What Joel and Leslie REALLY did on vacation...

On Sunday, before leaving, Joel and Leslie made one last check that they had everything they needed. As they get in the car they realize that they forgot their traditional hymns CD. How can they go on a trip without old favorites like "Nothing But The Blood" and "Oh Come Thy Fount"? Laughing at their near disaster, Leslie runs back in the house to grab it out of their CD player. Joel and Leslie take off on their long trip singing "To God Be The Glory" and anxiously await their arrival to their retreat.

Upon arriving and checking in, they receive their welcome packet that includes their scheduled events for the week. They are excited to see fun things like fishing and games, and horseback riding. Leslie has always wanted to go horseback riding, her only concern is the ankle length skirt that she feels is appropriate for a strong baptist wife to wear, but she figures she can side saddle it. Unfortunately, they are distraught to find out that tonights event is karaoke and dancing. Knowing that dancing is not a reverent activity, they choose instead to stay in their rooms and pray for the pastors and their wives who are participating, hoping they will turn from their evil ways. After a half hour bowing on their knees in front of their bed, they realize the late hour...8:30 and decide to turn in...to their twin beds. It's much more appropriate.

The next day sees Joel and Leslie beginning their day getting ready to their beloved hymns again, this time their favorite...Blessed Assurance!
They are excited to see that today is horseback riding. They excitedly make their way down to breakfast. After eating they take off to the stables. Unfortunately, they don't have side saddles...no one told them it wasn't 1845 anymore. So Leslie, not wanting to disappoint Joel, mounts her horse. The ride loses its charm because Leslie feels she is showing way too much skin, her skirt doesn't cover her calves and ankles! But she's reminded of her favorite verse since becoming married...Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord...It calmes her and she's able to enjoy the rest of their ride.

After riding, they were hungry so they made their way to lunch. After serving Joel his food, Leslie then sits down to her own food. She gets a little teary because she misses Zach, but quickly puts herself together and moves on.

The next few days follow a similar pattern. They love their outdoor time and the fellowship of collegues who understand what it's like to lead a church. They find that they are a little more wordly than Joel and Leslie. They like to do things like take naps, laugh, sing, dance...and someone mentioned missing a TV show, can you imagine? They actually watch TV back home. Joel and Leslie decide to kneel in front of their twin beds and pray for their fellow pastors and their wives again and to remember the verse..."judge not lest ye be judged". And are able to move on happily.
The last morning is the morning they've been looking forward to the most. It's a morning filled with devotion and prayer. Unfortunately they are confused when the head pastor begins reading the Bible. They are having trouble following his reading. And then it dawns on them, he's reading from the NIV! They are used to the Hebrew Bible or at the very least the King James version. There are no thee's or thou's in there at all. Joel and Leslie come away feeling sad and empty. But, Joel was able to understand the references the pastor read so they hurried to their rooms and looked up all the verses. As understanding dawned on them, they happily packed their bags, refreshed from their devotion, all the while singing "Sweet Hour Of Prayer". As they get in their car, so ready to go see Zach, their beloved CD finally burns out after hours of use. Leslie, starts to softly cry, but Joel comes to the rescue and pulls out Bill Gaithers latest CD! They travel happily all the way to Redding.

A Day At The Park

Jenn and I figured today was a little chilly but would still be nice enough to go to the park. We didn't factor in the wind chill though. The kids had fun but Rylee and Ally didn't enjoy being cold so we didn't stay overly long. But I was able to get a few cute pictures of Bella and Ally, who played together the entire time, and Tessa and Emily. Rylee wouldn't get down to play for very long so there's no cute pictures of Jack and her.

The car picture is after the park. Jenn invited us to come over to play so the kids could go outside if they wanted to and those who didn't like the cold wouldn't freeze. Of course all the kids wanted to ride together so I had, (from back to front), Ally, Bella, Rylee, Tessa, and Emily all in my car. I had to get a picture of all of those kids sitting back there. It was a lot of fun!

So Jenn, seeing as you'll have every other Friday off, don't plan anything...those Fridays are play days with your friend!

Why I'm Glad Jenn Had a Boy!

It's officially happened, we now have four girls BEGGING got come over to each others houses. And I mean begging! It used to be just Tessa and Emily but lately Bella and Ally have been conspiring to come to each others houses. Today, Jenn watched Ally and Rylee while I helped at Em's school. And when I went to leave after picking them up, Bella went flying down the hall to get her shoes because she was coming with us. Ally, who was all for that, was already telling me that they would sit together in the back of the car. So Bella got to come over and play with Ally this afternoon. They really do play well together!


And that wasn't a first. Last Thursday I picked up Tessa to come over to dinner before AWANA and poor Bella was heartbroken when she couldn't come, so much so that her mom and dad took pity on her and took her to ice cream. So in closing...THANK YOU, Jenn and Jed, for having a little boy. I can't imagine 6 children begging to come over each and every time! It's too heartbreaking not being able to say yes all that often!

Haircuts

I have been growing out Ally's hair because she has a lot of natural wave that's annoying and I thought that the longer it got the heavier it would get and it would naturally straiten out. Not the case. It's been so annoying to keep looking nice and it never does. So, we decided to cut it and give back the bangs...she looks sooo much better. And for a change we cut Em's too but decided to not cut bangs. Her's are all grown out and I probably won't ever cut them until she's old enough to decide for herself.

The Substitute Mommy

When Emily was little I read to her a lot. It was one of the things I was most excited to do when I was pregnant with her. I love books and couldn't wait to read to her. But, having Rylee and Ally so close, they haven't gotten my attention as much where reading is concerned. And I've always regretted it, (see post below where I'm corrupting their minds by not reading to them! =). But that is all solved now. Emily, who also loves to read, is always tucked away somewhere, reading to Ally. And they both really enjoy it. This morning it was on the couch with a Dora The Explorer book. At bedtime, when I'm feeling frazzled but it's not quite time to put them down, I tell them they can read on their beds and everytime Ally climbs up with Emily so she can be read to. It's really sweet.

So there is hope for Ally being a reader too...thanks to her big sister!

A Second Chance Please!

Mike and I have stuck through this last season of ER on tv, I don't really know of anyone else who watches it. Well, last nights episode had 3 alternate endings, basically the same day 3 time 15 minutes each during the show. It was showing how little things she said or did changed the course of her day and 2 patients days.

It got me thinking about all the choices I make for my kids, big and small. I'm a natural born worry wart! Add the typical mommy guilt and it makes for a bad package most of the time. Sometimes it seems that I'm always stressing about what choices I'm making for my kids now...am I reading to them enough, are they getting their spiritual nourishment, am I making sure their teeth are cleaned well enough and often enough, is my disipline helping them to become strong independent God fearing kids or am I not even reaching them? Do I push Emily too much, Ally not enough? Are we too strict, not strict enough? Are we setting bad food habits? When should we get them involved in extra activies like sports, it's important, isn't it? Am I playing with them enough, or am I creating dependent kids?

I could go on and on and on. Does anyone ever feel this way? Like every choice we make is going to drastically change their future, good or bad. Sometimes I definitly wish I had made a different decision and wish I could go back.

But in thinking about it, I forget that God has a hand in everything. That I need to give my kids back to God and let Him lead them and Mike and I in parenting and directing them through life. And truly, worry is a sin. In worrying about making the right choices all the time, it is actually causing me to stumble. It's so hard though, not to be in control. It was hard for me to send Emily off to preschool last year. Not so much because she was growing up and I was sad, but because I couldn't control her actions anymore. I had spent 4.5 years of her life stopping bad behavior, feeding her, telling her what activities we were doing, ect. She had to stand on her own and hopefully the work we had put into her would pay off.

I don't really know why I'm blogging this, I may delete it later, but it was on my mind and I wondered to what extent other parents, or maybe more specifically, those worrying moms out there, thought about this? Do you agree to some extent? Not at all? Wholeheartedly?

Sickness

2009 was supposed to be the year of health since 2008 seemed to be our year to catch everything. But it so far hasn't played out that way. Rylee is down with another cold, running fevers all day, falling asleep off and on, only wanting to cuddle. She's congested and miserable. Em stayed home yesterday with it and Ally's been fighting it but I think it's starting to claim her too.

Even though I have been busy sitting holding Rylee, (who doesn't want down for a minute), I did manage to snap a few pictures of Rylee doing what she does best when she's sick...sleep, even in unusual places like the floor.

So Much For That

In an earlier post, I showed you a picture of Rylee's Santa gift. The riding train that she loved to ride on. Well, I figure that was just a scam to make us believe she would use it correctly. As soon as we turn around, she's using it for her own gain.

I put up the hungry hungry hippos game today so she couldn't get into it while I finished on the computer. Next then I know I see her pushing her train down the hall, parking it in front of the desk, climbing on the seat then the steering wheel so she can reach the game. She does this all the time with things she wants.

It's really become a big problem. She's forever dragging that thing around to reach whatever she wants. I finally put it up in her closet. I figure if she isn't going to ride it, then she doesn't need it. We'll make it an outside toy. I know she'll just push over something esle now, but maybe I'll have a day or two before she figures out what that may be. One can only hope!

It is winter, isn't it?

I know most people think I'm probably crazy...but this weather is depressing! I want it to rain or be really cloudy or something that feels like winter! I know I'll probably enjoy the weather but I definitly wouldn't mind the real winter weather to come back! Does anyone else feel that way?

This morning Emily was the last of the three girls to get into the bathtub. Rylee and Ally were already in and playing with their toys when I told her to get it. For Christmas, they got all new bath toys so there are a lot of fun things they want to play with and one or two that they really want.

So as Em is getting in, I hear her ask Ally for the toy she has. It's this turtle that is a sprinkler. Ally, of course, says no. So in Em's sweetest mommy voice, she proceeds to tell her this...

"Ally, you need to share because that is the kind thing to do and God wants us to be kind Ally. God tells us we have to be kind and share, that's what he says. So you should be kind, Ally, and share that toy with sissy."

I thought it was so funny. Pulling all the stops out to get what she wants. I've never heard her give herself that lecture before!