shack at all, but probably as big as my whole house. I love it there because it's so comfy and homey. The Shack is the gathering place for all things good. Every birthday, holiday, football game or just dinner is shared out in the shack. It's also where we get to carve pumpkins ever year for Big Daddy's birthday. My "other mom" always makes us feel warm and welcomed. She is also a fabuous cook and always has the yummiest things prepeared. Her caramel apples are to- die- for! I look forward to those every year. I love that we have a place to gather and enjoy great food and each other's company.

4.) The Food

I had to include food! C'mon, it might be the best thing about fall. Yesterday it was cloudy and drizzly, a perfect day for soup. I love the soup mixes from a little mom and pop shop called Company's Comin. They are at Merry Marketplace every year and this time I was lucky enough to catch them at the fair last week. All their soups and casseroles are delish, but the New Mexico Green Chile soup is the yummiest ever. Nothing beats a bowl of hot soup and a fall day. For more info and to purchase their soups head over to : http://www.companyscomin.com/.

During the summer it is too stinking hot to be slaving over the stove and having your oven on all day, but fall is the perfect excuse to bust out the mixer and bowls and whip something magical up. I look forward to the weather turning because that means dad's chili and mom's jalepeno corn casserole. Two things that are the ultimate comfort food.

5.) The Wedding

A wedding you say? This one I had to throw in there. No, I don't love fall because of the weddings that take place during this time, but THIS year I do. My sister/best friend...ever, is getting married! Oh happy day! Though it is bittersweet (more about this in a future post) I am busting at the seams with excitement. A wedding during the fall means all sorts of wonderful things. Costume parties & get togethers with old freinds and family are two things that come to mind. Though (much to my dismay) Kelsey and Seth decided on a more modern color scheme, and not fall colors I guess I'll still be in the wedding :) They are getting married on November 27th, the weekend of Thanksgiving. Needless to say we will all be super busy getting these two hitched. I am so excited for them and the wedding is going to fabulous. Next fall I will have to pick another reason, but for this year, this had to be included. I can't wait. Go check out their awesome wedding website at : http://www.kelsandseth.weddingwindow.com/

I hope you enjoyed all the silly reasons I love this fabulous season. I pray that your season is blessed with abundance. Thanks for reading ya'll!

Kara

Is there a two for one special on therapy for kids?

Who knew that parenting would be this hard? Who knew there would be ten thousand details to keep up with all day, every day (including, "Mommy have you seen that little, plastic guy that I got at Wal-Mart 3 years ago?") Who knew there was a mommy competition we were automatically entered into the day we gave birth? And yes, if you gave birth by C-Section YOU CERTAINLY GAVE BIRTH! I had a"friend" tell me one time that it didn't count as actual childbirth because my baby was born via C-Section. Umm, hello! Have you seen what a C-Section entails? Moving on, who knew how frequently we would fail our kids? Or how much they would hurt? Who knew we would constantly worry our kids would end up on the therapy couch?



OK, I admit I don't always worry about that, but I do wonder if I will ever be enough as a mom. Then I read this verse in Matthew 10:25, : "It is enough for the student to be like his teacher."

When the student (that's us) becomes like her teacher (Jesus) our failures and reservations as moms take the back burner as the sweet spirit of Jesus covers us. Our kids won't remember every paper we forgot to sign, how we didn't tie their shoes just right, or that we fed them hot dogs every night (guilty!) They will forget how we blew off bath time because mommy and daddy were too tired and how we begged them to watch Dora the Explorer for 30 minutes of silence. What they will remember is how we prayed with them and how we listened to their dreams and fears, no matter how ridiculous they might be. ("No, Keller I promise the fence outside the window does not turn into fingers that want to grab you.") That won't forget how we took care of them or someone else when they were hurting. They will remember how quickly we were to laugh, but slow to judge. They will recall how wildly we loved them with every fiber of our being.



The right schools, the right teams, the right house... not enough.

Perfect systems, by-the- book methods, unsolicited advice... not enough.



It is enough for me to show patience when I want to stick my fingers in my ears and scream right along with my two year old. It is enough to choose mercy when my kids have made the same mistake once again. It is enough to imitate my Christ, who never jumped through hoops, but transformed history through grace and sacrifice. You are enough as a mother when you act like your Redeemer. When you talk like He talked, love like He loved, forgive like he forgave and teach like He taught. When you launch your children into this big, exciting, wonderful world, that is all that will matter. It is what they will remember and imitate.



It is enough.

Happy 5th Birthday Keller!

I still can't believe that Keller is five years old. Tyler and I are just so darn proud that we kept something alive that long! It has been an exciting, tumultuous, frustrating, incredible five years. We love that God chose us to be his parents. He is so full of life and energy, his sweet words and sharp mind never cease to amaze us. One of my favorites websites is http://www.birthverse.com/. You can go here and put in your birth date and find out what verse from the bible corresponds with it. I love that God has a purpose for us all and I love Keller's birth verse: "Those He predestined, He also called; those He called; He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:30. Our son was not a random baby born to two naive, young parents, but an incredible bundle of talents and abilities. This post is dedicated to Keller Zane Stribling. We love you sweet boy!

Now, sit back, relax and enjoy some pics from "The Greatest Show On Earth!"

Welcome to Keller's 5th Birthday Circus!

Some big boys never grow up!
I loved this sign, it even lit up!

Rylee enjoying a lollipop, love this picture!
Getting ready to dig into all the presents.

OK, Maybe mommies, aunts and uncles never grow up too...

You've gotta have popcorn at the circus


Make way for the animals!


Of course, no circus is complete without trapeze artists!

Thanks for looking, I hope you enjoyed the circus party as much as we did.

The Best Birthday Gift... 12 Years In the Making

Keller recently celebrated his 5th birthday. It was on a Monday, so we had his "party" on Saturday. I promise more about that in a future blog. I wanted to share something comical that happened on his actually birthday. We went to the mecca that holds all sorts of magical fun... Gattiland! As you all know, the best part about Mr. Gatti's is getting to play all the games. Side note: I loathe Mr. Gatti's, at least the game room. It might be one of the more disgusting places on earth and every time I'm in there I feel like I'm going to walk away with strep throat. Perhaps it was because of that time I saw a toddler riding the carousel in only a diaper, that looked like it had not been changed in days. However, it was Keller's birthday so I gave in. When the rest of the family finally met up with Keller and Tyler in the game room they were already in full gaming mode. I think Tyler's exact words were, "We are killing it in here!" He may have been more excited than Keller! As the token count went down, it was time to count the tickets. He had 339! That was the best he had ever done. Enter Kelsey, AKA Aunt Lou. She starts in on how when she was younger she had hundreds of tickets and she never remembered spending them. So naturally, she walks to the prize counter to ask. The whole time I'm thinking, "Yeah right, there is no way they are still going to have her in the system." She tells the attendant her name, and after a blood draw, hair sample and promising her first born they divulge her ticket count. She had almost 3,000 tickets! At this point I think I screamed out with laughter. If you know Kelsey, you would not think this was weird or peculiar. She was always the kid with birthday money left, months after her birthday was over. Plus, I had this image of her spending her summer days holed up in the Mr. Gatti's game room while all the others kids were outside being normal. Why wouldn't she have a Mr. Gatti's savings account?!? We asked if we were able to transfer the tickets to Keller and they were happy to oblige, only after deducting 200 tickets for not having her official Mr. Gatti's ID card. Because we all carry that on us at all times! I was still not believing that they actually had her in the system. In fact they said she opened it in 1998! So, twelve years later, Keller was able to get the coveted Spider Man Web Flinger. Despite the HUGE birthday he had, that web flinger from Mr. Gatti's was the best gift ever. Who would have thought that when Kelsey was racking up the tickets she would be able to pass those on to her nephew twelve years later!

Don't Push Her "Button"

My daughter is fearfully and wonderfully made. There is no denying that. She is sweet and funny and loves to be my little helper. She is also weird. I mean this statement with as much love as possible. This child has the most incredible fascination with her BELLYBUTTON! Maybe more than a fascination, more like an obsession.

I would always notice her playing with her bellybutton and thought nothing of it. Then the comments started coming. You know the kind. So how did that make me feel? At first I ignored them, thinking her bellybutton was apart of her body and I couldn't take it away from her; so what was the big deal? It became a big deal.

Presley has lots of clothes. Included in her wardrobe are cute jumpers/onesies. You know the ones that button underneath. When she was little, I loved the simplicity of these things. They were cute and easy and made for a quick diaper change. Presley was always accommodating (she didn't have much to say about it at six months old) Then it all changed when she discovered the "button." Gone were the days of jumpers and onesies. Oh no! That would never work. She couldn't get access to the "button." I remember a few months back when I put one on her. I could hear her in the bedroom getting frustrated. She came out a couple of minutes later and had managed to unbutton the thing and had her finger jammed in her bellybutton. She refused to let me button her back up, so I let her go to school just like that. Onesie hangin' past her knees. If they weren't already I'm sure her teachers were getting ready to nominate me for the "Mom of The Year Award." They (her teachers) would ALWAYS make comments to me about how much she played with her button. One day, I think I took it a little too far. The conversation went something like this:

Teacher: "Presley always has her finger in her bellybutton. We always tell her to stop because its gross."

Me: "Well, I suppose it's better that her finger is in her bellybutton, rather than down her pants like that little boy over there. Oh, and I think he just stuck his finger in that little girl's mouth."

As you can guess, the conversation about my daughter and her button was over. Though I find it somewhat odd that she always wants to touch it, I have never thought of it as "gross." Just this morning I had to pull over because she wasn't able to lift her shirt far enough up in her car seat to get a hold of built in "lovey." Keller's lovey was and still is a little, stuffed baseball guy. Presley's lovey is her bellybutton. I suppose there are worse habits she could have, and while this one is peculiar; it's one more reason why my baby girl is unique. Let's just hope she grows out of it before junior high...

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

I'm perfect, my house is always clean and my kids never fight!

Good Morning Everyone! Did you get a good laugh at the title of this post, I sure did. I think I needed to write that so I could feel a little better about myself this morning. Of course it was one of those mornings. Presley decides it's more fun to wear her "mock it milk" instead of drinking it. Keller insists on putting his belt on himself which only leads to tears of frustration five seconds later. Presley wants to get back in bed AFTER her hair was looking so stinkin' cute, and I can't find the pair of soft, leather knee high boots I want to wear! (Hey, it was 71 degrees this morning and it felt like Fall, I believe when I start to wear my Fall clothes then it will become Fall... OK that's just silly, but I digress..) You get the picture, we've all been there. I want to make sure my kids leave the house with cute clothes, Keller has the perfect spike in his hair and Presley doesn't have anything on her face. I want to leave my house in the morning spic and span and know that when I come home, dinner will be cooking in the Crock-Pot. I want everyone to think I have it all together, when in fact I really don't.

So that got me thinking. Motherhood triggers something in us that has probably been dormant for awhile, maybe since say; Junior High? We're seeded with this desire to be well thought of, to be admired, to be affirmed in our hard work as moms. We sometimes may stretch the truth a little...just a little. We say our babies sleep thru the night when they really don't, our discipline plans always work, every time and we never fight with our husbands. We are masters at making our lives seem so yummy and cupcakey (I made this word up) that in all reality we are living in chaos.

When we operate from being seen in a certain light, we only do ourselves a dis justice. We can't develop healthy relationships in the messy soil of reality, and guess what? That's the only place where they are going to grow! Presenting a fake life to others generates fear in our own hearts and intimidation in everyone else's, and creates nice, fake relationships- with our friends, family, even with our own children.

Authenticity ranks terribly high on Jesus's list of required attributes. It's not how good we are that counts, because honey, there are a lot of good people in hell...I'm just saying. What does count is how truthful we are about how good we're not. Only then can Jesus get busy developing us into the redeemed daughters we already are in Him!

So here is my challenge to you fellows mommies and bloggers. Can we speak truth to each other and ask for help when we need it? Can we admit when we fail and stop worrying what someone will think. Can we allow someone to be the same people on the outside as they are on the inside? Can we live real lives in front of each other, imperfect in our humanity but reclaimed through Jesus?

I will if you will.

If you and I do, others can.

If we all do, everyone might.

For today and ever day, speak authenticity.

"Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand, you guide my counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory... my flesh and heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart forever. Psalm 73:23-26

Happy 2nd Birthday Presley Jo!

It really seems like yesterday I was bringing this tiny 5 lb. baby girl home from the hospital and here we are celebrating her 2nd birthday! Wow! Never could I have known the sheer joy that comes from having this precious girl in my life. Her entrance into the world was very exciting and dramatic, a perfect precursor for what was to come. She came 4 weeks early and I was not able to hold her until she was 1 week old! Imagine that mommys' out there, not holding your brand new baby for a whole week! It was pure torture. Oh, but when I did he was the yummiest feeling ever. Here is a one of my favorite pics of me holding my delicious PJ for the very first time. At the time I didn't even know my mom was shooting it, I am so thankful she was there. You can literally see the emotion on my face. What a joyful day!

How we love this little girl! Her personality has really started to come out in the past few months and she is nothing short of sassy. She has daddy wrapped around her finger, to say the least. Just last night he said the sweetest thing, "When I look at Presley, she makes me want to be so much better. I want her to see how a man is supposed to treat a woman. She is my angel, she saved me." I know, get the box of tissues out. When I hear the man I love talk about his babies that way, it stirs something in my heart! Now, two years later check out our very sweet lady bug:

If you know me, you know I love to throw a party. This year we went with a ladybug theme and I had a blast going all out. I wish I could plan parties for a living (Hey Kelsey, don't move to SA, let's just start our own business :) Here are a few highlights from our ladybug bash:

Here is the birthday girl sitting on the table. I used a red tablecloth and cut out black dots to look like a .... you guessed it, ladybug!

These were so fun to make! Cherry tomatoes, black olives and cream cheese. I love things that are simple and cute.

No ladybug party would be complete without live ladybugs! I found these jars at Hobby Lobby and ordered the ladybugs off the Internet. Each girl took a jar and could release the ladybugs at home. It was a big hit!

And finally, my two babies together. We have two August birthdays. Keller and Presley have birthdays only 16 days apart. Keller's birthday is this Saturday so come back soon for pics of his special day. Thanks for looking.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

Praying Over The Dishwasher

You may not know this about me, in fact many people don't. I love to pray, like I REALLY love it. However, I don't do it much in public settings which may seem odd considering I work for a church! For as long as I can remember my mom has been a prayer warrior. I mean this woman prays! It could be about anything. A parking spot (I'm not kidding, I witness this often) or for something more serious like a hurting friend or a sickness. In everything, my mom first prays about it. So, because of this example it's no wonder that I too would pray about all sorts of random things. A few months back my beautiful,perfect, amazing Bosch Dishwasher started to act up. If you have ever had a dishwasher that leaves your dishes looking worse than when you put them in you can relate here. Every place Tyler and I have ever lived we have had the WORST dishwashers. But I was so stubborn about washing them by hand that I would still run them through, only to have to wash them again when they came out, but I digress... When we moved into our first home things on the dishwasher end started to look up. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws waiting in the kitchen was this delightful little gem:

Oh happy day! This bad boy sliced and diced and was able to jump buildings in a single bound! OK, so not really but you get the idea. My dishes came out so sparkly clean they made that little "ding" noise when they came out! You can imagine my disappointment when my little friend starting to feel under the weather. So I did what some may think is a little weird if not unconventional. I covered that dishwasher in prayer! Oh Honey did I ever! When I would be standing at the sink with dishpan hands I would pray about it. When I would walk by and remember her in all her glory I would pray about it. When my sweet girl decided use it as a canvas with a sharpie marker I prayed about it:

No worries though, a little rubbing alcohol and she was as good as new. Then just yesterday, I decided to pray again. I pushed the On button and...... wait for it...... she came right on! Hallelujah! I won't believe that it worked for any other reason than the fact that I prayed over it. Think what you want but it was good old fashioned prayer that made my Bosch work again. I'm not going to get ahead of myself, God may not choose for this dishwasher to continue working like it is currently, so for now I will keep my dish rack, soap and scrubber handy:

How often do you pray? Only when you need something, all day/every day? I know from experience prayer is powerful and not just because it worked on my dishwasher. I love serving a God who is always interested in what I have to say.

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 The Message

Pancakes & Papa

Don't you just love Saturday mornings? Around our house we relish in them. This Saturday was a little different as daddy wasn't in bed with us. But I wasn't alone, I woke up to two sweet , smiling babies. Even though it was a little earlier than I would have liked, how could I resist this sweet smiling face?

We got up and got around to our usual morning routine of making up the kid's "morning coffee", known in our house as "mock it milk," AKA chocolate milk . I just can't bring myself to correct Presley on the correct way to say it! It's these little things that I want to hold on to for as long as possible. Anyways, Keller has been on this pancake kick lately and this morning was no exception. So I pulled out the flour, milk, eggs etc, ready to make a fresh batch. Does anyone believe me right now? I didn't think so! More like I pulled out the BOX of complete pancake mix and added water! Who cares, right? It all tastes the same... kinda. After breakfast we got a nice surprise when the doorbell rang. My kids go nuts when the doorbell rings, like crazed little Pomeranians eagerly awaiting the visitor on the other side. This visitor was one of their favorites, it was Papa! I just love how my dad drops in on us, and I'm not being sarcastic. I love that he wants to see my kids so he makes it a point to stop by. Presley absolutely adores her Papa and every time she see him it's like the first time all over again. Not skipping a beat, he began to give Keller a hard time about something, but talking to Presley in this goofy way that he only does to her. The kids wanted their Papa to read a book, and as always he was happy to oblige. Their impromptu reading circle formed on the kitchen counter:

I just love, love, love the look on P.J's face! She's patting her Papa as if to say, "Thanks Papa for reading this book, but I still need to pose for this picture." Keller the ever serious listener didn't skip a beat, he really wanted to hear the story. It's times like these that I treasure in my heart. I am so grateful that we live in the same town as both of our kids' grandparents and visits like this are never few and far between. I couldn't think of a better example for kids. Whether they know it or not, he's teaching them life lessons with something as simple as dropping by. My kids know they have worth not only in my Daddy's eyes, but in their Heavenly Daddy's eyes as well.

"To this day, their children and grandchildren continue to do as their fathers did." 2 Kings 17:41

Special Day, Special Boy

I have Fridays off and they are usually spent cleaning the house or getting caught up on laundry. However, Keller has been coming to work with me since his Montessori school doesn't start until September 7th. I knew he was going stir crazy so I decided that we would have a special day just us two. After starting off our morning with chocolate chip pancakes we headed off to the movie theatre to watch Despicable Me in 3-D. We stopped at H-E-B to pick up a few essentials, Junior Mints, Raisinets etc. Does anyone else ever smuggle candy into the movie? I paid .99 cents for each box of candy and at the theatre it was $3.50 a box! Don't alert the movie police! After the movie we needed something else to do, that would keep us cool and entertained. The public library seemed like the perfect solution. I mentioned it to Keller and you would have thought I told him Santa was coming to town! He was so excited and that in turn made me excited. As a little girl and adult I loved to read, so I was thrilled that my son might share the same passion. When we arrived we went to the front desk and he politely exclaimed, "This is my first time at the library and I would like to check out a book, and I know I have to be quiet." The sweet lady behind the desk was happy to help my little reader and after signing up and signing his own name, Keller was the proud owner of his very own library card! He couldn't wait to get up to the 3rd floor and explore everything the Children's Department had to offer. We walked up and down the aisles in search of the perfect book. He knew he was only able to rent two books the first time, so he wanted to choose wisely. After careful consideration he chose Dino-Baseball. Then he said the sweetest thing, " I know I can pick out another book, but I really want to find one for sis. She would really like that." I love that this precious little boy stopped for a moment and thought about his little sister. He found a sweet book about fairy princesses and was very proud of his find. I left the library with a happy heart, proud of Keller for the loving brother he is and thankful for a Friday that I was able to spend with my son.