Wednesday, August 27, 2008
dryer girl
i unloaded the dryer, carried the clothes into the living room, and went back to transfer the clothes in the washer into the dryer, and this is what i found. she was very proud of herself!
Monday, August 18, 2008
zach's third birthday
saturday was zach's 3rd bday! he had a great day, so i thought i'd share a few pictures...
we ate lunch at red robin with the entire family.... all his cousins, most aunts and uncles, and even grandpa and granny came. here i said lets take a picture, and he put his cheek up against mine- just the sweetest! there is just something different that i share with my son that i don't have with my girls. we have a special bond- i love it!
the typical cousin picture
i really wanted to get him a cake from my college friend kara (check out her awesome cakes!), but we had to save where we could, and the cake was one that i had to do myself. i got the idea off the internet, and it came out ok; it was my first time to do anything like this. it was also the first time i've made a cake for a birthday ( i also had to make it because of the whole allergy thing...) in case you can't tell, it is rocket from little einsteins...
my little sister karis works at the ymca so she got us a great deal on their swimming pool. funny thing was, after weeks and weeks of 100+ degree weather, the one day we decide to have a swimming party, its like 80 degrees.
makenzie enjoying her capri sun!
cousin aubren! brian told zach to go clean off in the pool....
most of the kiddos that made it to the party. look at zach, second on the left- he's freezing!
uncle andy with ian and logan, audrey with brian and zach
uncle trey's great photography
audrey just chillaxin!
decorating the cake
the end of the party. he was freezing with blue lips, but didn't want to get out of the water!!!
we ate lunch at red robin with the entire family.... all his cousins, most aunts and uncles, and even grandpa and granny came. here i said lets take a picture, and he put his cheek up against mine- just the sweetest! there is just something different that i share with my son that i don't have with my girls. we have a special bond- i love it!
the typical cousin picture
i really wanted to get him a cake from my college friend kara (check out her awesome cakes!), but we had to save where we could, and the cake was one that i had to do myself. i got the idea off the internet, and it came out ok; it was my first time to do anything like this. it was also the first time i've made a cake for a birthday ( i also had to make it because of the whole allergy thing...) in case you can't tell, it is rocket from little einsteins...
my little sister karis works at the ymca so she got us a great deal on their swimming pool. funny thing was, after weeks and weeks of 100+ degree weather, the one day we decide to have a swimming party, its like 80 degrees. 
makenzie enjoying her capri sun!
cousin aubren! brian told zach to go clean off in the pool....
most of the kiddos that made it to the party. look at zach, second on the left- he's freezing!
uncle andy with ian and logan, audrey with brian and zach
uncle trey's great photography
audrey just chillaxin!
decorating the cake
the end of the party. he was freezing with blue lips, but didn't want to get out of the water!!!
Monday, August 11, 2008
barnum and bailey circus
yesterday we were sitting around, thinking about what we were going to do that night, and brian suggested we go to the circus, since it was the last night in dallas. so we packed up and went! it was a bit of a splurge, but the kids had such a good time, as you can see on their faces, and they did much better than we thought!
getting ready for the circus to begin!
they were enthralled with all that was going on!
makenzie was so good, too. she just sat there with brian like this the whole night! sucking her thumb!
the elephants were neat, the kids loved them.
with mommy
after the circus! family pic!
after the circus, we went out the the square and let the kids run around. they loved the huge screens everywhere.
saturday we went to lunch to celebrate my sister karis and my brother samuels birthdays. we always have to have a photo shoot! here are a few of the cousins.
BOYS! zach, tysen, logan, ian
then we always have to put them in birth order for one picture!
logan, audrey, zach, ian, aubren, kenzie, tysen
they were enthralled with all that was going on!
makenzie was so good, too. she just sat there with brian like this the whole night! sucking her thumb!
the elephants were neat, the kids loved them.
with mommy
after the circus! family pic!
after the circus, we went out the the square and let the kids run around. they loved the huge screens everywhere.
saturday we went to lunch to celebrate my sister karis and my brother samuels birthdays. we always have to have a photo shoot! here are a few of the cousins.GIRLS! audrey, aubren, and kenzie
BOYS! zach, tysen, logan, ian
then we always have to put them in birth order for one picture!logan, audrey, zach, ian, aubren, kenzie, tysen
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
celebrity sighting
i came about as close to a celebrity as i've ever been last night. there i was, celebrating my little sister karis' birthday with the family. we were eating at la madeleine, enjoying our dinner, when a man walked in the door. i looked at him, and looked at my husband, and said, "that looks a lot like kirk franklin." (brian and i were just at one of his concerts at the bass hall a few months ago.) brian was like, yeah, it kinda does. he is standing there at the bakery department, aparently ordering dessert for his family, and he starts looking around the restaurant. he looks at our table, and then looks down, seeing me looking at him. apparently, i was staring a little more than usual, because he looked back over at us, and gave me a little wave. of course, i was convinced by then, because of my intense staring of the poor man, and i gave a goofy grin and a big wave back. "it is kirk franklin!! i'm positive of it!!" brian looked again, and of course confirmed my suspicions. well, he grabbed his desserts and was out the door into a white range rover before i could get up and go say hi. i'm not a big celebrity person, they all wear their pants the same way i do, and go to the bathroom regularly. i actually feel quite sorry for them and all the stuff they go through. brian laughed and said he's probably not recognized by a lot of white people like us! anyways, it was fun, and all night long i was thinking about what i could have said to him to let him know what a great job he's doing. if you ever get a chance to go to one of his concerts, i would highly recommend it. it was the best concert i've ever been to, and i went to a lot in college. and i'm not even a big concert person, but i really enjoyed it. it was a real picture of what heaven is gonig to be like - all different races joined together!! anyways, thought i'd tell my exciting news... hope you all are having a good day!
here's the pictures of when we went to see him!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
free time
well, some days there is just so much free time i don't know what to do. so i went to walmart, got audrey and zach each their own clear bucket, and filled each one with the same items (to avoid jealousy!!). they had so much fun with all the stuff, and they get to pick what they are going to do that day. 
i put stickers, coloring books, construction paper, safety scissors, paint and paint brushes, water color paints, a spiral notebook with their favorite disney character on it, glue sticks, and one of their favorites... a small dry erase board with a couple of pens. this is going to be fun!
i put stickers, coloring books, construction paper, safety scissors, paint and paint brushes, water color paints, a spiral notebook with their favorite disney character on it, glue sticks, and one of their favorites... a small dry erase board with a couple of pens. this is going to be fun!
arthur
today we went to barnes and noble for the pre-school story time. they read a couple of arthur stories, and the fun part was that arthur himself stood there. it was fun, and the kids really enjoyed it. he even signed autographs for all the kids. they didn't sit there for the whole time, maybe only a minute, but they were well behaved, which was good, because brian was at work! 
this weeks verse is galatians 5:13,14, "for you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. for the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
this weeks verse is galatians 5:13,14, "for you were called to freedom, brethren, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. for the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Sunday, July 20, 2008
marriage conference!
well, i don't do this very often, but i wanted to blog a little of what i've learned this weekend. brian and i had the chance to go to a marriage conference at gateway church by drs. gary and greg smalley (father and son). it was so awesome! and it really opened up my eyes to why i have been feeling the way i have. i wanted to blog about it because i heard that if you write notes on something, if you read them over or explain them to someone else soon after you took them, you remember them much better. anyways, it was fascinating stuff.
he started out with the lie of satan: if i could change my spouse, financial situation, surroundings, children, etc, i would be a happier person.
then he stated the truth: you are as happy as the beliefs that you have in your heart.
your beliefs are either true or false. just because you believe it, doesn't make it true. if you believe that rich people are happier, you will not be happy if you are poor, even though rich people are not happier! does that make sense? this also applies to marriage- if you believe that your husband doesn't love you, you will not be happy, even if he loves you intensely. these lies will come out in your relationships by your actions. the bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. what you believe determines your heart, and out of your heart flows words and actions.
i know that this seems like a simple concept. but when i think about all the times i get irritated with people, or my husband, or my children, and either i say a bad word, or i raise my voice, or i get upset, i am having now to think about what do i believe about that situation? YOUR BELIEFS DETERMINE WHAT YOU THINK, FEEL, AND DO. dr. smalley said that all irritation is in you. God does this so that you can see the logs in your own eye before you try to take out the speck in your brother's eye. if you get irritated, it is your problem! something in your heart is wrong! when i get upset with someone, the only thing that i can control in that situation is me and myself. i cannot change the other person, i cannot change the situation. my new goal is to respond, not react. and how am i going to do this? i have to change many beliefs that i have had since i was young. i have to replace the lies that i believe with what the word of God says. i have to memorize and meditate upon these verses, and the more you think it, the deeper it goes into your heart. the deeper it goes into your heart, it forms beliefs, and again, those beliefs control your words and actions.
ok, so then one of the other major lessons i learned about is what dr. greg smalley calls the fear dance. this dance is done by every one in every relationship, but is particularly damaging to the marriage relationship.
-it starts out when an emotional button is pushed. we all have them!! a few of mine would probably be: feeling unloved, feeling controlled, not being validated, etc.
-you then react; usually your reaction tends to be one of your mates emotional buttons.
-your mates buttons are then pushed, and then they react. which of course usually tends to be one of your buttons!
this cycle is then repeated over and over.
the four most destructive "reactions" are:
1. withdrawal (retreating, shutting down, stuffing)
2. escalation (increasing energy of conflict)
3. belittling of the other person
4. negative beliefs (whatever you believe about the other person, you will find evidence of that belief in everything he says or does)
what makes this dance so deadly? when we start dancing, we become adversaries. this makes us feel unsafe. when we feel unsafe in the relationship, our hearts will close and we will disconnect.
How to get out of the dance? what can i do?
1. take the plank out of your own eye. take personal responsibility for what you are saying/doing. (when your buttons get pushed, create space so that you can do something to get your heart open.)
2. identify your buttons. (give your heart a voice. ask why you are feeling this way? then validate those feelings, allow your feelings to matter. you can be curious about those feelings, where did they come from?)
3. then, take those feelings to the Lord. ( the goal is to get your heart open. ask the Lord what to do with your emotions. you need your heart and your brain to make "safe" decisions.)
4. manage your emotions. (think about what a healthy reaction would be while you breathe deeply, stretch, listen to music, etc. )
GOAL: deal with you first- get your heart open, so that you can respond (not react!) to the other person!
in a marriage, there is no win/ lose. you are on the same team!! if someone wins and someone loses, you both lose, because you are on the same team!
ok, i think this is enough for now. this was so incredibly difficult for me! it is so hard for me to write what i am trying to learn and do in a way that is understandable to others, so i hope this all made sense.
and i was thinking to see if any of you would like to start memorizing a few of the verses that dr. smalley suggested with me. we can begin renewing our minds together and replacing some of the negatives in our lives with the word of God, so that our hearts and minds will be that of the mind of christ!! ok, here are the ones that he suggested we start with...
romans 5:3-5, 8:28
james 1:1-5
1 thesalonians 5: 16-18
philippians 4:6-9
galatians 5:13-14
i guess i'll start at the top, with romans 5:3-5. " and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
ok, now i'm done!! love you guys......
he started out with the lie of satan: if i could change my spouse, financial situation, surroundings, children, etc, i would be a happier person.
then he stated the truth: you are as happy as the beliefs that you have in your heart.
your beliefs are either true or false. just because you believe it, doesn't make it true. if you believe that rich people are happier, you will not be happy if you are poor, even though rich people are not happier! does that make sense? this also applies to marriage- if you believe that your husband doesn't love you, you will not be happy, even if he loves you intensely. these lies will come out in your relationships by your actions. the bible says that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. what you believe determines your heart, and out of your heart flows words and actions.
i know that this seems like a simple concept. but when i think about all the times i get irritated with people, or my husband, or my children, and either i say a bad word, or i raise my voice, or i get upset, i am having now to think about what do i believe about that situation? YOUR BELIEFS DETERMINE WHAT YOU THINK, FEEL, AND DO. dr. smalley said that all irritation is in you. God does this so that you can see the logs in your own eye before you try to take out the speck in your brother's eye. if you get irritated, it is your problem! something in your heart is wrong! when i get upset with someone, the only thing that i can control in that situation is me and myself. i cannot change the other person, i cannot change the situation. my new goal is to respond, not react. and how am i going to do this? i have to change many beliefs that i have had since i was young. i have to replace the lies that i believe with what the word of God says. i have to memorize and meditate upon these verses, and the more you think it, the deeper it goes into your heart. the deeper it goes into your heart, it forms beliefs, and again, those beliefs control your words and actions.
ok, so then one of the other major lessons i learned about is what dr. greg smalley calls the fear dance. this dance is done by every one in every relationship, but is particularly damaging to the marriage relationship.
-it starts out when an emotional button is pushed. we all have them!! a few of mine would probably be: feeling unloved, feeling controlled, not being validated, etc.
-you then react; usually your reaction tends to be one of your mates emotional buttons.
-your mates buttons are then pushed, and then they react. which of course usually tends to be one of your buttons!
this cycle is then repeated over and over.
the four most destructive "reactions" are:
1. withdrawal (retreating, shutting down, stuffing)
2. escalation (increasing energy of conflict)
3. belittling of the other person
4. negative beliefs (whatever you believe about the other person, you will find evidence of that belief in everything he says or does)
what makes this dance so deadly? when we start dancing, we become adversaries. this makes us feel unsafe. when we feel unsafe in the relationship, our hearts will close and we will disconnect.
How to get out of the dance? what can i do?
1. take the plank out of your own eye. take personal responsibility for what you are saying/doing. (when your buttons get pushed, create space so that you can do something to get your heart open.)
2. identify your buttons. (give your heart a voice. ask why you are feeling this way? then validate those feelings, allow your feelings to matter. you can be curious about those feelings, where did they come from?)
3. then, take those feelings to the Lord. ( the goal is to get your heart open. ask the Lord what to do with your emotions. you need your heart and your brain to make "safe" decisions.)
4. manage your emotions. (think about what a healthy reaction would be while you breathe deeply, stretch, listen to music, etc. )
GOAL: deal with you first- get your heart open, so that you can respond (not react!) to the other person!
in a marriage, there is no win/ lose. you are on the same team!! if someone wins and someone loses, you both lose, because you are on the same team!
ok, i think this is enough for now. this was so incredibly difficult for me! it is so hard for me to write what i am trying to learn and do in a way that is understandable to others, so i hope this all made sense.
and i was thinking to see if any of you would like to start memorizing a few of the verses that dr. smalley suggested with me. we can begin renewing our minds together and replacing some of the negatives in our lives with the word of God, so that our hearts and minds will be that of the mind of christ!! ok, here are the ones that he suggested we start with...
romans 5:3-5, 8:28
james 1:1-5
1 thesalonians 5: 16-18
philippians 4:6-9
galatians 5:13-14
i guess i'll start at the top, with romans 5:3-5. " and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
ok, now i'm done!! love you guys......
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
