Beginning Project Video

Neal got a bunch of videos uploaded the other evening.  So for the next few days we will share one video per day.  (Maybe this event will inspire me to write Anna Grace's 7th birthday letter...5 months late.  Poor girl, it has been composed for quite some time.)

Hudson's 2nd Birthday

You Can Tell A Lot About A Man By His Truck

Yesterday I had the privilege to drive Wayne's truck back to Birmingham.  I was somewhat stuck on the coast (sorry but 4:30 am Friday morning was too early and Sunday morning was too late - I made a promise to my babies to see their game and recital).  I hopped in the truck Saturday morning excited about the adventure that lay before me.  It is not very often that I get to drive a pick-up and the Mississippi girl in me was thrilled (and let's be honest a mom of four is always eager for a few hours alone).

It wasn't too long into the trip that I began to notice that the truck and its contents described the man.  Before too long I was fascinated at how the two spoke of each other.  Then I began to wonder what my somewhat messy van speaks of me (but that is for another time).  Quickly putting that thought out of my mind I began making mental notes...

a truck ready and willing to work

a Chevy American-made, simple, nice but not over done

clean but a little dusty due to choosing to be one with nature over the air conditioner

no cruise control (that I could find at least) for the person who is steady and reserved

over 110,000 miles but still perfectly maintained thanks to attention to detail

full tank of gas always prepared 

(keep in mind it's owned by a man who thinks a 1/2 full tank is as good as empty...never know when you might find yourself out of reach from a gas station)

a measuring tape for accurate work

toothpicks, the man loves a good toothpick

one napkin obviously confident there will not be a spill

A few hours into the trip I finally decided I was ready for a little noise so I turned on the radio...

six disc cd holder because he may be simple but there is more than meets the eye

disc 1 was bear tunes (a family favorite) while made for children they are fun, catchy and there is a very informative track 13 that offers numerous bear facts

discs 2 and 3 turkey calls and a talk about being silent in the woods perfect for the man who loves to hunt and nature and a man who is of few words

disc 4 Don Williams Greatest Hits Collection for the man that is classic, country, and romantic even if he doesn't fess up to the 3rd part

disc 5 another children's disc...I laughed when I came to it because I could not help but be reminded that he is again always prepared - how many grandfather's keep a booster seat in the backseat? - and that he probably doesn't change out these discs but about twice a year.

disc 6 Amazing Grace 3...A Country Salute to Gospel pouring forth twangy voices and the steel guitar yet a beautiful testimony of a man grounded in his faith, walking daily with the Lord

By the time I was in Birmingham, I was laughing at how well Wayne's truck spoke of him and eager to tell him so.  I am still concerned about what the Odyssey says about me; if I know what is good for me I will not let him in it for fear he will happily comment all about it!  Keep in mind the title is not "You can tell a lot about a girl by her mini-van."  I don't know a mom in the world who wants to be defined by her mini-van!

ps...I am sure he will not be thrilled to be the topic of this post so I need a few of you willing to back me when he finds this post - for a man not enthralled with technology he always seems to find his way to the blog.

Dean wasn't aiming for handsome today

This morning Dean picked out his own clothes; he picked a striped golf shirt and jeans.  I thought he looked very handsome but his collar was up so I turned it down.  He took offense and informed me that he wanted it up.  I looked at him funny and asked him why.  He told me he just wanted it that way.  As odd as it seemed to me - no one I can think of other than Fonzie (and Dean doesn't know him) wears this collar up - I did not really think it was worth any further discussion.

So at lunch time he strolls into the kitchen and asks, "Mama, do I look like a vampire today?"  Unsure what the best answer should be I cautiously responded, "Um, I don't really think so (then it hit me) but is that why your collar is up today because that does look a little on the vampire side."  With a bright smile and twinkling eyes he said down to eat and said, "Yeah, that's why I am wearing it like this today."

It is hard to be a mom so on the rare occasions where I "nail it" with my children it sure feels good.

First Catechism Question 18

Q.  Of what were our first parents made?

A.  God made Adam's body out of the ground and Eve's body out of a rib of Adam.

Caleb's version...

A.  God made Adam's body out of the ground and Eve's body out of the river of Adam.

An Interesting Perspective

This evening Dean said

"Mama, our bodies are home to food. (pause)  And when we go to the bathroom that is the food wanting to go out and play."

I never thought of it that way.  However, I guess if I were a 5 year old boy that might make perfect sense to me.

Sorry to keep you waiting

Easter was not cancelled after all.  We were 1 1/2 hours leaving town but I found their gifts.  It seems that my #1 hiding spot was a little better (and deeper) than I first remembered.

Crisis averted.

Although...Anna Grace was upset she did not get the coveted electric toothbrush that you decorate with stickers in her basket.  I told her that her Easter bunny did not put things like that in her basket but her tooth fairy would buy it for her when she pulled her other front tooth.  After thinking it through she was accepting of her chocolate-filled, tooth-rotting basket and thanked her bunny.

Sorry Kids Easter is Cancelled

Several weeks ago I bought your Easter gifts and then stashed them.  Well blame it on what you want...new house/new hiding places, too much on my mind, I planned too far ahead...I can't find your gifts.  I have looked in what I consider to be every reasonable location this afternoon but still have not found them.  All I remember was that I thought when I did it, "Oh, now this is a good spot!"

So much for planning ahead; I am back to square one and we are scheduled to leave town for Easter in 31 minutes...but whose counting!

3 Year Old's Perspective of God

The children at breakfast alone this morning...

Enter me: Who threw Cheerios on the floor? 

Caleb: in the sweetest, lispy voice Oh that was me.  God made me.

me: God did not make you throw Cheerios on the floor.

Caleb:  Yeah he did; he used his remote control.

How is one to argue with the remote control capability of God!

God's Word...living and active

This evening while cooking dinner and contemplating Holy Week (what it means for us, all that Jesus endured for us, etc) an old, familiar tune popped into my head.

Hail, Jesus, you're my King

Your life frees me to sing

I will praise you all my days

Your perfect in all your ways

Hail, Jesus you're my Lord

I will obey your word

I want to see your kingdom come

Not my will but yours be done

As I hummed the tune I was struck by how the meaning changed in relation to life's circumstances.  I know the song stays the same - its meaning doesn't change - but it speaks differently to my soul today than it did years ago.  The meaning is deeper; it seems to penetrate further.

Amazing.

God's word doesn't change but it always speaks to us, to our need, to our present.  It continues to amaze me that God's word is living and active and will always speak.  I will never grow tired of it.  (Side note - I have noticed in the past year that I read an author for a book or two and then grow tired of him/her.  I need a change and desire to read something different for a time.)  Correction:  I should not say "I will never" but instead say, "O Lord, please let your word never seem dull within me but for each day ordained may it penetrate and speak and change and challenge."

Family Memo (A.K.A. my rant for the day) and a Caleb moment

I would like to inform my family that it does no one any good for them to wake me up around 3am to tell me they need to go potty if they have already gone in their diaper.  You have on a diaper!  It can wait until the morning.  (Yes, I do understand that you waking up is getting you closer to not having accidents in the night but I don't wet my bed and you have on a diaper so I would rather not be woken up...tonight please tell your father if you want to go potty and get a dry diaper between the hours of 12am and 7am.)

Now on to Caleb's moment from the day...

All four children enjoyed a great deal of time pretending to be a "rock band" today (playing drums, guitar and other instruments as well as dancing and singing) to music from the computer this morning and then again this afternoon.  They listened to some praise music, Christian rap and some of the music from Children's Worship at church.  Caleb's top two picks were B-I-B-L-E by Go Fish and Don't Waste Your Life by LaCrae.  After their concert was over and they were doing their own things I heard Caleb singing while he played.  He sang:

Don't wanna waste your wife, wife, wife...Don't wanna waste your wife, wife, wife...