Our Much Needed Vacation!!

Last week Tater, Tot and I went on a family vacation with my side of the family. It rained the first few days but we made the best out of it. The last three days we hit the beach hard and got every minutes worth of fun available!! Below are some things I learned from our vacation. Enjoy!! 

1) Family should be the most important people in your life. If you cant be honest, open and SILLY with them, who can you be honest, open and silly with?!?!

2) Marriage is one man and one woman (leaving and cleaving) with God. Working to create a wonderful thing that is to be taken seriously and treated with the utmost caution and care. Engagements on the other hand should be stressful, elaborate and the plan executed by family with Navy SEAL like timing and precision!! 

Oh, AND

3) Sisters are an absolute blessing. No one will understand your more, know how to make you laugh in any situation (or cry. Sorry Ash) or love you unconditionally like a sister. I would not trade mine for anything in the world!! I love being the "cream in our Oreo" :) 

4) Boys never grow up. They just get bigger and get jobs. The Boy is still in there and sometimes he comes out when around "certain" company. 

5) Love is an emotion and it can fade. Marriage is a choice that requires one to refresh and renew your love for your spouse on a daily basis. Even when on vacation lol!! Isn't he sexy? He is my hero!!

6) Last but definitely NOT least. These two goof balls have my heart and are the most important thing the Lord has given me to serve, love and draw closer to Him in any way He sees fit. Without them my "family" would not be complete. 

Summer Reading

So I think I am going to make a summer reading list. I have never done it before and I don't really know if there is a right or wrong way to do a summer reading list. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome!! I am starting with a book Tater and I wanted to read called, "The Power of Prayer to Change Your Marriage" by Stormie Omartian!! So far it has been great. I will post a review as soon as I am done. Any books that you have read that you think I may enjoy please let me know!

April 2012 Update

Well, how time flies when you are having fun!! Just a quick update on our family.

Chad has gotten a new position at FedEx and has been moved from WHQ to Bailey St location. He likes it but there have been a bunch of changes in his new dept. that have made it difficult to get started on projects, learning the ropes, etc. He has started Discipling men in our home on Wednesday nights and he is doing an amazing job!! I have never seen Chad as a teacher but because we are all called to disciple people Chad has really challenged himself in "doing right" by these guys. He has the patience of Job with them and is very faithful to live life with them. So Proud!

Tot is growing like a weed and is learning like crazy! I get so frustrated trying to teach him. He doesn't want to be still long enough to learn anything. His PreK teachers do some sort of magic bc he comes home telling me things that leave me in awe!! The other week he stood at his breakfast and busted out the Pledge of Allegiance! It almost makes me sad to see how independent he is becoming. I am trying to cling to this last year of his before he goes to kindergarten. Man that makes my heart ache. I worry so much about that time. I am so afraid that he is going to get picked on or that school will change him and he won't be the same tender hearted boy I know now.

Not much to update in my area. I am still keeping kiddos from the home and trying to stay "happy hearted" about it. Not that I don't love the kids I watch but sometimes I just want it to be Tot and I all week every week. I am discipling a great group of ladies. They are actually the wives of the guys Chad meets with. I am finding that nothing holds you more accountable in your walk with the Lord than pouring your life and knowledge into others. You ABSOLUTELY have to be filled w/ the Lord before you can pour into others or else you leave yourself all dried up w/ nothing left for yourself or your family. I am also learning that a whole new kind of demonic attack comes your way when you are teaching others and faithfully going deeper in your relationship with the Lord.

I am doing a garden this Spring/Summer. Mostly to have fun w/ Tot and teach him how to grow stuff but also bc it gives me something to do during nap time.

OH we have an addition to the family!! We rescued a lab mix from a shelter and Chad named him Diesel. He is getting HUGE! We love him and Tot just adores him. He is so calm and relaxed for a puppy it is amazing!

That seems to be it in a nutshell for us. I will post more pics and updates soon.