Can you use that in a sentence please?

Caelleb and I made cookies for him to take to school last Tuesday so his class could join him in celebrating his adoption day. When I had asked him if he wanted to tell his class about his adoption day he replied, "YES. I love being adopted." :)

We put the cookies into the oven and I headed into the living room. Caelleb didn't follow. When I looked back into the kitchen this is what I saw...

Me: You are impatient.
C: What's dat mean?
Me: It means you CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER for those cookies to be done.
C: Yep. I'm dat.

Stragglers

Forgot about these two. Didn't want them to feel left out! Truthfully, I just can't get enough of this kid. Can you tell? :)

My Own Time

me: Whatcha doin' up there Caelleb?

C: Having my own time

me: Your "own time"?

C: Uh huh. Sometimes I go in my room for my own time but Tia comes in and bothers me, so I came up here.

me: I guess everyone needs some "own time" every now and then, huh?

C: Yep.

On This Day of Keeping

On This Day of Keeping
A blessing for Caelleb on the day of his adoption
Written by Eric L. Wilson
April 22, 2005

On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go, may God grant you love.
Love not subject to change or the winds of time
Love sewn together like patch work memories of parents now and parents past
Love equipped for conquering
A mending kind of love
On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you love.

On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you laughter.
Laughter that rings in your ear long after the punch line is gone,
Laughter cutting through departures and despair
Laughter always at your fingertips yet never at your expense
A red face laughter
An “I can’t breath but I don’t care” laughter
“I just can’t stop and if I tried it would make it funnier” kind of laughter
On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you laughter

On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you peace.
Peace that surpasses understanding
Peace that comforts and grows you
Peace that comes from knowing God is their, always loving, always reaching, and always wanting better for you.
Warm blanket peace
Mommy makes it alright, oh daddy is near by kind of peace
On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you peace.

On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you a pathway.
A pathway to relationship with the divine
A pathway far from worry, evil and yesterday’s pain
A dad I’m ready to get baptized pathway
Momma I found the girl I will marry pathway
An “I will never give up, I will never retreat” pathway
On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you a pathway.

God grant you a confidence never wavering,
God grant you wisdom unfailing
God grant you humility always rising
God grant you tomorrows overflowing with promise
God grant you grace, mercy, redemption, purity, purpose, vision, joy, and hope.

On this day of keeping, on this day of never letting go may God grant you life.

HAPPY ADOPTION DAY CAELLEB!!!!!

(The above blessing was written & read by our minister & friend at Caelleb's adoption party, 3 years ago today!)

Sippin' from the Saucer

When I look at this week through the eyes of my 6 year old I realize it's been (and will continue to be) a really good one. Not that my perspective on the week is negative, just busy. Caelleb had T-ball practice last night. He & Bryndyn both came home giddy with excitement and love for all things baseball. Caelleb has Tae Kwon Do tonight. Tomorrow his class is going on a field trip to the bowling ally & park. This morning I had the following conversation with Caelleb as we were getting into the van...

Me (thinking I'd remind him and get him excited for his day): "Someone has Tae Kwon Do tonight!"

Caelleb (didn't need reminding): "Yep. Den next day is bowling."

Me: "And then Sunday is the Cardinals game."

Caelleb: "I almost cried."

Me (not sure I understood him correctly): "You almost cried?"

Caelleb (breaking it down for me): "Mommy, when you are SOOOOOO happy, sometimes dat happens."

I don't think I've ever met a kid that was so appreciative & loved life as much as Caelleb. I love that about him.

There's only 1 & it's NOT on this list...

*Addendum: #8 was actually a comment that my father-in-law (who is a minister in northern California) left on this post but it fit well, so I had to add it to the list!

How many of us are "...turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all" (Gal. 1:6b-7a)? I was convicted by the following list that I first saw here, but you can also find it here or in the book, How People Change, by Tim Lane and Paul David Tripp.


Gospel Counterfeits

1. Formalism. “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.”

2. Legalism. “I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.”

3. Mysticism. “I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don’t feel that way. I may change churches often, too, looking for one that will give me what I’m looking for.”

4. Activism. “I recognize the missional nature of Christianity and am passionately involved in fixing this broken world. But at the end of the day, my life is more of a defense of what’s right than a joyful pursuit of Christ.”

5. Biblicism. “I know my Bible inside and out, but I do not let it master me. I have reduced the gospel to a mastery of biblical content and theology, so I am intolerant and critical of those with lesser knowledge.”

6. Therapism. “I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more Therapist than Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than sin—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs."

7. Social-ism. “The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.”


*8. Meism. "The doctrine of individualism. It's fine to talk about a servant's heart and being led by the Spirit and even being formed by the cross but it needs to fit into my wants, needs and expectations. I'm not the center of the universe but the universe exists to meet my needs. I need me some religion to feel whole and satisfy my spiritual appetite... but only if it has sufficient vitamin "I." After all Jesus is my PERSONAL Savior isn't He? Okay..okay... the first will be last and the last will be first but just note how humble I am and willing to give it all! (God sure knows how to pick them)"



Numbers 3 & 7 hit closest to home for me. How 'bout you?

It's a BASEBALL Day!

Caelleb was in an extremely good mood this morning when he exclaimed, "GOOD MORNING MOMMY" to me at 6:15am. He was already fed, dressed and had his coat and backpack on, completely ready for school. As I sat down on the couch to put my shoes on, still half asleep myself, he said, "it's a BASEBALL day!" He has this season's first t-ball practice tonight. Daddy is his coach. Caelleb is beside himself with excitement. He has already told Bryndyn that he is going to call him Coach Crutcher (this is what Bryndyn's students call him at work). Please, PALEEEEEEEZ don't let it rain today.


***Addendum: We had blue skies all day today! Nothing could wipe the smile off Caelleb's face when he got home this evening. When I asked him how he did he said (referring to when he was batting), "I almost hit someone's neck off!" Apparently his batting skills have improved since last year! :)

Strike A Pose

Here are the rest of the Easter pics. I have NEVER been able to get Tia to wear a hat for an extended amount of time (unless it is a baseball hat and even then it doesn't last that long), but she did not want to take this hat off! I don't know what came over them last weekend, but Caelleb & Tia were loving having their picture taken. Win-Win!

Bryndyn told them to give me two thumbs up in this next picture:

Driving With Miss Chatterbox

McAlister's has become our after-church-lunch ritual. We even went there last Sunday (Easter) but they were closed. As we were in route after church today Tia was her usual chatty self. She was very concerned that the restaurant might not be open. Our conversation went something like this. . .

Tia: "We goin' McAlister's?"

Me: "Yep"

Tia: "Them open?"

Me: "Uh huh"

Tia: "They not open last time"

Me: "They were closed for Easter."

Tia: "Why?"

Me: "Probably so that the people that work there could celebrate what Jesus did for us."

Tia: "Jesus closed McAlister's????"

Uhhhh... I guess that's one way of looking at it!


***************************************************

I read Green Eggs & Ham to Tia last night. She got really into the book and was trying to read aong with me the whole time. So, to change the subject (from above) I said, "Tia, do you like green eggs and ham?" She stopped chatting and went completely silent." A waited for a few seconds and them prompted her again, "Is Sam-I-Am trying to get you to try green eggs and ham?" Complete silence (and she is NEVER quiet in the van unless she is sleeping). . . I was kind of disappointed because I thought she would remember the story. After about a minute of silence she exclaims, "IN A BOAT? WITH A MOUSE? SAM-I-AM! ANYWHERE! IN A BOX? WITH A FOX? ANYWHERE!" Cutest thing.

the Extent of my Creativity

I'm not sure what my deal is with black & white pictures, but I just love them. Here are a few from this past weekend. . .

More Than I Bargained For

I had a list growing up. I probably started this list somewhere around the 8th or 9th grade. You know the one. The qualities-I-want-in-the-man-I'm-going-to-marry list. Come on, I KNOW I'm not alone. I bet you had a list too (well, at least the females out there)! Here were the basic qualifications my future husband had to meet:

1. He had to be a Christian

2. He had to be athletic

3. Of course, he had to be cute

4. He had to like kids

Yep, this pretty much sums up what I thought I wanted in a husband. In retrospect, the list is pretty comical & extremely naive. Not that the characteristics listed above aren't good. But my gosh, did I really think a cute, athletic, Christian who liked kids would be enough in a husband?

Cute is such a relative term. Athletic... okay I think I just wanted someone who enjoyed and played sports as much as I did because I couldn't imagine my life without sports. Christian? According to this site, 83% of Americans identified themselves as "Christian" at the time I made my list. Likes kids? I guess that is a good start, to "like" your children.

But there you have it, the list I presented to God. Thankfully, He intervened and did "...immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. . ." (Eph. 3:20).

Christian. Athletic. Cute. Likes kids. Yes, Bryndyn is all of these things. More importantly, he is a man with a true relationship with God; striving to be Christ-like with an unwavering faith. He is exceptionally selfless and deeply content. He is an extremely hard worker. He is steadfast and unwavering in his commitment & devotion to our family. He is completely reliable. He is honest. He is trustworthy. He is down-to-earth & fun to be around. He is humble. He is an amazing father. He loves me unconditionally. He is my best friend. He is so much more than I can put into words.

I don't know what I did to deserve Bryndyn. And I don't know if I tell him enough how much I appreciate him. God knew exactly what I needed in a spouse, long before my 15-yr.-old-mind could possibly imagine what the future held. I am so grateful!

Happy Birthday Bryndyn! I love you!

These eggs didn't stand a chance!

Both kids had a great time decorating easter eggs this year...
This next picture cracks me up, such concentration!

Just Us Four

Family vacations for us typically revolve around visiting, well, family. It's rare that just me, Bryn and the kids take a vacation by ourselves. When a friend & co-worker of Bryn's offered us their time-share in Branson for two nights we were EXCITED! This was our first trip to Branson and we really enjoyed our time there. Granted, we didn't leave the condo much because everything there was FREE (indoor swimming, park, put-put golf)! We checked in Thursday evening. After scoping out the place I think the kids were mostly impressed with the master bedroom. Tia came out of it saying, "Mommy, your room has a POOL in it!" (in reference to a big jacuzzi tub). Friday day we pretty much just chilled at the condo & took advantage of all the ammenities.

(this has got to be one of my all-time favorite pics of Caelleb, to-date)

That evening we took the kids to dinner at a hibachi grill. Caelleb had been to one before but Tia hadn't. The fire on the grill both terrified and mezmerized her all at the same time. After a great dinner we drove around Branson for awhile just taking it all in. We ended up at The Landing, pretty much by chance, but it turned out to be a great place to spend the evening. There was a water/light show which the kids (Caelleb, especially) loved!

(this is a much smaller water fountain than the one in the water/lights show)

There was marble slab ice cream involved. And the evening was topped off by some pretty cool balloons. You need the side angle view to get the full effect of this hat that the balloon man made Caelleb.Tia requested "Ariel," not bad...
Saturday we took our time checking out of the condo. Bryn and Caelleb played another round of put-put golf while Tia and I played on the playground. Before heading out of town we stopped for a round of go karts and then headed home. Branson is sort of like a family-friendly Vegas without the gambling (if that makes any sense).
I can't wrap up this post with out mentioning this restaurant. We stopped in Ozark (just 20 miles or so north of Branson) to eat dinner at the home of the throwed rolls that we had heard so much about. Oh man, serious gluttony. We liked it so much that we stopped there again on the way home, for lunch. I can't even do this place justice by writing about it. You just have to be there. . . delicious rolls being literally thrown around the restaurant. . . free refills on EVERYTHING--not just drinks--you can have as many servings of whatever you order as you want. We just laughed at that. There was no way we could do any second servings after all of the extra "pass arounds" that they walk around distributing, on TOP of your regular order. Crazy amounts of food and all delicious, for a relatively cheap price! If you do plan on going there give yourself plenty of time, there is always a wait to get in, but soooooo worth it!