Newest Game

Check out this new game - or maybe it is just the age old King Of The CHAIR!
Collier Lays down in his chair - of course very innocently.  Kenley quickly approaches

 Kenley proceeds to climb on top of Collier

 Stepping all over him to reach the highest point that is possible

 giggling  and squealing begin to escalate

 Collier defends his chair, he will not allow defeat!

 Collier takes down Kenley

 Kenley fights hard to take over

 Only to be dominated and drug away from her target

 Collier quickly resumes his position...

 But only to realize that Kenley is back for more!  Repeat game!

 And then Mommy begs for smiles to capture sweet moments of playing and giggling together!

 That is until someone falls off of the chair and screaming and hear covering ensues!

Working Man

I know that I have posted again and again about my working little man.  But there is just something so sweet about him wanting so badly to work along side Justin that it makes every fiber of my being happy!  This weekend was no exception.  Plus I need all of this proof when he is 13 and has to do house and yard work and wants to do something else.  I am already praying hard that his work ethic will continue!!

Friday, He helped me clean the inside of the house.  Vacuuming and mopping the whole house.  He would get so made at me, when I went over his work while he was mopping....'I want to do this all all by my own self, I don't need your help'.  He lost that battle, because it was team work and we were going at it together - aka: mommy will work behind you to be sure we are getting good and clean.  But I have to be honest, that most of the time he was getting it pretty good all by his own self!

Saturday, once we decided that it wasn't going to pour (even though it was very cloudy)..Justin and Collier had hard work to do OUTSIDE.  Mowing, blowing, weed-eating, edging!  He was so very happy!  Even though he did take a few snack and drink breaks, he spent well over 2 hours outside helping Justin.

It was blazing hot and our sweet neighbor came over to help Justin finish up...it was nice to have a little help to get done a bit quicker!   All of this hard work also gave us a really good afternoon nap, all 4 of us!

After church today, I got to go to the grocery story all.by.my.self!  What?!?  Collier just didn't want to go and Kenley was napping, so I went solo!  It is a crazy treat to knock out the grocery without someone else asking for snacks, drinks and to 'hold your list'.  Needless to say it was much quicker than normal, and that is always a good thing.  After dinner tonight, Collier helped me unload the dishwasher, reload the dishwasher, feed brink and then change over the laundry.  See, the boy likes to work.  There is a slightly down side to all of his desires to help with every single task....it really can slow any job/task to be double or triple the time.  It is usually worth it, but it is a little challenge if you need to get something done really quick!  But I am just thankful that he wants to be involved and get all of the hard work done!  It seems to be satisfying to his soul, so we'll do all that we can to feed it!

And here is to trying to capture both of them together!  One day, one day :)

Truthful Tuesday: Serving Perspective

Our Gospel lesson on Sunday was about Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42).  I have read and heard and even studied this lesson many times.  It is a familiar story to me yet God spoke sweetly to me this week to open my heart and eyes to yet another truth of His!  Further proof of how His word is living and active!  It is alive and It is real and It is also refreshingly perfect!  So, here was the lesson that was revealed to me and to no surprise the timing is impeccable!  The message was that both Martha and Mary are doing the right things.  Most of us are the busy, frustrated and short on time Martha's...and yet we all want to be the sit at the feet of Jesus Mary's.  There is nothing wrong with what Martha was doing...what was wrong was her attitude. Martha invited Jesus into her home to feed Him, to provide a time and place to gather and allow Him to teach...but she got upset when Mary wasn't doing what she wanted/needed Mary to be doing.  Here is how the Holy Spirit translated it for me:  Focus on God instead of whatever the task is at hand. So simple, right?  Whenever things are busy and hectic, that I should find quiet and pray and rely on God to provide whatever it will take for me to accomplish what I am working on.  That I should serve with a pure heart that is focused on Him and not me or the task.

Many of you know that I am a part of Community Bible Study (CBS) and in September will begin my 12th year.  I have been part of the leadership for the past few years and love this bible study so much and for so many reasons.  As a leader, I am assigned a core group of ladies to shepherd through the year.  I took a few years off from being a leader and am going to be back in a leader role this year.  I often get overwhelmed with the tasks that are associated with being a leader added to my daily responsibilities that I have as a mom, wife and employee and stress as the fact that I usually come up short handed in being the shepherd that I am called to be.  But as I listened to the story of Martha again on Sunday, I was reminded that if I will submit to the Lord and be intentionally prayerful for these ladies and ask God to help me with all of my responsibilities, that He will provide.  I want to serve them well; and with the help of Jesus I can do it.  I want to love the ladies with God's love. Be less focused on the task at hand and more focused on serving for His glory.  -small plug: if you are in Birmingham and seeking a way to dive into God's word, let me know and I'll get you information for this amazing biblestudy.  I promise you will not be disappointed!

So often I have thought of Mary as making the better choice over what Martha was doing (all the busy-ness) but I was reminded by our Preacher that what Martha was doing was also very important and necessary, it is just that she went about it with the wrong attitude...that is what got her in trouble!  I was thinking...how could Martha have handled her situation differently?  She could have ask God to provide and help her to accomplish everything that was needing to be done.  She could have been joyful in her serving and allowing God to work through her in all of her work.  That doesn't mean that it would have been less work; it is still hard work and a lot to get done.  But the question is do we allow God to be the driver or do we have put Him in the backseat just in case we reach our breaking point and need to call on Him.  That is the real difference!  Making the choice to serve to give God the glory.  Not for our own good or our own honor but for His!  He desires for us to serve but it is a matter of how I chose to serve, what is my attitude and where is my focus?  It want it to be for Him and on Him!
Amen!

Pool Days

We are so thankful that Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Hunter have a house with a pool!  We have really enjoyed afternoon and days at their pool this summer.  Justin actually referred to it as our 'second home' when we are actually in town on the weekends.  It is perfect to get to drain some energy and enjoy the sunshine when it is out!  Kenley loves the water and splashing and is basically fearless (aka clueless) of all things related to water!  Collier is getting better and better with swimming and more confident.  He only likes to stay in the shallow end but is doing really good!

 Pool games...diving for rings and rockets and a paddle ball!

 Uncle Hunter was squirting her with the water gun and she was loving it, laughing and wanting more!!

Collier made Lemonlade this weekend...his (and mine) very favorite.  and I wish that he would never same lemonade correctly...please say lemonlade forever!!

I am still not caught up on laundry, although I am getting close.  My house is not clean and I am slightly behind on work stuff.  I loved my weekend with my family and having time together to play and laugh!  So many blessings, my cup runneth over!

Zoo Day

We went to the zoo today with some friends.  It was hot, it was fun, it was the perfect way to drain some good energy!  Since Collier isn't in school this summer we have missed seeing so many of our fun friends day to day.  So, we decided to spend the morning with his friend Ethan and his mom and sister (who is just a few weeks younger than Kenley)

We saw a sea lion show (and I called the sea lion a seal the entire time...oops!  Thankfully Ethan knew better than me and corrected me :))

The boys had maps to get us around to all of the right places!

 They got to throw apples to the elephants and that was really cool!

Our zoo has a splash pad that is loads of fun.  In the past Collier hasn't really been interested but having a friend certainly helped with the enthusiasm and excitement of trying it out this trip.  Kenley loved it as much as the boys did.

And best of all, we were all tired and rest for a restful and relaxing afternoon!  I truly love my Fridays.  I am thankful for the day that I get to spend with my little ones while they are still little!  I so much appreciate days like today - realizing  what huge blessings that God has given me with my family!