Again?!

This morning Cash was commenting on how he would be 4 at his next birthday. Cash: And Canon will still be three. Drew: Canon will turn 4 too bc you guys have the same birthday. Cash: You mean I'll be a twin again?!? Mom: You'll be a twin for the rest of your life! Cash: Oh man....

Playing Catch-up: December 09 Photos

I am so behind on posting pictures. But thankfully not on taking them. The problem now is that I have too many to go through. I guess I'll just start with where I left off. It might be a while before I get caught up...if ever! (Yikes...just looked at where I left off...Halloween!)

So here are just a handful of pictures from December.

Christmas in Arkansas

I love this picture...it totally symbolizes to me how happy my crazy life makes me. (Fayetteville Square)

Making gingerbread houses with Nana

Christmas Eve

We took pictures of each of the kids individually and there are a lot of good pictures from that...but this girl cracks me up. She thinks she's a child model for "cute" or something.

Bathtime! These kiddo's love it.

Baking Christmas Sugar Cookies at home

'Twist' on my Expectations...

Went to get a free haircut as a model for a pricey salon's training in their techniques. Instead I came home with the rattiest teased hair & 50+ bobby pins, covered by a pretty little french twist. 2 miserable hours in the chair and now I get to go to bed looking like a movie star. Without the haircut I was hoping for...

The story: Weeks ago I called and got my name on a list, told them I was interested in a haircut, explained my current cut & what I was hoping for. Got a call from a stylist, scheduled to get it cut, got stuck in AR and had to cancel. Today another stylist called around noon to ask me if I was still interested and if I could come in and get my hair done tonight. Sure! Rearranged all of the evenings plans - Drew watched kids. Got there, had to park in a parking garage near downtown Fort Worth. Not terrible but not great either when you know it will be dark by the time you leave....by yourself. Anyways, so she is about 20 + minutes late to get started on my hair. Then when I sat in the chair she says, "so we're gonna do a french twist tonight". Then the trainer walks up and they begin talking about their plans for my hair. At this point I'm certain that they have absolutely no plans to cut my hair first. I tell them that I thought I was coming for a haircut...and they apologize for the miscommunication. Because I know that I am this girls 'classwork' I feel completely obligated to stay and let her do my hair. So I do. She 'back-combs' (fancy way to say 'teased') one particular section so much that I actually asked her if I was going to be able to get the tangles out. Then she has to brush most of it out and redo it because she didn't do it enough the first time. Ouch. Then they screwed up the million sections that she had to bobby pin up and they had to be redone countless times.

The whole time I was sitting there I was holding back tears of frustration and disappointment. This was not what I had signed up for. I would have never asked my husband to mess up his study night plans the night before a test so that I could go get a bedtime french twist. I was counting on a free (valued at $70) cut. To make matters much more weighty, earlier in the day I had already begun to parallel this situation to another much more important thing going on in my life and, while I wallowed in my misery, I started to fear that God might be speaking to that situation. I don't really know that that's true, but it definitely didn't help matters.

Side note: When stuff like this happens (ie - the van breaking down in OK while on vacation or a rat's nest in my hair) perspective, patience and long-suffering come by looking out for what Christ might be doing in the situation. I had a great conversation with a young woman from Nigeria who worked the front desk while I was waiting. She the youngest of five children - so we had family size in common & that got the conversation rolling. I was able to testify about how Jesus has been caring for our family. As soon as I spoke the name of Jesus she quickly began throwing out words like 'Karma' and quoting Gandhi. Understood. The conversation didn't really go anywhere after that but maybe my suffering was for her...or who knows, maybe it was really just for me.

2 1/2 years of lessons, learning & protection

There are some things that I find myself getting anxious about lately...and the more I think on them, the more anxious I get. But they really are important things that deserve my attention. So I'm working to talk them over with Jesus rather than to let my mind run off like an out of control car headed for a collision with worry and fear.

Tonight, as I hung up the clean clothes piled on my bed I began thinking about how I account for the past few years while we have been at seminary. I was lamenting about how "in the bubble" our family has been and our minimal real involvement in the world outside of the bubble. Then it suddenly hit me: the past two years have undoubtedly been the hardest years of my life, thus far. Our family has gone through a 'failed' church plant, moving, pregnant with twins, having 5 kids under 5, and Drew working 40 hrs a week and studying or in class probably 20 hrs a week. (You're probably wondering how I'm just now figuring this out!) Immediately after realizing this, I heard God telling me "I did this for you! I knew this was going to all come together at this time, and I knew that seminary was the best place for you to be so totally overwhelmed by the craziness of your life, because, here, you would also be so totally overwhelmed with help and so very well looked after. Coming to seminary didn't make this harder; it has cradled and protected your family like a womb during this tough time."

These past few years have taught me many things, here are just a few that I'm thankful to have grasped:

• I am finally learning to accept the benevolence of others. My heart is so independent and I, in my pride, hate to be thought of as incompetent or incapable of anything. I have been humbled by both my need for help and the enormous amount of support our family has received and still receives from those whom God has planted in our lives. In allowing others to help me, I realized that I am not the only one receiving blessing...the blessings have been theirs as well.
• As our children get older we no longer need the same amount of help that we used to need to go places & get things done. But I've learned a new appreciation for letting people help...and really, for including them in on the journey, not simply because we need their help, but because we need the relationships that come from life done together.
• The sheer size of my family has opened doors for testifying about God's provision and grace. When all 7 of us go out we're a bit of a spectacle...I can't imagine why! I used to be a little embarrassed by the attention because I know there are a few out there who think we are irresponsible and overpopulating the world...but the majority have been encouraging and so many have said the same thing, word for word, 'I don't know how you do it'. With that one statement they are basically asking us to testify about the grace of God in our lives. Sometimes it's just a simple response about God's provision...and sometimes it opens doors to a full conversation at the Chick-fil-a playground.

***Thank you to those of you who have been part of our story. God has used you to care for us, to give us opportunities to talk about how He has taken care of us, and to bless us with great friendships.

No fear in the blood...

Today I took Riley and Story to the dentist. The girls were both very nervous about going. As we drove there, I explained to them that we should pray because God is not afraid of anything. Riley listed off a whole list of reasons why God is not afraid, including:

He knows what is in every persons heart.
He made everything.
He always knows what is going to happen.

We then prayed that God's would be with them at the dentist, to comfort them and help them not be afraid. Well, the dentist visit went great...no cavities for Riley or Story! After we left with toy magnifying glasses, stickers and balloons in hand I asked them in the car about if God helped them not to be afraid. Riley's response brought tears to my eyes, "His blood always works." She is so right....

Jesus' Blood By Delirious

There's a secret I must tell
Of all the love I've found
And it's hidden in my heart
The day you tore my world apart

Hallelujah, King forever, friend and Saviour

Jesus' blood never fails me,
Jesus' blood never fails me,
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood

And this secret, it will run
To the corners of the earth
Where every woman, every son
Will carry high their chains undone

Hallelujah, King forever, friend and Saviour

Jesus' blood never fails me,
Jesus' blood never fails me,
Jesus' blood never fails me,
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood
Sing your songs of freedom
Praise the God of heaven
Love that never fails me
Jesus' blood, Jesus' blood

Written by Martin Smith ©1999 Curious? Music UK

Inquisitive little 'bird'

So last week Riley was asking me if they were going to have to cut her belly open to get her baby out when she's a mommy.

K: Maybe.
R: I don't want them to cut my belly.
K: It will be ok. You don't need to worry about it.

About 5 minutes later...totally fretting...

R: Mom, I really don't want them to cut my belly open.
K: Riley, you don't need to worry about it. It's a long time from now.

She started to cry....

K: OK Riley. Let me tell you a secret. But we can't tell anyone else about this. This is not something that needs to be talked about. Ok?
R: Ok.
K: God made babies to come out of your v______. Kind of the same way that you poopoo.
R: Your v_____?! (giggling) Oh! Ok.

For some reason, that totally eased her mind. Crazy.

THEN, Yesterday at Sam's she asked me where babies come from.

K: They come from your belly.
R: No. Where do they come from?
K: Your belly....remember?
R: How do they get in your belly?
K: God grows them there.
R: No. How do you make them?
K: Look, they have cookies!

Subject changed. Yikes!

Happy Halloweens!

We've had a great Halloween weekend! It has included lots of fun times and even costume changes!

Halloween Part 1: Friday Night

Friday night, while dressed in Medieval Storybook attire, (Think Princesses, Knights, Dragons & Fairies), we double dipped on Halloween events. First we went to Jed's school - Chapel Hill Academy - for their first Annual Literacy Night where we watched teachers dressed as storybook characters read books. We had free hot dogs & drinks and got candy from playing trunk or treat games. Best of all we met some of Jed's friends from school and their parents. After that we headed over to St. Barnabas, Lee & Patti's church, for their Fall Festival. We had a great time there playing games, jumping in bounce houses, riding trains, checking out the inside of the ambulance and eating more free food. Oh, and of course, more candy!








Halloween Part 2: Saturday

Saturday the older 3 kids were totally ready to dress up different than the night before. Jed chose to wear his pirate costume, Riley wanted to be a ballerina & Story was Cinderella. We went to Central Market for their free event - trick or treated thru the store, decorated pumpkin cookies, played on the playground and got coupons for free gelato for being in the costume contest. Good times. Except for the crazy bee's that kept trying to eat our cookies. That part was not so fun. After dinner (which included more free food from Taco Bell), the kids trick or treated at a few houses in our neighborhood before it got too late. I wish their had been trick or treating on our street...but I think all of our seminary neighbors were at their churches fall festivals. Now we're all sitting around watching Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure while I attempt to get these pictures posted in a timely manner!