I'm Baaaack!

Back in Indiana (more on that later)
Back to blogging

I haven't blogged in ages! Actually just about everyday I am blogging in my mind but just haven't posted. There are many reasons for this, I am a perfectionist and I can't get this blog to look the way that I want it to, I have no time, my life went nuts and this would have possibly been the world's most depressing blog for quite awhile. And in the last few months I have felt like I have to blog in perfect order of events what the heck has been going on in life, I have no idea why I feel this way. Lots of cool stuff has happened that I want to blog about but for now, it feels like a mountain so I will reserve the right to take you into the past at a later time.

At this point, I am sure that no one in the world looks at my abandoned blog anyway : ).

But it is good to be back!

My pastor was talking about this story on Sunday. I am so not like this woman, I want to be, but I am very far from it. I was thinking about it and I am so consumed with my children, myself, what we have going on in our little world. That's totally important and it is my job as a mother but I realized that I really suck when it comes to noticing everyone else around me and realizing that they matter to God and that it is also my job to share God's love with them. Hopefully I will be walking around with my eyes and my heart a little bit more open.

The Man Who Lived Better Than He Preached

This morning I read about 1924 Olympian Eric Liddell. He trained for the 100m then when he was informed that it was to take place on a Sunday, he traded events with a Jewish friend in order to observe the sabbath. He instead ran the 400m and won the gold medal. After the Olympics he spent the rest of his life as a pastor and missionary in China. In 1943 the Japanese army had reached his missionary school in Siaochang where they became prisoners of war. Winston Churchill arranged for Liddell's freedom and rather than regaining his freedom and returning to his wife and three children, he continued to serve the Lord, as a prisoner and instead gave his place to a pregnant woman. The 18 years that he spent as a missionary in China during war were dangerous and inspiring. I encourage you to read about his life. One of the most inspiring things that I learned from reading about Eric Liddell's life was a quote from one of his congregation in China who said that Eric Liddell was "a man who lived better than he preached". Amazing.

Prayer Request

My Uncle Sky has just found out that he has stage 4 cancer. They are not even sure where it began, only that it is severe. He is starting treatment today as they don't want to waste anymore time trying to figure out the details. This is sudden and severe, please pray for his healing and for our family. You can check out his blog here.

Sky is my aunt's "little" brother. I put little in quotations because he and his twin brother are giants, at least from my 5'1" perspective. He is my age-ish. He is an amazing person. The minute that Nicole and my Uncle got engaged, he let me know we were family. He is so much fun to be around, hilarious, loyal, he is all about his family and would do anything for any of us. Thank you for your prayers.

SoCal

I was in SoCal last week with three of the five. It was so great to get to spend time with my family and friends, I did miss some people so hopefully next time I am out I will be better with the pre-trip communications. It is always hard to fit everyone and everything in when I go back home and it is usually a very busy time but I always love it and I'm lucky I have been able to do it about once a year. Anyway, I always have very limited time to blog so here is my post about day one, check back later for more...

Day 1

We woke up and spent a little bit of time with Jonathan, Krysten and Charlotte before they went off to work, we then went back to sleep for a little bit (we landed at LAX the night before at about 2 a.m. our time then drove to Riverside). Then we went over to hang out with the Whites for a little bit. Then we headed over the Tim and Dee's aka Grandma Dee and PapPap's to BBQ and swim with them and their Dad. I love hanging out with Dee and Tim and I wish we could have spent more time but unfortunately (for us, not them) they were leaving for Costa Rica the next day.

My Crew

For a long time now my husband and I have been lovingly calling our brood the wrecking crew. We have five kids between the ages of 10 and 5. They are actually very good kids but when they were younger they could demolish a room in five seconds flat! Anyway, here are the members of our wrecking crew...

Madison - 10 years old
Madi is a natural born leader. She is a little authoritarian which I am trying to curb. But it does have its pros like, she is another set of eyes for me and she is very protective of her "sybs" as she calls them. She is very astute. I have never been able to get anything past her, even when she was little and couldn't yet spell she would still figure out what I was spelling when I would try to be secretive. She is a very strong willed little person (which can be extremely difficult for me to deal with at times but I know from knowing my strong willed sister her whole life that in the end, it makes for an amazing woman of strong character who can make anything happen). My Boo Bugs is a girl who is going places and I can't wait to see how the Lord will use her and where life will take her.













Chloe - 9 years old
Chloe is extraordinarily sweet spirited. She has a very unique way of noticing someone who is sad or needs a friend or some help and being there for them. When one of her brothers or sisters are hurt or afraid she is always there to hold a hand or give encouragement while I fix an owwie. She also gives very good massages and if she gets out of bed before me she will often make me a good pot of coffee for me.

Zachary - 7 years old

Zach has a smile that lights up a room. He is full of life and lots of fun. He is very smart and especially good at math. Zach is 100% boy, he loves guns and play fighting and has no sense of danger. This is my boy that has broken his foot, cracked his head open four times and I have put two calls in to the poison control center so far in his life time. He has a very big heart and is sensitive.

Noah - 5 years old

Noah is always thinking and always asking questions about how things work and why. He has us stumped quite frequently with that big brain of his. He is very mellow and easy going. Noah is also very sweet and (unintentionally) funny almost all of the time. He loves to help me cook or bake and he loves to help Daddy "fix things". I could make a fortune if I could clone him because he is one of the easiest kids that God ever made!

Brooklyn - 5 years old

Brook is the ultimate girly girl. She prefers dresses, loves make up, new pretty shoes make her day, loves baby dolls, drawing/painting and animals. She is very loving and a total mama's girl. She is naturally precocious and extremely smart. She is very entertaining, true to the typical baby of the family role and always keeps us laughing.

That's my little crew, they are awesome and I am a very lucky mama.

Vertigo - This is Truth

Some of the awesome creative people at my church put this together and posted it on You Tube where it has now been viewed over one million times!