Our first month of summer is finishing up and it has been busy!

We started out with a trip to Disney World/Universal Studios. Our family had a blast! It was so worth the wait and could not have been more fun. The weather was the best we could have gotten at the end of May and it really wasn't too crowded. We all agreed we need to go back!

VBS came next and was super fun. My kiddos loved it....the music, the snacks, the crafts, the message. The shirts were pretty cool this year too.


This year we had the first family reunion for my dad's mother's family. The reunion took place in one of my favorite places in Texas....Kerrville. I love the hill country and my kiddos do too. The reunion was fun and we got to see and hear some really neat family history.


Then Clay got to participate in the JDRF photo shoot again this year. Baseball is the theme for this year's walk. So we got to hang out at the San Antonio Missions field and meet with other type 1 families. I love doing this with Clay. The San Antonio JDRF team is awesome and we get a chance to talk about type 1 issues with other families.


Throw in an Astros game (they won!) and a Third Day concert with our local adoption support group and swimming, movies, story time at the library and sleeping late.

I love summer!!!

Summertime!! (almost)

Summer starts very soon around here! Next Thursday at noon to be exact. I was looking at the calendar for the next three months and I can't wait for the fun to start!! We have a family vacation, VBS, a family reunion, a few day camps, and Clay's first sleep away camp! We also have down time so we can sleep late, swim, stay up watching movies, and just hanging out together. I love summer!!!

Thoughs about Mary on this Friday

I was showing the boys some videos this morning and reading scripture about Jesus' trial, beating, and death. I kept thinking about Mary. Jesus came to save us, to give us eternal life. He did that for all of us. The story of the pain, the punishment, and the torture Jesus endured is always hard to think about.

But Jesus was her son....her baby. She knew him as the savior. But she knew what he looked like when he got up from a nap. She knew what he liked to eat for a snack. She knew when he took his first steps and when he learned to count money. She held him in her lap and sang to him. She realized one day that he had suddenly gotten taller than her. He was her boy....loud, dirty, and busy.

I think about Mary knowing that Jesus was here for a reason but not wanting him to suffer. There is a scene that shows her wiping up his blood after he is beaten. It makes so much sense to me! I cannot imagine how helpless she felt. Knowing you can't stop the hurt, knowing you can't hold him, it is beyond painful. Feeling like you have to DO something! As a mother I could relate.

I know that we don't have written scripture about Mary cleaning up after him or what she said while her son was being beaten. I know that the scenes are from a movie so please don't think I am taking every part not written in scripture as truth. But, I do know Mary was a mother and the pain she felt is something that can not be denied.

Something I needed to put down in writing....

So at our Mom's Night Out dinner this weekend we were reminiscing about our various birth stories. We talked about what we remember from delivery and how our kiddos got here. It occurred to me that I haven't written down my boys' first minutes after being born. They have heard it every year on their birthday but I need to actually write it down. What I love is how they came out in their little individual ways that were true to their personalities.

Clay came out with his eyes wide open and his mouth shut. No breathing, just looking around. They worked on him a little while and finally got him breathing. Knowing him the way we do now I firmly believe he was afraid he wasn't going to breath perfectly so he just didn't. Literally born a perfectionist and worrier!

Colin man was true to his personality as well. They popped him out and held him up for me. He was SCREAMING at the top of his lungs with his arms and feet spread wide. That child has been loud since he came out.

Cade~Cade came out crying just like a t.v. delivery. Then after they held him up he peed on all the nurses. All boy and all ornery.

If you haven't watched this....watch it now.

Colin man turned 7

So this guy turned 7 last week. I love this picture....it is so Colin. This child's passion is swords, soldiers, guns, and any kind of battle. He plays pirates, cowboys, SWAT, army, and CIA. He is also one of the most tenderhearted little boys I know. He can't stand unfair actions, wants to help all the orphans and those in slavery around the world. He wants to give and give and give. He loves his Jesus and tells me that he wants to be a man of God.

Colin, my prayer for you is to keep all the boldness He has given you, all the loud, all the kindness, and all the compassion...use it for Him. Stick to what you know is right and help others along the way. Keep that smile and laugh forever!!

Christmas thoughts

As we get closer to the 25th I am busy making sure I have the right food stocked for the right celebration, the gifts wrapped and ready, and planning schedules in my head. We talk about this season as a time for family, friends, and Jesus' birth. But am I really making sure that is what our Christmas is about?

Being a parent means that I get to celebrate this time of year with little people who are super excited about all of it. I set the example of what Christmas is to my children. I wonder how I am doing? Am I showing them that all I care about is the "right" present, the "right" wrapping, and the "right" amount of gifts. Do Josh and I put way to much emphasis on being nice for Santa to come? Or are we making sure that they know the whole reason for Christmas is Jesus. Do they know that His birthday is a the ultimate celebration? This is why we give to our loved ones. Are those gifts we are giving causing debt and stress or are they from the heart and in line with what God has called us to do financially? Are my kids going to know that if we were not celebrating this birthday we would be lost eternally?

All I know is that we are trying. We celebrate Advent and have a big party Christmas Eve for baby Jesus with cake and ice cream. Santa does come to our house Christmas morning because my kids love the story of Saint Nicolas and why he brought gifts. We have learned all about our traditions and where they came from. We have selected gifts for each other that give back and help those who are the least of these.

We are far from getting all this right and I welcome any advice you may have to make sure that my children know what we are celebrating Christmas for. I hope you have a blessed Christmas and know His love for you this 25th.