Saved By His Grace

A Day by the numbers

2009-07-08T07:29:00.000-07:00

My day by numbers...
23 the number of times I wished I had more hands
16 the number of hands I wished I had
1 the number of hands I used to pack lunch, make breakfast, and dress four kids this morning (other hand was holding breast feeding baby)
8 number of times I took Scout to the potty for a false alarm this morning alone
2 number of times she peed on the potty for real in one day
5 number of times Scout has changed into a different princess dress
19 number of diapers I changed
2000 number of calories I am trying to eat
4000 number of calories I am eating
1/2 number of seconds I can leave the room without missing Reef
6 number of hours I slept last night (not bad)
5 number of days until I am can do my first "walking" workout
41 number of receipts, bills and other mail waiting on my desk to sort through
2 number of adult conversations I have had in a 24 hour period
4 number of beds I have made
3 number of times I have mopped today
5 number of loads of laundry I have done since last nigh
9 number of band aids and boo boos I have fixed
13 number of times I have read the same Dora princess book to scout
0 number of minutes I have had to watch reality TV
INFINITE- number of times I thank God for this amazing life he has given me

Reef Promise

2009-07-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

So here it is, the official blog about baby numero quatro. Reef Promise Edwards, born on June 29, 2009. (same day as my mom's 60th birthday, I sure did trump my sisters and brother with that gift). Below is the meaning behind her name...

Reef Promise Edwards 5 lb 13 oz 19 inches long looks just like mom and Dash. Delivery was short and sweet 4 hours and 2 pushes!Reef is from our love of the beach and time in the Bahamas. Our family treasures the time we have and will spend together in the Florida sand and in theIslands of the Bahamas. Promise is something we have held onto over the past few years from God. The promise that he is always with us and beside us in all that we do. The promise of eternal life he had given us through his son. A verse we have really hung onto is a promise God gave his people in Jeremiah 29:10-13I will come and do for u all the good things I have promised and I will bring you home again For I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not disaster to give you a future and a hope when you pray I will listen it you look for me in earnest u will find me when u seek me. "

She is a super mellow baby, we call her and Pace the bookends to the 2 crazy ones in the middle!Things are going great, I truly believe with each one they get easier, maybe the Duggars do have something going with 18 and counting...hmmm.. nope, this may be it for the Edwards (for now). Labor was super easy, 5 hours and 2 pushes. My epidural didn't take the first time around so that was the only pitfall, my clawing my way up the ceiling while Trent was quoted as saying " I guess you really weren't faking it last night"...

My parents were a super help taking the other ones off my hands for a few days while I got adjusted and bonded to Reef. It was awesome last night to have our first dinner together as a complete family by ourselves. Thanks for all your prayers and support!!

Scout and Mother Theresa

2009-06-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

We (my hubby, my self and another couple) went to the movies last night... saw The Hangover, absolutely, hands down the funniest movie I have ever seen.. more on that later.. we went to Downtown at the Gardens Cobb theatre. It was a great night and the theatre was packed because of Transformers coming out. Anyways, me and my over sized belly waddled into the Ladies room more than once to relieve my pea sized bladder that currently has a watermelon sitting on it... each time I walked out I was speechless. It was as if I kept entering a vortex or some other world I have become oblivious to. The girls, these teenage and preteen age girls all huddled in the bathroom texting, gabbing and smacking bubble gum half dressed. Yes, catch that last adjective, half dressed I say. I mean I wanted to wrap them up in toilet paper and carry them out of there. Shorts that cover less than my underwear, tank tops smaller than my bras and enough cleavage hanging out to rest a book on... I mean c'mon parents, your daughter is no doubtingly turning on every man in the place. They looked like they were ready for some Victoria Secret Runway show... each had a phone in their hand giggling about some boy or some hookup they had... poor Scout, I have spent the entire morning researching how to get her into a convent.

Confessions of a stay at home mom... a pregnant stay at home mom!

2009-06-15T13:29:00.000-07:00

I confess...
My kids have watched more than the recommended dose of TV these past few weeks. Probably close to 2 hours on some days...
I have skipped a shower in a 24 hour period more than once in the past 3 weeks.
I have wished I was back in college dreaming about what outfit I was going to wear to my next sorority function
My kids were in their pjs for more than 50% of the day
My kids have been sneaking into our bed randomly for the past few months and I LOVE IT
I convinced myself that Chic Fil A fries are considered a vegetable being from potatoes so that counted as a serving for the day
I allowed the kids to use a dip in the pool as their bath
Our dog licked the table clean the other night after spaghetti and I thanked her for allowing me to skip this step in clean up
Our 2 year old still likes her bottle at night... too tired to break this habit, figure she wont go to college with it
I had a dream last week I posed for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition right after giving birth and gave Heidi Klum kudos for encouraging me
I take my kids to Publix as early in the am as possible so they can have a doughnut for breakfast while I shop along with some healthy sunny d to wash it down
I love reality TV especially the shows no one will admit they watch!
I get my hair twist inspiration from LC aka Lauren from the hills... you know who she is!!

that feels good to get off my chest... going to go do some penance and fold laundry and cook a healthy meal while teaching my kids Latin, tending the garden, straightening the house and knitting my husband some new socks

Chirp in the am

2009-05-31T07:19:00.001-07:00

It never fails...that chirping, set at about 2 minute intervals will drive you completely crazy. In fact, I think it should be considered the newest in detainee torture chambers..
The chirp, the low on battery power, smoke alarm chirp. You know the one, the one that never goes off in the morning or on Saturday when you are doing around the house repairs. Oh, the chirp that always starts at about 2:12 am when you are in your deepest, most treasured cycle of REM sleep. The one that goes off, you hear it, hope it was not what you think it was, snuggle deeper down in the covers and then 2 minutes later, CHIRP! to me the worst type of nightmare you can think of... because then, you have to wake the hubby, get out the ladder, check every alarm because they don't have any type of light signal but an annoying CHIRP that sounds like it could come from any of the FIVE we have in our house!! CHIRP! Exhausted, hubby disconnects the carbon monoxide alarm which then set off the house alarm and woke everyone in the house up... mom lulls them back to sleep, mom convinces hubby to just rip them down and throw them into the abyss of our garage until the next am.. sleep again at 3 am!
I am FIRED up about this...can you tell...

Dilemma

2009-05-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

I have a dilemma...
My daughter is obsessed with a movie that does not sit well in my gut. Here is the basic story line. Girl is sixteen, father is the king. She constantly breaks her father's trust by going outside the kingdom's boundaries to explore. He reprimands her, she fights back and does it again. One day on one of her adventures, she sees a boy that she is taken aback by... falls in love so to speak. Her father is furious, she runs away to be with him. Remember she is only sixteen. She seeks the advice of a witch and makes a deal with her to be with this boy she has fallen in love with against her father's wishes. In the end, her father concedes, gives in, and she runs off into the sunset with this man...
sounds crazy that a two year old would love this movie huh?
well before you get all judgemental on me let me tell you the name of it... Little Mermaid, heard of it? Problem is it is a Disney Princess that she is totally obsessed with... as I thought about taking the movie away, I realized almost every other Disney princess movie has some underlying theme of disobedience to their parents...I mean doesn't Jasmine jump off her balcony in the middle of the night to ride around town in her boyfriend's car (magic carpet) all night? ... aaahh... we love Disney... can't they make a movie that just follows the rules? maybe we should stick with bambi.. but there are no princesses in that one

Feeding 7 on 20

2009-04-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

Tonight we fed our three kids, us and my niece and nephew dinner, with a water view and had dessert for just 20.00! Cool huh? Best part was that the kids were totally wiped out when we got home and went straight to bed, there was no waiting for a table while the immigrants from the Northeast sat over their .25 happy hour coffee and we didn't have to keep the kids quiet while every couple happy with their 1.9 children looked at us in disbelief for bringing another child into this world... here's how

Monday and Tuesday nights Sals offers 6.99 large cheese pizza (pick up and cash only) so 2 pizzas cost us 14.00. Grabbed those along with a cooler stocked with a thermos of water and Gatorade and some cokes, paper plates and off to the beach we went. We arrived at 5:15, kids played in the water with boogie boards, dug castles, and ran around like maniacs then crashed in the sand with their pizza in hand. Back into the water to wash off, no dishes to clean up or hands to wipe down :)
After running on the beach like little mad men, we headed to the golden arches where you can get a hot fudge sundae for .99 so 6 of them were 6.00! (I didn't get one since I knew Scout would be done with hers once the hot fudge was done). So yes we fed, entertained and treated our kids to ice cream along with our niece and nephew for 20.00! Top that in today's economic crisis!!!

fourth times a charm

2009-04-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

I have a good friend about to have her first baby right after I am having my fourth. The difference between us in this time of preparation is light years. She has picked out all her bedding, bottles, booties and more. She registered for a baby wipes warmer, a bottle sanitizer, bath toys, and a vaporizer. I have bought some extra paper towels in case we run low on wipes, thought about what sheets I can throw on the crib we have yet to get out of storage, kept some empty Tupperware containers to use as bath toys and tried to figure out how many bottles we actually still have all the working parts to.
Yep, baby 4 is much different than baby one. Pace had his name monogrammed on everything, I am surprised I didn't engraved it on the side panel of my car door. His room was decorated and ready to go before the pink line actually showed up on the home pregnancy test. I had to move clothes out of Trent's closet to make room for all his onesies and outfits.
The only thing not different about this one is the overwhelming sense of love and excitement we feel about his/her impending arrival.

A love like this

2009-03-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

This afternoon we went to the beach with my mother and father in-law. We ordered pizza, some salad and brought along some cold drinks. The weather was awesome, the kids played in the waves and I spent some time chatting with my awesome in- laws.
They have been married for 48 almost 49 years! They act as if they just met. They talk like they just met. They kiss like they just met. She serves him with absolute adoration. She serves him not just out of obligation but out of true love. He supports her with unconditional love. He leads them with wisdom and truth out of the purest form of adoration. When he speaks she listens to every word as if he is the only one around. She shares every ounce of her daily ongoings with him and listens whether it should interest him or not.... the represent what God has called each of us to be in marriage. She is the wife I strive to be, not the one society calls me to be. She is a wife and he is a husband that will surely sit at Heaven's gates and be complimented by Christ on a job well done.

A trip to the Grocery store...

2009-03-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

my best friend in California is living a very different life than me... she is married to shaun cassidy (do run run, the do run run), lives in Hidden Hills amongst the super stars and has a nanny 5 days a week to help her with her children... she is a great mom and a great friend. we are like the story country mouse/ city mouse...
on many occasions we are in the car when we are talking on the phone because it is the only real chance to talk when all kids are strapped in to a seat and can't possibly swallow a bottle of glue or eat a lego without you knowing... on many of these occasions, I have my kids and she doesn't (we don't have a nanny) so my kids are in tote. she loves to hear about "how" I do things... it cracks me up... I literally have to walk her through a simple task... then I realize, I guess it isn't so simple...so hear is my rendition of our trip to the grocery store today (and everyday that we go)
All kids in car, back inside to find someone's shoes that they left behind, back inside to get coupons and my list I left on the counter after having to pick up a sippy cup for Dash to take with us, back inside to change Scout's diaper that she pooped in during one of my trips previously back inside. Finally, we are off. Find a spot, park, all shoes back on that each person took off in the three minute ride to the store. Instructions again on what is appropriate and what is not. Grab all the canvas bags, Scout on hip, Pace and Dash each holding a pocket as we make our way through the parking lot. Sit Dash and Scout into the over sized, impossible to steer rocket shaped grocery cart. Wipe down all edges and steering wheel of cart from previous rider. Head to the cookie counter where the kids beg for the $.75 doughnuts instead of the free cookie. I give in. Move to bread, deli and produce section. Stop to pick up doughnut Scout informed me she dropped by letting out an ear piercing scream. Send Pace to get veggies and fruit while I wait in deli line. Watch the woman in front of me order four different items from the deli each only 1/4 pound and wonder why she cant just get a pound of one thing (can't she see the doughnuts are almost gone and I still have 12 aisles to cover). Look over the produce Pace has picked out, listen to how he weighed everything, how much everything cost, how nothing has a bruise and on and on, while the deli lady is staring at me to "Please Order". Move through the next few aisles with only about a dozen "no we don't need any of that" or "because their is too much sugar and junk in those snacks", while staying strategically right down the center so that hand one and two don't grab things from the shelf when I am not looking. Run over Pace's toe, console him amidst the spaghetti sauce while convincing Dash that spider- man macaroni does not make you turn into spider- man and keep Scout from tearing into the bunch of bananas at her finger tips. Convince Pace to keep walking on the toe he swears is bleeding out so that he can pick out our weekly dessert. Pick up some meats, swear at the amount they are charging for organics and realize we are still only able to afford ground beef and some chicken. Head down the dreaded cereal aisle where every box promises pots of gold at the end of every rainbow and some sort of super secret spy glasses that can make you ultra invisible all for just 5.00 per box. Lots of "no, no,no" and finally, a "yes" to something they will try two maybe three times and tire of mainly because they found the toy and the cereal was a bit boring. On to the next aisles quietly "thank goodness" Catch Scout as she stands up in the cart to insist she is "all done and down now", continue to pinch her little thigh with a stern "sit down" under my breath all while smiling and acting cool because I have it all together. Realize on aisle 10 I forgot a few items on aisle 2 and 4, make a mental note to call Trent to pick them up later, cant stand the thought of turning back. Run into a few people while turning the corners of each aisle. Pick up the eggs and try to find a place on the pyramid of junk we have collected and then wonder why they don't make these carts bigger? Grab diapers, jeez they are a rip off, 17.00 for something she is just going to poop in and then we will toss, to the pharmacy to pick up my prenatal. While trying to figure out why my vitamins have been recalled and what to do about it, Dash has found the spider- man band- aids and insist upon using these on every crevice of his body, scout is still screaming to get down, pace is limping on his soon to be amputated toe, I am contemplating chugging a bottle of wine from the display next to the pharmacy and the woman next to me chimes in with "you have your hands full, huh?"... speed straight to the check out, stare a people magazine, us weekly and shape and think of all the reasons I don't look like that and how much air brushing really went into that photo... gasp at the ever increasing grocery bill, head out the door with my coupons I forgot to use in hand, scoop scout up out of the cart so the poor bag boy doesn't have to hear her scream "let go, mommy push please" anymore, search my bottomless pit purse for the keys, load everyone in, exhale, smile at life and head home...

Full Hands

2009-03-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

At least three times a day I hear "wow, you have your hands full", then the ever so polite person looks at my protruding stomach and goes "wow! another one? your brave"... so how does one take this?
Usually, I smile say something quick like "yeah, someone just left these poor kids on the road and I picked them up for the day" or if I am overly happy I just respond with a "yep, my hands are full of blessings"... but inside I am utterly pissed! This non-suspecting bystander just sent my world into a tail spin with their quick, unthoughtful comment. I mean when I read between the lines, it makes me think...."do my hands look really full, I mean too full for me to handle? are my kids giving the impression that I can't handle anymore? is someone considered brave for actually venturing out past the 1.9 children per household statistic? am I acting irresponsible in this person's eyes?" and the thoughts keep coming... while the oh so innocent passer by, goes on with their merry day, they have left a mother who tries her best to raise up a gift only God can give so that one day their will be a voice of truth still heard in the wake of our descending society....
and then one of the kids says something like "mom, can you be my mom even when I grow up and be a big person"
I come swirling back to reality and start to pity that person for missing out on the joy of parenting many kids because of the fear society has impressed upon them and the culture that had manifested into the typical "child hating" cliche "kids are so expensive", "I cant imagine having to deal with more than two", "I wouldn't have time for anything"...its sad but all of a sudden these precious babes that look at you with absolute unconditional love have become all about costing too much, taking too much of our precious time and being a burden...
Being a mom is not a walk in the park all the time, but I wouldn't trade smelling these roses for anything... I love having my hands full and hope others are brave enough to try it!

I want to pick up that red phone!

2009-02-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

Earl Stewart loves to talk about his red phone... how you can pick it up if you have any problems... well we have a big problem and I am sure he wont pick up and if he does, he wont do anything about it. We will never do two things again
1. Buy or Lease a car from Earl Stewart Again... Period!
2. Lease a car... Period!

It has been a nightmare... the overage mileage, the inspections and now the 1200.00 in damages they want us to pay to turn the car in. Now if I had damages that were as a result of something we did, like back into someone or scrape up the side of the car, fine... but they want 30.00 to turn off the Check Engine light. I thought that light came on when the engine needed checking and was part of warranty along with the hatchback which wont stay open because it never worked right to begin with...we went to Toyota, told them we would buy a new car from them if they took off the overage mileage cost (800.00) they said no... so we bought our Pathfinder, and got a check from them for 800.00 to pay Toyota... ha ha ha...sorry, needed to vent... dont even get me started on Obama's plan to put us into over a trillion dollars debt

Perfection inspired by Disney

2009-02-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

Does it aggravate anyone else that every darn princess and female character under the age of 40 has 23 inch hips, perfect six pack abs, tiny little legs, and big beautiful boobs all shown off in either a swimsuit (little mermaid), form fitting gown (cinderella, snowwhite, sleeping beauty) or a tube top and capris (jasmine)... I mean do they mean to drive every girl into a sexy form fitting outfit or just make us all realize how imperfect our figures are in the eyes of prince charming... it is all a bit frustrating especially when you leave the parade pushing a stroller full of children you now proudly birthed and have a full figure to show for it as you head for the hot dog stand and mickey mouse ice- cream guy...
I guess we should just spend more time in Sea World where we can sit near shamu and feel really good about ourselves...

Magical suprise

2009-02-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow morning we are waking the kids up early and taking them to the Magic Kingdom. It is a total suprise. Dont know why really, just because...
These are the moments I treasure, the night before a big day in their little lives. I picture their faces when we pull into the Magic Kingdom and they are in awe, I imagine their little bodies squirming all over the place as we park the car and thier voices squealing in delight as we board the monorail.
Our kids are awesome, they deserve and awesome suprise...now I hope to get an awesome night of sleep so I can keep up with them in the am...

Slacker

2009-02-13T04:32:00.000-08:00

I am a blog slacker, I admit it... many times I go to post and think I dont have much to say about anything that anyone would really want to read... so I read eveyone else's blogs and realize its true, I dont have much to say about anything too important...so I am thinking I will just start blogging about random, non thought provoking things just to say I actually blog...any thoughts

Its A....

2009-02-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

we don't know...it was a hard call, one we will hear never hear the end of from the likes of mothers, in- laws, friends and many others. we have never not found out the sex and seeing we are blessed to already have both, have struggled to have this little one and may be at the end of the baby making line after this, we figured why not wait until the big day to hear the doctor say "its a..."

My mom has a...

2009-01-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

" My mom has a pee bag on her leg" quote of the day from my little Dash, as told to my 20 year old sister's best guy friend on Thursday. A look of horror from said guy to me. Yes, mom has a pee bag on her leg I said. " I really like to empty it for her, it is so cool" as said by Pace to sister's said friend. Another look of horror and a quick exit to my sister's room...

A pee bag you may ask... here is the life of me over the past 7 days...

Last Sunday thought had some sort of infection as I was having a problem going to the bathroom but thought may be due to baby, so I went to the med express, they checked, put me on antibiotics and sent me on my way. Sunday night feeling ok, go to bathroom around 7 pm, watch movie try to go to bathroom before bed, cant go. Drink a full water bottle in hopes to help. Get up at 12:30 feel like I need to go, can't so I drink another bottle thinking I am dehydrated or don't have enough urine and try to sleep. Toss and turn, get a little sleep. 4:30 get up, take cold bath, hot shower and sit on toilet and still can't go. 6:15 call dr, says that I am having bladder spasms to come in at 9 am they will cath me and everything will be fine. (forget to tell dr. i have now drank almost a gallon of fluids since last night) send hubby to meeting in ft. lauderdale. 7 :10 am try to stand and can't, my bladder feels like it is tearing. call sister in-law to take me to ER. Rushed to ER, ultrasound confirms I have a full bladder (DUH!! dont need and ultrasound, cant you tell by me not being able to sit, stand or bend and the massive amount of tears and sweat I am putting out). 8:20 put catheter in 1500 cc of fluid in bag and a discharge notice with a "pee bag" attached to my leg. 8:30 home greeted by the boys with "wow, that is so cool, can we touch it"... Tuesday morning off to ENT to follow up on vertigo symptoms I had on Christmas. Diagnose me with severe vertigo in left ear. Decide to do head manipulations to get crystals back in place, have to inflict 5 minutes of severe vertigo on me, I dry heave, sweat, cry and then get a migraine from the motion sickness. Dr then tells me I need to be in a c-collar for two days to keep from moving my head and that I have to sleep upright for 2 nights. WHAT? I have three kids under 5 and a pee bag on my leg... head home in tears (and a collar)...Wednesday, totally exhausted from trying to sleep upright with a "pee bag" and collar on, head to OB to get cath out. Takes it out, sends me on my way! Yahoo...not so fast, back in the ER at 2 am for another cath, could not pee again! home at 4:30 am, into the dr at 9 am for exam. "You have a very rare condition in which your uterus is obstructing your bladder and colon (no wonder nothing was coming out the other end for 3 days either) I am going to try to flip you uterus up (wont go into details but it was the MOST painful thing other than bladder almost bursting). After 2 drs violate me trying to get it to flip, they give up, decide to leave the cath in for a least 2 more weeks until my body does it naturally...aah. In total pain, head down to see Gators win National Championship (only highpoint of week). Loaded up on Tylenol and adrenaline, feeling like I can push through. Friday, feeling a lot better cath has started to settle into my bladder. Go to perinatologist for some testing and ultrasound, get to see baby on monitor moving, sucking thumb, kicking for 45 minutes, thank God for this awesome gift of life and say a little prayer of endurance. In the end, in five months, we will have this precious gift in our arms. In the end, I would do it all over again in a second for our child.

Greatness

2009-01-10T17:07:00.001-08:00

Yes, the Gators clinched their second national title in three years! I was there to witness greatness, not the kind you are thinking of though. Yes, their was greatness in the catches, the blocking, the interceptions, the rushing and all the pieces that came together to leave the Sooners riding their pony pulled wagon back to Oklahoma...

But the true greatness is in what you didn't see...

Tebow wore John 3:16 on his eye paint...on Friday John 3:16 was the number one most searched thing on Google in the USA.

Tebow through the game clinching touchdown, immediately pointed to the sky and prayed.

Three players that have had Tebow lead them to Christ all prayed together at mid- field after the touchdown that sealed their fate.

Tebow thanked his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in front of the entire Gator Nation and live audience before accepting the BCS trophy.

Percy Harvin spent his entire Christmas Break at UF alone to rehab his ankle, played at 80% in pain for his team.

Tebow Gator Chomped a defender from the other team that had called him "the fourth best QB in the country if that" after they had tried to injure Percy's ankle after a play, horse collared Chris Rainey causing a game ending injury and shoved Tebow after a big play... Tebow was the only one called for the personal foul, but the ref said on the next play after he was pummeled by the entire offensive and defensive line in a rush play that "Tebow was the only player that offered him and hand and asked if he was ok"

Brandon Spikes has an older brother, the only father figure he knows, in jail serving a life sentence for murder. He is the first to attend college, get a degree, become a Christian so that he can "prove that their is a reward to hard work and that no matter where you come from, you can be something".

The Pouncey Twins' father lost his leg in a tragic accident prior to the FSU game, the twins were going to miss the game but their father insisted not. Meyer and the coaching staff drove to be with the family many times between practices and the team wore bands in honor of him. Mr. Pouncey against the impossible odds, traveled to Miami to see his boys play.

Cornelius Ingram stayed for his senior season, missed out on entering the NFL draft, only to have a season ending injury prior to the first game. His stock fell in the draft, he never played a snap this year... but before the National Title game during senior speeches, he said "if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn't have changed a thing, he would have stayed to be with this team, to cheer for them on the sidelines and to witness greatness"....

That is what Thursday was, pure greatness...

as always it is great to be a Florida Gator

Self Help

2009-01-06T05:53:00.000-08:00

Our pastor gave a great sermon on Sunday on goal setting. During this time he talked about his book list for each year that he strives to read. I have a confession to make, I watch too much TV! I used to be an avid reader, reading about a book a week. Now I am down to a book a month if that!
Yesterday I was rushed to the ER with an obstructed bladder (a rare pregnancy side effect). They put in a Foley catheter that I have to wear strapped to my leg for two weeks. It is such a beautiful sight...ugh! While I was recovering yesterday, I finished the last half of a book I was trying to get through and found myself the most relaxed I had been in a long time. So here goes my goal setting... I have cut down my TV watching to 2 shows (ouch)... and upped my reading to a book every 10 days or so. I figure with some time off for kids, they new baby and just life that should give me about 30 books this year. I need your help. Give me your favorite books, I would love to read them and post my review. I love History, Non- Fiction, some fiction, Christian writing and short stories. My favorite books are 1. A Land Remembered (Florida History) 2. To Kill A Mockingbird 3. Family Drivin Faith 4. Snowflower and the Paper fan 5. Winds from the Carolinas ( History of British Colonials trying to colonize the Bahamas 6. Prince of Tides

Cant wait to start with some of your suggestions!

Reflection

2008-12-31T05:44:00.000-08:00

On the eve of a new year, one starts to mull over all the happenings of the past year. My head spins at this thought.. has a year really come and gone and what happened to all the days in between? Its like they were thrown into a huge trash compactor, made into one of those neat little cubes and spit out to be stacked up and placed in line with all the past years. How do you stop time... capture small pieces from this continual movement of memories created... mind blowing isnt it..
So I reflect and think what a ebb and tide it has been this year. From a country and with a conservative Christian president in office to the first black liberal man elected, from a time of financial windfall to economic crisis, from a start of 2008 with a new heartbeat to the loss of two unborn children and now to the blessing of our second trimester starting today for a child we certainly will carry to term, from the beginnings of our oldest son learning the Gospel to his baptism in November...I reflect. Time can't stop, it must move forward so even as we reflect we move with it...

A Tradition of Mischief

2008-12-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

We have many cherished memories in our family. Christmas holds most of them for us. This year we introduced a new tradition that will be one that is with us for many years to come..."The Magical Elves". My mom bought these two elves from a store. Santa delivered the elves a few weeks before Christmas to watch over the boys. Each night the kids would sprinkle the "magical" snow Santa sent on the elves. While everyone was asleep, those two crazy elves would create all kinds of trouble and then fall asleep right before we woke up. Every morning the kids would rush out of bed searching for their tiny friends and the mess they made. Some of the things they did included... toilet papering the bathroom (the whole roll!), silly stringing the bedroom, putting underwear all over the Christmas Tree, dumping laundry all over the living room,...

Daddy knew the elves had to do something big for their last night at our house (Santa picks them up tonight and takes them back to the North Pole until next year)... so check out the photo below and see the floor to ceiling tower they built (remember we have 12 ft ceilings)...it was a blast, and has given us some really fun memories our kids will cherish for a long time... cant wait to see them next year!

Picture Perfect.

2008-12-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

In the almost three years my boys have been working, they have never been in a photo together...until now! They have worked many shoots together but never in the same shot...take a look at how cute they look here together..I know I am partial, but they are precious!! (to look at more photos, click on collections then on the filou and friends tab under collections and scroll through the 4 pages of photos using the arrow at the bottom...

New Beginnings...

2008-12-10T06:15:00.000-08:00

This post is a promise of a new beginning... I will begin to post more frequently again. I have been a bit under the weather for the past 10 weeks (you can see why below)... head over toilet and eyes held open with toothpicks type of sick...

The boys have been working a lot, we have been traveling to games, family visits, and some mini vacations and life has just been plain ol' busy... but I figure with this new life beginning, I should start a new begnning on my blog...if anyone is still reading...ARE YOU??

CHOMP! CHOMP! CHAMPS!

2008-12-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

AHHH, the feeling of being champions once again... nothing like it. Not much to say except, it is great to be a Florida Gator. You can hate us all you want, jealousy tends to do that... but you can't take away the reality of it...we are state champs, SEC East Champs, SEC Champs and hopefully soon to be National Champs!!

2 People I would like to meet

2008-10-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had to answer that question when interviewed or at some random ice breaking moment "so who is one person you want to meet?" My two are two moms. I would love to meet Tim Tebow's mom and Ryan Hall's mom. Now before you go running off thinking this is some crazy post about the Gators, hold on, it is not.
These two women have raised amazing young men. Each time these young men are interviewed, they talk openly about their love for the Lord, their desire to do all things so that He may be glorified and the fact that their mother's instilled this belief in them. Often you see athletes thank God for things, but very seldom with the passion and conviction of these two young men. Not only do they talk the talk but they walk the walk. Tebow spends summer months on mission trips, off season weekends witnessing in prisons, teaching bible studies and leading prayer groups off the fiels. Hall in an article in Runner's World magazine prior to the Olympics talked openly about his faith and his decision to run for God, to never allow training or competing to interfere with his worship time and his desire not just to win but to further God's message through it.

Both men talk openly about how their mother's homeschooled them, taught them scripture, gave them a biblical worldview even when the world tried to do otherwise. Both men talk about the value their mother's placed on learning God's word and making it the center of their family. Both men talk about how God came first, sports came second. One of my favorite quotes by Tebow on the night he was about to win the most coveted trophy in college football, The Heisman, was "My Faith is first, My family second, My schoolwork third and Football fourth". He had an entire nation watching and chose to use this time to speak his absolute truth, God.
I am compelled to write this post because sometimes it is just plain hard to be a mom, a stay at home, home schooling mom.. constantly wondering if all the words of wisdom and love you speak daily are heard and learned. Knowing that the fruits of today's labors will not be seen for many years to come...
so for now, I want to meet these moms, to know how they did it and to have that daily reminder of what greatness looks like.

Missing a Miracle

2008-10-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

I think too often we are too busy looking for miracles that we often miss the ones he lays right in our lap. It reminds of that game we used to play with my dad, where he would hide something in plain sight but we were too busy searching for it in tiny places and dark spaces that we would miss it entirely. I believe this happens to us often with God. We are so caught up in what we want him to do now and when we want it that we often miss his best parenting. Last week I prayed so hard for him to work a miracle and keep our unborn child safe and strong. I prayed so hard for this that when it did not happen I was stunned, shocked and angry. When they told me about this mass on my ovary, I was too busy crying over our lost child, that I completely overlooked the work he was doing. My best friend, Pam, reminded me ever so gently on Monday after a clean report from the doctor to remember that God is in the business of healing and miracles. It is true, I saw the ultrasound, I heard the doctors whispers and their tones of concern that Friday afternoon. What I missed was the obvious work God had done over the weekend to heal my sadness of a loss and the possibility of a grim future. He removed the mass without taking credit, without some big show, just an act of enduring faith. Don't miss it...

Hope...

2008-10-04T05:30:00.001-07:00

I had hoped to be writing this post to share our news of a new life and heartbeat that God had breathed into my womb... I had hoped to post a picture of the little heartbeat we anxiously awaited... I had hoped to share the incredible story of how God delivered the news of a new blessing in our family the day before the baby we lost was due to be born... I had hoped to celebrate my 33 birthday yesterday with a group of friends that have ushered me along this journey back to life after a time of grief...
Hope was replaced by despair yesterday... Today, I want to feel hopeless... we have lost another life. We have been told there is an unexplained mass behind my ovary, we have been told there is unexplained fluid in my pelvic area...we are told we have to wait until Monday morning for answers... so now we wait... wait in what anger? confusion? terror? feelings that have been flowing over in tears all day and night for the past 24 hours.
But again, now amidst the rain and the tears, hope is there. Hope that is directed by faith. I am writing now out of faith. My hope is now faith. I have faith that my God is not going to take this pain away from me or this process or these feelings away from me, I have faith he is going to take my hand and walk me right through it. I have faith he is going to hold my hand as I pen another line in my testimony that will one day be shared to reveal his glory. I have faith that even through all my anger and unrest at him, he will stand firm in his love for me as I continually crawl back into his arms for comfort. I have faith that one day I will enter heaven and will now have two children who never had to experience the pains of sin or this fallen world waiting for me with shouts and coos of "mommy". I have faith that again I will hope...because God is hope.

Lost in Busy Land...

2008-09-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have been lost in what I call "busy land". A place where you are always busy, yet you always feel like nothing has been done. You always feel like you are moving full speed, life goes by with the blink of an eye, but your to do list keeps growing. Today though, I am thrilled to say I am caught up! Yahoo!
So from this day forward, I am never returning to busy land. I bought a one-way ticket back to " enjoying the moment land" and am staying here for good, or until Monday!
I have missed my little blog. Too much has happened to post about so I am going to recap and start anew with my next post...
1. Organized and awesome homeschool meet and greet with the incoming Senate President that had over 200 parents and students attend.
2. Chopped off most of my hair.
3. Started facilitating an awesome life class at our church called Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham
4. Watched the Gators start the season 2-0 with an awesome win over the Canes!
5. Spent two days annoying Lyndsey and Chris with what they love to call obnoxious Gator behavior.... jealousy
6. Started officially homeschooling Pace for his first grade year
7.Begun working on bringing Carole Joy Seid, an awesome speaker in the homeschool world to our church for a seminar.
8. Took a trip to Ocala with two fun, fun, fun couples and all the kiddos.
9. Ordered all my Palin gear to wear until the election...love her
10. took a deep breath...
Time to settle in...

Home

2008-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

We are home. We are home after a 16 day vacation in the Bahamas. Yes, life is hard. We had an amazing time diving, fishing, body surfing (I was declared champion in the final round), shelling, spear fishing, and spending quality time as a family. The first half of the vacation was spent on Hope Town Island in the outer Abaco Islands. I LOVE this place, we have been visiting their since I was in my early teens. The island is only about 12- 18 miles long (depending on where you start measuring) and has only a few thousand year round residents. We have no cell phone or computer coverage so it is true vacation. Our days looked like this
1. Wake up to sunrise overlooking the ocean. I would go for a long run, the kids would play random games around the adults as they drank coffee, made breakfast and talked news and etc.
2. Head out the back door for the long 25 yd walk down the porch steps into the sand of our own beach where we would body surf, boogie board and build awesome sand castles.
3. Back inside for a rinse, lunch and a nap (adults included)
4. Back outside to repeat step 2.
5. Back inside to rinse, make dinner from the fresh fish, lobster and conch we caught that day. Baths. After dinner games of UNO, Zingo, or a short walk to the ice cream shop.
6. Bed

some days instead of the beach we would spend the snorkeling the national reefs. We saw AMAZING fish, sharks, HUGE starfish, coral...we would fish a lot (Pace caught the most) and then spear whatever we could. We would pack lunches, snooze on the boat, find other islands to picnic on...

It was a blast, I am counting down the 365 days until next year!

5 years of awe

2008-07-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

I stand in awe of God's creation when I look at Pace, our oldest son. He is 5 today and what an amazing blessing he is in our lives. He is filled with such compassion for the world, a mind that never stops trying to understand far beyond his years, and a heart that is a picture of the purest love. Pace gave me my first understanding of what God's love for me as his child looks like, this was the most perfect gift on a special birthday.

Happy Birthday Boy!

Absolute Retraction

2008-07-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am a woman of absolutes. I just think and then speak that way. Makes life a bit black and white but I like it that way. Others dont, but well I do. Like:
I absolutely believe their is only one way to heaven and that is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I absolutely believe I married the greatest man in the world.
I absolutely would do anything for my children.
I absolutely think that Gator Nation is the greatest thing in college sports.
Until now, I have really never had to go back on any of my absolutes. Unfortunately, I was in for a big surprise last night. Dear friends of ours, the Askews & co. invited us over for dinner and some Wii action. Until now, my absolute about video games was...They are absolutely pointless and we will absolutely never have one in our home. I have to absolutely retract that statement and only say this... once I have saved enough rainy day cash we will absolutely be getting a Wii and I will absolutely have a boxing rematch with Courtney and Nancy as I was sucker punched! It was great fun and I am absolutely exhausted and sore from playing! Check it out, you absolutely wont be disappointed!

say cheese 2

2008-07-12T07:03:00.001-07:00

here are some more updated photos from the next directory. if you click on the nighware, hats and mittens and scroll through the collections page, there are some other great ones...enjoy!

Say Cheese

2008-07-09T17:10:00.000-07:00

Here are Pace's latest pics from Filou and Friends shoot. He is on some of the billboards over there I think. Check them out, he is getting too big!

If you go to collections and then click on Filou and Friends you will find most of the photos. After that, if you surf through the site, and go through the different options like "corporate", FAQ, and ect, you will see more pics of him. Enjoy!

Love is part 3

2008-06-23T15:49:00.000-07:00

Love is making a tray of Lasagna for your husband to eat while you will be out of town.
Love is running out into the pouring rain to "save" you son's prized (at the moment) stuffed animal.
Love is the ache you feel when your child wakes from a nap and runs frantically around the house looking for you while you stepped out front to get the mail and trying to calm him down while he explains he thought something happened to you.
Love is knowing that although you remember your sins of the day before, God has not only forgiven you but forgotten.
Love is the ability to keep offering hugs and kisses at 5:32 pm when all three kids are crying, the dinner buzzer is going off, your power is flickering from the storm and you are still trying to remember if you brushed your teeth this morning.

Happy Birthday

2008-06-22T05:17:00.001-07:00

3 Years ago blessing number 2 came into our lives. Chipper Dash Edwards was given to us. Today he is growing into a child with tremendous will, an adventurous mind, and a spirit that is full of bliss and life. He no doubt will run a small country, lead many men to follow Christ, and constantly have us on pins and needles as he trots into many different life threatening adventures. He loves to wrestle anything from the dog to dad, make sound effects with every move he makes and gives every ounce of energy to everything he does. We love this little boy with all our heart. Happy Birthday Dash!

Birthday Bounce

2008-06-22T05:13:00.000-07:00

We had the boys birthday bash with all the cousins and family this week. There was a 25ft tall bounce house water slide that provided 4 hours of non- stop fun and a pinata that the kids loved swinging at! It poured rain but this didn't ruin the fun as it provided more water for them to slide in and cooled off the adults! Thank you God for this awesome blessing of a bouncing good time with these two precious gifts!

Love is part 2

2008-06-17T19:15:00.001-07:00

Love is being the last one to always sit down at the dinner table because you are constantly serving your adorable husband and precious children all the things they need to enjoy a hot meal, yours is usually cold by the time you take your first bite.
Love is praying for Angels to camp around your son's bed at night so that he won't be scared of monsters in his closet and then printing out pictures of them so he can tape them to his wall even though you want so badly to crawl in bed yourself.
Love is the smile that comes over your heart when your middle child peeks out of his room early in the morning and sees you having quiet time and whispers "dood morning mommy, time get dup yet?"

A Stolen Idea

2008-06-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

I stole this idea from the hilarious couple, Elise and Paul's blog. They have a post called "love is". It like a neat idea to post what "love is" throughout your day, because sometimes you stop noticing when love is always around you. You kind of take it for granted... so here are my first "love is" thoughts from today. Feel free to do some on your blog ,or add some here...

Love is... Jesus dying on the cross for my sins that I committed today.
Love is getting up at 4:30 am this morning to fix a cup of coffee for my adorable hubby before he left on his big fishing trip.
Love is that butterfly flutter that happens deep in your belly when your little girl first wakes from her nap and you hear her babbling in her crib.
Love is the anxious feeling you have when your husband and two sons pull up in the driveway and you can't wait long enough to let them open the door so you go out front to greet them after not seeing them all day and they yell "mommmmmeeee us missdid you"
Love is knowing tomorrow there will be more love is to come.

A dream come true

2008-06-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

So I had to go to the grocery store tonight to pick up things for my awesome hubby's fishing tournament tomorrow. He has to be in the tournament for work with a bunch of clients, not something he is looking to forward to. Anyways, I had a list of stuff to get, things I guess guys need for a day out at sea while they hunt for the big one. One thing was beer. As I was checking out, the sweet and my new best friend, cashier said "mam, can I see your ID?"... I didn't respond, mainly because I didn't think she could possibly be talking to me. But after the second time, I smiled as big as Texas and said ABSOLUTELY... hee hee, I can't believe it! Hopefully, she wasn't just trying to be nice. It is a sad day when this is the highlight of your day... this is in contrast to the card my oldest son made for me a few weeks ago. It was a cute little card with a heart on the front, his name and mine in pink and a cut out picture from a magazine with shamu in it. He said (and I am not editing this at all) "Mommy, I put shamu in there because it reminds me of you, see the big white belly on it"... yes a moment that will shine forever in the mommy book. So today, I am going to believe the cute, wonderful and oh so perfect Publix cashier who made my year by simply asking me for ID.

Just Say No

2008-06-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

This is what my hubby says to me like once a day or maybe twice. You see I am a compulsive "yesser" aka sucker! I have a really hard time saying no. (except of course to my three young children who are so well behaved I hardly have to say no LOL) My day looks like this in my yes world. "Hey Em, want to go to the park with us ?" Me: yes. "Hey Em, can you help us put together xyz project" Me: yes. "Hey Em, can you come up and take your grandmother to xyz?" Me:yes. "Hey Em, can you design a party invitation for me?" Me: yes. "Hey Em, can you plan a wedding for us?" Me:Yes. YES, YES, YES. I get bored standing still, sitting still or just being still. I get bored driving to the grocery store without talking on the phone. I get bored just thinking about not having something to think about. I love to be busy, I love to be a yesser, I love to be in controlled chaos. But, I know that I have some limitations, so from here on out I pledge to keep my yeses to less than ten a day! Now that you are warned, you better be one of the first ten to ask!

Good Intentions

2008-06-02T11:55:00.001-07:00

This morning my two oldest kids had a great idea (according to them). They had really good intentions. Every morning the boys do room time from 9- 10 am. and Scout does crib time. This means they stay in their room or crib with a set amount of toys and play. Sounds great doesn't it? I get an hour to clean, get ready... ect. Well it usually is great, but today, to boys had a big suprise for mommy. I went to check on them around 20 minutes into it. When I opened the door, I stepped into a giant puddle. Not good, seeing that their floors are wood! I looked at both of them in shock and asked what had happened. They were so excited to show me the wet towel, half used bar or soap and liquid soap from the bathroom, empty cups and wet dog. "We gave the dog a bath for you"... great intention, bad result, but awesome story!

Dunkin on a Saturday Morning

2008-05-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday means one thing to our family... DOUGHNUTS! Mommy meets a group of her friends for a early morning (6am) run, usually about 9- 10 miles and then picks up doughnuts for the family. I inevitably get a call about 5 minutes from home from Pace inquiring about my return and making sure I have the doughnuts. We have been doing this for months so you would think he would not doubt the package of pure sugar arriving with mommy, but like any other 4 year old, he just needs reassurance in some areas, this just happens to be about doughnuts!
So in I walk to a house with three kiddos 4 and under all in pjs, with sippy cups in hand and excitement oozing from their little bodies. Daddy has a cup of coffee ready and the table set. It is great! Here is how is plays out, Pace always gets four doughnuts. He eats only the tops off the doughnuts, carefully manuvering his way around all the frosting and sprinkles. Dash orders a chocolate stick and double chocolate frosted. He has one in both hands and takes alternating bites. Scout she doesn't really have a method down yet, she really just dives in and keeps going until her stomache can't hold it anymore. I always try to sit with just a piece of toast or something healthy but end up dunking something in my coffee at some point. Daddy, eats all leftovers and a few of his own. We talk about what we want to do that day, pray, discuss any things we need to get done like housework, projects and then always opt to skip the work and hit the beach or pool. It is $6.99 for a dozen doughnuts and is worth every penny to see the frosted lips, chaotic doughnut highs for the following hour as sugar invades their blood streams and a great beginning to a weekend God has given us!

Disney World or Vortex

2008-05-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days, I was able to spend some time with one of my bestest friends and her kiddos in Disney. Tracey and I took our children to Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom and had a blast. However, I have a few points of wisdom (or maybe not wisdom but opinions) of this vortex created by good ol' Walt...

1.Nothing in Disney takes less than 45 minutes except for the actual ride which is less than 45 seconds... checking into your hotel room, finding your hotel room, actually getting into a park (parking, tram,monorail, tickets...), getting a meal, waiting in line

2.Parents lose all parental instincts once in the vortex, its like they forget that kids can't walk for miles, they can't live on ice cream, cotton candy and popcorn for 6 hours without real food, they can't have all five senses fully overloaded without the need of a nap, and they can't comprehend that you have spent a minumum of 300.00 for your trip and they better appreciate it with no whining, tantrums, full attention and a happy face. C'mon they are kids!

3. Every Disney ride exits through a gift shop, so every time you ride you then have the joy of ripping your child out of a shop full of characters and toys all related to the very experience you just hyped them up for while in line for 45 minutes.

Disney brings out the child in each of us. It is a place where you can truly see things through your kids eyes. I remember my trips to Disney and how huge and magical the place looked. I remember my dad coaching me through my first trip on space mountain and the pride I had when I stepped off the ride. I remember staring at the castle wondering if Cinderella was looking out at me. I remember my dad carrying me on his shoulders all over the park. I remember pictures with the characters. It is such an awesome experience to think about how my children see this place, how they will one day come as adults and see it through their children's eyes with the memories of our trips navigating their thoughts.

Like any other vortex, you are sucked in, but with Disney it is a blessing to be there at all.

She said yes

2008-05-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is my sister getting engaged last night... her fiancee is awesome and I am so happy to have him as a brother in- law. He is such a great guy, loves my sister dearly and will be a great addition to our family! Can't wait to get started on the wedding plans!

Check this out...

2008-05-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

Our church launched their new website...it is really cool! Lyndsey needs some kudos as it was a big task! Please pray for our new building and staff as we approach the big move. It is so cool to see how God is working in this church. You can check our testimony on the website too!

Lights,Camera...

2008-05-05T10:59:00.001-07:00

Action. We had our first family movie night at CCJ. It was great. It was the second event for our new area of ministry. We rented out the local middle school cafeteria/ auditorium and set up a large movie screen. Everyone brought blankets, pillows and drinks. We provided popcorn. The kiddos had a blast, some watched, some at popcorn, some played ball, other kiddos wandered around. Parents talked, played, relaxed and fellowshipped. Total stressfee event for all ages! It was such a blessing to spend time with my family and others. It was a great start to the summer and this awesome ministry!

Kickball and summer fun

2008-05-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

Wohoo, summer is on its way. Growing up a native in south florida, I am one of the few that LOVE summer time! I love the really long days, sitting in the pool, going to the beach, grilling out almost every day, Annie's ice, hot runs in the early morning, the anticipation of college football, vacations... and on and on. Most of my best childhood memories are from summer. And after the last few nights, I think my kids' best memories will be from summer too!
We are blessed to live on a cul de sac that we share with my brother and sister in- law. They have three kids. During these late afternoons, the kids will play until 8 at night. They build forts, play toss up and tackle, ride bikes and everything else they can think of. No TV, no video games, ipods or anything else electronic!!! For the past three years we have had nightly kickball games. Last night we had adults vs. kids. Even Trent's parents got in on the action. We had people riding by on their bikes stopping in and getting in on the action. The youngest player was Dash (2 1/2) and the oldest was Charlie (wont say his age- but he is the patriarch of the Edwards' family). We had 3 generations going at it. We played forever and laughed hysterically. There were tears, high fives, giggles, hugs and everything else that comes with healthy competition. Memories aren't bought, or given as reward for good behavior and they aren't going to go out of style. Memories are one of the best gifts you can give your children. They are the things that your children look back at and grasp onto when they begin to doubt their place in the world. They are the things that show them God's love. They are the things they will use to teach the next generation about family ties. Memories are all we have to hold onto when time keeps ticking. Make sure yours are ones your children and parents will treasure.

Yikes...its been a while

2008-04-30T04:36:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since my last post... yikes, I have become one of the awol bloggers! things have been quite a roller coaster here and I have not found too much time to write, seems a lot of people are having the same problem...we have been plagued by a miscarriage, the death of our dog, and a lot of sickness BUT we have also been blessed by many teachable moments for both us and our children about God's promise in our lives and God's unwavering faithfulness. I don't even know which topic to blog about since it has been so long... should I blog about the disappointing start to The Office Season, the exciting news out of spring practice up in gainesville, the hopes of an awesome summer, thankfulness in friends, the new family ministry stuff going on at Calvary Jupiter... too many things. I guess I will write about my promise to never let my blog go this long without a post!

What is her father thinking?

2008-04-10T17:32:00.000-07:00

Last night we watched Idol Gives Back... I was enjoying the show until something really blew my mind. Miley Cirus came bounding on stage and I could not believe it. This cute little 15 year old girls was dressed and made up to be a 23 year old woman. She began singing a song ( along with all the 6- 10 year olds in the audience) about some guy she cant wait to see again, this guys that rocks her world, takes her breath away, on and on and on... they had guys all around her dancing, she was all over the stage in this crazy seductive way, I mean come on she is fifteen! Her father was backstage watching this? His little girl transforming into some kind of sex symbol? Where did cute Hannah Montana go? Why is it that these young girls get swooped up into singing songs about everything from "oops I did again" to " I can wait to see you again" . From the best of my knowledge Ashley Simpsom even did one called "you make me want to la la"... what happened to father's protecting their daughter's hearts, preparing them for the groom God created for them? have we not learned enough from watching Brittney, Paris, Lyndsey derail? Shame on dad and his achey brachey heart!

Really Funny Blog

2008-04-10T07:52:00.001-07:00

Check out my friend's Paul and Elise's blog here. They are hysterical! First time parents and awesome writers! You will get a big kick out of it! Enjoy.

Run Emily, Run

2008-04-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Some girls shop, some do spas, me? I run. When I was pregnant, people always wanted to give me a jogging stroller. Even now, people say "so can you recommend a good jogging stroller?". No way. Running is when mom is off duty. Running is my time to be with the girls. Through running, I am able to really bond with other women, we can talk about our kids, marriages, sports, faith, pop- issues, politics, anything and there are no kids to interrupt, no phones to answer, no email to respond to. Just us, the pavement and the gift of gab. I love running with the girls. I love knowing that we all have different walks of life, that we all can be completely honest and up front with each other about our opinions. I love that when I come home, I am refreshed, I have sorted out all the junk that girls need to sort out, I am ready to be a wife, mom and friend. I don't know what it is that running does or why it feels so good when you are done. Maybe it is the camaraderie of getting up at the crack of dawn with someone and hearing each others joints crack and watching each others bodies awake. Maybe it is the ability to just talk and to just listen. Maybe it is knowing that no matter what happens the rest of the day, you accomplished one goal. Maybe it is knowing you burned off the mid- afternoon snack that is definitely not going to be the perfect " protein to carb diet food". Maybe it is just knowing that as you put one foot in front of the other, you have put time into friendships but also distance between you and the junk in your life. I love running and I love the girls I run with. Each of them has a unique and important role in my life. One is my best friend, I could write a post just on her, she downright rocks! She will always be honest, she will always put me in check, she knows when I am not be true to my God and myself, she supports me and pushes me when I want to give up not only in running but in many other endeavors.. I love her for all this. One of my other running girls is the queen of " style". I say this because, you never know what she will show up to run in. I love this about her, because it so truly represents her personality. You never know what you are going to get when we run as far as conversation, advice and humor. But you will always get optimism, unwavering truth about her opinion and sincerity. She is the truest friend in that she will tell you like it is but will love you through it all. She has awesome quirks and awesome knowledge about all kinds of cool things, nature, plants, travel... She is always in a good mood even when she shouldn't be. My newest running buddy is " mini- sports me". Yeah, this chickadee loves sports like me. That makes her "a chosen running buddy" just on the merit that she can talk sports. We differ on teams but not on too many other things. She will listen to my endless gab without getting too annoyed and has years of wisdom to offer in my areas of struggle even though she is ? years my junior. She gives me hope that my kids have a fighting chance to grow up with a biblical mindset and with a pure heart. She loves to push herself and isn't afraid to try something new. Competition drives her.. .this is key.
Like I said, some women shop, some women spa. Me? I run. I run so that I don't race through life without girlfriends and the amazing things they teach me in these early " girls morning's out".

Eureka

2008-03-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for a few days to hear this word... it has never come! One of the kindest guys from our church, Art Perry, has been working his tail off trying to find a leak in our pool! He has swam, drilled, ( I am sure prayed), listened, enlisted friends and endless other things to find the lost leak... but to no avail. We have a small wading pool now, a great place to breed some frogs but no cure for the leak. Art is our new hero... he tried super hard and we really appreciate him. It is nice to see someone really do their best when doing their job, always with a smile and a sincere attitude. Even though we still don't know where the leak is and our neighborhood pond and surrounding grass look great, we got to know someone that show's God's heart without being all watered down! Thanks Art!

Car Racing

2008-03-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

We went on a small adventure Saturday night. We took the boys to a Formula One Car Race at the Homestead Speedway. I have always been one to bash car racing. I have always said "it is not a sport ". Well after being their this weekend, I am still not 100% convinced it is a sport in the traditional aspect but I will say those guys (and girls) are pretty amazing. We arrived about a 1/2 hour early and went straight to our seats. On the way in, I was blown away by how many people were there and how many of them were "FANatics". I have grown up a Gator Fan, I bleed orange and blue, we have fans like no others, but these people were over the top! After all the hoopla of introducint sponsors and drivers, they announcer called for the drivers to start their engines... Pace jumped a few feet at the start of the noise and immediately begged to go home. Lucky for us, my dad had received sky box passes so he was able to sit inside and watch. Dash, Trent and I stuck in the ear plugs and anxiously awaited the flag. Once they were off, it was amazing. The cars raced around that track in excess of 225 mph! You cant even look at them straight on. Their were crashes, near misses and lots of swerving. Dash didnt move for over an hour (this is a first!!!!). The pit crews were awesome, they changed tires and I am sure did a whole lot more in less time it took me to figure out which car was in the pit ( I wish Stewart Toyota could train from them). By the time it was over, we were exhausted. Mainly from just trying to figure out who was in what position and which car was which. Overall, it was a blast. We had a great night as a family, saw a new "sport" and had some time for Dash to actually sit!

Pictures

2008-03-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to get a photo of three kiddos under 5 where they all look good at the same time! One will inevitably be pouting, crying or pulling someone else. I tried a different approach, perch them up on a table, where no one can get down, move or lean on someone else. Also, I loaded them with Easter Candy and then held their baskets ransom until they smiled. Seems it worked!

Being Sick

2008-03-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

According to my calculations... I have slept an average of 5 hours per night , no longer than 2 hours at a time for the past 2 weeks, spent $800.00 on co-pays, perscriptions, supplies and over the counter meds, gone through 3 boxes of kleenex, 2 bottles of anitbacterial hand gel, cleaned my hands too many times to keep track, whiped runny noses over 200 times, checked temps in 5 sets of ears, cried repeatedly from exhaustion into my best friend's ear, saw 4 doctors in 5 days, andswore off ever going into a public place again.
We have been sick! Although, the D&C does not count as an illness, it still required mom to be off her feet and visits (money spent) to the doctors. This was followed by Dad getting hit by the B strain flu, 6 days of high fever and bedrest so I had to play single mom. While dad was down and out, Pace and Scout were hit hard with nasty head and chest colds that required nebulizer treatments, antibiotics and lots of kleenex. Just when we thought the tide was turning, Dash came down with 104.8 fever and a quick trip to the Dr. Lucky for us dr did a nose swab found it was HiB (HB influenza- super name for B strain flu) which carries 4-7 days of high fever, high risk of pnuemonia and upper respitory infection. Only problem was that the only one to have the flu already was dad, so Pace, Scout and I were left as targets. Off to the pharmacy for trip #4 to pick up Tamiflu for us three to prevent us from getting it. Dash rounds the corner, after a few scary moments... we actually got to hunt eggs and then mom comes down with sore throat, itchy eyes and a terrible head cold! AAHH, not to mention a little infection from the procedure we had a few weeks ago... back to the pharmacy and bed for mom.
Finally, it looks like we see the light at the end of the tunnel! We may be out of quarantine tomorrow! I can put up the clorox, kleenex and thermometer. Sounds like a downer huh? You know what though, I am blessed that we have a light at the end of the tunnel... makes me think about those parents who have children fighting sickness that doesn't get better with a whipe of the nose and a dose of antibiotics. Parents who stay up all night next to their child's hospital bed. Parents that would give anything to have one more day with their child. Being sick stinks, but being sick also makes you realize it how precious life is and how truly blessed we are when the ones we love get better!

This is War!

2008-03-18T12:57:00.001-07:00

I am in a battle! And pictured is the carnage, the damage done. My enemy is the Sock Monster. He has some super secret guerilla warfare style of taking one sock hostage. I have tried to offer up matching socks in return for the missing sock to my favorite pairs but he is relentless. No matter my systerm, the monster always strikes again. I have an endless pile of poor, useless, one sock wonders! Every time I do laundry, I get a knot as I fold the last bib, roll the last set of PJs, hang the last shirt... because I know looming at the bottom of the hamper is the lastest victim of this evil creature!! How do I defeat him? Look what he has done! Help... anyone?

Visions of Sugar Plums...

2008-03-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

AHH, night time, sleep time. Some of the best moments of parenthood are when your children are sleeping. Most people would think that this is the best time because you get a break, you get some time to yourself etc, while this is true, this is not the main reason this precious time is the best. It is because it allows you to see them in a time of peace, when you can just sit and pray over them. A time when you can reflect on all the lessons you tried to pour into their little heads and hearts. Some lessons a failure, some lessons that wont bear fruit for many years, some lessons that cause them to stare at you in wonder, some lessons that make you think "I am turning into my mother". A time when you can just stare in awe at this blessing God entrusted you with. A time when you marvel at how big they are getting and you wonder where did the time go? A time when you worry about the heartbreaks, failures, pain and hurt they will endure. A time when you hope about their successes, spouses, families and dreams. A time when you just know God has done a work no other could do, a time when you know God gave you these specific children, because only you can raise them for him. A time when you know God is so good at being God! When your children sleep, everything becomes so quiet and during those moments, you see things with eyes wide open...

Absence makes the Heart Grow Fonder

2008-03-14T04:52:00.000-07:00

There is one day that is just depressing! Depressing!!!. The day after the BCS national title game. It means that college football season is over! For the past few years we have at least had basketball season to look forward to, but not this year. It was not unexpected with 5 starters gone, but there was a glimmer of hope in the first half of the season. Well, after last nights lack luster performance, what next? a whole 5 months of nothing but golf, baseball, car racing and hot, humid days! At least it will give me time to read all my gator sports pages! There are two rays of light in all of this: 1. we will get to beat, I mean demolish UM in the beginning of the season which will give us bragging rights for more than a year! 2. the national title game is in Miami, so we wont be traveling far to see the Gators bring home another cup to add to the collection. oh and 3. we will get to beat up on the wildcats (not that this is much fun, Lyndsey and JDUB) so we will have a fun time blogging....
I guess the lesson in the next few months is good things come to those who wait. GO GATORS!!!

This is scary

2008-03-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

We are doing a course right now by Dr. Voddie Baucham on "The Everloving Truth". Through this course, Dr. Baucham teaches you about what the bible says in regards to defending biblical truth. Unfortunately, we live in a world where society is trying to redefine Christianity. We are called as Christians to not only believe the bible, but to make sure we defend the faith in world that is constantly trying to rewrite it. In Jude, we are warned of "certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace or our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ". After reading this passage, I came across an email about a class Oprah is offering on a book called "The New Earth". You can read about it here. See anything that we are called to defend?

How innocent they are!

2008-03-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Two days ago when I was in tears, Pace asked why I was crying so much. I sat him on my lap and explained that I was very sad because the baby in my belly that God had given us had died. But that I was also very happy because God had taken that baby to heaven and one day mommy would get to see that baby again. He listened, asked a few questions, and then was on his way. Last night when we were at dinner with Trent's parents, Cakes asked how Scout was. (Scout has been at my parents in Miami where she is super spoiled). I replied " Oh, she is great, she is in heaven". Pace instantly broke into tears! I asked him whatever was the matter. He said "Oh mommy, Scout went to Heaven too? She is gone forever too?" My little man, so innocent in his thoughts could not understand how Scout could be in Heaven, when really I was just trying to explain that she was having a great time at grandmas! These are the reasons we smile!

A new chapter

2008-03-06T18:31:00.001-08:00

The past 48 hours have been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. We have gone from overwhelming grief to true peace and acceptance with every emotion in between. I have been thinking for the past few hours what to post...so here it goes. I was connected to this baby from day one, I imagined what it was going to look like, what it was going to be when it grew up, how it was going to fit in our family, names, personality ect. I loved this baby whole heartedly. For the past week leading up to this, I wanted so badly for my prayers for life to be answered. But I was so confident that if it was not answered I would feel God's big strong arms embrace me and I would not be sad because I knew he was in control. Oh, how wrong I was! My heart was shattered Tuesday night when we started to lose the baby. I felt angry and abandoned. I was in disbelief this was really happening. I went to bed praying for this to be a mistake, for me to wake up and walk into our OBs office, to climb up on the table and prove everyone wrong. When I woke up, I knew it was over. After meeting with our doctor and scheduling our DNC, we drove over to our church, Calvary Chapel Jupiter, to meet with our pastor. He spoke so much wisdom and peace into our hearts ,we will be forever greatful. We love this man, he shared with us how much God loves us and how as Paul wrote we will grieve but not like those without hope. He spoke to us about how the hope is one day we will meet this child in Heaven, our child never had to experience the sins of this fallen world but only the love of our Lord. He showed us that God has not punished us or taken this baby to teach us some quirky lesson. God did not answer our prayer the way we wanted it answered but he is holding us closely through it all. Dan, prayed over us and truly started our healing process. Amazingly, as we left, I started to see how God was there and how he had answered many prayers some I didn't even know I needed. Today was very sad, we lost a child, our child. That chapter is finished. We are ready to start the next one.But today is also a celebration, we have a child in Heaven and we have hope... hope that only comes through our Heavenly father, the giver of love and life.

A little help from my friends

2008-03-04T06:04:00.001-08:00

So tomorrow is our ultrasound. And I am confused...I have been praying for a week. But I am in constant limbo as to what to pray for. I know it sounds silly, trivial, ect but what do I pray for? I feel like I want to ask God to provide life, to make this pregnancy viable, to show his glory, his power through all of this. But am I asking for what I want or his will? Should I be praying for wisdom to know that he has a plan for this life inside? Should I be praying for peace in allowing him to do his will? Should I pray that he give us strength to get throuh this? I know the answer is yes, but then I feel like I have given up... and not given God credit that he can still breathe life into my baby. Almost like dont want to ask because I dont trust that it can be done. I am so confused! Do I ask for what I want and have faith that he does it? That sounds selfish. Or do I ask for what I think is right? That seems fake and transparent at best. How do I pray right now? I guess I just pray...and have faith God knows what he is doing and that I just need to pray he will allow me grow from this. Is that right?

I am full up to here...

2008-03-04T04:54:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was little and would say " I am so full, I am full up to here" I would point to my nose. Then I would announce, " I have just this much room for dessert". That is kind what seems to happan nightly at our house. There are a few rules; you taste everything on your plate, eat your veggies, and no complaining about mom's cooking. It always seems that my kids are so full, cant take another bite, they even try to act like they are gagging if they eat one more bite. But wait! Dessert is then announced and suddenly they have plenty of room in their tummies. They are only full, I suppose to their nose. Now, I know I should stand firm, deny them dessert until every last crumb is eaten since there are starving kids all over the world. But, when we are able to get photo like this and a smile that says it all... well dessert just seems like... the thing to fill them up!

One Amazing Man...

2008-03-02T04:22:00.000-08:00

So we went camping with two couples that are great friends of ours. It was great. We celebrated Ron's birthday with a cake, camping style. The kids got filthy, trampled through the woods, ran around like maniacs and loved every minute of it! The mommy's took anyone under two home after dinner, a bear hunt and smores. So the dad's had night duty! I just think it is so cool that God has blessed me with such an amazing man. Trent is an incredible dad. He spends as much time as he can with our children. He just loves being with them. He works his tail off all day and then comes home and instantly turns into dad mode: playing outside on the bikes, being a monster for them, taking them to the park, he bathes them, reads to them, puts them to bed. On the weekends, his family comes first. I watch our children and they love daddy. They are learning how to do many things from him, but most of all they are secure in their father's love and are learning about God's love through Trent. I just love this man!God really blessed me with this one!

Since When...

2008-02-29T09:54:00.000-08:00

Since when did it become socially acceptable to blackberry at dinner with other people? or when you are in a car with someone? or when you are at a social function? I mean unless you are the CEO, CFO or some big time exec. whose company simply can not function without you for one hour. I guess the person or people you are with are not as important as the ones you are texting, which I feel in that case spend the time with the person you are texting not the person you are with. I know some will take offense to this, but it offends me when you are texting instead of talking to me or those around you.

Since when did it become acceptable for kids to carry a cell phone? I hear it all the time.. " we need to know where they are", " what if we need to get a hold of them to tell them to get home or where we are picking them up"... how about You are the parent, you should already know where they are and if they aren't old enough to be where you told them to be they shouldn't be alone.

Since when did it become appropriate for kids to bring headphones, ipods, DVD players and gameboys to dinner? If you want your children to entertain themselves, then you need to either leave them at home, or check your thoughts on parenting. How about having a conversation with your kids at dinner? I see it at restaurants all the time, parents blackberrying, little ones playing gameboys, teens on the phone. When did we loose such interest in being together as a family in fellowship with one another?

The sweetest thing..

2008-02-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

We are so touched to hear Pace pray lately. He is filled with such conviction when he prays. Last night at dinner, he almost brought tears to our eyes as he prayed "God, thank you so much for each of the children in our family, and thank you so much for this wonderful food mommy made, and thank you so much for this whole world and everyone in it. God, thank you so much for having Jesus die on the cross for our sins, and God thank you so much for this whole family that I love". I am not adding a thing, does it get any more pure and from the heart? Two nights ago, the same day I heard the news on our ultrasound he prayed this "dear God, thank you so much for the baby you put in mommy's tummy, and God thank you so much for helping it grow...." we hadnt told him a thing about the ultrasound and hadn't talked about the baby in a few days. But God sure showed us his face that night through our first born, the first child he entrusted to our care. Some people work so hard to get sales awards, some work to buy that new BMW, others that second home. Me, Trent, we as a family are working so hard to have children that love and serve God. This prayer we heard, and this conviction, so pure and sweet, was the greatest reward ever! Thank you God for giving us such amazing children, incredible direction in how to grow them, and such unwavering love in our lives!

Worst mommy, but too funny not to share...

2008-02-26T11:38:00.000-08:00

Nap time is mommy time. This means, everyone naps under the age of 18 and sometimes mommy does too! The rules are no coming out of your room unless there is blood, smoke or a need for the bathroom. So, I was enjoying my 2 hours of mommy time to get dinner ready, check emails, rest, ect and I heard Dash crying. It went on for awhile (wont say how long). This is somewhat normal for him as he is not one to like to settle down. I finally had enough and went to encourage (we know what that means) him to have his nap time quietly. when I opened the door, this is what I saw. That would be our dora potty seat. He had put it around his neck and it was stuck! Really stuck. It took about 2 minutes to get it off. I am such a bad mom, but you have to admit that is funny!

Most annoying couple

2008-02-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

The Jolie-Pitts have to be the most annoying couple! Lets start with the fact that they had an affair while he was married. Then they flaunt it by getting pregnant within months of starting this affair. To make matters worse, they decide they dont need to get married to be committed, instead they decide to just go ahead and have another baby. They do tons of international work for the poor, why not use your stardom and fame to do what is right instead of trying to make others look the other way when it comes to your blatant disregard for marriage and family. YUCK!

My Sister Rocks

2008-02-26T11:22:00.001-08:00

she sent me this cookie bouquet because she knows me better than most. i love sweets but more importantly she knows what is dear to my heart, my family. She had each of our names put on a cookie to remind me of how special each of us are and what a blessing they are. Definitely what I needed right about now! thanks bird... I love you!

Faith in Real Life

2008-02-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

So many times I have said "Put your faith in the Lord", " This is God's will you have to have faith", " God knows what he is doing, trust him, have faith". Easier said than done. We had an ultrasound today and were slapped with a big dose of reality. No heartbeat, what? a possible nonviable pregnancy? As we sit in no man's land and wait... wait until next week when we will try again to see a heartbeat... I am left with time to really lean on my faith. We have tried to get pregnant four times and have gotten pregnanat four times, we have had three healthy, beautiful babies...and now a big fat speed bump in my little plan. Now it is time for me to not only Believe in God, but Believe God (as our awesome pastor, Dan Plourde puts it). Yes, I must dig in, and throw all I have at having faith. The way I see it is, God creates life, he decides what to do with each life and as hard as it may be to accept, he may decide this little life is going to be with him before we meet it in heaven. I also believe God gave us this perfect body to create life and he designed it so it does what it must if that process is not viable. Grief is still a part of the process and I am sure we will feel it, if in fact we have to face this next week, but growth will come with it. So my hope in all of this is I will grow, I will be able to have an even more convicted heart the next time I counsel someone to have more faith. Because without it, where do you turn? It feels good to know I can have faith in Him and he will take care of this. It feels good to know I have no control over this. If feels good to know... it just feels good to know God.

Things to Do with Kids Part 1

2008-02-24T17:21:00.001-08:00

As an experienced, well experienced in my own mind, here are my suggestions of fun things to do with your kids. This is our favorite! We call it "DO DAHH". The child is swung back and forth while we sing do, dah, do, dah, do, dah, dooo, dahhh at which time we release. In this photo, Pace got a little too much air. In the background, you can see the headboard for a frame of reference on how high he was. This will leave your kids begging for more! And it is a great workout too!

Here it Goes..

2008-02-24T11:19:00.001-08:00

So here it goes, my attempt at blogging! I have been reading, commenting on and enjoying everyone else's blog, I figured it was time to step into this new hi-tech journey and try it. I find I always have an opinion so what a perfect way to get it all out there...I have no idea when i will find the time to blog, but will try it anyways... hopefully the kiddos will not get into too much trouble while I am typing away...

This is a photo of my sweet baby girl, Scout. She is a mile a minute as you can see from this photo. We have been spending a lot of time at the beach lately. Trent is great at taking the kids on the surf board, burying everyone and digging giant holes! Mom gets some time to actually sit! Life is so good, God is so good. What an incredible life I live!