Teddy Roosevelt's Reason to attend church

I recently read this in a book by Mark Dever. I loved this list and it applies to both men an women!

Theodore Roosevelt's
Nine Reasons Why a Man Should Go to Church

1In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down grade.

2 Church work and church attendance mean the cultivation of the habit of feeling responsibility for others.

3 There are enough holidays for most of us. Sundays differ from other holidays in the fact that there are fifty-two of them every year. Therefore, on Sundays go to church.

4 Yes, I know all the excuses. I know that one can worship the Creator in a grove of trees, or by a running brook, or in a man's own house as well as in church. But I also know, as a matter of cold fact, that the average man does not thus worship.

5 He may not hear a good sermon at church. He will hear a sermon by a good man who, with his wife, is engaged all of the week in making hard lives a little easier.

6 He will listen to and take part in reading some beautiful passages from the Bible. And if he is not familiar with the Bible he has suffered a loss.

7 He will take part in the singing of some good hymns.

8 He will meet and nod or speak to good, quiet neighbors. He will come away feeling a little more charitable toward all the world, even toward those excessively foolish young men who regard churchgoing as a soft performance.

9 I advocate a man's joining in church work for the sake of showing his faith by his works.

A long time coming

I haven't touched this blog in over a year. Well, that is not completely true: last weekend I spend about an hour trying to remember how to login to my blog to finally start to update things. I am hoping that blogging will become a regular activities for me but don't hold your breath!

As the boys are getting older, I am spending an increasing amount of time driving them to their activities. Jayden just played his last t-ball game ever and is a yellow belt in martial arts. He has a goal in mind to be a black belt in 18 months. Such a type A little dude. He expects so much of himself. He is also enjoying golf and will often get his clubs out and just practice in the front yard.

Jacob just completed his first season of t-ball. The boys played on the same team and they loved it! He wants to do everything brother does but he just isn't old enough for some things. I enjoy watching my boys-they are very best friends. I hope it stays that way.

Decision time!

Today, Josh and I toured the elementary school and met with the principal. I am totally freaking out! Is he really old enough to even go to kindergarten?
Now, I am weighing the options: Gloria Deo, which is part homeschooling and part private school, or an exceptional public school that is academically excellent??? What is an over-protective mommy who doesn't want to believe that my baby is this big going to do????

My boys are going to be ring bearers

My cousin is getting married in March and my boys are both going to be ring bearers! I am so excited and Jayden is too. He told me that he is going to pass out the pillows. "What?" "Oh. I mean I will carry a pillow and pass out the rings."
I found adorable suits for the boys to wear and they even get to wear pink shirts-Jacob's favorite color!
Here is a picture of the boys with their favorite girls: the Minnie's

I think I lost my hotness

Somewhere between baby #1 and baby #2, I lost my hotness. Maybe I never really was a hottie but in my delusional mind, I was pretty decent. I know that I have really let myself go when I realized that I have only bothered to put make up on once this week. And that was a half-hearted effort that only took about 2 minutes. I can't remember the last time I did not wear my hair in some form of a ponytail. I wear mom clothes everyday which is usually some form of t-shirt and jeans or worse, sweat pants. To my credit, I can't stand hair legs so I do take care of that.
Today, I hearby resolve to reclaim some of my hotness. At least a little bit of it. Enough of it so that I don't feel sicked out when I look in the mirror. I am off to go use some tooth whitener and maybe do some squats or situps or something!
Wish my luck my friends because I need all of the help I can get!

Life is grand

Recently, our friend Sesha Shannon, owner of Convey Studios (www.conveystudios.com) let us come to her photography studio and taught us photography tips and let us play in her studio. Josh and I found a little tiny piano. This picture really captures us!

OPPS...It has been a while.

I stink at blogging but isn't it such a nice surprise when I actually do update? I realize it has been over 4 months but life is life.
We went to Disney World at the end of Nov., beginning of December! It was amazing! I love that place and can't wait to return. Of course it will be 3-5 years before I make my grand return. But this time, my niece (who will be born in April) will be with me so I can get all princessed out!


Christmas was a little messed up this year because I ended up with pneumonia the week of Christmas. I even spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in my room, only emerging for the opening of gifts and to view the loot that Santa brought the boys. But it was still wonderful because my sister, bro in law and sweet Mr. Liam were here for 2 weeks. I wish that they lived closer and pray that someday, after Paul completes his dissertation, that will be a reality. Anyway, the boys preschool did a cute performance, and Jayden was one of the stars of the show and played the role of Darryl Donkey! He was wonderful. The little girl who played the mouse will be his wife someday-her mom and I have already decided. Jacob was adorable while singing with his class! I love my little guys!

My sweet son

Sometimes I am just amazed by my kids! Since VBS in 2008, Jayden has been very concerned for the children in Haiti because he knows that they have few possessions and sometimes go hungry. I told him that we could start saving "Happy Meal" toys and send them to Haiti to the kids at Christmas time. A friend of mine told me that the kids there love this because many of them would not get anything for Christmas otherwise. So today Jayden and I decorated a box, the "Haiti Box",and have started filling it with some small toys that we no longer play with.
He made them a card with the following note:
"Jesus Loves You!
Dear Haiti, We are going to give you some toys. I hope you like them. We are going to give you some money too. We want to help you. I will be there when I am 12 and I am almost 5 now. Love, Jayden"

Boys will be boys...

Doesn't this look like a recipe for disaster? Fortunately no one was injured in the taking of this picture.
Boys come up with the strangest ideas.

not so happy

I am a horrible aunt! I took these pictures of Liam and instead of picking him up to comfort him, I just moved in closer to get more pictures. Sorry little buddy!

cousin time

Jennilee flew into St. Louis so I went and picked up a sick Jayden in JC at Meemaw and Pop's house and then drove on to pick up Aunt NeNe and baby Liam. I love when my sister comes to visit. She is my favorite and my best.
I ended up taking Jayden to urgent care. He is so afraid of drs that it was a little traumatic for him, especially since he was swabbed for strep and flu. Both tests came back negative so we were just dealing with a really nasty virus.
But we didn't let that stand in the way of our fun!!!
Jennilee's old roommate and good friend, Amanda was in town with her three boys (and she is expecting another little bundle of joy this fall). Amanda is an amazing mom to her boys. We played outside all morning at her in-laws wonderful home.
Here is a picture of dirty little Jacob.



I am not really sure what the game was in the above picture but I love that Jayden is yelling about something and Winthrop is flat on the ground but still holding on!

Jacob Jumping Video

The STAND 2009

Kick off for the STand 2009 is tomorrow at church. Josh has logged about 100 hours on the computer creating the promo video with the new super sophisticated computer system that was donated to the Stand ministries. It is a MAC with Final Cut Pro that we have no idea how to really use. It has been tense around here. Prayers are coveted!
Here we go!!!!!!

yes, I am still alive

Well, snap! I am terrible at this blogging thing. Every month or so, I vow to do better only to set myself up to fail. In my defense, we have been busy the past month. We went to DC my sister, bro in law and sweet nephew. I am so in love with that little boy. He is a sweetheart and such and answer to prayers. And my sister and Paul have adjusted to parenthood so well, especially since it was 5 days between notification and placement! Wow!
So, here are a few pictures from our life as of late.

Cleaning out the pantry/fridge/freezer

I am challenging myself in the month of May to eat out of the pantry/freezer/fridge. We have so much stuff that needs to be used up so I decided this is the perfect month to do this. It doesn't hurt that we will be in Washington DC visiting my sister for a week!
First, I made a list of everything in the freezer and pantry. Then I made my menu for the MONTH-yes, the entire month-based on what we have on hand. Finally, I am making a list of the few things that we need to make the menu work. So, I know that I am picking up some shredded cheeses, some ziti noodles, and some ground beef. And every week I will pick up milk, eggs, bread (if we need it since I have 3 loaves in the freezer), and fresh produce. My goal is to spend less than $200 for the entire month on groceries, toiletries, etc. Wish me luck! I will keep you posted

Bubble bath for birthday boy

After all of the fun birthday festivities, I put Jacob in the bath, filled it with lots of bubbles and grabbed my camera.
Here are the results. He is so cute-even if he is the reigning king of fit throwing.

And these sweet chubby bubble covered hands! I want to kiss them!

I'm Two!!!

Jacob is officially two years old. Although if you ask him, he will tell you that he is 8. Or 4.
We celebrated with pizza and and Elmo cake. Jacob had the GI flu but I could bear to keep his cute Elmo cake from him so he ate a little tiny piece.
Here is what I don't understand. How is it that overnight, he became two and my sweet snuggly little one year old disappeared?
Well, watch out world. We are officially going through the "terrible two's". Mama already pulled out the old parenting books and has a list that I am going to buy at Mardel tonight!
Pray for us!!!!

Alert the media...

I am posting a blog! I know, its been awhile but I have "stuff" to do. Nothing productive, just stuff.
Any who, today I got out he cookie cutters, rolling pin, and cute little aprons that "santa" brought to the boys and we got to work. I had made a double batch of Melinda's sugar cookie recipe last night so it was nice and chilled. I gave each boy a small amount of dough and they had a blast! Jacob liked playing in the flour and throwing pieces of dough onto the cookie sheet. Jayden is an old pro at this and he did a pretty good job of keeping his fingers out of his nose and cutting out decent shapes.
I am going to freeze most of the cookies (well, all of the ones I finished while the boys were taking naps) and decorate them right before Easter.

having one of those days

Maybe it is because I am sick and have a sick baby. Or maybe it is just one of those days when my fuse is short and I am full of self doubt. Josh and I are involved in so much and I am feeling stretched too thin and like there is no depth to any of it. I am not involved in any type of formal Bible study or small group. It seems that in the process of wanting to help others, I have forgotten myself.
I wonder who I got this trait from??? (If you are in my family, you will know that it is my wonderful wonderful mommy who did not know how to say "no")
I know that there are many others who have felt this way or feel this way right now.
So for those of you with answers, please share!

Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for Gloria Deo's bake sale-they sold out super fast! I wish that I had made more since they sold for $1 each! I think that I made 16...