keepin' it easy

lake texoma

2012-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

a VERY generous family gave us a weekend at their lake house. we tried desperately to take another family with us, but everyone was busy. here are some pics from that weekend away....

this is the bunk room. this was one of the five bedrooms. :)

i think the house slept about 28... CRAZY fun!

such cute stairs... fruit of the spirit all the way up them.

the view from the loft above! COZY!

we taught the kids checkers and uno over the weekend... now they want to play all the time.

we built fires all weekend to stay warm! so fun!

living room...

lance and i spent one night playing games too.

2012-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

teaching your baby to sign saves you so much hassle... less screaming... less guessing. it is great!! and in the case of this little guy- even greater because we didn't teach him... allie did!!

these pics don't do it justice, but he has to concentrate so hard and his face is hysterical!! one day we'll post a video!

14 DAYS of LOVE

2012-02-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

i snatched an idea from pintrest and made this little project for the kids...

i didn't feel like coloring rice so i switched it up and used strawberry whoppers (way yummy by the way).

we pick one heart a day and everyone in the family tries to complete the task written on the back. this pic is blurry, but you get the point.

finding the sprinkles again

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

a few years back my precious friend, jenny lay, moved her family to columbus, tx. i still remember having a conversation with her when she first moved. She said life was good, but it was just missing the sprinkles and she was ready to have that color and fun back.

this statement might not make sense to you. i don't think i fully understood it until now. life IS good... i have very little to complain about. However, we have been living in this transition stage - trying not to get into a comfortable routine because we shouldn't be settled here, right? i have been making things simple and easy because anything else seems like too much and too hard. my thoughts have sounded like: "i can wait on all that because we'll be in a home soon and i can do it then."

now don't get me wrong... there is alot to be said for simple and i'm embracing a large part of that right now. however, sometimes (for me) "simple" translates into nothing. no training my children. no fun, mom-planned activities. no scripture focus... the list could go on.

well, jenny to the rescue. she reminded me to find my sprinkles by sending me some in the mail.

i could settle for a plain cupcake, but why? i'd rather have a pretty one. i'd rather smile while i eat mine... if you know what i mean. i'd rather my kiddos have something to be excited by and something to look forward to.

my analogy might be breaking down in your mind, but it's just getting started in mine. basically, we have no idea how long it is going to be until we find a home so it's time to stop settling for the average treat and be good stewards of what the good things that the LORD has blessed us with. we are being more intentional with our time and talents... stay tuned!

one month

2012-02-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

it's official.

we've lived in dallas for one month.

we are still homeless, but not hopeless!

here are some pics from my phone this past week:

1. you could leave g in a swing for hours... he LOVES it!

2. rub a ding ding... three kids on the swing.

3. when did my little boys get so big... sigh!

BUT, hooray for grocery stores with amazing carts! BONUS!

4. "mom, it's like i am a designer!?"

5. three saturday mornings of krispy kreme = spoiled!

6. i mean REALLY SPOILED!

7. when all else fails, just play in the clothes hamper.

8. two scoops to this pretty girl for memorizing ALL of her word wall words!

and that is a wrap!

are you still praying for us to find a home?

ok, just checking! ;)

a girl can dream

2012-01-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

do you ever do this?

drive by a house that just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

no, i'm just strange?

well, this house just says, "come on in and stay for awhile!"

it is completely and utterly out of reach.... just one of those houses that makes me hit the curb everytime i drive by because i can not take my eyes off of it. i don't know what it is... the porch? the roof line? the blue door? it is just the epotome of charming!

i had a dream house in tyler too. it's fun to have found one here that makes me smile! i think it's ok because i don't have any feelings of discontentment or jealousy... i just really think these people have a beautiful home and i wouldn't put up a fight if the keys to this place just appeared in my hand one day. HA! :)

it's totally the little things

2012-01-27T11:04:00.000-08:00

life is simple

i should be more grateful

here are some things that have brought joy this week...

valentine gel clings

B E A U T I F U L flowers from my guy... in an arby's cup.

beginning the switch to the real deal.... we're leaving formula behind (and, yes, g has to drink soy milk as he has an intolerance to milk).

i bought a single burner (mandate from my mommy in law...hee,hee) and we made MAC and CHESSE people!! really... i boiled water without having to run next door! it was amazing! :)

and i ate something yummy in my own apartment. little did anyone know that i was choosing not to eat b/c the choices were not appealing. today... i bought a cheddar and jalepeno bagel - spread it with chipoltle mayo and stacked it high with ham, turkey, and munster cheese. it was glorious!

what ifs

2012-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

so my husband is the KING of what ifs. he enjoys throwing them out there and he knows that i usually roll my eyes and question why he would even bother thinking about that possibly happening. ha ha... we are so different and i love it!

but the LORD has been throwing some what ifs my way and i've had to question some things...

1. what if i admit my needs to others and allow the body of Christ to be our hands and feet during this time. what if that helps others step into a role of blessing and motivates me to continue in the same pattern? (I peter 4:10-11)

2. what if cleaning the house (or in our case, our room) isn't so it can be spotless and i can feel accomplished/proud of myself. what if i do it so that our family can ENJOY it? you know, lincoln log, CARS cars, barbie kind of enjoy it!!?? (2 cor 10:17-18)

3. what if i can't meet the needs of my family the way i wish i could? what if that is how it is suppose to be? what if, instead, i show them that my weakness is made perfect in HIM and it is ok to admit that i can't do it, but show that i have faith that HE can (2 cor 12:9)

4. what if play dates are not JUST meant to be fun for my kids or bring me a much needed break. what if play dates aren't about me at all?? what if i spent time with people because i want to know them well and love them often and i want to show my kids how you do that (phil 2: 3-4)

5. what if showers and workouts and quiet moments aren't something i am entitled to? what about those without running water, homes, and bibles? what if i lavished in those moments (few as they may be) remembering that i am beyond blessed to have them at all?

ahh, what if?? have any what ifs of your own this week? i would love to hear them! may the LORD be speaking to you in new ways and may you have ears to hear (matt 11:15)

through the lens

2012-01-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

the busy crazy end to the year kept me from posting these pics. but i still had to share!

michaela powell took the time to capture some great shots of our family of six.

and just in case it was looking like this was a wonderful time of well behaved, smiling children... let me include these two shots...

oh, and back to being cute...

well, sorta

these kind of pictures are more us anyway!

her words...

2012-01-17T17:36:00.000-08:00

allie asked if she could write an email to her old teacher, mrs. martin. i asked her what she would like me to type and these are the exact words that she spoke:

mrs. martin,
i wonder how it is going with your class. i know that i had to leave because of the lord calling dad to a new job. i miss you so much. i'll come and visit you sometime. tell your class that i miss them so much. i've been meeting new friends everyday. my teacher is mrs. titmas. i've been learning a lot from her. i hope that you will have a great night.

love allie

i was so struck by her words about the lord.... she is learning some gospel truth during this time - truths that will be with her forever! when the Lord calls - we answer! amen?

this and that

2012-01-15T18:38:00.000-08:00

i wish i could muster up more than just random events of our week in my posts. you know, like something deeper... how much we are growing spiritually through this transition or some cool parenting lesson i have learned along the way. and those thing are happening, but i think i'll be able to process them better later. right now... i'm living moment to moment with not much debrief time. :) so, once again... here are some pics to sum up our week:

aunt jeni pops in often and WE LOVE IT!! (oh, and yes... she use to be a blonde!)

and my fabulous sis let ALL the kids spend the night so lance and i could eat alone and sleep through the night for the first time since moving. ahhh! it was wonderful and this is the pizza we ordered from Grimaldi's Pizzeria! YUMMMMMY!

some really generous friends gave us some gift cards and one was to in and out burger. one night after dinner, baths, and pjs... we went just for a shake and some fries! they had a blast!

the next day we "happened upon" a soda shoppe. old school.... very cool and the cones were a buck.

house hunting has worn riley out on more than one occasion. ha! still no luck there, but we have faith!

i sought out sprinkles one night in an attempt to eat my worries away... i think it worked... you should try it sometime! hee,hee.

since we usually have our laundry in three different baskets and i use to do the kids clothes one day and ours the next.... i've never quite seen anything like this. six people in one basket for only FOUR days... wow!

took the boys to the galleria indoor play area when the weather got crazy cold.

and the "mat room" at the church is available too... allie was so mad we went without her so we'll be going again this week AFTER school. :)

many blessing on your week this week.

my goal for this week is to wake up asking the Lord for direction instead of planning my days and pretending to be in control. i've gotten out of the habit of beginning the day reminding myself that i'm not in charge.

just a few happenings...

2012-01-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

little cutie in the bath tub!

the kids can be seen here when daddy leaves for work or when they know aunt jeni is coming to visit.

allie got to try out her easy bake oven skills.

i've been trying to manage in the two story walmart/sams... crazy dallas!

before the rain started yesterday we had been trying out a new park a day... i think our total is six so far.

slowcooker friends

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

my heart is about two weeks behind my body. this is the week when emotions fly. i can sense all sorts of feelings bubbling up within me and i'm tempering them with the loving voice of my Savior as He whispers his truths to me.

lonely is defined as destitute of friendly companionship. that can not be the word to describe how i am feeling because i have been so sweetly pursued by many wonderful people in the watermark community. in fact, it is because of these thoughtful people that i'm just beginning to realize the process that my mind is going through.

i think the word longing better describes where i find myself today. i have "a strong, persistent desire" to have deep relationships again. oh, if this could only happen more quickly. but the hard truth is that those type of friends take time to develop... moments, memories, and experiences can not be microwaved... it is a slow cooker process.

i'm getting plenty of experience with our crock pot these days. other than a griddle, it is our only source to cook from in the apartment. the crazy part about the crock pot is you have to plan ahead and you have to spend ALL day with it. in order for the foods to taste good, all the ingredients have to "marry" together for hours. this process has been a reminder of the time and effort it will take to have deep relationships in our new place.

it has also been a reminder of the even stronger and more deeply rooted part of me that really just LONGS to be reunited with Jesus. tyler is not my home. dallas is not my home.

my home is heaven and my heart is longing to be with my Father!

our urban loft

2012-01-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

here is one view of our cozy place.
that is the kitchen under the shinning light.

and see that closet??

that is actually allie's room:

here is another angel that includes our computer area and sitting space. griffin is tucked behind that dresser and see the other closet door??

that is the boy's room.

caleb is on the left:

and riley is on the right

here is our tv and "walk in closet" :)

that door leads to our bathroom

(oh, and really cute kid!)

and the master suite (filled with kids of course)! :)

that's the tour of our space... we hope to post pics of a house soon, but so far we haven't found anything to make a fuss about.

there have been some difficulties to living here, but really we are just super thankful.

thankful to be together.

thankful to grow closer as a family.

thankful that there isn't much to clean.

but if you think of it, please be praying for the perfect place to come along soon! i'm ready to feel planted in dallas. right now, i feel like we are on a REALLY LONG vacation. :)

between the christmas fun...

2012-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

we had a few things going on...

you know- like packing and moving!

on the last night in our house, we let the big kids have a slumber party on mattresses on the floor
and they thought that was pretty cool.

the next day we loaded up the U-haul while the kids played in the yard with their great buddies nate and eli.

one last pic in front of the house... can you believe we brought FOUR kids home to that house in just six years!?

The loeffelholz family surprised us with a sweet send off... such amazing friends! sigh!

and as if that didn't get the water works going... kara left this book of verses for me in the car. kara, friend, you are a friend beyond measure. i will cherish every good and crazy memory that i have with you. thank you for being such a wonderful friend and now, business partner! these verses are life to my soul right now... thank you for having the fore site to know that i would need them... you are WISE and I LOVE YOU!

and the tears stopped just in time to see say hello to the big D!

we've been settling into our new place while looking for something a little more permanent... i've taken the pics and will post them tomorrow!

christmas: part three

2012-01-03T17:52:00.000-08:00

we weren't at my parents two minutes and the boys found the singing characters.

this was, of course, griffin's first experience and he loved it too!

my mom had a boy santa and girl santa pass out the presents...

is anyone surprised at the volunteers?

i had to include this pic. my grandmother was given a cordless phone by my mom and aunt. she was baffled that anyone would give her something she wouldn't know how to use! ha! love you gran!

my aunt robin brought the silly sting for the annual silly string fight and became #1 in the kids' hearts and loathed by my dad for the clean up.

and as i was trying to shoot some pics my brother proved that he is still a punk. love you, matt.

all in all a great time... i did not take enough pics this year, but everything seems blurry. luckily, the kids played with their new things and acted as if life was normal.

we, on the other hand, had so much happening...

pics of our "loft" and dallas events coming soon.

christmas: part two

2012-01-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

after our home celebration, we loaded up and headed to oklahoma to celebrate with grammie and poppy

here is our brown eyed beauty in front of the tree!

this tree is SOMETHING ELSE!! it is poppy's pride... covered in a million different ornaments and colors AND it spins!

even griffin couldn't stay away one morning

sleepy eyes, but big smiles!

grif got a cute hat that we couldn't get him to leave on

and riley might be looking into photography... he did this for an entire hour!

the gangs all here...

one last photo before we hit the road. it was fast, but it was fun!

thanks for showing us a great time grammie and poppy! can't wait to see you soon!

christmas: part one

2011-12-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

i didn't think i would have time to make gifts for the neighbors this year and i probably didn't have the time, but i made the time as a reprieve from packing. i made honey butter again. remember, my friend meaghan gave me the recipe years ago.... so yummy. click HERE if you'd like to try it.

we celebrated a few days early because we were going to be traveling. we had just about nothing in our house except a modest tree, the stockings, and gifts. it's amazing how fun simple can be!

scooters were the big thing this year!

riley loves anything that can fly!

can't believe what a sweet pic we got of him considering we later found out he had fever

(joyful, joyful)

oh, yes! and our little watcher was happy too! poor forth kiddo... each kid opened a gift for him and kind of tossed it at him.

caleb brought me my "stocking" from lance. he had to get creative b/c i pinned griffen's to mine. i know, i know... i didn't get the stocking finished in time. but doesn't moving excuse me from things like that?? it will be done by next christmas (wink)!

allie wanted to give her daddy a gift. she found a cute square box, decorated it up, and gave him an apple! so sweet!

we also got to open a gift that she brought from school. she did such a great job keeping it a secret...

it was a clay pot that she made in art class! LOVE IT! (just ignore the mom look here... it's early!)

this is one of those priceless sibling pictures that they all laugh at later and hate to let any friends see. i asked each of them to get their favorite gift for a pic... (wow, caleb, orange soccer socks and dallas cowboy crocs - but the scooter was his favorite thing).

shortly after cleaning up, we hoped in the van and headed to b'ville...

part two coming soon!

one word

2011-12-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

CRAZY!!!!

this is my last post for awhile.

we are loading uhaul #2 tomorrow and headed to dallas.

wish us luck.

we'll be staying in a VERY generous family's back house until we find a house.

more when we get settled into, what i like to refer to, as our "urban loft!"

lance's launch

2011-12-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

pine cove hosted a launch party in honor of lance and another fellow employee that is moving on. i love the idea of launching their staff into something else for the LORD'S kingdom.

it was done in true pine cove game style. there was lots of games and TONS of yelling (all in good fun of course).

pine cove has left permanent impressions on every inch of our hearts. our relationship started here, our parenting started here, our biggest heart aches and proudest moments have happened with these people by our side.

there are almost a dozen full time staff that started as Ranch camp staffers so it was particularly hard to know that we won't be here to walk along side them any longer. it is our hope that they know our deep, deep love for them. here are some of those sweet faces.

lance's camp name is silly puddy.

in this one they said, "make a puddy face!"

this is the team that lance had to say goodbye to. stud men of God... they will go on to do extraordinary things for the sake of Christ.

taylor jervis (on the far right) will be missed just as much!

and here is his bride, lacey... i wanted more time with this sweet girl! we'll have to be long distant friends for now!!

just some of the ranch girls... sigh! love these relationships!

jenny... there are NO words... i'm tearing up just typing.

it has been an absolute pleasure to walk through life with you!

and steph, who hosted this event in her home. what a privilege to know you as more than just my husband's bosses wife. friend, confidant, wise counsel, fellow mother... I LOVE YOU!

oh, pc, how we will miss so much -

but we will remember and step faithfully into our next chapter of life.

i trust that the LORD has good things in store!

a mommy pic

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

mommies are rarely in pictures so the other day i asked lance to take one of griffin and i and he actually smiled!

:) sigh

allie's last day of school

2011-12-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

our sweet angel had to say goodbye to her friends, teacher, and school last week.

Luckily, it was polar express day (so they wore their pjs) and the christmas party so there were a few distractions.

they had yummy cupcakes and cookies. they traded books and recycled, handmade gifts. it was adorable!

i've taught kinder before, but i didn't realize until this year the impact that a teacher actually has on a life. i've watched as the amazing woman impacted our little girl in such a huge way in just five short months! that is alot of influence and i'm grateful that mrs. martin has high expectations and LOTS of love for these little girls and guys.

allie begged to have pics of the whole class... here is her first little group of buddies

and now the real personalities come out... ha!

we will miss owens!

"be your best! do your best! act your best!"

gingerbread fortress

2011-12-21T07:10:00.000-08:00

during winterfest this past weekend, the kids joined the campers and staff during their gingerbread house decorating contest.

we did alot of licking our fingers...

and in the end, we had to make a fortress b/c we ran out of graham crackers (that's what happens when the engineer of the family is not there for the construction portion... ha)

but they did get really creative:

can you spy the jolly rancher mailbox?

what about the lollipop trampoline?

and the peppermint pathways?

they had so much fun and the quote of the evening from allie was "we get to stay up late like big people!"

and did they ever... they fell into bed at 9:30 with no arguments!

a late fall in tyler

2011-12-20T13:53:00.000-08:00

makes for a BEAUTIFUL december!

honey butter

2011-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

i got an awesome recipe/idea from my friend meg years ago and i get asked to make it often. here is a sight with the recipe. enjoy.

we may be packing...

2011-12-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

but there is ALWAYS time to make and decorate christmas cookies!

i was really chill this year and just let them go nuts...

these are caleb's

and these are riley's (i added a few things to his after he said he was "done")

he was pretty proud of his masterpieces

caleb just wanted to finish so he could eat!

and riley kept yelling, "TWO GUYS! NO SHIRTS!"

our friend, maddie, got to come over and help out...

she was allie's partner in cookie crime! :)

and now, the mixer, pans, and much much more are sitting in a storage unit in richardson, tx.

so long baking... see ya in a few months!

Glitter and Garland

2011-12-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

my friend (and now partner), kara and i were vendors at the church's glitter and garland event this month.

we gave free samples of some of our cupcakes

and sold christmas cookies

we were so excited to sell out before the event ended. next year we'll have to bake more!

we also had a great find of our own... one of the other vendors were selling these TWO cute aprons. ummmm, yes please!!! the two chicks just had to have two matching aprons!

elf on the shelf

2011-12-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

we love to pretend with elf on the shelf...

nothing more to it other than we hide him different places each morning and the kids love to find him.

he has been a little more naughty this year due to my addiction to pintrest!

he hung up underwear and took their stockings down.

alllie lost another tooth (that's number 3) and elf stole her dollar.

she found a note from him saying that if she found him she could have her dollar back.

he got all the christmas books down and read his own story.

he poured sugar on the table and had a good time....

he hung out with mary, joseph, and baby jesus

and, most recently, wrapped our christmas tree.

Caleb turns FIVE

2011-12-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

with each passing year, i try to figure our how my kids have gotten so big.

slow days and quick years, i guess

caleb is probably the most excited about waking up to birthday balloons! as soon as we started singing, we could hear him giggling his way awake.

his birthday breakfast choice was corner bakery!
everyone grabbed a muffin or cinnamon roll and enjoyed being together.

once we had eaten...
it was time to open his three gifts from us.
this year we got him a dallas cowboys jersey, some cars cars, and...

a pirate ship.
now the boys have two so that they can have battles.

but all our gifts didn't measure up to what his aunt and uncle sent him....

buzz lightyear gets the award for the most coveted gift!

it was the highlight of his day.

caleb's birthday will forever be a reminder that we are not guaranteed time with any of our children and to LOVE them now! lance and i teared up several times yesterday thinking about how when he was in the hospital we would try to imagine him as a five year old and hope we would get to see this day... it was pretty emotional and then we also had our send off party with pine cove. That group of people, our family, our community... stood stood beside us during that VERY scary time. it was hard to look back and look forward all in one day.

however, are hearts swell with gratitude to our LORD for his provision in the past and future!

Grown Guys and Cupcakes

2011-12-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Forge Program here at PC is an amazing one. It is a leadership training program.

In this program they are exposed to a LARGE range of things, varying from theology study, survival training, character development, and EVEN...

cupcake decorating???

In order to show the guys that they can learn a new skill simply to bless someone in their lives, we held a class on how to bake and decorate cupcakes.

there was quite a bit of discussion....

and collaboration...

and detailed work!

i looked at these pics later and realized... oh, my! they look SO BORED!

i mean... really bored!
almost MAD!

HA!

but don't worry... they cut up a bit

and were super silly at times

and in the end, i think they were proud of what they did!

they even offered me a cupcake and it was SOO yummy

(double chocolate cupcakes with peppermint icing).

and LOOK! they even do dishes!

it was so fun. i've never had that many guys cooking in my kitchen. it was a site to behold!

hey guys, thanks for letting me be a part of the forge program!

i had a great time hanging out with all of you!

my heart is full!

2011-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

some former staff (and my new friend esther) came to visit this past weekend and it was SOO SOO good to hear their stories and catch up with them!

left to right:

arian, jen, jenny, lindsay, and esther

LOVE you girls!! nothing makes us happier than when staff take the time to come by! we loved EVERY second!

thanksgiving

2011-12-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

just wanted to let ya know that i didn't take many pics this thanksgiving, but the few that i did take have apparently been eaten by my computer??? they aren't on my camera and i can't find them in iphoto! :( if they reappear... i'll post them! hope you all had a fabulous thanksgiving.... now, it is on to christmas party season!!!

latest crafting

2011-12-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

remember our sweet friends, taylor and lacey, that got married in september?

i made them something for a wedding gift.

found this really ugly tray at an antique shop up the road... i wish i would have snapped a pic of it with the picture that was inside of it... AWful!

but i knew with a little love it could be something super cute. so i took it apart piece by piece...

and reassembled it so that it would be more secure... wood glue and new nails.

and... Ta Da...

i spray painted it in teal (my new fav color), put the hardware back on, and inserted some burlap.

did you know that you can run burlap through your printer? (a pintrest realization)

i used embroidery thread to attach a strip of burlap that says, "serve one another humbly in love." from Galatians 5:13

advent

2011-11-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

i have had lots of questions about the advent calendar that i made last year. basically i made paper pockets out of double sided christmas paper, numbered them, and then slipped a paper card in each. all of the cards have a scripture reading (here are the scriptures) and some of them have a christmas songs to sing. as a family, we sit down and write fun activities on yellow stars and i sneak them in the pocket when no one is looking. here is a pic of what it looks like this year.

this year i found a list of fun ideas to chose from for activities this year (thank you pintrest)... thought i would share it with you:

Deck the halls!

Take photos for Christmas cards

Buy a new Christmas album and listen to it

Make the house smell like Christmas

Make Christmas Cards

Read a Christmas Story Book

Wrap Christmas Gifts

Make a new Christmas Decoration

Color a Christmas picture

Build a snowman or hang up paper snowflakes

Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes

Make a treat and take it to a friend

Watch a christmas movie and eat popcorn

Go out for a Christmas treat

Do something nice for someone

Do service for someone in need

Have a campout in front of the Christmas tree

Call grandma and grandpa and sing a Christmas song

Take gifts to teachers and friends

Read a story or watch a movie about the birth of Baby Jesus

Make cookies and write letters for Santa Clause

Read "The Night Before Christmas"

Christmas!!!

and for our opinion on santa... here is last years post.

birthday bash weekend

2011-11-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

we began a tradition last year by letting our two oldest have a joint bday party in between their actual birthdays. this helps grandparents only travel once and makes party planning easier on mommy (their special days are only 6 weeks apart with thanksgiving and Christmas surrounding them).

we began by picking out a pair of socks for each of their 5 guest

(basically we hit up the dollar spot at target)

we were headed to the bowling ally and the invitation read like this:

when the big day came they were so excited that sitting still for a pic was not possible!

allie wanted a strawberry shortcake cake:

caleb wanted a star wars cake (he hasn't ever seen the movie???)

allie was giving out free advice although it was her first time to bowl.

grammie was dishin' out the hugs.

the girls were all grins.

riley even got to bowl a little.

i tried to snag a pic with my friends

(don't mind my lazy eye... i had pink eye the day of the party.... oh, joy)

caleb took a time out from bowling to play with his star wars characters. he love them.

pics with dad because mom is always behind the camera

fun socks...

silly girls...

and then those boys...

oh, and griffin?

don't worry.

he had plenty of hands to hold him!

happy birthday party day... it was a huge hit, super inexpensive, and low key.

thanksgiving

2011-11-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

we made a thanksgiving tree (thank you pintrest) and have had fun asking the kids each night what they would like to add to the tree. we have everything from "found toys" to "Jesus."

it is unbelievable what a difference it makes to focus on giving thanks... i need to make it a more daily habit.

we added one last night... bittersweet as it might be.

that's right... the Lord has called us into a new phase of life and ministry. we are beyond sad to walk away from pine cove, our community, our church, and our friends. however, He has been abundantly clear in His desire for our family and we are anxiously walking in obedience. The opportunity is a fantasitc one. Lance will be the director of newly married ministry at watermark church in dallas.

so... we are knee high in boxes and asking for prayer as we transition our whole family in the next month. there is soo much to do. a house to clean, pack, and sell. storing all our belongings until we find a place to live. checking out schools and finding a place to call home.

there are definitely two sides to the coin... allie said it best last night, "mommy, i'm excited, but i think i will be a little sad too." amen allie, amen!

second season down

2011-11-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

after the last soccer game we had a brunch and award ceremony.

the kids were totally juiced and doing a drum roll on the table.

all that work finally payed off!

one last pic of the team...

i forgot to show you

2011-11-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

our latest cake.

we had to make it in two pieces to transport it to dallas:

we also made rice krispy pops to match.

and did i ever show you our logo?

major props to our friend brad wofford for his artistic ability and creativity

here it is...

let me know what you think!!!

Treasuring Two!

2011-11-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

he's still the epitome of the Jekyll and hyde kid,

but you're never at a loss for crazy!

he is in a tight running for the loudest voice in the fam.

and he gets the award for MOST ADVENTUROUS!

but man, he can steal your heart when he slows

down long enough to use that raspy voice

to say something super-dooper sweet!

and he gives the best running start hugs!!

Allie's Birthday

2011-11-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

OH MY, OH MY! could our little girl really be SIX???

she use to fit on my chest... sigh.

poor thing was sooo sleepy from trick-or-treating the night before, but we still woke her up with balloons!!

and then, off to mcdonalds (her choice) for bday breakfast. our girl may be in school, but family still comes first.

we opened some gifts...

she got a travel bag with a set of foam rollers,

a grey sweatsuit with hand stitched flowers and owls,

and the continually asked for friend for strawberry shortcake, lemon meringue.

we took her to school about 30 minutes late, but she was armed with her birthday cookies. she wanted butterflies for the girls and circles for the boys.

we ended the evening eating pizza, watching tangled and, of course, rolling her hair! :)

happy sixth birthday sweet girl!!! you are a beautiful gift and we LOVE you so very much!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

i will let the pics speak for themselves!

our friends, the wallace's, invited us over for chili and fun before trick or treating. this is their precious Cinderella.

more friends!

daddy and his little turtle

a group shot of most of the kids just before venturing into the neighborhood. we had a sweet foster baby in the photo... we hope she is a permanent part of the family soon and then you can enjoy her beautiful face too! ;)

we ran into allie's friend, maggie, at the end of the night.... two little cheerleaders!

Defeating Discouragement

2011-11-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

so life throws things our way and, honestly people, we just don't have any control over it. i live my life as if i'm in control (a completely ungodly and un-biblical way of thinking, mind you), but in reality the creator of the universe is the only REAL controller.

tonight i find myself discouraged and longing to defeat that beast before it swallows me whole.

where do i turn?

Nehemiah... anyone that knows me well, knows that i am IN LOVE with that book of the bible. many years ago the Lord opened my eyes to a myriad of truths buried in that amazing book and there hasn't been a book of the bible to win my heart like that since. HA!

Chapter four addresses beautifully the task of slaying discouragement. i'll do a lackluster job of paraphrasing it, but i encourage you to check it out your self.

here are the mandy notes:

many of the Jews have been carried off to Babylon. a few survivors are still hanging out in Jerusalem, but the walls are demolished and therefore the city is venerable and unsafe. Nehemiah's heart goes out to his people and he hops the first donkey to Jerusalem to check it out for himself. as with many jobs, there are enemies stirring up trouble for Nehemiah and the Jews. they are ridiculing the people, their faith, and their ability.

but listen to their response:

v. 6, 9 "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart....we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

and then when their strength faltered (v 10) Nehemiah steps in and leads...

he stationed people at the exposed places with weapons, surrounded by their family (those they cared about the most) and encouraged them,

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

the scripture goes onto say that from that day on the builders wore their sword by their side as they worked. so press on, friend. wear the sword of the spirit (eph 6) and keeping building! do not lose heart, do not fear... REMEMBER THE LORD!

lance's birthday (oct 29th)

2011-11-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

well, it's official, for the next six months... lance will be as old as me and the "i married an older woman" comments will cease.

no, but really, this past week we were able to celebrate the life of a GREAT GUY!

it began with him coaching an 8 am soccer game... man, how things change. caleb scored 3 goals in honor of his dad's 33rd birthday (or so we like to say).

then, it was off to dallas. the kids helped me make him a very special birthday cake...

the special part being the orange hidden inside. go pokes!

and, as if there weren't enough good things for his special day... the cowboys went and spanked the baylor bears. it's ok, i'll take one for the team... let the ridicule begin! congrats cowboys and thanks for making my man's day!

that evening, my FABULOUS sister watched all four of our kiddos (plus her 2) so that we could see a movie and eat dinner out. we watched money ball... great flick... go see it and ate at freebirds at 9:30 at night. we felt YOUNG again... for three hours anyway! :)

his birthday gift is coming soon. he wants a bike and we are letting him combine birthday and Christmas together to pick out the one he wants at REI!

happy birthday, babe! we love you! we're proud of you! and we couldn't ask for anything better in a man, a husband, and a father! you are IT!!

straight to the heart

2011-10-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

i ventured over to the femina blog yesterday and found a GREAT article! if you're like me, we are often living in sin and don't even realize it. it has been a slow fade a the enemy has slowly taken us to a place we never wanted to be. be encouraged HERE! happy friday!

Griffin

2011-10-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

This guy has killer eyes,

a killer smile,

and i find him in the funniest places.

the latest one was in the bottom cubby of the boys metal lockers.

he is getting two teeth up top to match his two on bottom.
he LOVES the bath tub.
he babbles continually.
he is pulling to a stand at 8 months... WHAT?
he weighs 21 pounds.
he is an absolutely DELIGHTFUL baby!

pedicures

2011-10-25T11:17:00.000-07:00

you know you're married to a good man when he comes home and says, "do you want to get a pedicure?"

Ummm... YES PLEASE.

and that is just what happened Saturday. lance wanted allie and i to get our toes done while we were in town. it was such a fun time. i think allie might have been more in heaven than i was! she was so cute!

she picked "twinkle, twinkle, wink" and i chose "purple with a purpose."

both very fitting for each of us!

thanks babe! we were pampered and got some quality time together. i'm looking forward to lots of fun girly moments with this precious kiddo!

good find

2011-10-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

have you seen this site?

click HERE

i love that there is someone out there thinking creatively for the rest of us.

whether you need inspiration for one on one time with your special someone or want to have a group of people over for a good time. this website has an unending list of ideas!

enjoy!

TwoChicksCakeTricks

2011-10-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

kara and i had our first BIG event. we were asked to make:

two bridal cakes (one to cut and one to freeze)

300 cupcakes

a cookie cake for the groom

100 cookies

the wedding was outdoors and the reception was in an amazing barn!

the bride wanted "f" pennants in every cupcake

the colors were coral, leaf green, and cornflower blue

we tried to take the "tacky" out of cookie cake and give it a more polished look. what do you think?

the individual cookies were in an old card catalog box... brides idea...so cute.

thanks blake and amanda for letting us be part of your special day!

PCM will be getting a check in the week to come!!! YEAH!

something different

2011-10-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

when life gets mundane... change it UP!

glow sticks in the tub!!

found this idea HERE.

last week

2011-10-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

my mom was here to help me out while lance was recruiting. she came in a smidgen early to watch caleb play soccer.

we had our first real rain in months... so we, of course, played in it!

we bought some beans and the kids have had HOURS of fun playing in them

stirring,

pouring,

and generally having all sorts of fun with them

we also got to make a quick trip to watch my niece, taylor, preform at half time

and aunt jeni got to love on the baby

he was quite comfy as you can see

mimi brought some little pumpkins and with a little puff paint they were original creations

allie had columbus day off of school and the kids were dying to know what columbus day was so...

our snack was the nina, pinta, and santa maria (totally stolen from someone brilliant on line).

we borrowed a doll house piece to play the part of Columbus himself and retold the story

and then... they chowed down!

another fun activity that i found on pintrest was taking google eyes and laying them on pictures for a good laugh. this didn't last long, but it was a funny five minutes. here are two examples...

visitors!!!

2011-10-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

our nannies were in town last weekend and it was such a treat to see them!

they got LOTS of hugs

there were LOTS of smiles

and silly faces too!

even mr. griffin was puttin' on the charm

we LOVE our apple and peaches!!!

so good to see you girls...

don't be strangers!

that time of year again!

2011-10-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

caleb is doing soccer again this year and it is amazing how much growth happens in a year!

the giggling boy who would rather pick grass than play has turned into a FULL OUT dedicated soccer player!

rather than distracting his teammates... they talk strategy

when the coaches are talking - he is listening.

at game time... he is ALL in!

this year his team is the gators - and they like the hand motions that go with it!

During his first game, he ran away with the ball several times, got hurt and right back up twice, and came about 1 inch from scoring at the buzzer.

looking forward to some really great soccer stories this year!

do you remember when

2011-10-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

i teased you with this POST?

if not... watch THIS.

and if so watch it again anyway!

These people, this county, this ministry has captured my heart. We are sponsoring one child, but it isn't enough. The Lord (who is an amazing business man) planted the idea in my mind to do what i love to bless these children!

SO... i grabbed my friend Kara and we have set out to make money for PCM!

We have begun our own little business....

TWO CHICKS CAKE TRICKS

we make cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more and ALL the proceeds will go to PCM for an ENTIRE YEAR! we are thrilled! everything is new and we are learning, learning, learning, but thanks to the LORD's wonderful guidance...it has been Great.

we had our first client last week - she ordered a monster cake and cookies. let me know what you think!

i will reveal our logo VERY soon and link up our facebook account too!

until then, keep us in mind for your yummy treats AND pray for this ministry and the children of Uganda!

good reminder...

2011-10-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Through Jesus,
therefore, let us continually offer to God
a sacrifice of PRAISE-
the fruit of lips that confess his name.

-Romans 13:15

mommy momments

2011-10-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

yesterday...

i went to walmart with three kids and forgot three things
(not the kids! ha!)

riley pooped his pants in public

then he pooped on the carpet in his room

caleb fell on his bike twice and cried hysterically both times
riley fell from a small bridge and bloodied his nose

allie had a misunderstanding that left her in tears

we went to sonic to cheer up and riley dropped his lemonade before he got a sip

riley tinkled in the sand at sonic

lance and i didn't get to bed till 11 and were awakened to griffin teething/crying at 5.

as a mom, it's easy to find the things that are exhausting.

TODAY, by the LORD'S wonderful GRACE, i am overlooking exhausting and seeing joys.

look who is holding his own bottle.

life

just

got

easier

looking back

2011-10-05T08:43:00.000-07:00

i was browsing through some old pics... here are a few from exactly one year ago!

caleb's first soccer practice:

riley was ready last year to play... wonder how he is going to feel about waiting another year!?

remember when allie got that black eye? ouch!

and little guy was just a peanut! :)

mom's study {week 3}

2011-10-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

last week we left for our vacation right after my study so i'm just getting around to writing my thoughts out. we talked about obedience so there was a TON of information. i will try to not be too lengthy, but it was all so good!

1. rebellions is ANY act of knowingly and willingly defying instructions

2. passive rebellion vs. active rebellion. they are both disobedience... do not be fooled

active rebellion: verbal resistance, physical defiance, temper tantrums, ignore instruction

passive rebellion: consistent "forgetfulness", eternal obedience w/ a bad attitude, intentionally making others miserable, obeying in their timing, obeying but not to the full standard, breaking a generally accepted rule, walking away while you are still talking.

3. there should be consequences for rebellion. WHY? because we are to instruct in righteousness. types of consequences could be spanking, time outs, loss of privileges. i will share the spanking material in the next mommy post.

4. a great resource for teaching our is Little Pilgrim's Progress. Find it HERE!

5. there is no more sanctifying process than working out our salvation in light of our children... whewh!

jervis wedding

2011-09-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

lance had the opportunity to officiate a wedding in Tennessee at the end of our week long adventure. He married two of our summer staffers that we love dearly and had the blessing of doing premarital counseling with.

Let's start with the reception that was held at the Opryland hotel.

These guys are all pc staff

(Barrett from the Towers and Mason, Jon, and Ben from the Ranch)

Taylor and Lacey... who, by the way, will be moving here next week. Taylor will be on full time staff at the Bluffs... YEAH!

lance and taylor

taylor is like a mini me of lance (i think)... he reminds me of lance when we were at the Towers.

lance was not happy about taking a pic alone, but i had to include it....

isn't he sooo CUTE!! ummhmm!

after five straight days with NO break from the kiddos... this moment was MUCH needed!

Now the wedding...

they had an area set up for fun pictures... you snap a Polaroid and put it in the guest book next to your signature... so fun!

allie came with me and the boys hung out with a friend until the service was over.

this little lady makes my heart smile!

the wedding was on some property that had a house and barn from the 1830's... it was hands down the most beautiful location that i've ever seen for a wedding. this was the reception tent.

this was the barn where drinks and appetizers were served while pics were taken.

maddie bolin i HEART you!!!

lacey's mom walked her down the aisle as her daddy smiled down from heaven! ;)

check out that view!!

mr. and mrs. jervis... look at taylor's grin!

love this shot too...
i remember that point when you look at each other and think...

"oh, my word... we are MARRIED!"

the flowers were stunning

there was a swing in the front yard of the house and the kids spent most of their time on it!

another great pic of almost all my LOVES!

besides my hot hubby, i was accompanied by the two cutest little guys EVER! here they are sippin' on IZZE drinks... they thought it was the best party ever!

someone offered to take my pic with the kids drinking our drinks and this was the best one of the bunch!

so there you have it... a week long TN adventure comes to a close!

thanks to taylor and lacey for the fabulous opportunity to be a part of your amazing day!

** if you want to see more of this special day, click HERE **

to the smokies!

2011-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

this was our beautiful cabin... three stories...wrap around porch...LOVELY!

our first evening there was gracie's bday... we celebrated with yummy cupcakes that anna lisa made!

she opened some gifts - we got her a balloon and a princess water bottle.

she had plenty of people to hand her gifts... ha!

here was the view that we awoke to on our first morning.

and then it was off to cade's cove. i took this shot through the windshield - it was SUCH a pretty drive.

the lord said "let there be..." and it was GOOD!

the boys were checking out a black bear from the moon roof!

later in our adventure we spotted another black bear with two baby cubs!

there are cabins all over the cove that have been there since the 1800s. the whole area was saturated in history - really cool place to visit!

the kids walked the trail to john oliver's cabin thought to have been built in 1826. 17 children were BORN in this cabin... oh my!

after lunch we hung out by mill creek

and saw the grist mill

i caught one of my favorite pictures of the year... aahhh!

then it was back to the hot tub for some splashin around

the kids did lots of playing in the cabin

max did lots of dancing. isn't he a cutie!?

caleb could always be found with that helicopter in his hand

and the girls... what else, barbies 24/7

before you knew it, we were at breakfast saying our goodbyes.

(the boys wore their orange gear for the big game... which the cowboys won... so sorry aggies).

and hey... four adults vs. seven kids... we did pretty good! :)

allie really enjoyed time with girls! when she returned to school today, she asked her daddy to pray that she wouldn't miss caroline and gracie too much!

such good memories!

wedding pics are next up...

seven states in six days!

2011-09-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

we set out on a week long trip last week. the preparation for this trip was exhausting, but now that we are back... i can say it was well worth it!

i made clips for each of the kids and told them that if their clips were still on the visor at each stop they could have a starburst. oh, yes, when you are in the car for 13 hours bribes are a GOOD thing! i am not ashamed!

i also made each of the kids a folder with paper, a zipper pouch with crayons and stickers, and THESE! i printed the auto and roadside bingo. we all had the same card and worked together. they LOVED it!

we left tyler around 3:30 last tuesday. our first stop was a hyatt place in jackson, MS. the next morning we drove to tuscaloosa, AL for lunch and then on to knoxville, TN for dinner with these fine folks! we got to eat with seven of our ranch staffers.

man, they got to see what four kids who have been in a car all day behave like! HA! quite the sight! this is just a portion of the table that night.

after dinner we headed to the jones residence were we got a great night's sleep. the next morning the kids played while the mommies bought groceries and the daddies loaded up the vans...
then -it was off to the smokey mountains!

more to come...

he's really doing it!!!

2011-09-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

oh my...

2011-09-16T07:53:00.000-07:00

grif is falling right into the traditional sisco mold. he is full out crawling at six months!

and... a friend lent us this exersaucer. he doesn't just play in it - he jumps - and thinks he is sooo funny! :) i love this kid - he makes me smile!

ccc sale

2011-09-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

we have been participating in the Children's Clothing Consignment Sale for six years now. it is the perfect way to clothe four kids on a ministry budget. we sell all the clothes we outgrow and the toys that don't get played with and buy for the next season and size. it's great!! this year, all the big kids were doing pretty good in their closet and didn't need as much as usual. griffin, however, needed everything.... i guess clothes don't make it a third time through??

costumes: turtle, spider man, incredibles, and BAYLOR cheerleader.

caleb's loot: star wars pjs, two church shirts, new balance tennis shoes, three pairs of jeans, and a camo puffer vest (in texas - these serve as our coats most days and makes for easy in and outs in the car).

allie's loot: pj pants, puffer vest, three shirts, leggings, a pair of pants, two dresses, boots, and crocks.

riley's loot: four long sleeve tops, two church shirts, cars footed pjs, wind pants, tennis shoes, and his first pair of cleats!

and the biggie... griffin's loot: seven onsies, five pjs, seven pants, two sweatsuits, three rompers.

mommy's loot: giraffe print bag, heels, flats, and monopoly!

every child will have a bday between now and the next sale and we have four to think of for christmas so here is the gift stash for later: allie will get the cutest grey sweatsuit with hand stitched owls and flowers and a blue polka dot travel bag. riley will get a buzz lightyear lunch box. caleb will get the dallas cowboys crocs (brand new). we will decide later who will get the lincoln logs, connecting blocks, and a veggie tale movie. griffin is getting the bumbo tray. the formula is not a gift but was a huge find (yes it was unopened... and yes only 5 bucks!) the pirate ship and word game were going to be gifts, but we gave in and let them gave one fun thing with their clothes! :)

i didn't get a pic of the scooters, but we bought two that were in amazing shape and we'll buy one more to give the kids for christmas!

all in all it was such a huge success... now, i'm just waiting for my check to come and see how much we actually spent out of pocket. there hasn't been a sale yet where we spent out of our savings.... so it is soooo worth it!

mom's study {week 2}

2011-09-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

we discussed obedience this week. our teacher, sue johnson, challenged us that if our natural bend is to keep our kids "in line" (which mine is) than we should think of discipline more like leading our children rather than ruling them. however, if our default is to let the kids do what they want, than we need to learn to rule. that said, here are my take-aways....

the definition of obedience is: doing what you're told with a good spirit. my kids should know that definition and learn to comply. for the itty bitties the phrase is "i will do it all the way, the right way, the happy way." see eph 6:1 and col 3:20
expect resistance when you are trying to establish a guidelines for obedience. resistance can come from the kids, others, and even yourself. sometimes we parent out of comfort rather than for their character.
you should not give a reason for EVERY thing you ask of your child. some things need an explanation for learning purposes and other times it is ok to say, "obey without explanation please."

becoming good buddies

2011-09-10T11:33:00.000-07:00

riley is always one step behind his big brother....

and snuggled up close!

mom's study {week 1}

2011-09-08T12:20:00.000-07:00

so i'm taking a class through our church about parenting. i actually took it last year, but i wanted to take it again b/c there was so much good information that i couldn't soak it all up in one session. i thought i would share a little of what i learn - my "take aways" from each week. these principles are so valuable that i almost feel selfish keeping them to myself. And, it may not be anything NEW, but it is a great refresher! so here goes...

this week was the overview and i left with TWO major ideas:

"God isn't asking you to be a perfect parent,
but a faithful one!"

and that Jesus was the ultimate example of a good teacher.
read john 13.

He loves
He knows Himself, His children, and His God
He is a model
He instructs through good questions and very little words
He corrects
He perseveres without immediate results
He encourages

when i look at this list i see several areas that i need help in. thankfully, i need just be faithful!

endorsement

2011-09-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

so i am going to become a spokesperson for staycations. lance and i just finished a four day staycation and it was WONDERFUL! my sweet parents picked up the kids and lance and i had some time in our own home/town to do anything we wanted. we played a little and worked a little. it was the perfect balance! here is some of what we did:

we have never been to "the best bingo hall in all of east texas" so, of course, that is how we started our time alone! it was VERY entertaining and (surprisingly) the best part was how nice the people were! lance has never been to a bingo hall and it was fun to watch his competitive personality come out in an event that he is not familiar with! HA! sad to say we didn't win.

we wanted to be productive too so we decided to freshen up the bathrooms in the house. first - the paint. the new color is on the bottom. it is named chateau and is so rich and warm... i love it!

one afternoon we traveled to the canton trade days and stopped at a bakery and cafe on the way. it had amazing food, but even more amazing desserts...

choices?

here is a look into the guest bathroom-

new paint, hooks, blinds, and fixture

love the idea of putting our ugly wipes box in a planter box. i have one in the bedroom with diapers on the side instead of toothbrushes.

had a cute frame that needed some love...

our bathroom - new paint, fixture, blinds, and cabinets got some new life!

i think the cabinets can only truly be appreciated if you see the before

and now the after -

other highlights included seeing The Help (best movie i've seen in a long time), grilling steaks at home, and watching some great football games (SIC EM BEARS )!

ORGANIZATION

2011-09-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

i am just emerging from the transition of sending a kiddo to school. now that we have had two weeks, it is time to get it together. i have spent some time setting up some things to help me function in the four kid world!

first, menu planning and grocery list. i typically plan for seven meals (only 5 listed here b/c lance was out of town last week) and put them on the board. i don't plan which meal which day... instead, i stay flexible so that if i have a fussy baby i can go with an easier meal. it works for me!

something i'm really excited about it the "busy basket." i heard this idea a long time ago, but never made it happen until recently.

it sits on a shelf out of reach and is filled with toys that the kids like, but i have never really known where to store. now, when the phone rings or someone comes to the door i can direct my kiddos to the busy basket. it helps distract them from the 1,000 questions that tend to emerge when i'm suddenly busy. :)

we have also begun a "manners candle" at our dinner table. we have three manners that we are working on: chewing with your mouth closed, not talking with food in your mouth, and staying seated during the meal. the candle stays lit as long as everyone is keeping those manners. when the candle burns all the way down, the family goes out for ice cream! it is working beautifully!

let's get real... i ~~hardly~~ don't have time to clean.
these are now located in both bathrooms and the kitchen. done!

we have always had a snack bucket in the pantry. now we have one in the fridge. it is filled with cheese, gogurts, bags of carrots, apple slices, etc. at snack time - they can pick and mom is hands off.

ahhh, i'm looking forward to getting into a routine and making things as simple as possible this fall season! now if the weather would drop below 100 degrees it could feel like a fresh start. ;)

guess who is crawling?

2011-09-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

it is slow, but he is getting somewhere.

these pics will show you a few scoots to our laundry basket.

life is about to get really busy! :)

ahhh, i'm back

2011-08-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

i believe that blogger has been making some changes and they have sent me into a panic (because i write a few blogs for a side job as well). my problem...all of a sudden my blogs were written in arabic and it took me days to hunt down the right buttons to press to fix it all back up. now that we are rolling in english, i'll catch you up.

our little guy is standing... not on his own, but those legs are strong!

A is missing her baby brother pretty bad

and, let's be honest, he is missing her too!

oh, and he's eating like a champ... this was his first time for carrots! yum!

a flash back

2011-08-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

i put together a photo collage in memory of our nine years together

i think the wildest part is the family pics that grow bigger and bigger! :)

did you know

2011-08-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

that i married a character?

these are the skit characters that he was when i first met him and fell in love with him

i love how much he can make me laugh!

the 29 on his chest is how many days until we got married
(man, that seemed like a LONG summer)

and you know what they say...
if you can't beat 'em... JOIN 'em!

we are celebrating our ninth anniversary today...
nine years of goofing around together! :)
and i've LOVED every moment!

love you babe!

somebody has been missed!

2011-08-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

C stuck pretty close to sister yesterday afternoon. she had an amazing day at school, but the boys missed her alot!

can't wait to see how today goes!

so brave!

2011-08-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

A woke up excited this morning...

which is great because she has had alot of anxiety about this day.

it was hard to give up control and trust the LORD completely with this little girl and her day!
but so good and soo necessary!

extra kisses before we take off this morning.

i didn't want to embarrass A by taking a bunch of pictures, but i had to grab one! she whimpered all the way down the LONG kinder hallway.. she is the LAST room on the hall. but she came in, found her name, and sat... MIRACLE! i patted her shoulder and told her to have a great day. she didn't look up, but frantically colored her coloring page while swallowing hard and say, "umhum." :) she was trying to be sooo brave and big!

now if mom can be so brave and make it till 3 o'clock!

why public school?

2011-08-21T18:12:00.001-07:00

in this country we are beyond blessed with many different options for school (all of which i believe have positive aspects). we have friends in private, public, home school, and Montessori. i get asked quite often how lance and i came to the decision to put Allie in public school. before i give my list of reason, let me first say that we plan on making this decision for each kid for each year. i do believe that we have to be good students of our children and know them well enough to know when changes need to be made. we will not shy away from making a different choice for caleb or even making a different choice for allie next year if the Lord leads in that way. but for NOW... for Allie... for this year... here are the reasons why we chose public school:

1. the circles that allie runs in are pinecove and church. she needs to be exposed to the world and learn to be in the world but not of the world. just like we begin disciplining early, teaching manners early, etc i feel like she needs to begin reaching out to those different than her. many people think it is too early, but i feel like this should start now. it is a constant conversation to be an influencer and not negatively influenced... this will provide good practice ground.

2. lance and i are talking and praying about her area of ministry. sharing and showing Jesus to all... no matter what or where. we are excited about allowing the LORD to dictate her experiences which leads into a third reason...

3. this decision takes more faith and more trust. it has been our experience that the right choice for us is usually the uncomfortable one. we are super nervous and i think that is a good thing! it will have us on our knees ALOT!

4. with multiple kiddos i do not need to stretch myself thin or i will have nothing to offer lance when he gets home. we decided that we would rather focus on being the spiritual teachers for each of our kids... academics can fall into someone elses responsibility.

those are the things that the LORD has put on our hearts over the last year, but we believe that the spirit convicts on an individual basis... what the LORD asks of our family, he may not ask of yours. Be sensitive to His leading... feel pressure from NO one... this decision is a god-lead family choice that looks different for everyone!

as i was packing my very first school lunch tonight, i was having to remind myself of all of these reasons. her first day is tomorrow and i think i'm more nervous than she is!
ahh! prayers appreciated! ☺

kindergarten... oh, geez!

2011-08-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

i am undoubtedly baffled that i have a child entering kindergarten. it feels like yesterday that this fresh out of college teacher was welcoming her first little class of five year olds.
ahhh, where did the time go?

on Thursday, allie met her teacher. the first female that will have equal amounts of influential time with our daughter. so this lady is a BIG deal... Mrs. Martin... i am praying for you as much as i am praying for my kiddos. you will have an enormous impact on our little girl - how she adjusts to a school driven day, her love for academics, her self-esteem, and a million other things!

lance and i both realize that educators are not solely responsible for our children once they enter school. and we know that no one cares for their spiritual growth as much as we do. for this reason, i took allie on an overnight school prep night!

the main purpose was to pack as much fun into 24 hours as possible.

movie √
jellybeans √
painted toenails √

staying up till 10 √

back to school shopping √
early lunch √

we were super successful with the primary goal! the secondary goal was to check off some discussions that needed to happen before school:
excitement
fears
respect
privacy
and make sure our little girl feels comfortable talking about anything she wants to!

three quick days of VACA

2011-08-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

when your hubby's busy season ends on a sunday, meet the teacher is on thursday, and there is a new baby in the family... it makes LOTS to pack into three days. i'll try to make it short and sweet while hitting all the highlights!

we drove to OKC on Sunday

and had some fun on the river walk

grammie and poppy met us there

and took us to Zios for dinner... YUM!

we rode one of the river boats after dinner.
mom and dad caught a quiet moment!

monday morning we headed to canadian, tx to see lance's bros family. they took us to a gem of a restaurant, the bucket, for lunch. homemade EVERYTHING from bread to tortillas to cookies! why do you have to be soo far??

drum roll please... the biggest reason for the trip...
this is Kiptyn!!

uncle lance got to hold the little guy!

while uncle kent got to hold griffin for the first time

then it was off to the canadian fire department. Uncle kent is a volunteer fire fighter. he got the kids tshirts and let them climb all over the trucks!

they even tried on the equipment!

caleb hanging out with his cousin mason on the front of the truck.

and as soon as it started... it was over. we had to say goodbye to the fam and head back to OKC. we got back to the hotel around 11:30pm and pitched the kids in bed (ask me later how you get four sleeping kids from the car to the 4th floor without waking them up ☺)

the next morning we hit up the hotel pool before leaving for dallas.

we got to dallas in time to eat at twisted root! BEST burgers EVER!

and we found a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L park to play around in.

and that wraps it up... we drove home the next morning ready to get back into a normal routine in the sisco home!

summer recipes

2011-08-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

now some of my friends may think that this is going to be filled with salads and other light, summer meals, BUT our camp friends know that these recipes are the yummy, delicious snacks that were devoured during the Ranch bible studies or other moments in the summer...
so, without further adieu....

peanut butter dip

butter cake squares

eclair cake

chocolate chocolate chip cookies

puffs

chocolate sheet cake

enjoy! and let us know if you make any! :)

looking forward

2011-08-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

to more moments like these!

today is the end of summer camp here. it is always bittersweet because we miss the staff sooo much, but the ease of the pace is desperately needed!

so proud of our staff that poured themselves out like a drink offering all summer and even more proud of my man that never let the craziness get the best of him! Lance, you're a wonderful man that works HARD and honors the Lord in and out of your job! love you!

much needed

2011-08-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

time with this girl is always so good for my heart.
my friend ashley and i had a quick night away last week.
just us
quiet hotel room
small talk over dinner
a little shopping
showers and baths
long night of uninterrupted sleep
relaxed fun with no clue what time it was

ashley is 8 months pregnant and completely radiant. i'm so blessed to have a friend that loves Jesus with all her heart and is so loyal to me despite few conversations and very little moments together.

little fish

2011-08-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

our kids LOVE the pool

low dive

high dive

head stands

blobing

they do it all... no fear!

g watched from afar too!

seasons

2011-08-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

lance and i took a trip to this house last week.
(it is beautiful and we are thankful to the page family for their generosity)

But more importantly, it was the beginning of a fresh start for US. we are emerging from a hard season on our marriage. but the winter is over and we are seeing signs of new life. our God is good... no, better than good... he is GREAT! we are grateful for the unending grace that He continues to pour on us.

if you are experiencing a winter season in a relationship - be encouraged. Even though everything looks dead and dry, the roots are still very much alive and being nourished by the ultimate healer and restorer. in the proper time HE will make all things new and you will see tiny buds taking shape in what you thought was lost.

The LORD has done great things for us. -psalms 126:3

sticker charts

2011-07-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

we don't always have charts going at our house, but sometimes it is a little extra incentive to motivate our kiddos in the right direction. each of the kids had something different to work on: riley - potty training, caleb - a joyful spirit, and allie - not sucking her thumb. however to keep it from becoming a competition and instill the ability to encourage one another.... no one could receive the prize until EVERYONE filled their charts.

well, this week the charts were full and a trip to the dollar store was had!
way to go kiddos!
i'm so proud of each of you!

sidewalk chalk strikes again

2011-07-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

such a sight

2011-07-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

i LOVE when our children enjoy being together!

wish i could bottle these moments!

Chalkin' it UP!

2011-07-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

save old cardboard boxes

stencil some shapes on them

add some sidewalk chalk

and have hours of fun!

i recommend this as a morning activity with the heat

after 20 minutes or so add some hot wheels, small dolls...

or both for added fun!

everybody got into this project... we had a blast!

even griffin watched and big bro came to check on him a few times! ;)

my mommy friends!

2011-07-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

are you stressed? boy, i am! ugh! with four kiddos i feel like there is NOT one moment where everyone is happy. someone is always fussy, fighting, or crying in my house and it is wearing me out! just speaking the truth. :)

however, i have started following a blog that has brought encouragement to me twice this week. i want to share two articles with you. if you need a good word to renew a fresh spirit within you...
here ya go:

first this one... here
and then this one... here

both came through feminagirls.com enjoy

The Apple doesn't fall

2011-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

far from the tree!

after weeks of asking, the biggest sisco boys were in the skit this week.

meet Riles

and Miles

they are the grandsons of Giles McGillicutty (lance's old time patriot character). if you enlarge this photo you can see a camper laughing really hard. i think they liked it!

they did a great job staying in character and, of course, looked adorable!

the boys had "birth marks" that held a clue for the campers

they were thrilled to be a part of the skit and riley has not stopped saying thank you yet.

DIANA!!!!

2011-07-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

my sweet friend diana was in town this weekend and we got a very short, but wonderful, visit!
she got to meet g for the first time.

i love you d jones! you are ALWAYS missed around the sisco home!

a Sisco First

2011-07-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

i can not believe that they have never thought of it until now, but my kiddos (after seeing friends do it) wanted to have a lemonade stand.

allie made the sign all by herself and decided that a glass could be 10 cents with a free cookie. lance tried to convince her that she was cute enough to sell 1 glass for $3 and would save herself a whole lot of trouble. HA!

we ate most of our product...

and riley ran off with the money most of the time.

but this sweet girl had a blast and it was a neighborhood hit. within five minutes we had passed out eight glasses. she wants to give all the money to the kids in uganda! precious!!!

finding beauty

2011-07-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

you have to be blind to not see the beauty that surrounds my folks house.
here are a few shots that begged to be taken...

on the road again

2011-07-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

we made our second and last trip of the summer. this time it was to my parents house.
lance stayed to work and we had a little "get away."

griffin got held constantly

even by extended family (gran and aunt robin)

we swam EVERY single day

and even convienced pawpaw and mimi to swim

and, of course, peaches was there

we enjoyed "mimi wong's tea party"

and in the evenings everyone rode the tractor! :)

thanks mom and dad! it was a nice change of pace and we were super spoiled!

blueberry farm

2011-07-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

last month we headed to Blueberry Hill Farms with some friends.

we tried to get there super early and beat the heat.

claire came and took good care of g man. she had never been blueberry picking and loved it... although, she doesn't eat berries ;)

allie is at the age where she remembers everything and found this tradition so fun!

riley doesn't care for blueberries either so it took him a little while to get into this, but i think he had fun too!

here are the mommas trying to enjoy themselves! my friend, kara, is just through her first trimester with little one #3... doesn't she look amazing? LOVE her!here is the whole gang coolin' off in front of the fan. and, of course, riley has a bucket on his head... why not? :)

and just in case you need a new recipe to use up your blueberries... here is one we tried and LOVED! we made waffles and poured THIS blueberry compote on top... so YUMMY!

happy independence day!

2011-07-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

we got to watch the fireworks in our neighborhood on saturday. we were decked out with glow sticks from grammie and poppy

we met the loeffelholz family there and they had homemade blueberry frozen yogurt. so yummy!

daddy even got off of work to enjoy the sweaty festivities!

and today we met up with the L boys again and had our very own independence parade complete with balloons, streamers, and flags.

thanks for the flags mimi!

they waved to all the neighbors and wished them a happy 4th!

this one decorated his bike but didn't want to ride it... he walked instead!

and then there is this little guy! :)

happy 4th everybody!
now i am off to have homemade rocky road ice cream! yummo!

all POOPED out

2011-07-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

LITERALLY!

i have never dealt with so much poop in all my LIFE! i have a newborn so, in typical form, i am changing diapers about 6 times a day and probably 1/2 of them are poopy. and i am in the trenches of potty training our 2 year old so i deal with poop accidents once (usually twice) a day. ugh! but Saturday was the record setter! :)

it was change over weekend at camp so our first 1/2 staff were leaving and our 2nd half staff were coming in. that means everyone together again and one big party! i spent most of Saturday afternoon icing cupcakes (pics to come soon) and that is where i was when i got the announcement.... "MOM, MOM, GREEN POOP! GREEN POOP!" is what caleb shouts while running into the kitchen with a goofy grin on his face. i immediately assumed that riley had an accident and went into toddler clean up mode. but i was sorely mistaken and instead found griffin sitting in his car seat immersed in green poop. oh yes, down his legs and covering the seat....
OH GEEEZ! i hauled him to the bath tub by one ankle and one wrist. poor baby got layed on the cold, hard bathtub floor and hosed down. eeekkk! that was alot of poop!

i might start to call him cute, but deadly:

story continues: we head to camp, i set up the cupcakes, and we begin our switch over celebration. when things got serious, i let the boys play outside on the porch while i watched them from the window. they had been out there about 10 minutes when i got a text message. i glanced at them... they looked good... returned the texted... glanced back.... "OH, MY"... "WHAT?"

BOTH of my lovely boys are pants-less and crying about 10 yards away. i run with griffin in tow and allie jogging close behind, the whole way i was hollering, "what is wrong, what happened?" caleb was too upset to pull his words together so i direct my attention to the little guy. it is obvious that he had an accident and decided to ditch his pants, but he was VERY upset about the poop on his hands.

he may look cute, but he likes to poop in his pants:

now to caleb... after much calming down he replied with "i had to tinkle and i didn't think i could make it back to the dining hall. so i pulled my pants down to tinkle and i pooped too"..... followed by more sobbing. i tried to explain that he made the right decision and hey... kept his pants clean! good work!

he's cute too, but super silly and still having occasional accidents.

oh friends... the day of poop... three boys... three episodes... three clean ups! how did it come to this? HA! hopefully they will get it figured out before they start dating! ;)

Thank goodness for little girls:

summer time...

2011-06-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

more pirates

2011-06-27T21:02:00.000-07:00

we borrowed this ship from a friend for a fun day of pirates.

allie brought out the blanket and made the islands for the boys and then they played and played

they had a ball and i thought it was pretty cute collaborative play!

we found this set on ebay and hope to get it for the boys this christmas... we'll see??

What is going on?

2011-06-26T10:41:00.000-07:00

we have been under the weather around here for a week. however, everyone is drugged up and on the mend. i hated not being able to update everyone on the happenings of our summer so here is a recap...

the kids are LOVING on our tomato plant and watching the fruit of their labor.

we surprised daddy with yummy drinks on father's day.

griffin is sitting up with a little help.

i got to make another cake because our sweet nanny celebrated a birthday with us.

we are knocking things off our summer list:
shaving cream...

and trying a new fruit. We called it UGLI fruit although i'm not sure if that was the name or a company?? but it was funky shaped and ugly. ha! tasted alot like an orange with REALLY tough skin.

i'm hoping to post more often this week. wish me luck!

my two guys

2011-06-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

the first man in my life was my daddy. he has been there from the beginning to hold my hand, lay down the law, give the evil eye to every boy i dated, and review history facts with me until he was blue in the face. he has been there for the birth of each of my kids as a reminder that you will always hold your little ones close - no matter how grown up they get!

in God's sweet grace, i married a man that does the same for our kids. he is never short of hugs, tickle fights, and speaking identity into our little ones. he is full of fun... even last night, i had to shake my head as he got the kids hyper and loud in a restaurant by playing silly games with them. he loves them unconditionally and never grows weary of building train tracks, castles, and forts. however, most importantly, he is building strong kids for God's kingdom.

i am so thankful for the lord's provision of both of these men in my life. one showed me what a great father looks like and the other is carrying it on for the next generation of our family! love you both.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

meet emily

2011-06-18T07:16:00.001-07:00

through a crazy series of events, we had a nanny switch this week. emily or "when life gives you peaches, make lemonade" is going to be our nanny the second half of the summer, but she got an early start by filling in for claire this week. the kiddos call her peaches (although this week was funny b/c she answered to apple most of the week/ the kids were a little confused).

she has done an amazing job at being flexible, helpful, and even humble as the kids got use to a new person in our home. you'll be seeing more of her the second half of the summer, but i'm about to post a few pics from this week and wanted you to know this face!

keepin' it easy

lake texoma

MORE

14 DAYS of LOVE

finding the sprinkles again

one month

a girl can dream

it's totally the little things

what ifs

through the lens

her words...

this and that

just a few happenings...

slowcooker friends

our urban loft

between the christmas fun...

christmas: part three

christmas: part two

christmas: part one

one word

lance's launch

a mommy pic

allie's last day of school

gingerbread fortress

a late fall in tyler

honey butter

we may be packing...

Glitter and Garland

elf on the shelf

Caleb turns FIVE

Grown Guys and Cupcakes

my heart is full!

thanksgiving

latest crafting

advent

birthday bash weekend

thanksgiving

second season down

i forgot to show you

Treasuring Two!

Allie's Birthday

Trick or Treat

Defeating Discouragement

lance's birthday (oct 29th)

straight to the heart

Griffin

pedicures

good find

TwoChicksCakeTricks

something different

last week

visitors!!!

that time of year again!

do you remember when

good reminder...

mommy momments

looking back

mom's study {week 3}

jervis wedding

to the smokies!

seven states in six days!

he's really doing it!!!

oh my...

ccc sale

mom's study {week 2}

becoming good buddies

mom's study {week 1}

endorsement

ORGANIZATION

guess who is crawling?

ahhh, i'm back

a flash back

did you know

somebody has been missed!

so brave!

why public school?

kindergarten... oh, geez!

three quick days of VACA

summer recipes

looking forward