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.