Miracles Despite My Unbelief

As we enter the Christmas season, I am overwhelmed by God’s love for me.  This past year God has shown His great love for me in a multitude of ways.  He continues to show me my sin and all the habits that make that sin my default behavior.  He hasn’t condemned me, but instead whispered encouragement and surrounded me with love and peace as He shows me new ways to live in this world. 

The biggest, tangible blessing has been in the form of reconciliation and mended relationships.  For years I’ve prayed for the relationship with my step-daughters to be all that God desired it to be.  This year, when all hope of a relationship with them diminished, God showed me that my hope hadn’t been in Him, but instead I put hope in me and my plans.  Then He showed me all that He was capable of. 

It is overwhelmingly gorgeous. 

Every hope, every tearful plea, every heartfelt desire for our relationship has been given.  I praise His holy name!  For the first time, in our entire marriage, it feels like we are a family.  There is unity, there is laughter, there is communication, there are hugs and kisses, there are cuddles, and there is unconditional love. 

So many times I sit before Jesus, begging, pleading for this or that.  So many times I ask without really believing He can or will do it.  Yet, time and time again, He shows Himself to me despite my unbelief.  I am so grateful that Jesus became a man and understands our human weakness. 

I was reading in Mark, chapter 9.  There is a story of a father who brings his son to Jesus.  The father tells Jesus that his son is possessed by a spirit that doesn’t allow the boy to speak and makes him convulse, foam at the mouth, and grind his teeth.  The spirit had tried to kill the boy with fire and drowning.  The disciples couldn’t drive out the spirit.  The father asks Jesus if he can do anything.  Jesus tells the father this, in verses 23-24, “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Whatever we face, whether it be grief, stress, relationship issues, financial burdens, health crisis, despair, enter what you’re facing here, Jesus is bigger than it.  He is absolutely able to do more than we can imagine.  I’ve seen it with my own eyes, time after time, this year.  May He continue to help me overcome my unbelief. 

In every situation. 

For all the days He blesses me with.

Smiling is Our Thing

A few weeks ago we went to get family pictures taken.  One of the local co-op groups does a fundraiser.  You get professional pictures for less than a tank of gas and all money goes to their co-op.  We met at a beautiful park and had a blast. 

N LOVED it because I didn't have rules about what everyone should wear.  I didn't care if we matched.  I just wanted everyone to wear their favorite outfit or something they were comfortable in.  N's response was as excited as if I said he was going to meet George Lucas. 

One of the things that N really, really, really wanted to do was hold the girls on his shoulders.  You have to understand, they are 13, 11 and 5.  D is almost as tall as me and E isn't too far behind.

He did it!

You can't get much bigger smiles then that!

What Has 8 Wheels and All Her Bones in Tact?

This weekend we spent time with three of my favorite girls.  For months they've been asking to go rollerskating.  Finally this weekend it seemed to work out that we could strap on the wheels and roll to the music (while praying we didn't fall down and break a hip or something).  I used to be a roller skating maniac.  I LOVED it.  Probably because it was the one sport that I could actually do.  After 24 years out of the game, I was a little concerned about going.  Here's my entourage:

D - she's only 13 people.  I'm not sure, I'm positive she looks about 21 in this picture.

She's a dynamo on skates.  She can squirt sour candy into her mouth, do the chicken dance and skate without missing a beat. 

E - she tends to be tired after about 3 laps.  Until she squirts about 1/3 of a bottle of sour candy spray into her mouth.  Then she's ready for 3 more laps. 

She is the video game queen.  I'm not entirely sure how long she was at the games, but she was clearly in her element.

Zoe - she was ready to strap on the wheels and see if she liked this roller skating business.  Then she found out they had a bar.

For the next 90 minutes she wouldn't come off the rink.  She LOVED it.  By the last 15 minutes, she was racing me.  She won.

N complained about his knees and how we would need someone to sit with all our stuff...blah, blah, blah.  Personally I think he was texting our friends and making bets about how many laps before I fell down. 

It was a great day with our girls, learning the joys of sour candy spray and realizing that after 24 years, roller skating is like riding a bike.

Fun at SonRise National Park

This week is VBS.  Since my mom and I are the directors, we are running in about 654 different directions.  It's part of the love of the ministry though.  Each night we get to hear kids singing, "God's got it" and learning how Jesus will meet all their needs.

Each night we hear laughter and excitement.  It's part of this crazy job that fills my heart.

Then there are these two:

That's Zoe and her cousin Micah.  Micah is her shadow each night and moves to sit next to his cousin.  They say good-bye about 752 times each night with hugs.  Love to see how these two love each other.

The best part, D is working in crafts and E is enjoying time with the other 6th graders.  I'm hoping to wrangle them all up for a picture. 

I'm so blessed God is showing me His continued blessings in my life this week.  He's definitely "got it!"

Mermaids

We recently re-joined the YMCA.  There are several reasons, three of which happen to be girls who are dying, "literally dying to get to the YMCA to swim!"  Apparently when you have a teenager and two, dramatic girls as daughters, things become life or death.  I think they actually plot when they're together about how to get N and I to acquiesce to their demands.  It also doesn't help that we pass by the YMCA almost every day.

The girls had some money left over from Christmas, so we took them swimsuit shopping.  The thought of swimsuit shopping for me personally brings on a very large, very paralyzing panic attack.  For our girls, they each found about 62 swimsuits apiece that they thought were adorable.  We spent a good hour in a dressing room while they tried to find thee perfect suit for the YMCA.  Which I'm positive, all this was part of their plotting.  YMCA, new swimsuit and new goggles.

All our girls are fish.  They love to jump in, dive, do laps and be in the water for as long as possible.  Because of all the chlorine and the fact that they live under the water, they needed new goggles.  Ones that don't fog up because that's just annoying. 

On the way from the store to the YMCA, Zoe was admiring her pink, anti-fog goggles.  I'm positive this girl would wear them 24/7.  She told me I should try them for driving because they are AWESOME!

When she got out of the car at the YMCA, this was her look:

She put them on in the car and was ready to go. 

She will routinely get them out of the YMCA bag and wear them around the house.  Just yesterday I saw them on her table and I asked if she went swimming.  She laughed and said, "no mom (in a teenager tone), I was watching TV!"  You have to imagine that with an expression that informs me I'm the dumbest person in the world for not knowing they are great for TV watching. 

I have a feeling this will be the look of summer at our house...swimsuit and anti-fog goggles. 

Fragile

Ever since Zoe's accident last week, I've been a little on edge.  With her birth being so traumatic, I am keenly aware of how fragile life is.  I have a very different view of being a mother than I did when I got pregnant.  I see all the things in life that I want to protect our girls from.  It's not just injury, it's bullies, low self-esteem, cancer, people intent on hurting them, and on and on and on.  I see our girls as fragile, tender children who only need to know the best that life has to offer.

I want to give them only that life. 

I want to wrap them in bubble wrap and go everywhere with them.  I'm sure they'd love it, but unfortunately it's not realistic!  I have to have faith that God has them in His care.  I have to remind myself that our girls are actually His, not mine.  I'm just the blessed woman who gets to be in their life. 

Sometimes at night, when I'm drifting off to sleep and my subconscious takes over, I have those flashbacks of the "worst case scenario."  I know, over time, these will fade.  If I look back on Zoe's life, she's been protected in so many ways.  They are ways that only God can protect her.  I know, without a shadow of a doubt, He's got her.  There are just those moments when I'm totally human. 

N and I were talking about our life together.  It started bad.  We both weren't the partner we needed to be.  If we look back, we wouldn't change anything.  It's paved the way for where we are now.  Despite the miles, despite the stress that can cause, we are in a better place than we have ever been.  That's only a God thing.

I have to remind myself that nothing is a surprise to God.  He doesn't sit up there and say, "wow, I did not see that one coming!"  He puts the details together that pave the way for what He has planned for us.  I know He does the exact same for our girls.

There are moments when I realize how little control I have.  How much I'm on the ride just as much as N and our girls.  I have faith that the God who brings us to the trial, will walk us through it.  I know His plan is better than anything I could dream up. 

This week has been reminder of how fragile life is.  That reminder keeps me in the moment.  It keeps me thanking God for all that He's done for us, despite my very selfish nature.  I'm humbled to be given this life because I don't deserve it.  I'm challenged to give everything to Him.  To put everything, including myself and my family, at His feet.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  I Thessalonians 5:16-18

blessed.grateful.

As I look back at 2011, I feel complete.  There are so many things that happened last year.  Our lives seem to be getting busier rather than into a routine.  God definitely doesn't keep us comfortable for long.

I'm amazed at where we are today.  Honestly, I never thought I would have this life.  For the first time in the 7 years we've been together, it feels like N and I have caught our stride.  Instead of the 7 year itch, we've got the 7 year...whatever the opposite of itch is!  I'm so proud of N.  He's accomplished so many things this year that I think he's finally seeing himself as I see him.  He's now a college graduate.  Because of that, he's found his dream job, was hired out of several candidates and is now being groomed for leadership roles.  He's finally in a place where he's encouraged and appreciated.  Even though we spend the weeks apart, there is a peace that this is God's plan.

We entered the teenage years with the start of school this year.  Despite all the talk about having a teenager, it has been a smooth transition.  D is making excellent choices with friends.  She loves youth group.  We are so proud of the young lady she is becoming.  I can't say enough great things about her.  All my fears have been taken away.  God definitely has hold her heart!

We have E back!  For a long period of time we didn't get to spend time with E.  She didn't want to come see us, didn't want to participate with us.  It was hard.  It felt like we lost her.  Just as quickly, she's back, engaging us, hanging out with us and being the spunky kid that we love.  It was a huge answer to prayer to have this change happen.  We missed her!
Zoe is...there are so many things that I could finish that sentence with.  She constantly amazes me.  Her heart is compassionate for those hurting or left out.  She collects friends and despite them excluding her, she just wants to include them.  She lives her life in a play.  There are lines, scenes and new characters each day.  I have to pay close attention to any movie we watch as I'll need to remember the lines, scenes and what everyone said.  She'll bust out the lines in our normal conversation.  In Toy Story 2, Jessie calls Woody, "Wood-DEE."  Just the other day she was talking to N and referred to him at "Dad-DEE."  I am so enjoying watching her enjoy and live life.  She's a great daughter, friend, she prays for those around her and her heart is full of love for the people in her life. 

2011 brought a contentment that I have never felt.  10 years ago if you had said that I would be willing to be a stay-at-home-mom, a children's ministry volunteer, cook, clean and do laundry as my "job" I would've laughed in your face.  Now, that's my heart's desire.  Being involved in children's ministry at church has filled my soul.  God has taught me so much about Him, life and myself through these various ministries.  He's also refined me into what a wife and mom should be. 

While 2011 was a growing, refining and maturing year, I can't wait for 2012.  God is showing me my purpose.  He's showing my family our purpose.  I'm so incredibly blessed to have His grace and mercy each day as He guides me through this journey. 

A Letter To Our Daughters

We have officially entered the teenage years.  Not necessarily with age, but in life stages.  As I talk to our teenager, I see so much of myself in her.  As her step-mom, I worry for her in ways I couldn't predict.  In ways that take me back to junior high and all my insecurities.  If I'm being honest, insecurities that I still struggle with at times.  That has created an intense need on my heart to impart, to all our girls, how important their hearts are.  This letter can easily be addressed to each one of them individually. 

_________________________________________________
Dear beautiful daughter,

I am so honored that God has given you to me.  I am so honored that I get to be part of your life.  As I watch you grow, my heart continues to swell with pride for you.  Each time I see your face I fall more in love with you.  It's an unconditional love.  Nothing you do, no choice you make will ever stop the love I have for you.  Because of you, I now understand the unconditional love that God has for each of us.  I love you with that same intensity. 

Just like you, I make mistakes.  I make poor choices.  As your mom, I will fail you.  However, just like you, I have a Father who accepts me despite my failings.  He will always welcome me with open arms, no matter how many times I turn from Him.  Just like God accepts us, nothing, absolutely nothing, can make me disappointed in you.  I want you to re-read that.  No choice you make, no eye roll at what I say, nothing will make me disappointed in you.

You were created in His image.  He made you perfect and I couldn't agree more with that statement.  He gave you your heart, your personality and your physical appearance.  After He created you, He said, "it is good."  Everything about you, your nose, your eyes, your body, your heart.  "It is good."  It is God's handiwork.  God doesn't make mistakes. 

I know that sometimes that's hard to believe.  I was once a young lady who felt completely inadequate.  I would look in the mirror and see all the things that didn't measure up to the girl on the magazine or the most popular girl at school.  I would cry myself to sleep some nights because I felt so ugly, so inadequate, so different.  I would crush on a cute boy, write my name with his, and will him to like me back.  When he didn't, I would cry myself to sleep and believe the lie that I was unlovable.  I would believe the lie that if I wore a size 2, had the best clothes, wore the right make-up and had the cutest hair, then he would notice me and love me.

I gave my heart to boys who didn't even know it was theirs.  I had my heart broken.  I cried more tears than any of them deserved.

Each of those times I was trying to settle.  God doesn't want me to look like the magazine because that's not how He created me.  God created you with a purpose and God wants our hearts.  He sees what we are on the inside.  Whatever your heart desires will show on your outside. 

Being a size 2 doesn't make you nice, only your heart does that.

Having a boyfriend doesn't make you loved, you were loved by me and God before we even knew you.

Being class president doesn't make you popular, loving people as God loves you will do that.

Crying your eyes out because that cute boy in your second period doesn't notice you, is giving that cute boy more than he deserves of you.

There is absolutely nothing about you that you need to change to be loved.  You are already loved wholly and unconditionally.  Be who you are.  Be who God made you to be.  Value yourself and all that you can offer.  Live the life God has created for you, in this moment, in this second.  Don't worry about your future, it's already written.  If you focus on the future, you'll miss all that God has for you today. 

I can assure you, God has a plan for you.  That plan will include a man.  A good man.  A Godly man.  You will be the girl who holds his heart in your hand. 

He will be attracted to you because of how you value yourself. 

This man will see your heart first and your smile second.

He will laugh with you and wipe away your tears. 

He will protect you. 

He won't be afraid to sing songs in church or in the car with you. 

He'll be equally comfortable at the girly movie you want to see as he is at a superhero movie.

He will love all the quirks you dislike in yourself. 

He will never ask you to change because he loves you just as you are.

This is the man who is worthy of your heart. 

Don't give your heart away for anything less.  Don't settle.  You are worth all of this and so much more.  You are worthy of every blessing God has for you.  You are worthy of being loved for your heart.

This is my prayer for you.  To know your worth, to know you're loved unconditionally, to know that you are created in His image.  This is how I see you.  This is how I will always see you. 

I love you completely.

Gettin' Dressed Up

Last night was the Harvest Festival at our church.  I was the lucky one who ran the Bounce Castle.  It's amazing to see how kids change as they get older as it relates to the Bounce Castle.  The little ones took their spot, bounced in a general area and most of them were ready to be done after their 5 minutes were up.  There was no going into each other's spaces.  No touching, unless there was a rouge bounce.  It's was all very controlled.

The older girls loved to bounce around, have contests on who can jump the highest and want to show you everything they can do.

The older boys should have some sort of accidental death and dismemberment insurance before entering the Bounce Castle. 

It's funny, in just a few short years those very nice, mannered, young boys who don't like to bounce in each other's space will be having WWF-like battles in the Bounce Castle arena. 

I was a little worried about last night.  We don't let the kids wear anything that is gory, etc.  E was mentioning how she wanted to be a princess vampire.  I'm not too keen on those types of costumes.  I know I sound hypocritical since I love the Twilight novels, but still...

I was elated when she showed up as a butterfly.  Zoe was Tinkerbell.  They were adorable.

Content

This weekend was busy and full.  D & E came for a visit.  It is always a joy to have them.  I'm just so amazed at how quickly they are growing.  D is in junior high now and went to her first dance.  In junior high, the boys are on one side, the girls on the other and you don't really dance with each other.  Near each other is a better term. 

She's making new friends.  She's doing well in school.  She has a joy that shines out of her that is contageous.  I'm so proud of her.  I know she's struggling with some things.  God gave us a moment to talk.  I know I'm only the step-mom, but I truly feel the same love for her as I do Zoe. 

E is doing really well.  I was worried about her making good choices.  She's showing me that my worry is for nothing.  She's doing well in school.  She's making friends and wants to keep AWANA as a priority.  I saw a side of E this weekend that I haven't seen before.  She amazes me.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for her. 

Zoe is Zoe.  She's funny, sassy and sweet all in a little package.  Last night we were hanging out and she wanted to watch Cinderella in my room after her bath.  We got cozy on my bed to watch our favorite movie together.  She snuggled into me, turn her head, got a little pout and said, "mommy, I think it's a great night for a slumber party!"  How can I say no to that?

Not only did I get my three girls, I got my one man!  N had a long weekend.  Yesterday we got to spend the morning together.  It was the perfect weekend. 

I am so blessed.

My Mommy Feathers Are All Perked Up

There are times in my life where I almost feel as though my heart might burst because of things that I see my children and husband do.  Last night was one of those nights.  I sat in the front row of our church, surrounded by 24 of my Sparkies and watched N, Zoe and D go up on stage.  I was so completely proud of all of them that my heart felt like it might come out of my chest. 

Last night was our AWANA awards night.  We can fit about 250 people comfortably in our church's sanctuary.  We were at capacity last night.  For an hour we watched child after child receive awards for all the hard work they did.  Zoe finished her first AWANA book and received a Cubbie bear to go on her vest.  She had the idea that she would also be getting a ribbon that was purple.  Fortunately I found a ribbon that was purple and also a button. 

D finished her book too.  Because she's older, her book is harder.  It's not just saying a verse or the books of the Bible.  It's saying a verse, answering a question, reciting a past verse and doing some Bible work 60 times.  Not only that, but she also received a camp scholarship because of her character.  The scholarships are given out based upon the type of person you are rather than how far you've gotten in your book.  It was a huge compliment to D.

E, even though she didn't receive any awards, encouraged and congratulated her friends.  Instead of jealousy or envy, she was truly glad for her friends and sisters.  I love seeing her heart like that.  It makes me smile from deep in my soul.

Then there's N.  This year he was a leader in the boy's group.  Last night I witnessed the impact he made on those boys.  I can't adequately describe the connection he has with the boy's in our AWANA program other than saying N is loved deeply.  Several of the boy's came up and told him they'd miss him next year, as well as their parents.  He's impacted those boys just by being who he is.

I'm so proud of my family.  God is doing a mighty work in the 5 of us.  I love seeing His handiwork.  It far surpasses anything I could imagine for us.  Thank you God for N, D, E and Zoe.  I am completely blessed by You and them. 

We Logged Some Miles

This weekend is a big running weekend here.  The first Sunday of every May is Bloomsday.  It's a 12K road race that draws in the crowds.  This year I ran with 56,639 other people.  This was the view from where I stood.

All those people were in front of me.  I had at least that behind me too.

It's a great event that brings out the community.  D & E joined their aunt in handing out water on the biggest hill of the course, Doomsday.  It was great to see them even though I'm pretty sure they were a little taken aback as I stormed up to them and grabbed water!  It took them a minute to realize who I was. 

People all along the course are cheering you on, playing music and some even hand out popsicles.  There are children that line the streets giving out high 5's.  Churches along the course hand out food or play music to get you going.  It is one of my favorite events.  This year was the 35th anniversary.  I got a medal that Zoe calls her own.

In addition to Bloomsday, they also have the Marmot March.  It's a 1.2 mile walk through the park for children 8 and under.  This is Zoe's 2nd year participating and she LOVED it.  They have cheerleaders and mascots along the route.  This year even daddy came to participate, along with Grandma Kathy, D & E.  It was a family affair.  Each of the girls got a ribbon and a small loaf a bread.  It was a toss up as to which was move coveted. 

I love getting out as a family, in the sunshine, exercising and having fun together.  It was a truly blessed weekend. 

Affliction

I'm positive I've mentioned on here at least 100 times already how much I love AWANA.  Spending Wednesday nights with kindergarten through 2nd graders is an encouraging experience.  We're on the final countdown to the end and we've got kids passing their books.  There is nothing more exciting then seeing them accomplish that.  They are so proud of themselves and I couldn't be more proud of them either.

Not only are those little ones passing their books, but so is Zoe.  She passed her book last night too.  She's positive she's going to get a Cubbie pin, a ribbon and that she will bow. 

In addition to all the book passing, last night was affliction night.  All the kids had to come with some kind of injury.  It is funny to see them with bandages on their knees, arms and head.  The kids loved it.  D & E were made up like they had gotten into a fight. 

One thing we also did was have a measles night.  For every verse the kids said, they got to put a sticker on their leader.  I had 19 measles on my face!  I was not to be outdone...

Apparently we're going to have a measles/mani/pedi night this weekend! 

We May Need More Bathrooms

It's becoming apparent to Neil and I that, when you have three daughters, one bathroom just isn't enough.  We've already got problems in the mornings because D spends a good portion of that time doing her hair and make-up.  Then having to re-do her make-up because it's too much for N's or my liking.  We have struggles already with getting D out of the bathroom so the other girls can get in there.

Zoe isn't much of a primper yet.  She hates having her hair combed.  She hates using anything but a scrunchy in her hair.  Don't even mention brushing teeth because that just brings out the tears. 

I was a little surprised on Monday.  I took the day off since Zoe is on spring break so we could have the day together.  We started the day off with manicures and pedicures and then after lunch we went to the YMCA to go swimming.  Zoe just got a couple new swimming suits and Dora goggles, so we had to try them out!  Normally she's a girl that hates having a drip of water anywhere on her face.  I will admit she totally gets that from me.  N is a fish.  He swims underwater, dives and all that stuff.  He used to be a competitive swimmer.  Who knew!  I'm more of a frog.  I like be in the water, but I like my head above the water.  I have this nasty little reflex where I breathe in as soon as my nose hits the water.  I don't know why I do it, but it makes swimming a little challenging.

Zoe, armed with her Dora goggles, is a fish.  She loves going underwater, blowing blubbles and generally just getting completely wet.  I'm so proud of her.  She conquered a fear of having her face wet.

Not only did she conquer that fear, she conquered another one:

The blow dryer.  Anything that creates a loud noise is the enemy.  She runs into her room while I vacuum, while I use the blender, while I shampoo the carpets, when we run the garbage disposal...I think you get the point.  This week, she totally grabbed that blow dryer, asked me to turn it on and took care of her hair.

I told N that we'd need to think about that extra bathroom sooner than we thought.

It Was A Weekend of Sweat

This weekend was full of putting one foot in front of the other rather quickly.  I had to do some training for this 1/2 marathon I've signed up for.  I really think all the regular exercise is paying off because I'm not nearly as sore as I was at the beginning of last week and I've run the same amount.  I'm praising the good Lord for endorphins that keep me motivated.

It wasn't just a weekend of sweat for me.  Oh no, D & E had the AWANA Games this weekend.  For those of you who don't know what I just said, we play games at AWANA on Wednesday nights.  They're games like tug-o-war, relay races, bean bag tosses and balloon relays.  Once a year you have the opportunity to compete against other churches.  It's not like just playing on Wednesday nights in our home gym.  No.  There are line judges and circle judges and rules and more rules. 

There's also excitement.  You're competing against other girls you've never met before and that creates this hyper-adrenaline fueled atmosphere.  It was so fun to watch D & E play in the Games.  E made a rule that she doesn't run, so she wasn't in any running games.  She did participate in the tug-o-war.  Which really impressed me.  I would rather run than get my hands all blistery from a rope.  When she puts her feet in position and pulled, girls at least 6 inches taller than her jerked forward.  N and I were completely impressed.

D ran in a a relay and did a great job with a bean bag toss.  She was also always paying attention and cheering on her team. 

The girls and their team took 3rd place.  That's not a small win.  There were two churches who obviously have their kids practice the games every week and in their sleep.  They were spot on, no disqualifications and really deserving of their wins.  Our group is more the Troop Beverly Hills of AWANA.  They'd rather earn ribbons and medals by singing a worship song in a sequened dress than pulling on a rope or running!

We couldn't be more proud of our girls.  D & E were amazing.

It's like Getting an A Minus

In September we decided, as a family, to get involved in the AWANA program at our church.  N is a leader in the boys group, I'm a director of the Kindergarten - 2nd grade group and all our girls attend.  It's not only a fun time as a family, it's also a mid-week check in with D & E.  We all love it.  If I had to say, it's my favorite night during the week.  It's chaotic, but it's the first activity we've been able to do as a family.  There is something about having all our girls there that makes the night seem complete.

What is so awesome is how much D & E are enjoying it.  They are memorizing their verses, making new friends, inviting their friends and just having a good time.  Not only that, but they also want to participate in all the additional activities with AWANA.  The first of those was Bible Quizzing.  The girls are quizzed on things they've learned in their books.  They could be asked to recite a verse from memory, hear a verse and have to recall where it's found in the Bible or they have to know things that aren't verses, but other work in their books like questions on why God gave us the Bible.

Bible Quizzing was always the thing that intimidated me the most.  I never did it.  So I'm totally impressed that both D & E wanted to do it.  They came early every Wednesday to practice.  It paid off!

Our girls placed 4th in their heat.  Out of 3 girl's teams, ours were the only ones to place.  They answered most of the multiple choice correctly and that was enough to put them in this place.  We are so proud of them! 

I *heart* them.

This weekend was a little crazy.  Zoe has been sick with a cold.  Normally that's not too bad, but when she sleeps she gets this cough.  At night it's best if we sleep in our recliner so she's propped up.  It's not terrible, but it's also not ideal.  She gets some really good sleep, which is the only thing that will help her feel better.

D & E came this weekend for a visit.  D had her first slumber party at her friend's house.  What's even cooler about this slumber party is that it's her best friend who moved away at the start of the school year.  In a weird twist, she moved a block away from us.  I can see many weekends where D wants to hang out with her friend rather than us.  N's a little hesitant about it, but I'm all for it.  It seems like in the last few months D has gone from girl to tween and it's actually been a really smooth transition.  So far! 

What made this weekend a little crazy was that we had a wedding reception on Saturday.  Not just one we attended, but one we helped put on.  N was a valet, I was the photographer (those poor people) and we had all three girls there for 6 hours.  D snuck out to her slumber party, but Zoe and E were stuck!  I will tell you, I couldn't be more proud of our girls.  They handled it like professional wedding reception guests!  There was no whining.  There was no "how much longer!"  They just seemed to have fun.

If you have more than one child you know that getting all your kiddos on the same page, with no whining, no complaining and just being able to go with the flow is a miracle that only God can give you.  I couldn't be more blessed by those girls.  They really are amazing.  I'm not even a little biased!

There Have Been 4 of Many Things This Week

This is the week of 4's.  Yesterday, the bad mommy blogger that I am, didn't even turn on the computer to write a post dedicated to my Zoe.  She turned 4 yesterday.  There's many things she wants to do now that she's 4:

1) Read all by herself
2) Put herself to sleep (she likes me to lay with her for a bit at night)
3) Eat broccoli (although, she's not sure, this may happen when she's 48 instead)
4) Get a bounce house and big trampoline that she can play on in the backyard.

There's also been hints of wanting a puppy.  She typically spells out words now and then asks, "what does that spell?"  It never fails, she spells out things like:

P-E-T-C-O
P-E-T-S-M-A-R-T

I don't know how those two stores in particular speak to her, but every time we're in the car, she finds one of those, asks what P-E-T-C-O spells and then gets all excited because we.could.go.there.NOW.and.get.a.puppy.to.take.home.and.love.and.play.with.mommypleeease!

She had a great day at school yesterday and took brownies for all her classmates.  What she really wanted was a surprise party, where she walks into a dark room, all her friends are hiding, then they turn on the lights and yell "SURPRISE" and she gets all excited because it's a surprise party just for her.  If you can't already tell, age 4 has brought a wealth of new imagination and ideas!

Last night, N, D, E, Grandma Lily and I waited at McDonald's for Zoe and Grandma Kathy to show up.  When they walked through the door, we all yelled "SURPRISE!"  The look on her face was absolutely priceless.  She said that was her favorite part of her day.

In addition to all the celebrations, other things have been happening in 4's this week.  Here they are in random order:

1)  4 sick days off work.
2)  4 visits to the doctor.
3)  4 decibels is about as high as my voice can go right now, if I'm lucky.
4)  4 cough drops per hour is the going rate right now.

This past weekend Zoe and I got sick.  She has bilateral ear infections and has to take medication 4 times per day.  If you don't know, getting Zoe to take "the pink medicine" is similar to trying to make a frog stay in a hot pan.  I'm sure the neighbors think we are severely hurting our child and some may even think we are torturing her.  There's much gagging, bribing and sweating that goes into the 4 times a day ritual.  We're only day 4 of 10 on this routine. 

I came down with strep.  However, that has quickly turned into something that is bigger than a sore throat.  It involves coughing, lots of coughing and shortness of breath.  It has also caused me to lose my voice.  Which N is counting as a small blessing of the illness.  It did make it hard to yell "SURPRISE" for Zoe's surprise, but fortunately I can fake it and get real excited, wave my arms and generally look like I'm actually talking.  When we tried to sing Happy Birthday to her, N said I sounded like William Hung (that really horrible singer who somehow put out a CD).  I couldn't even deny it.  I totally sound like that guy.

A friend of ours said I sounded like a man.  I've gone well past that sexy Kathleen Turner voice to a tone-deaf singer.  Awesome!
Today I'm headed back to the doctor for the official appointment #4 to see if we can get me better.  I only have 4 days before Zoe's big birthday party and I must be better by then.  It's all about being a super hero and, if I don't have my voice back by then, I'll get to be Super Mime and that's not nearly as cool as Super Mom!

We Danced and Then We Needed a Minute

For New Year's this year we had D & E over.  I tried and tried to rack my brain for what we could do to ring in the new year right.  I'd heard about this Wii game called Just Dance 2 and thought it sounded like fun, but didn't do anything about it because what if it's totally last year and I was a total nerd.

Okay, I'm a total nerd anyway, but you don't want your daughters rolling their eyes, going, "really mom, really?" 

When the girls came over and I mentioned the game, they started talking at racehorse speeds about this move and that song and we.so.need.to.get.it.NOW!  We took a late evening drive to the store and purchased Just Dance 2. 

Oh! My! Word!  Such a fun game!  You dance the same movements as the person on the screen, then you laugh at how nerdy you are, then you sweat some, then you sit, too tired to do another one.  Then our daughter finds a song that you have to do with her, so you take a sip of water, catch your breath and end up dancing for the next 2 hours.

It was such a great way to bring in the New Year.  All our girls giggling, staying up past their bedtime.  N being a nerd right along side me and doing disco moves with me.  I realized just how blessed I am.  No need for a resolution, just need a reminder to slow down and enjoy this moment. 

Christmas and Constitutional Amendments 1 & 2

I'm not entirely sure where 2010 went.  Last thing I remember I was making cookie blobs and then it was January 1st.  It was an unintentional blog hiatus, but I'm not gonna lie, I loved every minute of it.  I spent it all with my people and I couldn't be more excited about the awesome family that I have. 

Christmas Eve is spent with my family.  My sister and brother-in-law have three boys, which always leads to some kind of throw-down battle.  One year we played with those stackable cups.  Another year we had a Christmas themed family-feud and we ended up having to eat an entire tv dinner that I think cost $1.  Because we are a family of girls, we lost.  Boys don't care if the potatoes are gritty or that there are mushy peas.  They eat to win.  N, while he gave it a good effort, can't eat faster than four boys.

This year I thought we should even out the field a bit.  We bought all the guys and Zoe a Nerf gun.  Zoe's had a laser sight on it for better aiming.  I borrowed one of N's guns from a Christmas past.  We had an all-out war on Christmas. 

My mom was never safe and apparently an easy target.  Zoe even managed to hit her in the mouth from across the living room while she was talking.  She looked like she had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth mid-sentence.  It was the shot of the night.  N couldn't have been more proud.  We took the gun battle, even being down two girls.

D & E come over on Christmas morning.  Then it's a swarm of presents, paper and screams as I try to write down everything three people are opening at Olympic record speeds.  I'm getting better, I think I only missed a couple things this year!

This was the first year that Zoe really got into it.  She was totally okay with sitting on Santa's lap.  She couldn't wait to put out milk and cookies for Santa.  When I woke her up on Christmas, she asked to stay in bed a few more minutes to give Santa time to leave.  She asked the man in red for a Hide-n-Seek Jojo and a new yo-yo.  She's apparently been very nice this year.

D got new make-up and E got a new movie.  Plus, they also got loads of gift cards.  In fact they each had over $200 to go on a shopping spree.  While that's not much to play with, they were totally okay about the future shopping trip.  They did get some cameras, so they were busy taking pictures of themselves in the mirror. 

D couldn't wait to try out her new make-up.  Apparently she also got some at her mom's house.  She eagerly put some on before she came over.  If you think Cleopatra and then add a couple layers, you'll get an idea of what she looked like.  When she got to our house she asked if we could tell she was wearing make-up.  N starting laughing and I just told her, "is that what's different about you?" 

When she saw she had more make-up, she immediately took to taking off her morning face and putting on her mid-morning face.  You can't tell too much from this picture, but it's there.  In layers!

E wanted in on the action too, but with her new coat.  She said she was trying for the Alaskan look.  Given her curly, wild hair, I think this is the perfect coat for her.

After hours of Jojo seeking us, D putting on her new face and E getting cozy, we had a taco bar for dinner and then this for dessert.

Isn't is beautiful.  I've been going to the same bakery in town, Happy Cake Co. since my wedding.  I love her cakes.  Diana always does something beautiful and different.  Which is amazing since this is my 5th nativity cake.  She was all excited to hand-paint the wise men on this cake.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It wasn't so gorgeous that I couldn't eat it, but I do have like 10 pictures of it!

That was pretty much our Christmas in a nutshell.  Guns and Jesus's birthday.  Which, ironically, are the first two amendments in our constitution.  Maybe next year we'll look at adding in a few more into our celebration.