Where has the time gone??

My goodness! I can't believe how long it has been since I last blogged. So much has changed and happened this summer. Tot is now two, Tater works 60 hour weeks and I am still keeping kiddos. There is just SO much to catch ya'll up on I think I will just post some pics to save time. Enjoy!

Tot's First Boat trip



Sunday in Forest City, ARK w/ MuMu
Easter @ BBC

Ten Things Thursday

10) I just spent 20 minutes laying on my belly across from Tot eating Nilla Wafers at 11pm. (he was butt naked) b/c he has an awful diaper rash that had to be "dealt with". You Moms know what I am talking about!

9) My High school girls soccer team played and won their first game 4-1

8) I loved driving with the windows down today!!

7) My family has a birthday on every Sunday of this month! How does that happen?!?!

6) As I am typing this my dog keeps pooting right next to me. Thank you Zuri.

5) I have only seen Tater maybe 10-20 minutes today and won't see him till tomorrow evening:@(

4) I am bummed that I didn't get to go to my friends wedding shower today. I was really excited about going then I found out that my team was playing in Millington... who plays soccer in Millington anyways?!?!

3) I have never done Ten Things Thursday and I don't think I will do it again. It is hard... I ran out of things at number 6. Can you tell? Lol!

2) I wish my neighborhood/neighbors were a bit more friendly. Moving from the country, where your neighbor is about five acres or more away, I guess I had higher expectations of city folk ha ha!

1) I realized today how behind I have gotten on my Chronological Bible reading. I am so ashamed. Inconsistency will be my demise!

Yum Yum!!

So I don't have much to share right now but here is a yummy recipe for Summer.

Road Trip Roll-Ups

8 Large Tortillas
1 package of 8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 package of 8 oz. Sour Cream
16 slices of Turkey breast (sliced thin)
1 package of 7oz freash Spinach Leaves (rinsed and well drained)
1 package of 4 oz. Alfalfa Sprouts (rinsed well and drained)
2 Large Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 oz. of Havarti Cheese -sliced (in the Deli's specialty cheeses)

Instructions:
Spread each tortilla with 1 oz. cream cheese and then 1 Table spoon of sour cream. Arrange Turkey slices atop each, then divide spinach leaves, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes and cheese evenly over the turkey. Roll each tortilla up tightlyfrom one side to the other, securing with a toothpick. Chill. At serving time, cut crosswise into slices for tasty, wheel-shaped sandwiches. Serves 8.

Let me know if you try them and what you think! I love them!!

Just another day

Yes. This IS a picture of a spoon! Please, Let me explain.
Well, other than the beautiful weather outside today, was just another day. Watched kiddos, felt completely overwhelmed with things that I need to do but can't. My agenda today was to get my house picked up despite the three kids taking everything out that I would put up so I ditched that idea. After the kiddos started getting fussy inside I decided that it was definitely time to move this party outside!! While we were picking flowers to go in our special soup we were cooking under the jungle gym, Tot and Sissy had a little situation that led to me having a revelation.

Situation:
Tot and Sissy both had one of my big kitchen spoons that they had been playing with. Well, now Sissy decided that she was no longer happy with her spoon and she wanted Tot's. So she snatched it away and of course Tot was all upset like his puppy had just died (he can be SO dramatic sometimes).

Revelation:
This literally came to me as I popped Sissy on the bum with the spoon b/c of her reaction to me making her share.
God gives each of us what we need as a way of showing His love for us. Lot's of time we take it, play with it, then we spot someone else that has something we want. It can be good things like a strong prayer life, knowledge and wisdom of God's word, lots of friends, a big house etc.... and rather than being happy and content with what we have we get the "I Wants" and now His provision (external display of His love for us) for our needs is no longer adequate. It is so funny how little kids will come over and play, like Sissy, and will take Tot's toys and then say, "he took MY toy". I laugh b/c they don't understand that those toys aren't theirs or Tot's. Tater and I have provided Tot with those toys for his pleasure and enjoyment and the enjoyment of those that come and play with him because we love him. The same way that the Lord has given us things (not just earthly things but certain characteristics that make us unique) because He loves us.

I have such awesome friends. I can literally list them and right next to their name put something about them that I would want that they have (characteristic not earthly stuff). It is so easy for me to find things in others that I want. What I should be doing is enjoying the things God blessed me with that make me unique. I remember one of the speakers at the Downline Conf. a few months ago talking about how she wanted to be just like Beth Moore. Then the Lord spoke to her and said, "I already have a Beth Moore, I want you to be the best YOU that I can make." Did you get that? Be the best YOU that God can MAKE.

Well, that was my day. I hope you had a great one! Remember to view it through spirit-filled eyes!!
Till Tomorrow,
Much Love

(Emily, you can beat me with a wet noodle for talking about your child snatching things...:@)

Dare you say, "I Love You" ??

Ok So after reading this maybe you will understand why guys have such a hard time saying "I Love You". I am just kidding, as if we could ever understand anything a guy does or doesn't do!!

I was reading in Donna Gaines book, There's Gotta More!, yesterday and the chapter I was reading(How about a Love Checkup) was A-MAZING!! So I am going to share it with ya'll. In this chapter Mrs. Gaines quotes Amy Carmichael on her thoughts and feelings of "Calvary love". I am going to quote Mrs. Gaines who is quoting Amy Carmichael so please be patient with me ;@) Here goes,

"How is God's love fleshed out in my daily actions? Amy Carmichael described it this way: "If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brim full of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water however suddenly jolted" (46). In other words, if someone is unexpectedly rude to me and that unexpected arrow seemingly out of nowhere can cause me to speak an impatient or unloving word, do I really understand Calvary love?"

Ok. so read that and really soak it in!! Now look at what God commands of us as believers.

Ephesians 5:1&2
Be Imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and LIVE A LIFE OF LOVE, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesian 5:25
Husband, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...

Man oh man! Calvary love is all about death to self so that others may have life. We have to die daily to ourself, our flesh, personal desires and agendas so that the Lord can work through us to lead other to eternal life!!

This has changed my perception of love. When I say that I love my son, I literally mean that I would give my life for his. If my love is that fierce for him why do I get short with him (and to be honest... sometimes harsh)?? Why can I be patient with a clerk that I don't even know but rude with my own family?? Is that Calvary love?? I want to be filled to the brim with such sweet water that the only thing that comes out when I am bumped is God's sweet living water!! Well, I hope that makes you think when you tell your "Honey-Bunny" that you love them or when you say, " I LOVE mint chocolate chip ice cream".

Till Tomorrow,
Much Love!

Do we really need a time change??

So since the time change on Sunday Tot has been off schedule and beyond cranky!! I told Tater the other day that he might come home to a son that has a black-eye ( I was totally kidding and would never hit my child so don't go calling child services)!!
Well, today we are doing a little better. He is now taking his naps rather than try to play or cry through them and he is back to being semi-obedient ( he was up at 7:30 so he is a little emotional about everything still). All-in-all I feel like we are getting back to normal. He has completely worn me out though! I mean to the point that I want to cry with him.
As I had my quiet time this morning I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for my childish attitude that I have had with Him this week. I have struggled to have my quiet time each day and I have not been able to get on my face before Him and pray like I have been doing. The childish attitude I have had has been one of "why aren't you here with me?? why do you feel so far? " . I feel like I have been acting the same way Tot has been acting with me. Fussy, demanding and down-right childish. Tot wants to have a great day and play hard but he doesn't want to eat all of his breakfast, lunch or dinner and he doesn't want to take his naps to recharge his energy for the rest of his day. This week I have not fed myself God's word like I should. I have put it off till the very last thing of the day, I have not prayed and met with Him so that I can be restored and renewed like His word promises. Yet, I have been standing here whining and fussing about Him not being near, about me feeling alone, why won't you bless me blah blah blah!! Ugh it makes me sick when I actually admit it as I am typing. I don't want to end up a 40 year old "spoon fed" christian that fusses to God about every little thing. I want to be a woman that has put the work into her relationship with Christ and that when I make my request known to my Savior I won't feel like I have been nagging Him.
I think the example I am try to give is the one of a parent and child. You have seen them before, I know you have. They are there, at the grocery, restaurant or gym. Mommy or Daddy are already trying to appease a tired or unhappy child and then the child sees something that it wants. The following ensues, begging, grabbing it off the shelf, when told "no" they throw the item or themselves on the floor and start having a full blown fit/tantrum. Now discipline should be administered by the parent but rarely is, thus goes the cycle.

That is what I don't want to be, a childish Christian that throws fits/tantrums when the Lord says "no" or "not now" . I don't want to have major issues when a little bump (like time change or things not going as I planned) comes in my highway of life. I want to be the obedient child that can handle the Lord changing things in my life. I also want to be sure that when I do ask for something it isn't coming from a childish desire or childish heart. Also, you know that the parent with that rotten child is embarrassed by their kids actions and behavior. I NEVER want to be an embarrassment to God or other Christians because of the way that I act or the things I say.

Man, this seems like a downer of a blog huh?

Well, it is my heart that I spill out here so you won't always get happy and sunny stuff. You ARE guaranteed real life struggles, honest feelings about everything I blog about and always, always, always how God is working in our struggles and our pleasures.

Till tomorrow/tonight, Much Love

Ok so I am tired and have a headache so this post is going to be short and sweet.

I am going to share some of my likes and dislikes with ya'll. Of course likes will come first.

When Chad is off work.
Watching and playing soccer.
Spending time with my family

Funny things that people have said or quotes that I like:

"A flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all"
Mulan

Me: I don't want to hear you talk AND I don't want to listen to the basketball game on the radio.
Chad: Babe, hearing me talk is a blessing. Listening to the radio while doing it is just icing on the cake.

Me: Hey Christian, look at the Moose!!
Emily Bobbitt: That's an Elk, Heather

Now for things I DON'T like ( ha ha)

Mean People
Wet shoes or jeans
Chad has this laugh that he does that DRIVES ME CRAZY!!
People that drive like they have nowhere to go.

Ok ya'll that is it. I love ya'll and will be back to my normal "blogging" self tomorrow. Till tomorrow, Much Love!

Really Lord. Are you Sure??

This is a picture of Tater and Tot in Birmingham for an indoor tournament last year. It was Tot's first tourney experience.

So today was just a normal day. No funny or cute Tot or Tater stories to share so I will just share something that has been on my heart for awhile and it now has me asking, "Really Lord? Are You Sure?"

So for anyone that might browse through this and not actually know me or my hubs let me just tell you a little about our hobbies. We LOVE sports. We play soccer, softball, volleyball and tennis (I am awful at tennis but I play to humor my hubs and in-laws). Now when I say that we play soccer what I actually mean is that we LOVE to play soccer. When Chad and I dated we were on at least 3 soccer teams. I played women's league, Chad played men's league and we both played outdoor coed and indoor coed as well as church league soccer. That's a lot of soccer, I know. Now having played soccer and knowing a lot about the game when our church was in need of coaches for the youth league they called Chad and I to coach teams. That was at least four years ago when we started coaching up at church.

Let me take a second and brag on my last seasons church team and my assistant coach (Mrs. Joy Ligon). We were undefeated AND won the tournament what what!! I couldn't have done it w/o Joy. She is amazing!

Now back to my point. So through coaching at church I met and coached the daughters of an amazing family. The Mom, Mrs. Deb, called me up a few months ago and told me that she was getting together a homeschool competitive soccer team and that the coach wasn't going to make practice that day and could I help out and run practice for them. Only because I love them I said yes. I packed up Tot and we went to run soccer practice. Little did I know that I was about to become the sole coach of the team b/c the other coach was too busy to commit to two practices a week. What I found out in the practices to come was that the players were mostly former or current basketball players with one maybe two true soccer players. The rest were BRAND new to the sport. Do you know how difficult it is to take girls that have grown up playing basketball and tell them that they can't use their hands and that they have to learn to run a different way? Not easy.
Although these girls are amazing girls, they are not the best soccer players. They have gotten a ton better through practice, I must give them credit. Now the Lord has really been working on me and telling me to clear my plate of "things". I really hope it is because He is about to use me in some way and not so I have more free time. I tried telling Mrs. Deb that I couldn't be the coach anymore because I'm just too busy but through this and that I just couldn't shake this team! There are days when I leave practice and I am thinking to myself, "do I talk a different language, do I stutter, are the lights on in their heads" and then there are days when I think they actually get it and I have made a difference in the way they learn and play soccer. Bless Tater's heart b/c I know he probably thinks I am crazy when I come home one day praising the team and the other day I tell him I am throwing in the towel and that these kids are un-coachable. Unfortunately today the Lord shifted my heart. I say unfortunately because I know this is going to be a tumultuous relationship. The Lord just confirmed in my heart that this is what I need to be doing. I have wanted a way to invest in the lives of young girls. Last year I helped get a soccer tournament together for high school girls as a way to share the gospel with them. I absolutely loved it! Since then, I have thought about teaching high school sunday school again or doing some other form of volunteer work with youth. But today, right in the middle of practice, the Lord showed me that I have no less than eleven girls that I can invest in and are looking to me for direction. Not just direction in soccer. I can use that time with them to direct them to the Lord and His love. I can show them how to deal with success or defeat on and off the field, what it means to be part of a team/family. So here I write at 11:20 at night and I am still asking God, "Really Lord, Are you sure??" because this is not something that I desire myself to do. Weird thing is that even though I don't want to do this, I feel a peace about saying yes. If you think of me in your prayers at all please pray that 1) I don't ruin my witness while coaching 2) that these girls come to know Christ as their PERSONAL Savior 3)that I don't go grey early because of this :@) Till Tomorrow, Much Love!

Wanna Potty??

Boy Oh Boy did I have a surprise tonight. If you have ever been in my home right before bath time then you know that Tot has a little pre-bath ritual. This ritual involves him streaking through the house and dancing around. He has not been able to do his little ritual lately because the past few time he has peed while running around. The other day he escaped out of the bathroom and went streaking. I was chasing him around trying to catch him while tossing towels on his little "puddles". It was the funniest moment we have had in awhile (My little sister called in the middle of this fiasco) and all I could do was laugh.
Back to tonight's events! I cautiously let Tot do his little ritual tonight and he follows me into the bathroom. He starts hitting the potty and doing a little dance. I ask him if he wants to "go potty" and he starts getting all excited. So I sit him on the toilet (just for kick and giggles) and I tell him to go pee pee. AND HE DID! No lie! Now I am wondering if this was a fluke or not?? Should I start potty training? What would Super Mom do? Then it hit me... He was copying what Sissy does! Sissy is in the process of being potty trained and when I started watching her I made a big deal about her having HER special potty and how she can use it anytime she wants. She is really good at telling me and hasn't had any accidents... so far. It is funny that when she tells me that she has to go potty her and Tot go running to the bathroom and he tries to open the door for her and then he starts smacking the toilet seat until she sits on it. Tot was just emulating Sissy. He has watched her for a week now being all excited about her potty and how I make her feel special when she uses it. That is all he wanted. To be excited and to have me make him feel special for using the potty. If Sissy was a mean little girl and was disobedient to me, there is no way I would want Tot to look up to her and act like her.

Who do I emulate? Who do I try and act like? Do I try and shape myself into something the world will find acceptable or do I strive to obey the Lord and find favor in His eyes?!?! I want to find a godly woman that is excited about doing the things of the Lord and being obedient to Him in what He is trying to teach and train her in. I want to learn about her relationship with Christ. I guess I want to "spiritually stalk" her (no creepiness involved). I want to see how she balances/handles the things of this world. I constantly have to check myself b/c as a woman I am always wanting to be "In-Style" and look a certain way, dress a certain way, blog a certain way ;@) All of those things will fade. Beauty, clothes, blogs... they will all come and go. But the beauty the Lord can give will never fade, the clothes He will cover us in will never be ruined by stains or moths and the words He can give us (to blog or use to give testimony with) can reach many for Christ. Now don't get me wrong, I don't wanna "let myself go" or wear a burlap sack everyday. I just want to keep focused on what is REALLY important in life. Yeah, I say that as Spring is around the corner and I am dying to get some cute little sundresses and sandals. Oh well! Maybe the Lord will give me a nice closet up in heaven... a girl can only hope right? :@)

In Loving Memory of My Buttercup

So today was interesting. As I have told you, I keep little people in my home part-time. The two that I keep are brother and sister. Sissy (blogging purposes again) is almost 3 and Dawg, who just turned one, are awesome! I couldn't have asked the Lord to bring me any two more perfect kids to watch. Unfortunately, it has been rainy and cloudy part of this week so we have had to play inside :@) As Mom and housekeeper I do not like it when they have to play inside. Only because there are very few things they can do without getting themselves into trouble. After having three kiddos inside I felt worn out, to say the least! I felt beat down and in need of a nap. Did I get a nap? Nope! God had other plans b/c today is the day I meet with my "discipler". As we met we discussed what prayer means to our relationship with Christ and also how we should see things with "Spirit filled eyes" and how to have a "Spirit filled mind" (look at Romans 8:6).

Now to get to my point!! After Tots nap today the sun came out and so did we!! The backyard was calling our name. I get the mini golf clubs and balls (Tot loves balls) and we head out to burn some energy. While we were out there playing I was surprised to actually see one of my Buttercups blooming. Now being the WONDERFUL mom that I am (j/k!!) I called Tot over to see my beautiful yellow bloom that I was so proud of. I wanted him to look at it and smell it. What he wanted to do was to grab it and run around the yard with it and even try and eat the petals off of it! And He did just that! He snatched that bloom off so fast I couldn't believe my eyes! I was beyond mad at him. If you know me at all you know how much I love my yard and my little flowers and plants that I attempt to grow ;@) I just couldn't understand why he had to grab it and run around the yard with it?!?!

As I calmed down I remembered my discipleship meeting and us talking about "Spirit filled" eyes and mind. So, once again, I start to think about how I should view Tot's actions. What I came up with is that God shows us amazing things that He wants us to take pleasure in and to see His hard work and creation in. He reveals them to us subtly and obviously (like I did with Tot in calling him over and showing him). What we usually do is look at it, acknowledge it and maybe even smell it. Then we say, "Man what an awesome God you are" and we leave it there . Very rarely do we grab it, carry it with us or even consume it. So this picture is in Loving Memory of my little Buttercup. May I always have the desire to grab, carry and consume the things of God!! Enjoy the blooms this Spring!!

Who we are

Ok. So I am new to all of this blogging stuff. I am going to try and be more consistent with this than I am my P90x work out ( I doubt this will make my body sore from head to toe). So a little about me and my family. My husband (Tater, for the sake of blogging) and I have been married for 3 years and we have one 21 month old son (Tot, again for blogging sake). My husband work two part-time jobs and I watch little people in my home.

A bit more about who we are:

My husband and I are going through a growth spurt right now. No, not physical (although my jeans would like to argue against that) but spiritual. The Lord is working in us right now and growing us into His image. God is teaching Tater so much about waiting on the Lord and how to rely on God and how Tater is not the provider for our family but Jehovah Jireh is. Tater is an amazing husband and father and I love seeing him become the godly man and head of our home.

Now for my growth spurt up date. For those that don't know me let me inform you that consistency is something that I STRUGGLE with on a minute by minute basis. This is a huge area that God is teaching me the importance of. I see it in the way I deal with Tot. Playing fetch with the dog in the house with an orange is something that will be wrong today, tomorrow and next week. Now sitting on your bottom while in your chair is something that I may be a little less consistent in disciplining. My quiet time is where the Lord is really getting me. I can be vacuuming and I hear the Lord tug at my heart and say, "I'm waiting" then I go wrangle the kids together and start some dishes and I hear it again... "I'm waiting". Ugh. I finally get to it and I feel like the Lord is like "Thank You, my hand was beginning to hurt from knocking on you hearts door". Also, my prayer life is practically non existent. I mean I think prayers to the Lord but I NEVER just stop and pray. Is that weird?? Probably. So something I did today was I actually got on my face on the ground and prayed. This was spurred on by someone I have know for years. Mr. Bill Hendry. He visited my Bible Fellowship Class and he said something that slapped me across the face. He is a missionary a muslim country and he said that Muslims think our faith is a joke. How can we pray to the Most High God, someone that is so holy and pure, while we are sitting on our couch. How does going into his presence not take us to our face in shame and humiliation from our sin. So I thought to myself, maybe this will help me when I pray... getting on my face and actually humbling myself in His presence. I was really willing to try anything b/c I have the hardest time staying focused and awake (yes awake) when I pray. I feel like my prayers hit the ceiling and bounce back in my face. OH let me tell ya'll!!! What a sweet time I had in prayer!! Now granted my legs went numb b/c I was crunched on top of them but ya'll!!! Tears were shed, I kept focused, my heart was lifted and I actually spent TIME (like 15 minutes) in prayer at the feet of my Savior! Who knew that moving from my rear to my knees and face would make such a difference. Now I just need the consistency to make this time everyday!! Well, this will be the focus of my blog. What we are up to and how the Lord is working in our lives. I hope to not miss any days blogging but ... at least you know I am working on my consistency issues :@) Till tomorrow!! Much Love!