It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Merry Christmas! My family celebrates on Christmas Eve and the celebration is at our house so today will be an action packed day. I just wanted to take a minute to tell my C3 family how much I love them before the craziness of this holiday consumes me. Enjoy your holiday with your friends and family as we reflect on the greatest gift ever... the birth of our Savior. I love you all!

Exhaustion

Today was a lot of fun. Exhausting but fun. Here's a recap.
Woke up.
Read.
Watched "The Price Is Right"... loving Drew Carey, he's a lot nicer to the contestants.
Read some more.
Hayden came over.
Talked to Amanda.
Amanda and Leigh Ann came over.
Went to lunch with them and baby Jackson.
Headed to pick up Ansley with Amanda at her school.
Took Ansley back to my house to play with Hayden for the day.
Decided to take Ansley and Hayden to Chuck E. Cheese.
Spent hours at Chuck E. Cheese.
Mastered "Skee Ball."
Went next door to Petland.
Played with a cute puppy that loved to bite. The kids got scared.
Went through McDonald's drive through for ice cream sundaes.
Drove home.
Layed kids down at 4:30 attempting a nap.
Ansley went home.
Watched Spongebob with Hayden. I love Spongebob.
Gave Hayden a bath.
Hayden went home.
Cleaned downstairs.
Now here I am with my love D-Lo and the computer.
I love kids but they wear me out! It was fun being the cool aunt today. It was also great spending some time with good friends. Today was wonderfully tiring!

The Faith Factor

I love my C3 family. It never ceases to amaze me how God can use people who have a passion for reaching out to others. All because of barbaric grace. The grace that started at Calvary on the cross and continues with you and me in our world today. It humbles me.

I reflected a lot today about fear. Pastor Byron spoke about Esther which happens to be my favorite book of the bible. I show faith when and where it is convenient for me and then wonder why I live in fear in other areas of my life. I fear many things. When I put it into perspective though I feel somewhat foolish considering that Esther's fear was a life or death issue. I'm so thankful that God's grace is sufficient even when my faith in Him is lacking. He has never let me go or given me reason to doubt yet I still want control at times. God is love. Unconditionally.

Love and gratitude to my C3 family for demonstrating God's barbaric grace. For closing the door on fear and embracing the faith. Because of your faith God is changing lives. My life is changed and I'm never going back.

My Two Dudes

I just thought I'd share my new favorite picture. These are the two men in my life. My handsome hubby Darrell and his little protege Hayden (my nephew). Matching hair, jackets and so on! Love it!

Teach In

I spent some time today in Ms. Fryfogle's fourth grade class at Vista Lakes Elementary. I had a lot of fun with the kids! Ms. Fryfogle happens to be my sister Cassie. Today was teach in day. Basically it was a day for adults to come in and talk about their job. We called it Career Day back in the 80's. I took Leigh Ann Ward with me. She was my model as I did makeup for the class. We started with natural makeup and then moved on to the really funky stuff. I kept it decent enough for lunch out later. I could have really gone dramatic but I held back a little. It was the first time she ever wore fake eyelashes. The kids told us we were pretty and had a lot of interesting questions. I like anyone who says I'm pretty. They became my new BFF's! One little boy showed me his notebook of artwork. He is very talented. I told him to keep it up. I love it when adults nurture the artistic side in children. Who knows what we are suppressing when we don't encourage our children's creativity? They are the next generation of innovators. I think our educational system is a bit too textbook and not enough hands on or creative. Kids are all expected to learn in the same way. I struggled with that when I was young. I've always felt somewhat intelligent but I was always discouraged in the manner in which I was expected to learn. That's a whole tangent I won't go into further though. I called Ms. Fryfogle Cassie a couple of times. Not very appropriate or respectful. Oh well, we grew up together... all appropriate behavior flies out the window. I loved it and always enjoy hanging out with children. They are SO crazy and fun! My sister is great with children and I know she is an amazing teacher. I hope I can go back and visit all of my new friends soon!

Loving the Rain

Most days I don't like rain. I don't like the overcast weather. I don't like how frizzy my hair gets when it's raining outside. I don't like the overall dreary feeling of rainy days.

Today was different. I was outside pulling some weeds in our front yard and our girls were playing soccer in the grass. All of a sudden HUGE raindrops started falling from the sky. The girls screamed and ran into the garage and yelled for me to come in so I wouldn't get wet. I stayed, continuing the dreaded task of pulling the weeds. After they saw I wasn't melting, I told them they could join me in the rain. They looked at me like I had a third eyeball. Emma, our practical one, said, "Mom, are you serious? We're going to get all wet." After I assured them that it was fine, they came out in the POURING down rain.

We ran around in our driveway, chasing each other, jumping in the puddles for the next 15 minutes. They kept saying things like, "This is so much fun!" "This is better than Sea World!" and "This is the best day ever!"

After we came in from the rain and dried off, I realized how much fun a simple thing like playing in the rain can be. I was also reminded to appreciate the "rain" in my life. This year I've learned a lot about walking through the storms of life. I've learned that even though it's not always fun to be stuck in the rain or in the middle of a storm, God NEVER lets go of me. He carries me through and the storms help mold me more into the person God wants me to be.

I can truly say I am thankful for the rain: the rain I played in today with my daughters and the rain in life that God brings my way!

Back to Blogland

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted. Thought I would update everyone on what's been going on in my life. Our family passed around a nasty stomach bug last week and I think everyone is finally over it. Now we're on to coughs and colds. I'll take that ANYDAY over the stomach bug! As Ansley put it, "That bug is MEAN! I do not want it in my belly EH-VAH!"

Jackson has had to begin breathing treatments with a nebulizer for this nasty cough he's had for over a month. I thought I would share a picture of him...he has to do this twice a day for the next month. I thought it was going to be a horrible experience, but he actually LOVES it...he thinks its a new toy! (And now he doesn't sound like a 9 month old smoker!)

We headed to Tallahassee for the FSU/Miami game and had a great time with friends and family. We had to drive up in two separate cars due to a small accident that happened in our driveway. For those of you who have known me for a while know that I have a history of hitting stationary objects. It's a long story, but because of MY stupidity, Barry got to drive a nice sports car up to Tallahassee. He was knocked down a few notches back to reality when he had to drive his Corolla back home! (Or as I have affectionately labeled it, the "ghetto-rolla".) Here is a cute picture of the girls before the game.

I'm training for a 1/2 marathon on December 1. This is my second 1/2 marathon, so after I run this, can I say that I've run a full marathon? Training has been time-consuming and I'm looking forward to race day!

It's been a busy and fun-filled fall. I can't believe the holidays are just around the corner...I love this time of year and the cooler weather makes the fact that it's fall a little more believable!

It's good to be back in blogland!

Six Days of Bliss

I will be off from work for the next six days. I'm so excited because I just worked a long stretch of days to get here. It is nice to just rest. I've scheduled nothing but I am up for anything. I want to be spontaneous and available. Here is a general idea of some things I may be participating in.

-Cleaning and laundry
-Hang out with my hubby
-Spend time with my family
-Catch up with friends
-Head up to Universal to buy some tickets at Hard Rock
-Sleep a lot
-Go get a ManPed (what my sister's and I call Manicure/Pedicures)
-See a movie with my mother-in-law
-Contact some of my clients (my freelance work)
-Go to the Yves Saint Laurent company warehouse and trade some labor to get new FREE makeup (I love my boss... she hooks me up!)
-Set up a photo shoot to update my portfolio
-Finish reading Mark, move on to Luke in my bible... reading in general
-Go to church on Sunday (I'm so excited about the new series, "Dirty Little Secrets")and have lunch with my FOUR friends that will be coming for the first time!
-Watch some Tyler Perry/Madea stuff... the best plays and movies ever!
-Sleep a lot
-Update my facebook
-Blog
-Surround myself with positive, uplifting people, things, and activities
-Visit my friend Miss Amy
-Sleep a lot
-Force myself into the gym
-Look into trading in my car if I can get a deal
-Strategize my future goals
-Love my time and enjoy every minute
-The thing I'm most excited about... CU at C3!

I'm ready... let the fun begin. I just hope it doesn't fly by too quickly!

Waiting for the Sunrise

On Thursday morning I watched the sunrise from above the clouds. It was nothing less than breathtaking. Vivid shades of orange and pink transformed the sky into a work of art. But before long some dark billowing clouds rolled in and covered the sun. I watched the black clouds and the lightening striking within the clouds for only a few minutes and then tried to get some rest. I was awakened by the bright sun blaring through the window of the plane. All the dark clouds were gone and there was nothing but blue sky and sunshine.

I spent the next 2 ½ days at a hospital by my Dad’s bedside; holding his hand, stroking his head and telling him how much I love him. Even though I knew he was ready to go to heaven, I just wasn’t quite ready to let him go. On Saturday morning around 6 am he took his final breaths and made the transition from earth to heaven. I’m sure all of heaven was rejoicing as my Dad entered the gates to meet Jesus.

There’s so much I could say about my Dad. He was an awesome dad and grandfather. He always considered the needs of others above himself. He even told everyone that he wouldn’t die until I had the opportunity to get to Pennsylvania to say goodbye to him. He even waited until Travis and the boys made the long 20 hour drive. Just hours after Caleb and Luke said goodbye to their grandpa he passed away. He considered himself lucky that he had the opportunity to say goodbye to the people he loved the most. Not all of us will have this opportunity, but we do have the opportunity to be prepared for the day when our lives here on earth will end, whatever the circumstances. My dad accepted Christ when he was in his 40’s. On that day he secured his salvation and his eternity with Christ in preparation for this time. My dad loved his Lord and never hesitated to share that love with the people around him. He had the awesome privilege to lead my grandmother and my aunt to Christ before they passed away. Even on his death bed his biggest concern was for the salvation of his brother. Through the oxygen mask he shared the Gospel and urged his brother to accept Christ so he could see him again someday in heaven.

The last few days have been so crazy. Right now I feel like I’m trapped in those big black billowing clouds. But I know that God has more beautiful sunrises and bright sunny days ahead for me. Thanks to the love, encouragement, support, and prayers of my husband, family, and friends those sunrises won’t be too far off. Maybe this morning my Dad got to see the sunrise from above the clouds…or maybe there were too many other amazing things to see and do in heaven to be bothered with a boring old sunrise.

Glossy Images

More and more I'm realizing that there is one huge danger that sticks out in my mind that relates to people who have been Christians a while. I have been guilty of it myself. I'm challenged by it everyday. I'll tell you what I think it is later but first I want to share a story with you.

There is this girl I know. She's the outgoing, up for anything, always wanting to make others happy type. Despite her joy she lives with a continuous sorrow. You see, the joy she has now comes from her faith in Christ but there is a life before that faith. The sorrow comes from those in her life who haven't experienced the same joy she has yet. Allow me to elaborate.

My friend grew up in a home where she knew both of her parents loved her. She also knew that her dad was an alcoholic. Because of the addiction in his life her dad was incapable of being the husband and father he needed to be. She knew of his late nights out, or nights away. She knew of his infidelities and flirtations. She knew... and what she knew hurt. She longed for him to have the faith in Christ he spoke of in church with his Sunday School class or as a deacon. She longed for him to cry out to God the way she saw her mother do it. She longed, and she prayed, and she screamed, and she cried. The message he spoke of with his mouth he knew in his mind but it had no meaning in his heart. This was all very confusing to my friend. Her dad was very harsh and critical towards other "sinners." Harshest to the ones who dealt with the sins he loathed secretly in himself. She didn't understand why he was so aggressive towards others when he was tearing her family apart with his actions. My friend dealt with huge insecurities because of this. Mostly with guys and trust. Her trust was broken again and again and again with guys in her life as she grew older. But God had plans for her. He pulled her from a life that could have ended in pain and destruction and set her on a path of genuinely knowing Him. She met the one, true God. The one her mother cried and clung to. Not the image of Him painted with empty words and fruitless actions. God now continues to place people in her life that have similar struggles. She prays that God will use her life to affect others. My friend still prays for her dad. She still cries out to God for Him. She still has a place of grieving for him. But she has hope.

My friend... is me.

The danger that we face as Christ followers is forgetting what God saved us from. We should not dwell in our pasts but we must learn from it. It is very safe to surround ourselves with people who look like us, talk like us, and act like us but that is not what Jesus did. Jesus was perfect... who would he have hung out with when he came to earth? He was purposeful in being a friend to the sinners. That bears repeating. Jesus was purposeful in being a friend to the sinners.

It is so easy to criticize others. Usually the things we criticize the most are the things we struggle with in ourselves. I do it. I violently twitch inside when someone does something around me that I know I deal with in myself. I want to remember the things Christ has accomplished in me. I need to be reminded of His grace. If I forget the grace He's shown me then how can I be willing to tell others about it? If I forget His grace then how can I extend it to others? I don't want to live a life of glossy images and rose colored scenarios. God allowed me to face the trials in my life to glorify Him. I want my life to be a real example... not a fairy tale version of whatever I make it out to be. I love when my sister says, "don't be a stoner." I don't want to throw the stones of inadequacy at someone because they sure hurt when they are thrown at me. I ask God to never let me forget grace because people's lives are too valuable. My daddy's life is too valuable.

Ephesians 2
7 -10Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

Viva la Mexico

Darrell and I are leaving tomorrow morning for our first cruise ever. We are heading to Mexico for four days. I'm really looking forward to some time away with my hot hubby. We'll miss everyone on Sunday but we are already anticipating what God is going to do. We love you all and we'll see you next week. Viva la Mexico!

Mi Familia Loca

I had the privilege of spending the day with my crazy Colombian family. Darrell and I went over to my uncle's house for a Labor Day barbecue and we had a great time. Let me take you there.
Setting: My uncle and aunt's house with a newly broken A/C. We hung out in their new sun porch though. It overlooks the lake in their backyard so it was breezy and beautiful.
In Attendance: Five out of six of my mother's siblings, their spouses, and children. Darrell, myself, my mother-in-law, my sisters Brittney and Cassie, Brittney's boyfriend Eric, my nephew Hayden, my grandmother and some friends of my aunt and uncle with their child as well, and a partridge in a pear tree.
Food: Hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and veggie burgers (I have a large vegan/vegetarian population within my family... they are converting more and more by each passing year.) We also had salad and baked beans... oh, and cake. Typical barbecue dining.
Ambiance: A lot of joking around and cutting up. Football was discussed on more than one occasion and there were many cuts made on other's teams. I caught up with my cousin Aislinn, who is a senior in high school. I had to get the dish on what's been going down in her life. It's all good. We danced to really, really, really loud salsa, merengue, and pop music. (This is always my favorite part of any family gathering. I love to dance and I love that everyone in my family loves to dance because they all do it so well... I get it from my mama!)
I love my fun family and the time I get to spend with them. It seems like we only get together with my extended family on the major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. I'm thankful for the bonus family day today!

The first day of school

I'm so proud of my sister Cassie. Today was her first day of school... as a fourth grade teacher! She just graduated from UCF in the spring and accepted a position at Vista Lakes Elementary. She is so smart, pretty, driven, responsible, patient and sweet. I love her so much and I wish I would have had a teacher like her when I was younger. You'll be amazing Cassie! Love ya!

Happy Cooking!

Okay, so everyone who knows me knows I'm no Martha Stewart - but just to be rebellious and feel better about my domestic abilities, I took pictures of my dinner a couple of nights ago. This is mainly because it's my favorite easy dinner, and it actually turned out okay...meals like this always turn out because I make up the recipe as I go along, so no one can tell me I did it wrong! So here it is...

Ground Turkey Breast seasoned with organic tamari, vidalia onions, and sweet bell peppers - with steamed broccoli flowerets on top.
French Cous Cous with pine nuts. (not from a box)
Field Green Salad with crushed almonds and a honey balsmic dressing.

easy dessert: Sliced Strawberries and Blueberries (not sliced - that would be insane!) with unsweetened heavy cream.

The best part about the way I cook is that I only make things that take less than 30 minutes - I'm way to much of a procrastinator to do anything else. So I just throw a bunch of things that I like in a big pan and cook away until the smoke alarm goes off! As long as I keep healthy staples in the fridge and freezer, it's easier to make simple healthy meals than intricate ones that require a lot of ingredients and...well, actual cooking.

So, be encouraged and inspired - find the way that you do things and do them that way, without worrying that it's not as good as "Martha" or anyone else...only you can be you and that's what living is all about! If you have fun in the kitchen (or wherever you're working) and put in lots of love, it will always turn out perfectly because love is the best ingredient and fun is a great recipe! Happy "cooking"! Peace.

The Parental Shift

Darrell and I begin a new phase in our life tomorrow. The phase in which a parent permanently comes to live with us. My mother-in-law will move into our home this weekend. It will be an adjustment for all of us but I look forward to it. I know there will be a learning curve in the beginning but I hope we can make her new home as pleasant and loving for her. I hope my future children will open up their home for Darrell and I if we need it someday.

It's strange to reach a point in life where your parents need you in such a huge way. As a child they were your support system and I'm sure it is very difficult to lose your independence little by little. I've thought about this even more over the last year. My father is still very young but he has been having some health issues. He is currently in the hospital for a little while after having difficulty breathing while refereeing a basketball game. He found out he had some blockage in his heart and is undergoing angioplasty. This is the second time this year he has been in the hospital dealing with circulation issues. It is so surreal to see your parents health deteriorate. I'm always wanting to help fix things for people. There are some things I just can't fix... so I pray to the One who can. We will all experience the aging process and if we have children we will experience the parental shift. The day will come when I may need my child to take care of me so I pray that I can be as good to them as I needed them to be for me. Please pray for my daddy as he deals with his recovery and my mother-in-law as she adjusts to her new home. I may just drive her crazy with my weird habits, I can be annoying... she'll need the prayer!

Independence Day

Happy Wednesday!

Of course, today I'm thinking a lot about freedom and independence.

Earlier this week, we spent some time at my grandmother's house. We let the kids swim, and had lunch. She made "Schenkinfleckel", a German noodle and ham dish that I love, but should avoid if I'm trying to watch my diet...(I didn't, though - Oh well!).

My grandfather was a sergeant/major in the army during WWII. He was a West Virginian, who grew up during the Depression (similar to the "Walton's"), a country-boy who was part Cherokee Indian - so, very well suited to be a tough army "Sarge". During the war, his "command" ended up in a little German town where they set up their headquarters in the largest house in town. There he met a beautiful German girl named Johanna.

After his troop was transferred, Johanna had to escape in the night because the Nazis were coming to "take them away" - her father was known in town as a big business man, and it was rumored that her mother was a Jew. Her father died of a heart attack as he was being taken away, but the rest of the family made their escape in the night. Of course, through all of this the "Sarge" and Johanna lost contact because they had no way to find out where the other had ended up.

Johanna finally arrived at a safe house where they knew of the American army man, and they were able to get a message to him. Johanna and the sergeant were married shortly after this at an army base, and she came to America with nothing but a few treasures she was able to hide from the Nazis as she crossed over the boarder into Switzerland (much like "The Sound of Music").

The sergeant and his German sweetheart had three daughters: Eloise (Elli), Johanna (Joey), and Dorothy (Dottie), and Joey had four daughters of which I am the oldest. So, my little German grandmother is Johanna who escaped so many years ago, so that now she can make us all "Schenkinfleckel" and her wonderful braided bread - which I discovered recently is exactly like "Challah" a Jewish bread...so, now when I eat it, or make it myself, I feel connected again to my great-grandmother who had to hide her identity so many years ago just to stay alive.

So, because of the strength and courage of my grandparents, I'm here today, able to spend the morning with my kids - able to have a leisurely "Fourth of July" cleaning my house and preparing to go on vacation...not anything like having to leave all of your possessions in the middle of the night, or fighting in a war as a young soldier in a foreign land. I have the opportunity to do the many things that bring me so much joy - even worshiping God - because of their sacrifice.

So, Independence Day really resonates for me. And I know there are others being strong and courageous even as I type, so that we can even celebrate a day such as this. To say I'm grateful would be an understatement, but I am. I am a multi-cultural sold-out Christ-follower with a flair for the dramatic who has the ability to express my opinions and hopes and dreams, all because of FREEDOM and SACRIFICE.

I am so thankful for these blessings. It's Independence Day, and tonight as I see the fireworks explode, I will remember...and think of all of those who've gone before me who've paid for my freedom. It's a beautiful thing!

Happy Wednesday, and happy, happy Independence Day!

Frieden. (German)
Dohiyi. (Cherokee)
Shalom. (Hebrew)

Peace.

Best Baby Ever

God has blessed Barry and me with the best baby ever. Seriously. Jackson was born in February of this year and he is the most laid back of all 3 of our children.

We were a little apprehensive about what the third child would do to the dynamics of our family of four, but Jackson has been the cherry on top of our already delicious sundae. I'm not saying that the first few weeks were a breeze or that he slept through the night when we brought him home from the hospital, but the personality that we see developing in him has been a great addition to our family.

Emma and Ansley love being little mother hens to him and Barry is DEFINITELY a proud papa! If I had known boys were this easy, I would have had one first! :) (I better not speak TOO soon. After all, he's not a toddler yet!)

Almost everyone who has three or more children has told me that after you have your third child, you might as well keep going because it just gets easier. I'm not sure I buy into that theory yet. Byron and Angie's theory is "Four and No More". I think Barry and I will coin the phrase, "Three is Enough for Me!"

We are so thankful for all three of our children and we consider them a gift that God has entrusted to us for a little while. Our prayer is that we will be the kind of parents that point our children to Jesus and that they grow up with a heart for Him.