The view from here...

Current view:

God commanded the Israelites to rest on every seventh day. He himself rested after six days of creating. Sounds like a good idea to me! So, hubby took the two oldest boys, I got the girl & baby, and off to Aunt Beth's we go, for a little R&S (reading & surfing the web for me, relaxation & sun for them). I don't like to be cold, even on sunny days. Today is overcast but those little freaks don't care.

I just finished a dance off in the yard with my 2 1/2 year old...I won :) Mostly he just looked at me like I was crazy (apparently, he didn't realize we were *having* a dance off) and Katie said I was embarrassing - a phrase I've heard quite frequently in the past few months. At four years old I swear it was like dealing with a 12 year old, having all of that teen angst in a toddler's body...now she's 9 going on 16 and the fun never stops :x I don't feel I've done my job unless she is yelling that I'm embarrassing her, or I've ruined her life. Then I know I'm doing good!

Church this morning was excellent, and I'm heading back that way in a couple of hours. I know that most of the world goes to church on Sunday mornings only, maybe a weeknight Bible study or youth night...but I need more than that to get me through the week! I need as much of God as I can get.

"...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting (to urge strongly) one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25

Paul said, as is the manner of some...it's like he was looking into the future and seeing today, 2009, when so many would go to their one service for the week, two whole hours if God is lucky, and then wonder why they have no victory, why God seems a million miles away...see where I'm going with this?!

I'm not saying going to church gives us some kind of super powers...but it is a great indicator, in my experience, of where you are in your walk with God. Many treat church like a required duty. Put in their two hours then don't give it another thought until next Sunday. But I say, if you truly love God like you claim, it's not a duty to be endured but like visiting a friend, a favorite relative, a vacation...and we should treat it as such. I can't take all the credit for that last sentence...I have a pretty smart pastor ;)

Just take this test: next time you start getting ready for service, or even think about going, check yourself. Are you excited? Can't wait to see how God will reveal Himself to you in the next few hours...or dread. Are you dragging your feet or trying to hurry up and get there. And I don't mean on time, necessarily, because I would fail that test LOL. I am either right on time or late, but not because I dread going. I'm just a bad manager of my time. After I drag myself out of bed (I'm not a morning person) and start getting ready, I feel the excitement start building. David, a long distance relative, once said, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord!" And that's how we should feel.

Well, enough of my soapboxing...time to get kids dried off and ready for service #2.

Remember: there are reasons Paul told us to come together more often in the end. For starters, we get strength from each other, we overcome by the word of our testimony (Revelations), and when just two or three of us gather together, God said He'd be in our midst. Isn't that alone a wonderful reason to meet as often as possible?

Enjoy your Sunday!

So there!

Yesterday we took the kids to "Aunt Beff's" to swim, as it was Chad's last day off and I thought he should get to enjoy seeing his kids almost drown 23,345 times in two hours, like I do. Or, as some call it, swim. But when you are the mom, it all looks like potential drowning. Yes, they are wearing floaties, or death traps, as the kids refer to them. But, floaties (not to be confused with poo floaties) are little life savers and help me to breath semi normally as they (skip this next part, Beth) dive off the ladder time and time again. Most of the time.


But DH (definitely dumb butt husband yesterday) did not have fun. He wanted to go play at the Blue Hole, aka Might As Well Kill Them Ourselves Hole. Lots of rocks, hidden pockets of cold death. Okay, I know it sounds like I have a thing against swimming, or water in general, but I do not. I think hot baths are God's way of saying, Thanks for not killing your kids today! Candles, books, and peanut m&ms are my own pat on the back.


Anyway...


Hubby & I threw the football back and forth for a while then I settled down with a book. Micah chose that moment to be cold and come sit beside mommy in the sun. So, instead of reading, I had the following conversation with my 4 year old. Punk.

"Mommy, dat whore weg?"

For some reason, he says '"your" as "hore". Maybe it's my guilty conscience in overdrive, but I always hear it as "whore." One of these days I'm afraid I'm gonna go off and scream at him, WHO YOU CALLIN' A WHORE?! Your MOMMA'S a whore! This would not be good, and I digress...


"Yes, that is my leg."


"Whore weg is bigger dare?" He is pointing at my thigh. My upper, fat thigh. I start sweating.

"Uh, yes...my leg is bigger there. WHY? Do you think it's TOO big? Is that what your daddy said? Did he tell you to say that? Well, it's all his fault anyway! If he hadn't knocked me up FOUR times...." Oops.


Thankfully, he had already wandered off to look at the pretty rock in the kiddie pool while I was busy twisting and turning to get a look at my humongus "wegs."

But that's okay, I got even today. I took a picture of him blowing raspberries on his baby brother's belly. Blackmail, baby. Blackmail. One day I'll pull that picture out and blow it up to poster size. Tack it to the wall in the kitchen. On his 16th birthday. And act like I don't recognize the other kid.

More opportunities for blackmail:

Note to Tim: it is not a REAL gun
PS to Tim: if it were, you'd be dead

We "Smiths" can't just swim...we have to make it a game...

Future Policewoman of the Year:

This is why she is Favorite Aunt:

And my best shot at blackmail:



Seriously...your kids drink that water, Tim!

Summer Time!

Ahhhh, summer!

Here are a few of the summer things I am thankful for:

Ice cream - it's the only time I like that cold stuff :)

4 wheerlers - even more fun on a hot day!

Heat - as a girl whose body temp hovers on freezing, I love not having to dress in layers every time I step outside.

Cherry limeades - except, now, they have mango & strawberry too!

Kids playing in the sand - need I say more?



Little boys fishing with their daddy - is there anything sweeter?!

Picnics - well, if it's not too hot, too bright, any mosquitoes, no ants....

Swimming pools - I may not be a huge fan of cold water, but it keeps my kids happy for hours.


Later sunsets - don't you feel like there's an extra hour or two in your day right now?

Happy kids - even a boring day at home beats a fun day at school!

Flowers - I get sad when the Spring flowers start wilting, but then I get to see cool new ones like this:

Day lilies...and the best part? They spread like weeds :)

No idea what these are but I LOVE them!

And my very favorite of the summer bunch, so far:

Now THAT is a girly flower! Pink, complimented by a wonderful green, all spikey and OUT there. No idea what it's official name is, but I call it an Amy ;)

Then, I found my, I mean, it's opposite! Vibrant green tenticles, with a hint of pink in the center. A-mazing!

Happy Summer, ya'll!

Doom, Gloom, & Despair...

Today's post title is a good friend's favorite quote from a Shakespearean play (don't ask me to name it!). I thought of that phrase last night as I sucked down my free root beer float from Sonic.

Why?

Because, here we are, the world in all kinds of financial woe, our supposedly Christian president making decisions left and right that tear down some of our most sacred, moral laws, and the spirit of this world (anti-God) getting stronger and stronger every second, or so it seems.

Gloom. Doom. Despair.

But as I sipped my cool, sweet (and did I mention FREE!) root beer float, I was thankful. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Not only to Sonic, who was so kind to provide 3.5 million customers with a free float, when you know most of the restaurant businesses seem to have taken a hit economically, but to God. Because He knows and cares about even the tiniest little details of my life. I truly believe that all good things come from God. The Bible says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17

He is the Father of lights. The Creator of the sun, moon, and stars. Yet, there is no variation (to make different in some attribute or characteristic), neither a shadow, a hint, of Him turning, or changing. The lights He created to rule our earth, change our seasons, and regulate our body's biological clock, change. They wander the heavens, they turn. But their Creator does not change, He does not turn. Ever.

Isn't that reassuring?! It is if He is in control of your life. He knows what He's doing, this is all a part of His plan, and nothing takes my Heavenly Father by surprise. NOTHING. Not the job market, not my bank account, not sickness, even little headaches & viruses...He knows what is coming at me and He's prepared. He's ready. It's all going to work out to my good. That's His promise to me.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:15

This post has went in a completely different direction than what I planned, but I needed to hear it. If it doesn't help anyone else, it has helped me!

I did try to find an email address to contact Sonic and thank them for being so generous, but they don't have an email link for customers, so Thank you, Sonic!

PS

Did I mention that I LOVE Kris Allen, the winner of American Idol? He had my vote from day one and I have to admit, I voted over 20 times for him the night of the final two showdown. I've seen almost every season of AI since the beginning but that is the first time I've voted, except maybe once a few years ago. Anyway, found my fave song he did on AI and it's now on my playlist. Crank it up and JAM, people!

Fishing, Part Deux

I have been meaning to share some really cool pics with everyone from our trip to Ohio a few weeks ago. On our annivesary (May 15th, babe!), Chad's dad took us fishing. Remember my prayer to catch more than they did? Well, apparently God did not think that was best and I actually caught NONE.

Walt, my FIL, caught about 20, Chad caught 3, and I caught ZERO. I was so frustrated by the time we left the lake. I couldn't even catch a stinkin' bluegill, and they were in schools right off the dock! So, when I get mad about not catching fish, I take pictures :) That's something my FIL & DH can't do like I do. Humph!

Have I mentioned my un-camera happy husband? Consider this payback for all the not-catching-fish comments you made, Babe!

Cool pic, right? He had no clue, either...

See my white legs? I was trying to get a tan while Not Catching Fish. Oh, and he still didn't notice my camera, thanks to my really long zoom ;)

He has the most interesting face, to me. Laugh lines at the corner of his eyes, uniquely shaped nostrils...even his eyebrows are mesmorizing to me. He has a face to grow old with :D Gah, don't I sound whipped?! I get this way every day around this same time. I miss him!

Yeah, then he caught me and got mad and told me to get that blankity blank camera out of his face. I didn't point out that Jesus heard those bad words and somewhere nearby, a little bird fell out it's nest in shock. Sometimes he uses that voice...you know the one: The Voice of Authority. It's rare, but when he does, I swallow my pithy comments (or save them for later!) and keep my little mouth shut. I do think I stuck my tongue out at him. As soon as he turned his head.

I love his hands. He has slender, but manly fingers. Loved them from day one.

And no comments on skin tones. If I fished 3 times a week, I'd be tan too.

Did you know that geese mate for life? And being the end of Spring, there were all kind of geese families waddling around on shore. My FIL said you always see the mom and dad both with their little babies following behind. Isn't that a great example of family?

See? There's Chad, Amy, Katie, Ethan, Micah, Ben, and....hmmm, looks like Louise tried to sneak one of hers in with mine, again.

I guess today I am thankful for families, God's design to mirror His love toward us.

Aaron, etc

Last Wednesday I had the good fortune to chauffeur Aaron to his surgery. Being the genius that he is, my little brother drank a little too much Jesus Juice and got in a fight that wasn't his to begin with. The end result being he had a boxer's fracture (behind the knuckle) on his left hand, on the pinkie & ring fingers. So, he had to have a metal plate put into his hand to fix the break (they broke clean in two).

For those keeping count, this is his second metal plate. The first is located just below his left eye socket. We think he is trying to become Robocop, one metal plate at a time. Being me, I took pictures with my cell phone for my blogger viewers. Aren't I sweet?

Yes. The answer was yes. (I know Beth & Louise got it wrong)

Here is a picture taken within 2 minutes of them bringing him back to the recovery room. He was already starting to try and sweet talk the nurses into uping his meds. @@ (That's an eye roll in Internet Lingo)

He's single, ladies. (cue "Single Ladies" by Beyonce)

By the way, he couldn't wait to tell me how the nurses were talking about his "nice" tan and how cute he was, while he was going under anesthesia. Word to the girls: they can still HEAR you!

They couuldn't wait to tell me how he came out of anesthesia cursing like a sailor. But as soon as one of them said, "Now honey, we don't say those words here", he apologized and promised not to do it again. And she said, in amazement, "And he didn't!" There's hope for Aaron yet, girls.

Then another picture as he lay helpless on the couch just a few days post surgery. He was asleep till he heard the click of my camera. Looked at me through bewildered eyes, then went right back to sleep. They are all used to me by now ;)

Up close & personal...

Tried not to zoom in too far...I'm pretty sure some of those words would make Mom blush and Jesus cry ;)

So, that was part of my pretty exciting week last week.

The best part of the week is that my two oldest, Katie & Ethan, are back home - woo hoo! We picked them up outside Nashville Saturday and Ben & Micah were SO happy to see them. I don't know who missed whom more. Of course, Ben was enjoying some major spoiling by Aunt Beth so he was a little conflicted about it all.

Now we get to enjoy summer break, as Katie keeps reminding me. Time to do FUN stuff. Outside. In the heat. Hot HOT heat.

The good news is that Aunt Beth, my favorite sister in the world (today) is getting a pool - big WOO HOO! 16' round and 42" deep, it's perfect for the kiddies...AND, it won't be at my/mom's house :0 Remember the mud puddle? Now imagine what those two would do with a 42" deep mud puddle and you get the picture. So, very excited about the pool.

That's all my news for now. I am trying to catch up on so many projects that I feel like I'm always 2 days behind when I wake up in the morning, so blogging has become a little harder to get to lately. But I love telling the stories of my family, with pictures of course, so I'll keep going as long as someone keeps reading ;)