These are a few of our favorite things...

I have taken it upon myself to add a new segment to this blog of ours, that is read by tens of people daily, I'm sure. It is going to be called...drum roll please...Favorite Fridays! And each Friday I will attempt, mind you attempt, to update the blog with a current "favorite thing" of one member of our family. Please try and contain your excitement.

So, this week, we will start with P. Since the holidays are upon us and it is the season for gifts, she is making her list and checking it twice. We are really trying to grasp the concept of gratitude. Being grateful for the closet full of toys that we already have, our brother, our home...etc. You know, that life long struggle of contentment that we all struggle with in some form or another. Well, bless her, she is trying, but still oohhing and ahhing over many o' toy.

So, that brings us to P's favorite for this Friday...an American Girl Doll. If you ask her at any given moment these days what she would like for Christmas, she will without a doubt say, an American Girl Doll. Not just any American Girl doll, but specifically Mia. Now mind you, not a chance under the sun this child is getting an American Girl doll because, have you seen how much these suckers cost?! But, nonetheless, shoot for the stars P!

I am so grateful for this time of year and what it means to us as children of the Father! I know it is not about the gifts but about a Savior being born to a virgin! But I am lovin' the fact that we can celebrate the birth of Jesus, and He is okay with us having our "favorites" too.

Terrible Two's....Seriously?

Is that it...Terrible? Is that the only word we can come up with to describe the phenomena that is the day in the life of a 2 year old? Because, here's the deal, I can think of a heck of a lot more than terrible!

I'm tellin' you, I think I'm losin' it here people. This little guy...

lets just say, he is giving me (and the Christmas ornaments as of late) a run for our money. The Christmas ornaments are another post altogether.

"I am sure this lock comes off of here somehow..."

Taking it upon himself to get his own food out of the freezer.

And, if said two year old does a lot of climbing, well, he gets a lot of these. I am certain this one's chart at the pediatrician's office says, "Check child for bruising."

That would be the digital camera in his hands and his golf club, which he has been known to hit with when he isn't given what he wants. Only out of necessity, I assure you.

This would be my good pal Ashley's makeup bag. Again, our sincerest apologies, Ash.

I think we can all see Sophie's take on the situation...bless her heart, she's a trooper.

Our latest event, I have no documented photos of for the simple reason that I am trying to erase it from my memory, but I've got one word for you, SHARPIE. Enough said.
But, honest to goodness, I love this little snot-nosed boy. He keeps us busy, but I wouldn't trade his little self for nothin'! He reminds me every day of the Father's love for us despite our "messes". This little guy is teaching me about letting go of my need for perfection because I tell ya, life with a two year old little boy is anything but perfect, but it's my life, and I'm lovin' every second of it!

Lovin' hearing my kids talk to Jesus

Scene: Tonight before eating our dinner.

P:
"Our Dear Heavenly Father,
I want to thank you so much for this day.
I want to ask you to please hear this blessing that I am about to ask you for.
We want to thank you Jesus,
Thank you for this season.
Help us to make it very very merry for you.

(insert P snapping her fingers and shaking her head at her brother, who happened to have his eyes open)

Bless us Father, because we love you.
And we want to do what is right.
Because you died for us.
You didn't have to do that Jesus, but you chose to...

(insert Mom saying, "and bless this food to our bodies")

And bless this food to our bodies,
In Jesus name, Amen."

Gotta love a 7 year old going before the throne of Jesus!

Celebrating Peyton

On November 12, 2001 this crazy, fun-loving, full of life, little girl was born.

We celebrated P's birthday this year with her first party for girls her own age. She invited some of her friends from school, church, and soccer. Ryan was such a good sport and coordinated the games and entertainment. One of which was pin the tail on the donkey...can I just say, hysterical! The girls seemed to have a great time together, and we enjoyed having them here to celebrate with us. After the party Ryan, again, Dad of the Year, piled the girls in the mini and took them to see Madagascar II. Again, some little girls were lovin' life!

P, we are so grateful to our Lord for giving you to us. You are one of the greatest blessings of our life! We are honored to be your parents and to celebrate with you another year of your life! Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Trick or...Incredible?

Halloween fell on Friday this year, which was great! We had the privilege of trick-or-treating with a couple of members of the Incredible family. Here are a few pics of Violet and Dash.



Here is Dash getting on his game face for trick-or-treating...

Neither Violet nor Dash were all too fond of their eye wear.


We went on pursuit of free candy this year with our good friends the Hales. We had a great time and everyone had more candy than any person should be allowed to have in one night!

M

Brush Teef

What should one do if one needs to brush one's "teef" and can't reach the "toof brush"?




Well, enlist the help of one's faithful and trusty giraffe, Raffy, of course. Just FYI.



Please disregard the fact that Raffy has the shortest neck possible for a giraffe. Concentrate on the cuteness of the kid here people.

M

God Have Mercy On Us

My heart is hurting today. I feel sick inside. Barack Obama....a man that is in the running for the position of the most powerful man in the free world. Now, needless to say, I do not agree with this man on virtually ANY of his political policies or positions, but people, this is SO much bigger than politics! The sanctity of human life, a life that begins at conception, in my opinion, trumps it all.
Here are some key point of Obama's position on abortion and stem cell research. I took portions of this from an article written by Robert P. George, Professor at Princeton University. I know it is lengthy, but read, be informed.

Barack Obama supports legislation that would repeal the Hyde Amendment, which protects pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest. Obama has promised to reverse the situation so that abortions that the industry complains are not happening (because the federal government is not subsidizing them) would happen. He supports legislation that would repeal the Hyde Amendment, which protects pro-life citizens from having to pay for abortions that are not necessary to save the life of the mother and are not the result of rape or incest.

He has promised that "the first thing I'd do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act" (known as FOCA). This proposed legislation would create a federally guaranteed "fundamental right" to abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, including, as Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia has noted in a statement condemning the proposed Act, "a right to abort a fully developed child in the final weeks for undefined 'health' reasons." In essence, FOCA would abolish virtually every existing state and federal limitation on abortion, including parental consent and notification laws for minors, state and federal funding restrictions on abortion, and conscience protections for pro-life citizens working in the health-care industry-protections against being forced to participate in the practice of abortion or else lose their jobs. The pro-abortion National Organization for Women has proclaimed with approval that FOCA would "sweep away hundreds of anti-abortion laws [and] policies."

Obama, unlike even many "pro-choice" legislators, opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions when he served in the Illinois legislature and condemned the Supreme Court decision that upheld legislation banning this heinous practice. He has referred to a baby conceived inadvertently by a young woman as a "punishment" that she should not endure. He has stated that women's equality requires access to abortion on demand. Appallingly, he wishes to strip federal funding from pro-life crisis pregnancy centers that provide alternatives to abortion for pregnant women in need. There is certainly nothing "pro-choice" about that.

In an act of breathtaking injustice which the Obama campaign lied about until critics produced documentary proof of what he had done, as an Illinois state senator Obama opposed legislation to protect children who are born alive, either as a result of an abortionist's unsuccessful effort to kill them in the womb, or by the deliberate delivery of the baby prior to viability. This legislation would not have banned any abortions. Indeed, it included a specific provision ensuring that it did not affect abortion laws. (This is one of the points Obama and his campaign lied about until they were caught.) The federal version of the bill passed unanimously in the United States Senate, winning the support of such ardent advocates of legal abortion as John Kerry and Barbara Boxer. But Barack Obama opposed it and worked to defeat it. For him, a child marked for abortion gets no protection-even ordinary medical or comfort care-even if she is born alive and entirely separated from her mother. So Obama has favored protecting what is literally a form of infanticide.

For several years, Americans have been debating the use for biomedical research of embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (originally for reproductive purposes) but now left in a frozen condition in cryopreservation units. President Bush has restricted the use of federal funds for stem-cell research of the type that makes use of these embryos and destroys them in the process. I support the President's restriction, but some legislators with excellent pro-life records, including John McCain, argue that the use of federal money should be permitted where the embryos are going to be discarded or die anyway as the result of the parents' decision. Senator Obama, too, wants to lift the restriction.

But Obama would not stop there. He has co-sponsored a bill-strongly opposed by McCain-that would authorize the large-scale industrial production of human embryos for use in biomedical research in which they would be killed. In fact, the bill Obama co-sponsored would effectively require the killing of human beings in the embryonic stage that were produced by cloning. It would make it a federal crime for a woman to save an embryo by agreeing to have the tiny developing human being implanted in her womb so that he or she could be brought to term. This "clone and kill" bill would, if enacted, bring something to America that has heretofore existed only in China-the equivalent of legally mandated abortion. In an audacious act of deceit, Obama and his co-sponsors misleadingly call this an anti-cloning bill. But it is nothing of the kind. What it bans is not cloning, but allowing the embryonic children produced by cloning to survive

Barack Obama’s America is not only one where human beings have no rights until infancy - and if they are unwanted survivors of attempted abortions, not even then. Barack Obama has said "If a [girl] makes a mistake, I do not believe they should have to be punished with a baby."



BTW, that pic is of Mason when, according to BO, he was not a human being and had no rights.

I CANNOT even wrap my mind around that. Now, I know, for all of you tens of readers out there who actually tune in to our blog, I am totally "preaching to the choir." This has just been weighing on my heart and mind now for several days, and wanted to share, inform, rant, etc. As Christ followers, I believe that we must rise up! It is our duty and our calling.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:13-16).

Father God, have mercy on us. We are a fallen people. You are good and You are sovereign. We come before you on behalf of our country and on behalf of these unborn children. We are seeking Your face and asking that you will heal us and heal our land.

M

Happy Fall Ya'll

Gotta love the Fall in Tennessee! It is one of the best times of the year...the leaves are changing, the humidity is gone, the bugs have given up, and you just want to be outside. Well, in honor of all of the above, we took the kidlets on a little outing to our local Pumpkin Patch. This is not yo momma's pumpkin patch! Tons to do and see and P and M had a blast!

It's Official...

Terrible 2's, here we come! Ol' Maser turns two today, and I have to say, I just cannot believe it. It seems like just yesterday we were driving to Baptist Hospital in the "puff-n-chug" at 5:00 am with no defrost, wiping off the windshield with napkins, going to have this little guy, and now he is an official two year old! Geez, where does the time go?

We had his party on Saturday at a local park with some of our best pals. What a blast he had! It was a hot September day, but that didn't seem to make any difference to him! He was lovin' life! Since he is currently into all things cars, trucks, and pretty much anything with wheels on it, we decided to have a CARS or as Mason says, a "froom froom" party.

Here are some pics from all the festivities...Enjoy! BTW, we will post some footage of him playing with his new "froom froom's" soon.








Mason--We prayed for you, little boy, before you were ever given to us. Your Dad and I always dreamed of getting to have a little boy, and you are proof that God is good and gives us exactly what we need. Our prayer for you is that you will be a mighty warrior for God. Love Jesus son, with all of your heart, and run hard after Him! Happy Birthday sweet boy! We love you!

Quote of the Day

Location: Car ride on the way home from school.

Participants: P and her good pal Ev.

Conversation:

Ev: Did you know there was a painter named Vincent Van Gogh?

P: No.

Ev: Well, there was, and he smelled too much paint and it made him crazy. That same thing can happen to us with sharpies.



Who knew?!

M

Friends, Forts, and Fly Me To The Moon

This past weekend was a first in our house; I'm sure a first of many. This little event has been begged for and pleaded for by three little girls for quite some time. Well, the stars and planets aligned and P had her very first sleep over. Can I just say, these little girls are all about some FUN.
The night began with P's daddy taking her and her two friends to watch the movie Fly Me To The Moon. They had their tickets purchased, their popcorn and cokes in hand, and in their seats twenty minutes before show time. Ryan is such a good sport! Over the course of the next night and morning the girls managed to dress up all of their webkinz, watch yet another movie, build a fort, do some "extercising" out in the cul-de-sac, and then eat some homemade waffles by Ryan for their breakfast. Needless to say, they were lovin' life.
I am so grateful that these little girls are a part of Peyton's life. They have their share of discrepancies but all in all are very sweet and love each other very much. I hope these girlies are friends for many years to come.

What is going on?

I'm not a hyper-political person. I don't follow politics year-round and watch CNN or even FOX news very often. But during election years, I try to study the candidates and pay attention to their positions on the issues. What I don't understand is why everyone thinks it is so important to keep an 'open mind'. Particularly for Christians, there are certain issues that are simply not negotiable. I keep an open mind, until those core issues are addressed – then there's no need for 'open-mindedness'. There are many things about Obama that scare me. But even before considering those issues, there are so many moral issues that rule him out of possibility. Such as Barack's support of the killing of BORN babies rule him out long before I would even consider things like health care and our dependency on foreign oil. I am frustrated and at a loss with how popular he seems to be, and how many Christians are willing to give him a serious consideration.

Many people feel they are forced to choose the 'lesser of two evils.' I agree. But, in my mind, it isn't even close! There are so many things that I could say about this. Instead, go to www.nohussein.com. Read the facts, watch the videos, and pray. I can't comprehend claiming to be a Christ-follower and then supporting this man.

Here are some of the facts:

– Obama kept INFANTICIDE legal in Chicago by opposing the born alive infants protection act.

– Obama had only been sworn in as a U.S. Senator for 143 days before he launched his presidential exploratory committee.

– Obama told reporters that he would not wear the American flag pin.

– Obama is friends with Bill Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist.

– Obama has been praised by Fidel Castro.

– FARC terrorist communiques revealed that they all hoped Obama would win the presidential race.

– Obama has been officially endorsed by North Korea's Kim Jong Il.

– Obama has been officially endorsed by the terrorist organization Hamas.

Source: www.nohussein.com

R

It's the first day of the 1st grade!

Summer is officially over and now it is time to head back to school. Because of Ryan's change of jobs, P got to change schools this year. This school is a good bit larger than the one that she went to last year. She has one of her good friends that goes to the same school, but they did not end up being placed in the same 1st grade. Bummer! But we are going to make the best of it. So, this Monday was her first day of the 1st grade and needless to say, she was a bit nervous. New school, new teacher, new people, and no Mommy? I mean come on, that's an anxiety attack waiting to happen! But all in all, I think she did great!

We prayed on our way to school that she would be comforted knowing that Jesus was walking with her all day. I'm not gonna lie--she and I both got a little teary. Ryan was able to go along with us for the first day, so the whole clan walked her into her classroom and of course, had to really embarrass her and take some pics of her at her desk. She walked in and sat down in her desk like a champ.




I just love these people!!

P--We are super proud of you our little first grader! We are excited to see what God has in store for you in a new school, with new experiences, and new opportunities for you to show His love to others. Work hard and do your very best as unto the Him and not unto men! Love you little sugar! Let your light shine!

JOURNEY

Last Thursday morning I received a text message from Peter Blue, a friend from high school who now owns his own show production company in Vegas. Peter is currently on tour with Journey, who is on their first tour with their new lead singer, Arnel Pineda. The story of how they found him is a very interesting one and can be seen in a CBS Sunday Morning news interview here. Peter asked if Marty and I want to go to the concert that night in Nashville. He hooked us up with a backstage tour and VIP passes. We had an AMAZING time and have posted some of the video clips here.

[Video for RSS readers]


On Friday afternoon Nick, Daniel and I decided to drive to Birmingham, AL for the concert on Saturday night since they had not been able to go on Thursday. Daniel has been a long time Journey fanatic and was just a little bit excited to be there. We listened to the entire Journey catalog for the 3 hour drive down. Once there we watched sound check, toured backstage, went inside the tour buses, hung out at backstage catering tent during set change, had seats right in the front, and of course screamed our heads off. We got home at almost 3:00am, but would do it again if we had the chance!

[Video for RSS readers]


More pictures of our weekend available here.

hi ho, hi ho, it's back to school we go!

This past weekend we took P on our second annual "back to school date." This is a little tradition we started last year with her where we take a night and make it all about her and getting her ready for school. We get the school supply list, get a sitter for Mason, (to which this year she replied--YES!), and hit the town. And then we take her to eat at any restaurant of her choice. So far we are two for two with OG. I'm not gonna complain! My girl knows good eatin'!

This year's list included but not limited to:

• 24ct. #2 Pencils – Wooden unsharpened, Made in the USA
• 1 Pack 24ct. CRAYOLA Crayons
• 6 (1 per color) Folders – Heavy vinyl, 2 pockets, 3 brads/prongs (Red, Green, Blue,
Yellow, Orange, Purple)
• 2 Writing Tablets – ROSELLE 3rd Grade Primary Tablet, 3 tablets x 40 sheets per
tablet, D’Nealian 1⁄4” ruling on both sides, broken midline, red baseline, 1⁄4” skip line,
81⁄2x11” (Portrait)
• 2 MEAD Composition books for journal writing – hard cover, wide ruled (100
sheets/ea.)
• FISKAR 5” Blunt Scissors
• 6ct. Glue sticks – ELMER’S clear (.77 oz)
• 1 Clipboard with flat top clasp
• 1 Plastic White Vinyl 3 Ring Binder - 1” with 2 pockets - (clear view to slip paper on
outside of cover)
• 1 PAPERMATE Pink Pearl Eraser – medium
• 1 Pack 24ct. Wedge Cap pencil tip Erasers
• 2 Tissue Boxes – KLEENEX (120 ct.)
• 1 Pencil box (vinyl with zipper)
• 4ct. SANFORD EXPO 2 Dry Erase Markers – broad tip, black
• 1 Pack CRAYOLA Markers – washable, 10 count, classic colors
• 1 Pack CRAYOLA colored pencils, 12 count
• 1 Set Water color paints
• 1 Yellow Highlighter
• 4 Red ink pens for correcting papers in class

Lookout Target and Walmart...here we come! Can I just say, we opted to do this deal on tax free weekend. Totally will never do that again! My word were there a lot of people out there in tax free land! As you can see a pretty extensive list, but we knocked it out for the exception of a 10 pack of washable markers. I am convinced that these are not on the market. There are 8 count washable markers, 12 count washable markers, and then a regular 10 count of markers that are apparently not washable. We opted for the 8 pack. We did have a bit of a meltdown when we had to purchase folders in specific colors, and she could not get the pinks one with the dogs on them, but we recovered.

All in all it was a success and a fun time for Ryan and me to get to spend some one on one time with just her. She really is a pleasure and a lot of fun to be with. She and I had a little photo op before we left the house. So for your viewing pleasure (or not so much)...

Down With Skinny Lips!

Man! I could just kiss this little dude's lips like there is no tomorrow! This pic was captured on a family ice cream run last week. Needless to say, somebody was lovin' life!




M

Dare You To Move

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to be a part of a creative planning meeting to help plan for an upcoming series at our church. The series is going to be incredible, as the vision for the future of our church will be shared. I am excited about some of the big changes planned for the coming days. The following video was used to announce the series this morning. I laughed so hard at Nathaniel that my stomach hurt! Micah and Crutch, as well as the whole team, did a great job on it.

Seems as thought most churches operate with their goal being to not lose the people they already have, instead of trying to reach the people that haven't been reached. We are so thankful to be part of a church that is willing to take chances and make changes. As the song says, "Greater things are yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this city".


Dare You To Move Promo from FBCSmyrna on Vimeo.


Go to this page to see all of the videos uncut. HILARIOUS!

To help, or not to help

Mommy: Peyton, my phone is ringing. Will you bring it to me?

Peyton: (Ignores mommy.)

Mommy: Peyton, my phone?

Peyton: (Still ignoring mommy as mommy misses the phone call.)

Mommy: Peyton, I thought you were going to bring me my phone. I thought you were going to be my helper today.

Peyton: Oh, I'm not starting that until after lunch.


Okay, good to know.

what do you do when you can't go to the beach?

why, you bring the beach to you of course.

We have had several of our friends who have taken trips to the beach in recent weeks. Well, P decides this morning that she is going to the beach. I'm like okay, knock yourself out. After a few of her trips in and out of the house, I look out the window, and this is what I see...





Gotta love some six year old imagination! I couldn't stop laughing as I was taking the pics through the window. This girl is a one-of-a-kind!