Good for my heart

Last night after Brad and I got in bed, we had a conversation that sounded something like this:

B: I'm so glad you are home. We missed you a lot.

A: Thanks! I'm so glad to be home, I think I missed y'all more.

B: And I just wanted to tell you that I really respect all you do. 

A: Thank you.

B: I mean, I've always respected it, it's just that you do a lot. It's non-stop.

A: Thanks for saying that. Yeah, non-stop would be a great way to describe it.

B: Oh, and I think Kayt is really going to like me.

A: (smile) goodnight

#1-There are times when a person speaks a few words that rest in your heart and mind for a long time.  These words are that for me.

#2-Brad tells me a lot how thankful he is for me and all that I do for him and the kids, but it's nice to know that when you are away, you're missed. And needed. 

#3-I think Kayt is really going to like her daddy too. She already likes him so much. It's pretty fun to watch this little girl steal her daddy's heart one smile at a time. 

#4-Brad summed motherhood up so well: Non-Stop

One more for team USA!

Not only have I been out of town for the past 5 days, I've practically been out of touch with civilization. 

Therefore, I missed the opening ceremonies and all Olympic events leading up to this evening. Let me just say that I was more than thrilled to plop down on my very own couch tonight to watch the American 'fab foursome' take home the gold in the 400 meter swimming.  

I tell you, this wonderful thing called the Olympics make me giddy!

No need to worry folks, I have the opening ceremonies recorded just waiting to be watched. 

Let the Games Begin

Is anyone else really excited about this?

I've been anticipating the Olympics for months. I love the feelings that the games stir up within me. Looking back on my life, I can distinctly remember snapshots of watching summer and winter olympics.  This is the only time I keep the t.v. on at all hours of the day just to insure I don't miss out on anything. 

I can't wait!

Pray for Brian

~~update: Because this is such a small world, I've found out Brian has a blog set up to track his journey.~~

www.brianblair.blogspot.com

During our church service on Sunday, I looked up and made direct eye contact with a girl who looked all too familiar to me.  I had no idea where I might know her from, but I knew that we had met before. I didn't think much of it until afterwards when I was walking out of the auditorium. Since we made eye contact for a second time, I went to her and introduced myself. She reminded me that we had lived across the hall from one another in our college apartments. As soon as she said that, it all clicked.  Her name is Shae and my roommates and I lived across from her and her friends for 2 years. We made small talk and caught up on where our lives had led us. She briefly introduced me to her friend, Brian. It was fun seeing her!

As I walked off Brian caught up to me and told me that although we had just met, he had a favor to ask of me. He said as though he was supposed to ask me to pray for him.  He went on to say that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer the week before and would be having surgery in Dallas this Thursday.  I don't know Brain at all. I don't know his story. But I do know that his eyes told of pain and fear and a desire for healing that seemed too heavy to carry. Brian and his surgery have been so heavy on my heart all week. I cannot tell you the amount of times that I have thought of and prayed for him.  If Sunday seems so long ago to me, I can only imagine how long this week has been for Brian, his family and friends.  

So, would you please join me in praying for this stranger that needs the hand of the Lord to perform on his behalf? 

Brian will be having surgery at 7am on Thursday.  

Thanks friends!!!

Just Thinking...

In the past 24 hours I've:

-done 7 (oversized) loads of laundry.

-changed more diapers than you want to know about

-cleaned pee off the carpet.

-laid on the floor so that Noah could practice his long jumping over me.

-built a house. (so what if it was with Legos)

-carried on full length conversations with 3 baby dolls at one time.

-gone through half a box of Kleenexes wiping a snotty nose

-cooked 3 meals

-took a shower with a fully clothed little boy

-used my mini-vacuum more times than I can count

-played soccer, basketball, frisbee, golf, and baseball

-the list goes on...

And you know what?

I love it. 

All of it.

I love my husband. I love my kids. I love what I do. 

I love that when my husband comes home at the end of the day and  asks me what I've done that day I can look at him with glazed over eyes and smile knowing he just wouldn't get it. Part of me thinks, do you really want to know? Another part of me thinks, if I told you you wouldn't believe me. Yet, most of me is just too exhausted to even give an account. So I usually just smile and say something to the effect of "Not much. What did you do?" And that is that.

There are days, like today, when the house is quiet during nap time that the only things that seems appropriate is to sit down and take my thankful heart before the Lord.  I love to know that I have two bedrooms, with two cribs, holding two babies that I just adore.  I love knowing that I serve a God who is faithful to an unworthy girl.  I like that it's okay to know and be comfortable with the fact that I am unworthy. 

What are you most thankful for today?

Scatterbrained Sundays

This seems to be where my Sunday evenings leave me...scatterbrained. 

*Last week was super busy for us. I have no idea what we did. How does that happen?

*We took the kids to an amusement park for the first time Friday night. They LOVED it! And guess who forgot her camera? Yep, I tell ya, I'm bad about that. 

I'll just paint a picture for you.

Imagine sweet Noah riding the boats round and round and round and round smiling and waving with each turn he made. He was so precious! 

Now, imagine Noah on the frog hopper sitting next to kids 3 times his age.  They flew 40 feet in the air and hopped all the way down. Can't you just see him? No? Well, he's the one crying and screaming "I not yike dis. I don't wanna be a frog! I need my mom. I not yike dis, no I don't, no I doooonnn't!"

My munchkin was so content to sit in her stroller and eat. She devoured a hot dog (yuck) and a few other items that I'm probably unaware of!  The girl's an eater.

I even managed to get a few rides in. Wouldn't you know the first ride I chose to go on got stuck mid-air. We hung horizontally, 50 feet in the air for over 10 minutes. When I finally got the operators attention to confirm that we were in fact, stuck he calmly told me that yes, we were but not to worry because he though he could have us down pretty shortly.  Trust me, that appeased all of my anxieties.

*We also had one of Brad's college friends staying with us. I love my husbands friends! Not love them, but love them. You know, like love them because my husband loves them type of love them. Yeah, that type of love them.

*Saturday we went to a family reunion. Family reunions equal akward fun! Pictures? Nope. Not there either. Oh well, I probably would have forgotten their name by now anyway. Except Kayt did look so cute in her turquoise skirt! 

*Every Sunday we eat lunch at my in-laws. It's become a weekly tradition that we all look forward to, not to mention the best meal we eat all week! And then Brad played golf with my brothers this afternoon.  

*This evenings been full of yard mowing, Otter Pop eating, baseball playing, laundry washing and house cleaning in attempts to get things back in order after our fun-filled weekend.

*Speaking of baseball, Noah makes me laugh when he gets all the equipment out and says "Okay mom. I'll be the batter and you be the glober (glover)!"  It's pretty cute; I'm not the pitcher, I am the glover. And he is GOOD at baseball. I pitch glove him the ball and he hits it the full length of our yard and we have a big yard.  My boy is super coordinated and athletic. I know I'm his mom, but I really do think he is.

*Are you bored yet?

--imagine me saying the next point in a voice that pleads for your help--  

*I need potty training help. Badly!  I'm going out of town on Wednesday and will be gone through the weekend, but plan on giving potty training our best efforts when I return. I've gotten advice from a few people, but I'm open to all that I can get. Does anyone have good advice or a must read? Please, please pass it on.  I beg you....

*Peace Out Home Slice.

fo-shizle

Funny site: Gizoogle.   You type in a website and it changes the wording to Ebonics. 

It's a little crass, but funny. 

Type in your blog. See what you might really be saying! :)

Typical Tuesday

I picked Noah up from MDO and his teacher said, "He was really good, but during nap time he took his diaper off and peed and pooped in his bed." 

Whattha....

He's never done that before. 

On one hand I was so embarrassed,  but then on the other hand, I was thankful I didn't have to clean it up! (sorry girls)

In the car he told me all about it. 

He said, "Mom, I took my diaper off and I did a small poop, then I did a big one! I peed too! It was cool. Am I a silly boy?"  Then he went on to re-enact the entire scenario. 

Humph.

Cart Return Anyone?

Do you return your grocery cart?

Before I birthed two children, I always returned my cart. I felt it was my civil duty.  In fact, I was bothered by the lazy people who didn't.  I smirked at their inability to accomplish such a simple task. 

When I had one child, I usually returned my cart. I could unload groceries, push Noah -still in the cart- to the holding place and then take him back to the car. Unless it was extremely hot or  cold or I was in a huge hurry, I most often returned the basket. 

Now.

Now, I sometimes return my cart. I've tried to start parking near a cart return (what in the world are those things called?).  If I don't park near one, I don't return it. 

What are you supposed to do? I'm not going to leave my kids in the car just to put a measly cart away. I feel like moving it out of the center of the parking spot is quite a favor now.  

I think the solution is to not do any shopping with two kids, but for me, thats often unrealistic unless I want to be on solitary confinement to my home. 

I guess what I'm getting at is that something that annoyed me in the past is now just the norm for me. There are a lot of things like that. That's just where my life is. It isn't as structured, full of criticism or easy as it used to be. 

What do you do? Do you return the cart? Do you judge those who don't? 

Taste and See

I want to say thank you to those of you who left comments wanting to join on the prayer journey. I really do feel like the Lord has put a burden on me for this, so if you are just now reading the previous post or were hesitant to leave your name, feel free to do so if the Lord impresses. 

The reason I would like to know names is so that I can pray for each person by name. The gals who left comments are the ones I've been taking to the Lord all day. 

If you would like to be a prayer warrior for the hearts of the women seeking him, pray for theses ladies:

Karen

Jennifer

Mary Katherine

Kristina

Jessica

Cassie

Sam

Ashley B.

Ashley H.

Amy K.

Lindsey

Mandy

Brooke

Amy B.

Ashley I.

I wanted to share what the Lord brought to my mind throughout the day. I was reminded of Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. For anyone who is still questioning wether or not the Lord is good, or possibly if the Lord is really for you...taste and see. Give the Lord a chance to show you his goodness. Take thoughts and emotions that don't align with Jesus captive.  Speak the name of Jesus aloud when satan tries to still your joy. There is power in merely speaking the name of Jesus. 

Also, I've been challenged recently to spend time each day on my face before the Lord. I literally mean on ~ my ~ face.  Every day, at some point, I lay prostrate on the floor of my house. Some days I speak out, some days I'm silent, yet other some days I feel like I'm taking refuge. I believe the Lord has blessed my time of complete surrender. It isn't long. One day it may be 4 or 5 minutes, yet there have been days that it has turned to much longer.  Though I had done this from time to time, I had never, until recently, made a daily practice of it.  I felt like I should share that because I feel like it may be for someone else too. I encourage you to try it!