A date, a movie, fall fun, and a soccer champ

Kelvin and I had a great date yesterday. It was a day date. I loved it! Sometimes you just have to spend the money on a sitter, ya know? We went to a brewery in Houston, ate at one of my favorite restaurants that, unbeknownst to us has actually changed owners and the name, and checked out a new-to-us place. It was AWESOME! I needed the time with my man in a bad way. We even spent some time making out. Hee hee. It was fun. You should try it again! When we got home it was still pretty early, so there was still time to watch a movie. OH.MY.GOODNESS.GRACIOUS! Have you seen Parental Guidance with Billy Crystal and Bette Midler? I know, it's old...like SO last year. I'm very behind the times. I rented it off Amazon, because my man said he was up for a movie. What he meant was he didn't mind if I watched one while he caught a nap on the couch. ;) But seriously, the movie was so great. You have to see it. Billy Crystal is hilarious as always. Bette Midler is one of my all time favorites. There's so much truth in this movie. Like the time Bette tells her grown daughter,

After your kids grow up, your husband is the one who stays. I know you're trying to be a perfect parent, but honey, there's no such thing. And frankly, you need to show Phil [insert your husband's name], he's not just their father, he's also your husband. I get it...love the man, love the dream. Well, your husband's dream is coming true, and part of that dream is you being there with him.

Stings a little, doesn't it mamas? It's so true, though. Of course we need to strive to be good parents and raise kids who feel good about themselves (and I would add kids who love Jesus.) But we also need to remember to put our husbands first, because the Bible tells us so. And after all, they ARE the ones who will still be around once the kids are gone. I think it's hard as mamas to remember the order God intended...HIM, husband, then children and church.

Another great scene in the movie is when the grandfather, Billy Crystal is about to spank one of his grandchildren in front of an entire audience at the symphony. He says,

I'm sorry, I can't take it anymore...these teachable moments and protecting their self-esteem, and nobody gets punished! And every game ends in a tie! All I hear is 'use your words. Use your words.' But the word they never use with these kids is 'no.'

Oh my. There's so much good in this movie. Man, this movie was such a good reminder of how it's ok to say "No" sometimes. I'm moving on now.

We had a cool front blow in Friday morning. It's feeling a lot like winter. So before we actually hit December, when winter officially begins, I wanted to share a little of fall around these parts. We took the kids to an awesome farm this year. It's loaded with fun stuff to celebrate the fall season...pumpkin launch, corn maze, haystack mountain, pumpkin patch, fun fall food, a giant hill slide, and an incredible culvert pipe swing. We had a ball. Check out Berryland Farms if you're in the area.

We've enjoyed Luke's soccer games this fall too. He usually plays goalie, which comes with a pretty big responsibility. He really enjoys the game and does a great job. His team played in the playoffs Saturday and Sunday before last. They placed second, but Luke really did an awesome job on all three playoff games. During the championship game, he blocked SO many goals! Luke's coach said if not for Luke, the other team would have stomped all over us. He said Luke was their saving grace. Kelvin said the coach on the other team approached him asking for our phone number to talk to Kelvin about Luke playing for him! Kelvin declined. Luke is loyal to his Coach Elo. Of course, I'm one proud mama!

 

I'm glad our family was there to support our little Beckham. :)

Hold on to your hat

There are some exciting things cooking around here. I can't wait to show you!

What's on the Table Tuesday

It's Tuesday! Time to talk about what's on the table this week.

Monday
Frozen pizza (I know...not exactly the healthiest thing.)

Last night we barely had time to say dinner, much less eat it. I hardly had enough time to throw those babies in the oven. Luke had UIL practice after school. Carleigh had a choir concert last night. In between getting Luke and Carleigh's concert was supposed to be gymnastics, but Cora started feeling a little on the yucky side and was running a low grade temp, so we skipped it. Good thing, or we would not have eaten at all until we go home from the concert at 9 o' clock. It was cool seeing her on the stage.

There are eleventy million kids up there, and this is a terrible photo, but she's the pretty little thing with the ponytail. So proud!

We were sitting WAY in the back. I NEED a zoom lens in a real bad way.

Tuesday
Being Tuesday and all, we're supposed to do some sort of tacos, but I think I'll change it up a little a do Emeril's Tuna Melts instead. This is one of those awesome recipes you can add whatever you like really...eggs, onions, capers, celery...all of the above or none of the above is fine, and BAM! you have a good, quick dinner.

Wednesday
I'm making some Taco Soup. I love these kinds of soup...dump a can of this and a can of that, add a little of this and a little of that, and you have yourself a yummilicious dinner without much effort. I like to add tortilla chips to each bowl and top with cheese. mmmm, mmm goooood!

Thursday

Friday
Does anything say Fall quite like stew? I'm going to give Sarah's 5-Ingredient Stew a try. I LOVE stew...and my mama's roast...and good wine...and marshmallows. I digress.

Saturday
I might be on my own....like all.by.my.self. I'm thinking a pedicure sounds good. Who needs food when you can get your feet massaged? I might pick up a small California roll package at the grocery deli first, then hit the pedi chair. OOOH, I hope that works out like it just did in my mind!

Sunday
Chicken and Dumplins sound good, don't you think? I can't wait!

So, what's on your table?

Days off

Don't you just love random days off? The kids had today off from school. It's 11:30, and we're all still in our pjs. I made breakfast (some yummy egg, bean, and cheese burritos,) and caught up on email.. love it when I clean out my inbox! Cora watched a few episodes of  My Big, Big Friend on Netflix, Luke played tennis, baseball, and bowling on the Wii, and Carleigh made a beautiful skirt for her doll from stuff she found in the craft cabinet. She's so talented!

 

In a minute (or thirty,) I'm going to get my hiney off the comfy couch, figure out something to feed my kids (or maybe I'll surprise them and take them to Chick fil a,) and head to Target for the essentials. You know...toilet paper, paper towels, soap, shampoo/conditioner, and snacks.

When we get home, I HAVE to fold laundry. There is an enormous pile of towels from the kids' bathroom that I washed the other day, and simply haven't slowed down enough to fold them. I could've done it last night during family movie night, but then I would have missed snuggling with the kids on the couch. I refuse to wash anymore laundry until the mountain is folded and put away. We've been doing really well with the laundry thing lately. I'm not sure where all of these towels came from!?

ugh!

Have a happy Monday!

Sing at the pool

Funny story...

I picked up Cora from school yesterday, and she very excitedly told be about how she was going to "sing at her school in the morning." I was a bit confused because I didn't see anything in her folder about any such singing, but I didn't argue. This morning after we left Carleigh's school, Cora tells me I don't know about the pool. Pretty random, I know. I ask her what she is talking about. After a few minutes about the pool, she tells me she is supposed to sing at the pool this morning. The lightbulb then went off in my head, and I realized she heard her teachers say they were going to sing at the pool, when what they really said is we will "See You At The Pole." In case you don't know what that means, I'll explain. In 1990, a group of kids from Texas decided they were going to pray for their school, their friends, and teachers. So, they did. Their idea spread, and students across the state and nation began gathering at their poles as well. Students gather around their school's flag pole, and they pray. I was among one of the students who gathered with my friends around our pole in 1991.

 

So this morning was See You at the Pole. We went to Luke's school first and prayed...for his friends, his teachers, the staff and administration, and the school district.

 

 

 

And then we went to Carleigh's school. We prayed for her friends, teachers, staff and administration, thanked God for our schools and the blessing it is to receive an education, and thanked Him for a country that allows the freedom to gather around a pole and pray. I was blessed to see so many faces I knew. What a comfort to know there are good, Christian teachers at her school.

 

 

And then we went to Cora's school so she could "sing at the pool!" :) I didn't get a photo of her singing praying, because she is not still for very long, but here's one of her and her sweet friend at lunch at her school the other day.

 

 

 

Please join me in praying for our children, their teachers and staff, the administrators, and our government officials.

 

Hope you'll join your child next year as they sing at the pool! ;)



Mama's birthday

Yesterday was my mama's birthday. She turned 63. I'm sure she's just tickled pick that I shared that with everyone. This evening we had her and Dad over for a birthday dinner. We had salad, steak, smashed garlic potatoes, roasted okra from Aunt Sharon's garden, and Luke's famous Texas Sheet Cake. It was all so good...especially the cake. There's not much better in life than chocolate.

 

 

 

 

5, 6, 7, 8

I was in the kitchen one day, and when I came around the corner, this is what I saw...



Glad I had the camera setting on video. If you'll listen, the background vocals are Emma. She was probably in her high chair eating or something. Glad I have her voice recorded. Wouldn't it be lovely to hear it today?

Baby Got Back

(Author Warning: Kelvin)

Have I ever mentioned that Christy has...just kidding...HA! Gotcha!

So anyway, this morning Christy was giving Cora a quick bath in the sink and I just had to take a picture of her cute, fat, little bottom (again, this is Cora I am referring to).






She is TOTALLY chunking up. Look at those rolls! For Pete's sake she has "cankles"! All of our kids have done this. This is actually one of my bragging areas about Christy. A few factoids for your consideration:

* All four kids have been 100% breast fed
* We have never bought the first package of formula
* Carleigh weighed 23 pounds at 1 year old...and was still 23 pounds at 2 years old
* At one point we had 54 bags of milk in the freezer (and a chunky kiddo). I saw $$$ signs and threatened to sell them on Ebay. Needless to say, that didn't happen.
* The older kids can mimic the sound of the breast pump! How funny is that?

OK, I have to wrap up this post and get ready to leave. Christy will be home is 10 minutes and I will immediately leave so she can't hit me when she reads this!

Have a great weekend.

for your viewing pleasure

Emma was a newborn, and I was downstairs nursing her or something like that. My "big" kids were upstairs. Things got really quiet which only happened when the kiddos were sleeping. I went upstairs and realized the "big" kids were doing something mischievous in the bathroom, so I quickly went out to the man cave and told Kelvin to grab the video camera and catch whatever it was they were doing on film. Here is what we found...



So glad we have this precious memory recorded. I love hearing their precious toddler voices. I try to remind myself every day how little they are. I'm trying to soak in the sweetness of the everyday from each of our gifts from God. Some days are harder than others, but I keep trying.

Bea-u-ti-ful Spring Break

This week the kids are out for spring break, and we could not have asked for more beautiful weather. Yesterday my friend and I took our kiddos to Old MacDonald's Farm. It was lovely...not too crowded, nice sunshine, nice breeze, plenty to do and animals to feed. The only thing that would have made it better for my inquisitive two was to meet MacDonald himself. They wanted to know where in the world he was, or I should say, wasn't on his farm! I think I said he had to go buy some stuff for the animals or something.

Today was a fun day too. Kelvin took off, and we took the big kids to the Aquarium in downtown Houston. We got to see all kinds of fun animals. Everything from tree frogs to white tigers! It was pretty fascinating. Of course they had fish and sharks in ginormous tanks too! We rode the train, played the carnival games, rode a fun ride (not me of course), and ate some good food. I even took a bite of ice cream.

This morning we took Emma with us to an evaluation for a state funded program that would have hopefully helped with some services for her. Two and a half hours later we learned 1) we make too much money, 2) the waiting list is 7-10 years, and 3) there is a waiting list for all of their services once you get past the BIG waiting list. Could they not have told us that over the phone? Oh well...live and learn! I'm hoping our evaluation next week with a different agency is a little more fruitful.

We're looking forward to a great weekend. The benefit is going to be great, and God is providing some beautimous weather too. If you live in the area and have an hour or two to spare on Saturday, come on out! It's gonna be tons of fun...fun for all ages. The live and silent auctions are going to be a blast! I've heard there is literally something for everyone...from tattoos to Harley and Honda cakes! Kickstands go up at San Jacinto Harley at 10 a.m. I think they want the riders to get there around 9, and Kelvin and Emma will be there to see them off! There will be cash prizes for the motorcycle contests! Can't wait to see you there!

You never know what you're gonna get

"Like is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get." ~~Forrest Gump

Well, so is the weather in southeast Texas, Forrest! Last week we were wearing shorts and t-shirts in the 80 degree warm humidity, and by the end of the week, we were dragging out our sweaters and jackets again for the rainy, highs in the mid to upper 40s! We even have a fire going in the fireplace! The only thing that would make this day better would be to eat some yummy roasted marshmallows! (Darn glucose! What a bummer!) So, just hang around long enough, and you'll probably see the weather you so desire. That's alright, keeps us on our toes.

I'm trying to be prepared for when Cora decides to come. Easter is April 12, and I wanted to get the kids' clothes bought early so I wouldn't be stressing about it if Cora decides to come early, and I couldn't get to the store. So, I ventured out to our new Children's Place, (yippee!) and bought some adorable Easter clothes for the kiddos.



I even bought a matching outfit for all three girls to wear this summer! I'm really going to have to restrain from going into Children's Place too often. They have some of the cah-utest things!!

So, we're on spring break now. We're hoping to get in a fun activity or two this week...maybe the zoo with the big kids or the bluebonnets with the whole family with a stop at the Blue Bell Creamery (I could get a bite), or we could just continue doing the fun family stunts we experienced tonight...



I'm so impressed that Kelvin is so agile at his age. ;) Today Carleigh asked Kelvin when he got that bald spot on the top of his head, to which Luke answered, "about 10,000 years ago!" Lookin' good to me baby!

Have a great weekend!

Start Prayin Now

OK, I need all the good weather prayers to start now. The benefit for Emma is next Saturday, March 21. We need pretty weather for this event. Please pray God will bless us with this petition. So many people have worked so hard and have contributed so much to make this event a success. I would like to see their efforts blessed with blue skies. So, will you join me in praying for sunshine for Emma's Bayou Bash? Thanks a million!

Movin' on up!

My boomin' metropolis of a town is movin' on up in the shopping world. The Children's Place clothing store has it's grand opening tomorrow! I'm so excited! One less store I have to go out of town to shop now! WHOO HOO! The small things in life are usually the biggest blessings, wouldn't you agree. :) So, tomorrow afternoon I will be Easter shopping with the rest of the crazy excited mamas in town!

Congratulations goes out to my sweet friend Lesley! They found out today they are having a girl...Cora's future little partner in crime, I'm sure. After 3 boys, it's about time some pink showed up in their house. Hee Hee!

We are all on the mends now with maybe the exception of Kelvin. I think he's trying to get the crud too. Emma and I still have a little lingering cough, and Em is still fighting a runny nose, but we're getting there. I took Carleigh to the doctor Monday afternoon and she tested positive for strep. She stayed home from school Monday and Tuesday but did a little happy dance because she finally got to go back today after being on the med for 24 hours. She was not at all happy with the amount of homework she has to do now, however! The tears started flowing. I think she was a little relieved to know she doesn't have to get it all done tonight.

Well, enough said for now. I need to get on the Children's Place website and do some pre-shopping so I won't be so overwhelmed tomorrow! Happy Trails!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

As for me...
Is it still Monday? I don't totally feel like this has been the longest day of my life, yet know I didn't get much of anything done. All of my days are most productive, so why would this one be any different?

You didn't see me in the store the other day buying XL maternity shirts just so they would be long enough to cover my ever-expanding belly! Nope, that wouldn't describe my long and lean physique right now.

When I took pizza and cookies to my son's preschool to celebrate his birthday last week, his teacher didn't tell me the funniest thing...

The teacher was reviewing their Bible story about Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors...

Teacher: boys and girls, did Joseph's brothers love him? Luke, what do you think?

Luke: they did before he got the coat!

At which point the teacher told me she had to laugh almost hysterically!

My oldest daughter did not wear a strappy sundress to church yesterday. It's February, for crying out loud! What mother would let her daughter do that? I don't care if it was 75 degrees out!

When she didn't get to stay and play at a birthday party the other day, my oldest daughter left very graciously and didn't whine or cry or complain. When we got home, she did not go to her favorite new fort her awesome daddy built and write a note to God telling him how unfair it was that her mommy made her leave the party so soon without giving her time to play. Her daddy did not look out the window to see her reading her note out loud to whomever may be listening! That wouldn't happen around our house.

When trying to take a nap today, I didn't have so many distractions that I couldn't sleep. My son did not continually wake me up asking if he could have a snack, and the phone did not ring off the hook, and I didn't have to take care of wacked out business that should have been taken care of by people who should have been doing their job. My youngest daughter didn't wake up 3 minutes after I finally laid down for the second time.

So, how about you? Won't you join the fun and tell us what you "didn't do" this week? At least leave a comment, even if you don't have a blog. Be sure to sign your name so we'll know who to thank for the smile. Have a great day!

Not Me! Monday

It's been a while since I've done a Not Me! Monday. I thought I would give it a shot again. So here goes all the things I did not (but really did) do...

I did not laugh hysterically when my children were showing their pure, unadulterated talent, and sucking their nostrils in when my oldest daughter declares, "I didn't know I had nostrils. I just thought I had a hole in my nose so I could stick my fingers in to get my boogers!" It was not me doubled over laughing, almost falling on the floor. That's even kind of gross when you think about it!

When I was at the pharmacy the other day and some strange child I've never seen before stepped right up beside me, like one of my own children would, and started staring at me and listening to my conversation with the pharmacist, I did not completely stop talking and stare down the kid until he left. When the pharmacist asked if that was my kid, I did not say very loudly, "NO!" so that his parent could hear me if she happened to be standing a few feet away. That was some other curly headed lady named Christy, not me.

For lunch the other day, it was totally not me who had a few crackers, a couple of small pieces of cheese, a quarter of an orange, an entire crispy chocolate candy bar with peanut butter smeared over it, and a leftover rib from the BBQ restaurant! It makes me tired even thinking that could have been my lunch, so it couldn't have been me!

It wasn't me who received a call from my midwives saying I have to take the three hour glucose test this week because my one hour screening came back abnormal! Surely they called the wrong number and had me mistaken for someone else!

When my precious Emma and I did not sleep until 8:30 this morning, I did not awake and walk into the den to hear my almost 5 year old son tell me he had just made a peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwich all by himself! Thank goodness if it was me, there wasn't a huge mess all over the kitchen...just some minor crumbs. No, that wasn't me. My kids are totally patient and always wait for me to do something major like make a peanut butter and jelly cracker sandwich!

It's not me who has an ever expanding baby bump with the indigestion to go along with it who should by stock in TUMS because of the amount I consume in a day! Nope, I'm not 29 weeks pregnant, getting just a little bit anxious about a new baby coming, trying to figure out how I am going to carry Emma and a newborn at the same time! Nope, not me!

I don't have one of the sweetest little girls in the whole wide world who writes the sweetest little notes to me and the rest of our family. My six year old did not write me a precious note on her Hannah Montana stationary, complete with Strawberry Shortcake stickers, telling me I am the best Mommy! Nor did she write one to her baby sister, Emma saying, "Dear Emma I love (drew a heart) you vary much so so much that I can not stand it." Nah, that didn't happen.

My almost five year old son did not ask me another question this week, only to follow up with "how do you know" after I've given him the answer. He is too much of a cutie pie with the most precious dimples ever to say something like that to his mother! And we did not have a 5 minute show-down on how to pronounce the letter B as opposed to the letter P and the letter F as opposed to S! And he certainly would never have even thought of looking at me all mad-like and stomping his foot and telling me to "just be quiet!" Not my son! And if he would have done something like that, I would probably have jumped out of my recliner with mach speed and spanked his little hiney! So that wasn't me, because I handled myself much too calmly for the comment that my son didn't say!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I guess that about sums up for now what I did not do. It's all my pregnant brain can remember anyway!

OK, it's your turn. I hope you'll join in the fun. Follow the link for instructions or click on the icon in my sidebar for Not Me! Monday, and if you don't have a blog, at least comment so we can see what you didn't do! Have fun! Click here to go to the rules on McMama's site.
Have a great Monday!!

I'm so proud

I'm overflowing with pride at the accomplishments and talents of my older two children. As I was getting some things ready for dinner tonight, my adorable oldest daughter came in the kitchen to inform me that she can indeed do arm farts to the entire "ABCs" song. Not long afterward, Luke followed excitedly to show me that he can do leg farts! I know, I know, try not to be envious. Without much effort at all, your children can exude the same glorious talent as mine. The video below shows Luke demonstrating the leg and arm fart, and we get a bonus whistle included! The second video shows how Carleigh has mastered the art of "arm farting." She is pretty darn good at it if I do say so myself! Enjoy! (Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the blog)



On a more serious note, if you could say an extra prayer for Emma, we would appreciate it. She has been increasingly fussy the past couple of days, crying as an infant would. We're back to trying to figure out what is wrong by process of elimination. A lot of the time, she still cries even after we've done everything. I guess we're getting a head start on newborn preparation! We've been doing a lot of holding and snuggling in the recliner. Thanks for the prayers.

Where does the time go?

Yikes, I haven't posted in for-ev-er! Sooo sorry. I'm running out of time before Christmas arrives! I haven't finished our shopping, don't even have ideas for some very important people, have gone to school parties and other ones too, caroled around the neighborhood while looking at the pretty lights, and all kinds of other fun stuff. It's been a vapor of a month. It's been a lovely Christmas season though. Sometimes I wish I could freeze time! The kids have done and said some of the funniest things...

Carleigh: I want a DS for Christmas.
Me: I don't think we're going to do that this year.
Carleigh: I'll just ask Santa for it then.
Me: Santa knows not to get things for children their parents don't want them to have.

Luke: I want a Toy Story set.
Grammy: Where have you seen that?
Luke: Grammy, Santa can make anything.

No pressure Santa!

Luke: Carleigh, you better be good, Santa is watching.

Today Luke and Carleigh were playing in the garage and Luke had a "sword"...

Luke: I'll be the knight and you be the mean princess, Carleigh.
Carleigh: No, I want to be the nice princess.
Luke: No, you're the mean princess. You're mean to me.

We had the most wonderful surprise around our parts, and got snow last week! It's still the talk of the town! You all from up north where it snows all the time have a hard time understanding what all the hoop-la is about, I'm sure. But you see, around here, it only snows once in a blue moon (if that much!) We had enough to stick on the ground through the night, and the next morning the kids got to play in it. Below you'll find pictures and video of the grand event, but let me give you some insight on the video. For the past forever several days Luke has been asking when it will snow and if it will snow on Christmas. I have explained at least 100 times that we live in a coastal region where it just doesn't get cold enough to have snow (it's been 80 degrees the past couple of days.) I told him that every once in a while it snows but we shouldn't count on it happening. He asked where it does snow. I told him it snows in the northern states of our country and places like Colorado where our friends live. He said, "I want to move to Colorado." So, that's the background for the video. Let me also preface the video by saying we do live in a coastal climate and don't sport snow shoes or appropriate clothing to play in the snow. Keds and canvas shoes are probably not the best choice for kiddos to play in the snow...



They did have a good time though...





Kelvin's first ever snow angel!








Nothing like a cup of hot cocoa to warm things up!

Emma update...
She has had quite a rough week. She has been unusually fussy, and even crying, which is not normal for her. She tires easily and wants to be held most of the time. We've been doing a lot of snuggling in the recliner, which is fine for me and my expanding waist line! She's also not been able to walk much and has been spitting up more. She did have a good day with Dee Dee, her vision teacher yesterday though. She liked the lights and did some good reaching and touching.





Have a wonderful weekend!

Laughs from Luke

Yesterday evening was Luke's preschool Christmas program. Picture several hundred 5 and under kiddos dressed in their Christmas best with a crowd full of parents, grandparents, and screaming babies in the audience, and that's where we were last night. :) It was great, really!

Here was our conversation while getting dressed (in the dark I might add, since the power went off as we were getting ready to go)...

Me: Luke, let's get dressed for your Christmas program. (I'm holding his clothes up on the hanger.)

Luke: I wanted to wear my Easter jacket. (light colored linen jacket)

Me: Oh, but Mommy bought these especially for you to wear tonight. (Thanks goodness he was easily convinced. Sometimes it's a 30 minute battle, which he wins on occasion.)

Luke: (after we have his clothes on) Mommy, I think I will be the most handsome boy there tonight.

Me: I agree. You look very nice in your fancy clothes.

A little bit later in the car on the way...

Luke: Mommy, I think I look like a president.

Me: Yes, you do look very nice in your new clothes.

Luke: I don't mean my clothes. I mean my hair!

You gotta love him!



He really was happy to be there. The boy has a very serious streak.


Notice how helpful Luke is being to Emma by holding her head up for the picture. Sweet little Dunnam babies!

Over the weekend Carleigh's little dance class performed at a Christmas festival. Here are some pictures of our little dancing queen for your viewing pleasure...



Isn't she adorable? The very best dancer, of course!

The Christmas Pageant

This could so be our family! Merry Christmas!

THE CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

My husband and I had been happily married (most of the time) for five years but hadn't been blessed with a baby. I decided to do some serious praying and promised God that if he would give us a child, I would be a perfect mother, love it with all my heart and raise it with His word as my guide.

God answered my prayers and blessed us with a son. The next year God blessed us with another son. The following year, He blessed us with yet another son. The year after that we were blessed with a daughter. My husband thought we'd been blessed right into poverty. We now had four children, and the oldest was only four years old. I learned never to ask God for anything unless I meant it. As a minister once told me, "If you pray for rain, make sure you carry an umbrella."

I began reading a few verses of the Bible to the children each day as they lay in their cribs. I was off to a good start. God had entrusted me with four children and I didn't want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day the children smashed two dozen eggs on the kitchen floor searching for baby chicks. I tried to be understanding when they started a hotel for homeless frogs in the spare bedroom, although it took me nearly two hours to catch all twenty-three frogs. When my daughter poured ketchup all over herself and rolled up in a blanket to see how it felt to be a hot dog, I tried to see the humor rather than the mess.

In spite of changing over twenty-five thousand diapers, never eating a hot meal and never sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time, I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise to be a perfect mother - I didn't even come close -I did keep my promise to raise them in the Word of God.

I knew I was missing the mark just a little when I told my daughter we were going to church to worship God, and she wanted to bring a bar of soap along to "wash up" Jesus, too. Something was lost in the translation when I explained that God gave us everlasting life, and my son thought it was generous of God to give us his "last wife."

My proudest moment came during the children's Christmas pageant. My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My five-year-old shepherd had practiced his line, "We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes." But he was nervous and said, "The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes." My four-year-old "Mary" said, "That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly. That's dirty, rotten clothes." A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. I slouched a little lower in my seat when Mary dropped the doll representing Baby Jesus, and it bounced down the aisle crying, "Mama-mama."

Mary grabbed the doll, wrapped it back up and held it tightly as the wise men arrived. My other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, "We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur."

The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. "I've never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one," laughed the pastor, wiping tears from his eyes "For the rest of my life, I'll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur."

"My children are my pride and my joy and my greatest blessing," I said as I dug through my purse for an aspirin.

Aren't you glad God has such a sense of humor?!

Check out this great opportunity

OK, friends, this is a good one! The lady who brought us Not Me! Monday is providing a fabulous opportunity to buy your chance at winning a Canon Rebel XSI Camera package! It's a great deal, and all of the proceeds will be donated to three beautiful organizations. The information and details follow below, so take a few minutes to read, and then hop on over to MckMama's blog and enter to win! You can click on the highlighted words here, or on the camera icon in my sidebar. Happy playing!

Many chances to win here, peeps. Just choose the ways you'd like to be involved:

1. Buy Raffle-Way tickets for the suggested donation of $10/ticket to be entered to win the MckRebel Prize Package.

2. Add the Rebel Without For A Cause button to your own blog and link over here to be entered to win a name charm necklace.

3. Win big by blessing other families through three great organizations!!

The driving force behind this Raffle-Way is that many worthy families will be helped in the process through String of Pearls, Elison Project, and No Hands but Ours. This Raffle-Way will reach out and touch so many families who need help and support. And before you know it, one of you will be taking kick-bottom photographs with your majorly pimped out new camera!! Can you say win-win? Again?

The Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way starts now and ends at 11:59 pm, Central Standard Time on December 14, 2008. The MckRebel Prize Package will be in the winner's hands by Christmas.

As I mentioned, the suggested donation is $10 per Raffle-Way ticket, but you can donate any amount you choose. Enter as many times as you wish. Each $10 donation buys you one ticket. (You can donate more than once and get one ticket each time, or in one lump. If you donate, say, $30, we will know you want three tickets.) The more tickets you buy, the more times we'll enter your name in the drawing and the more chances you'll have to win the MckRebel Prize Package!!!

Donating is secure and will be accepted through the ChipIn icon at the top of my (her) blog. When you donate via ChipIn, you are automatically entered in the Raffle-Way to win the MckRebel Prize Package. Soon after you donate, we will send a reply email to the address on your PayPal account, letting you know what your Raffle-Way ticket number(s) are. Then you wait until the Raffle-Way is over on December 14 and see if you won!

All proceeds of this Raffle-Way will be donated. Proceeds will go to String of Pearls, a beautiful ministry that offers a nurturing and safe place for families as they navigate the path following a fatal prenatal diagnosis that will result in the death of their baby prior to, or shortly after birth. String of Pearls provides guidance, compassion and practical suggestions as plans to honor the life of pre-born babies are crafted.

Proceeds will also go to benefit No Hands But Ours. No Hands But Ours is a China adoption resource site, specific to special needs adoption. It was created to provide information, encouragement and support for families of the children who wait and for those who wait no more. It is their hope that God would use this organization to encourage and equip ordinary people to do an extraordinary thing in the life of a special needs orphan, to give the gift every child needs and deserves...a family.

The Elison Project helps to provide grants to families adopting special needs children from China, and collaborates with No Hands But Ours. Proceeds of this Raffle-Way will allow families to make an incredible difference in the life of a child. Your donation will help to bring His children home.

If you'd like to be a part of our Rebel Without For A Cause Raffle-Way, jump on in. The winners will be randomly drawn (Wait for it...we're even thinking of videotaping the process to prove it was fair and random.) and will be announced within a day or two after the Raffle-Way ends on December 14, 2008. Go win yourself a Rebel! And a whole heckofalotta other goodies! For a cause!