So, today Brennan came home from school and told me that the same kid who's been bullying him for the past month, and one other boy who was Brennan's friend until he befriended the bully, went home on yellow today. (The goal is to make it home on GREEN. Yellow is the next step down.) He explained that "the bully" and his sidekick were pushing on Brennan and pushed him so hard he fell and they knocked him into a table and he hit his head.

Oh. Oh. Oh. I wanted, for a split second, to sink down to a 6 year old level and retaliate. It. Broke. My. Heart. Brennan is so tenderhearted that he cried. And yes, without him knowing-- I too cried. This is only the beginning. He is in first grade. I grew up in the 80's and 90's. Things were tough then. Now it's 2010. Somehow things have gotten even tougher. It's a scary world. My heart is on my sleeve for my babies. I pray fervently everyday for my boys, but that isn't always going to protect them from bad things and from what this world shows them.

I want to always be able to handle my kid's problems. I don't want them to live in dread of going to school because of other people. I want to make them realize SOMEHOW that life is more than meanness in kids and other people's actions and words. That there is life beyond the walls of the school. I want them to realize that the years spent in school are only a fraction of what the world is able to offer them.

I know, we have all been bullied- probably- at some point in our lives. I know I was. Thankfully, I lived through those years and made it into adulthood and now realize what a waste of time it was for me to worry about kids that I probably won't have any contact with in the future. Certain people reach their peak in high school. I can say that I was not one of those. I think I am just now getting to the great part of my life. I just want my kids to know that this world is more than a mean kid who has to get some sort of attention by bullying others.

I shed some tears today. Then I had to stop and pray. A few times. I even went outside for about 5 minutes this evening and laid out on Brennan's trampoline, looked up at the sky and had to be reminded that God is so much bigger than anything my babies ever have to face. I looked up and saw the vast evening sky and was reminded that God made that. And I see not even a fraction of the universe that He created.

So ultimately Chad and I told Brennan to pray for these 2 boys. Pray for them, and pray for himself. Pray that he would be able to handle the situation. Pray that those boys would grow out of whatever it is that causes them to be mean to my child. Prayer is all I can muster up right now. Parenthood doesn't come with any sort of instruction manual-- other than the Bible. It's tough. You don't think about these things in the excitement and anticipation of pregnancy and infancy. But, before you blink your babies become prey to this world. There comes a time they can't always have our protection......

God help me. And I mean that earnestly.

Labor Day Festivities...

On Labor day I took Brennan to our Sunday School party. Chad was not feeling well, so him and Ethan stayed home and napped. The gathering was at the People's house-- Adam and Kelly. Love those guys dearly. Kelly has gotten to be a great friend of mine, and we have shared the experience of Nicaragua together the past 2 years.

Reagan, Brennan, and Sadie.

Some of our clan-- Marsha, her husband, Greg, Kelly, and Kim. And that is crazy Johnathan towards the front. He keeps us laughing.

Ronnie, Adam, and Ashley. Ashley is married to Johnathan, and Adam is the homeowner. (Kelly is his wife.)

Brennan and Reagan. (Reagan is Ronnie and Kim's son.)

Mrs. Sharon (my absolutely, wonderful, fabulous Sunday School teacher), and Kelly.

Marsha, Sharon, Greg, Ronnie, Laura, and Kim

All the kids having a blast.

They loved the bubbles. And the fact that it was controlled by a remote made it even better (especially for Brennan!).

The other Reagan got thrown in the pool by a bunch of mean people.

Ronnie (part of the crew that threw her into the pool) and Reagan, and her mom Shelley.

We had a great time. However, there was LOTS of good food, and I was feeling nauseated the entire time, so I didn't eat much. Went home, got into bed, and woke up an hour later. I was sick ALL that night and thought the worst was over. Struggled to get ready for work, but was so sick I couldn't even make lunches for Brennan or Chad. Was at work for about 45 minutes before I lost whatever was left in my stomach.

Nope, I know what you're thinking. Not pregnant. I guess it was a stomach virus.

Other than that, it was a great, relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Cake, birthday, and family!!!!

I would like to give a shout-out and a shameless plug to sweet Mary Beth, a friend I have known since the good ol' college days at Hinds, who made Ethan's birthday cake. She is so talented and the cake tasted just as good as it looked. It filled the dining room with such good smells, it was all I could do to keep from digging in-- or at least sticking my finger in the icing. It was DE.LIC.IOUS. (And I am not a big cake eater, but it was fabulous!)

#2 for birthday #2!!!!

Mary Beth does this kind of things on the side outside of her normal job-- and she went to school to be a pastry chef (in New York?--I believe I am correct on this information) and her cake was so affordable, which I am all over. I couldn't have gone to Kroger or Wal-Mart and gotten a cake that tasty and that size for what I paid Mary Beth.

Thank you, Mary Beth! Everyone loved the cake!!!!

All the boys. Chilling and grilling.
From the left: My father-in-law--Jimmy, my middle brother-- Clayton, my hubs-- Chad, my brother-in-law-- Alex, and my dad.

My handsome Brennan. Those eyes are killers.

Sweet Ethan.

Chad gettin' his grub on.

"HEY MAMA!!!"

MiMi and Ethan. And all the stuffed animals he has to sleep with every day at nap-time and every night.

Alex being silly and teasing Chad's sweet grandmother.

Singing happy birthday to Ethan.

Blowing out the candle.

My future sister-in-law, Melissa, who is engaged to my little brother, Brent. Brent is across the world right now serving our country. We love Melissa so much.

Serving the cake.

Yummy. Brennan was loving him some chocolate cake.

Ethan and Melissa.

Even Brennan got a present. My kids are ROTTEN.

Opening presents.

Ethan refuses to look at the camera.

Melissa and my mom. We took this picture to send to my brother, Brent.

And then big sister had to jump in there. After all, we are his 3 favorite females.

We had a great day today. Chad spent half the day at a men's conference at our church and loved every minute of it. We had a friend come and do our yard. It was a nice treat and a nice break for Chad. We had a relaxed, small family birthday party and to top it off, we had delicious birthday cake!!!!!

Happy birthday, Ethan!!!!

September 11.....

Two years ago on this day I gave birth to one of the sweetest baby boys ever. It was one of the most joyous days of my life.

Happy Birthday, Ethan!

Today we are having a family party. Our theme is football. A friend from college is making him and Ole Miss football cake and we are having Ole Miss plates and napkins to eat with. And yes, the Colonel Reb is on the plates. I will have to share pictures later.

But let us not forget that infamous day that brought our country to our knees. God bless America today and ALWAYS. I am proud of what this country was founded on and I only pray that those in charge of this country will always remember the God of our founding fathers, and the God I serve.


And let us also not forget the soldiers who have answered the call to protect my freedom and your freedom. Those like my baby brother who are proud to put on their uniforms everyday and answer the call to serve their country.

God bless America--- we are one nation under God.

There will be a monumental struggle of good vs. evil-- but good will prevail. -- George W. Bush

I dare you!

I have said a thousand times before how important I think it is to give. And by give I mean give monetarily. And with a joyful heart. I have also stated that Chad and I tithe the standard 10% of our income to our church, which is what the Bible instructs us to do. Sometimes, I admit, in my imperfect ways, I have a hard time doing that because I don't always agree with how the church spends our funds. And I am in NO WAY saying that our church mismanages money. I would probably feel that way anywhere I attended. That's the downside to being involved in "church politics". But as Chad always reminds me, we are doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing. Where it goes from there and to whom it goes to is out of our hands. As long as we are giving to our church, the rest is not always any of our business.

With that said, Chad and I also pledge to K-Love. For those who may not know about K-Love, it is a nationally broadcast radio station that plays Christian music. "Positive, encouraging K-Love" is their theme. They have no commercials and are funded by listeners all across the nation to stay on the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Chad and I just recently started to pledge about 10 months ago. We started off small, and when Chad was blessed with his new job, we felt led to give a little more. We still don't give a lot per month, but I feel sure with each pledge drive they have every few months, we will give a little more each time. Chad and I both love the station and sometimes it's exactly what I need to get through the day. And in the mornings when I am rushing to work and have neglected to spend any time in meditation and prayer, just listening to K-Love prepares my heart for the day ahead. It is something I believe in, and while I can't help every hurting individual in the world, by giving to something like K-Love, I am a part of something HUGE. A huge, powerful ministry.

As I said in a few posts back, while I was in Nicaragua I felt led to be committed each month to support Baptist Medical and Dental Missions International. Which is the group that we go to Nicaragua through each year. Maybe I was in the heart of the moment, being fresh off the mission field and having a compassionate heart, which doubles in size when I am in Nicaragua, but I decided to step way outside of our comfort zone and become a stakeholder for BMDMI. Let me say, this was a big step. And let me also say, I was a little afraid to tell Chad what I had committed to. You know, he IS an accountant and everything is black and white for him and there is NO "thinking outside of the box" when it comes to our finances. But while I can't be in the mission fields of Honduras or Nicaragua 365 days a year, I can at least support a cause that sends others into the field 365 days a year.

Well, just as I suspected, Chad was a little frustrated with me. Don't get me wrong, Chad has as big a giving heart as anyone I know. But he also balances our checkbook every week and knows what's there and what isn't. Of course, me being what Dave Ramsey considers the "free spirit" in our household, I was not worried one little bit about signing my name on the dotted line and having the money drafted on the 15th of each month. I knew deep in my heart that God would remain faithful to His word. He always has. I knew he would take my measly amount each month (that seems HUGE to us) and doubly bless it.

So, a few weeks went by and I still hadn't sent in my automatic bank draft form to BMDMI, because I wanted to have Chad's blessings first. I knew I had God's. Now I just needed my husband's. Well, lo and behold, what do you think our sermon was about this past Sunday, after I had pulled my stakeholder form back out to keep reminding Chad to pray over it? You guessed it. Giving outside of what we think our means are. God doesn't bless us financially to buy a bigger house, a nicer car, or to buy our kid's designer clothes that they think they will die without. He blesses us to supply our needs and to glorify Him with the rest. I will be the first to admit. I want a bigger house. I want my kids to be well dressed. And I want a nice vehicle to get me from place to place. But I have learned through years of not having a big house, designer clothes, and hand-me-down or used cars that God has something bigger in purpose than making ME happy. Yes, slowly and surely Chad and I are both starting to GET IT.

Oh, I got a little off track. So Chad and I were not sitting together in church Sunday because he helps run the sound every other Sunday, so I was not able to nudge him every time the pastor drove home a point that I had been trying to drive home with Chad. But once we both got home, Chad said, "I know you too well. Don't say anything because I know exactly what you are going to say and I know exactly what you were thinking during the whole service this morning. I know you.". Well, he was right. I had planned on having a discussion with him Sunday afternoon. Then Wednesday, Chad came home with his devotion book, and lightly tossed it to me. "Here, read this", he said. I opened the book. Guess what the FIRST devotion he had decided to read all week was about? Yep. You are on a roll today. It was about giving to missions. I think it was at that point Chad was finally convinced God was practically yelling at him to listen to his wife for once. Needless to say, our first check to BMDMI was written out and mailed first thing Thursday morning.

Everyone has different areas in their lives that they feel compassionate about. For those that are believer's in Christ and believers to change this world FOR Christ, then we should all sweat it out a little bit and get out of our neat, little box. Tithing is the number one thing members of the church are called to do financially. Ten percent of our income is what we are instructed to do. What you do with the rest is up to you. But, God also chooses to bless us according to how we give. I may never have a big house, a fancy car, or shoes to match every outfit and outfit to match every shoe, but by choosing to use my finances for people who may not ever get to LIVE in a house by our standards, or ever even RIDE in a car, or even own a decent pair of shoes, I know I can set an example by doing what I have been called to do. Blessing God's children who aren't so fortunate, because as a child of God myself, I have been blessed. So, I dare you. A few posts back I said I challenge you. This time I dare you. I dare you to step outside that box and just see where God will take you.

Supermom.....

So last week while in conversation with a fellow mom, discussing the goings on with our children, and school, and all those other things moms talk about, she was shocked to learn that I work outside of the home. In the midst of our conversation when I told her I was on the way home from work, she called me a "Supermom".

I was very taken aback by something she just casually said. There are so many times I look at other mothers and have slight envy for different reasons. For example: My kids get on my nerves. Especially in public. But, I can look around and see a mother with a well-behaved child and everyone is just calm and collected. I continually stay frazzled and stressed and unorganized. Or another example is seeing a mother with 2 or 3 kids around her and she is dressed to the nines and just looks so put together. I do good if I can get out of the house with a clean t-shirt and jeans on. And let's not even TALK about make-up and hair.

I see other mothers who work outside of the home full-time, but still have dinner on the table, kids bathed and fed, homework done, and laundry caught up all by 9:00 at night. I don't even cook on nights I work, and when I do work I expect Chad to help me with chores that need to be done. I do work 2 days of the workweek. I volunteer at church, I volunteer at my son's school. But, I am NO supermom. My van stays cluttered and dirty. My house is a constant chore. If it weren't for my mom I would stay backed up on laundry. The inside of my walk-in closet is probably a health hazard. Or should I say a safety hazard. There are cobwebs lurking in overlooked places. Sometimes I indulge in afternoon naps while my toddler sleeps. My kids get on my last nerve. Especially in public places. My patience is thin. My hair is graying at a supernatural speed. My clothes are always wrinkled and most of the time my jeans are worn 4 or 5 times before I remember to put them in the dirty clothes hamper. I have chronic pain I try to deal with, but instead my poor husband hears me whine on a daily basis. Okay, well, you get the drift. I am nothing special.

I don't do anything out of the ordinary that any other mom wouldn't do. I sign up for things, I volunteer my time, I coupon and try to save us money... after all we are on a budget....but these are things I don't always want to do. Sometimes us moms are obligated to take care of certain business and roll with the punches. And yes, sometimes I have a bad attitude when I feel overwhelmed. So I guess my point in saying this is I think ALL moms are supermoms. Especially single moms and moms who work outside of the home and still manage their household well. None of us are perfect. Some of have "skeletons in our closet" (or should I say dirty closets). I'm sure our kids would say we yell to much, we can be mean, we give them too many chores, ect., ect., but I know our kids wouldn't trade us for any other imperfect Supermom out there.

Tagged

I have been tagged. I will keep this short and sweet. I still have little motivation to blog these days.....

Books I've read recently....
#1. The Shack
#2. Fearless-- by Max Lucado
#3. Storm Warning-- by Billy Graham
#4. Reckless Faith (can't remember the author's name)
#5. I am currently finishing "Spoken from the Heart" by Laura Bush. And I love it.

Songs or Albums I listen to all the time...
#1. Elvis.
#2. Elvis.
#3. Elvis.
#4. Any music from the 90's totally rock. I sometimes indulge in Jack 94.7 FM
#5. Anything that plays on K-Love. That is what my radio is tuned into 95% of the time.

Things I love....
#1. Forgiveness.
#2. Mercy.
#3. Grace.
#4. My Savior.
#5. My THREE boys.

Things I've learned this year...
#1. I want to work at Graceland when I retire from my day job.
#2. If Ethan had been my firstborn, I would have quit while I was ahead.
#3. Patience is a virtue and I STILL don't own it.
#4. Who my true friends are. And I love all 2 of them.
#5. I hate politics and I still think Obama is probably what this country deserves.

New recipes I want to try and make:
#1. There are too many to list. I love to cook and I have ten thousand cookbooks just waiting for me to take the time and try out their many recipes.

Favorite online hangouts:
#1. Facebook. I swear, I am hooked bad. I need an intervention.
#2. Any of our local news sites.
#3. My 2 email accounts.
#4. Blogger.
#5. Elvis Presley website.

Projects that I need to work on:
#1. Organizing my coupons.
#2. My scrapbook that I have yet to start.
#3. Box Tops, but that is a continuous "project".
#4. My patience. That is a project in itself.
#5. Cleaning out my closet. Again.

Other people I think should be tagged:
#1. Anyone who reads this and has a blog.