The Alexander Team

Snowpocalypse?

2011-01-24T21:13:00.007-06:00

In an unusual turn of events for those of us living in the South... snow, snow, and more snow. A couple of weeks ago we woke up to about 6" of the white stuff. Wow! It was as much snow as I have seen on the ground since the blizzard of '93. Which Ryan totally makes fun of when I say, but I'm telling you, it happened.

Needless to say there was no school, and lucky for me, no work for Daddy, so, we took the opportunity to play. And, I got to introduce them to one of the pleasures of snow, also known as snow cream. Big fans!

This snow was the perfect kind of snow for playing; not wet, just good, powdery snow. And we took full advantage!

About now is when I was thanking my lucky stars I had told Gran Gran to order a couple of kids some snow boots this Christmas.

Day 2 of the snowpocalypse began a labor of love...Frosty.

Bless them, as evidenced by the pictures, they worked day and night to bring him to life.

Loved the time with my fam and the memories we got to make! That having been said, bye bye snow, we will see you again some time next year.

Nativity

2010-12-31T17:43:00.003-06:00

There are lots of nativities out in the world and blog land these days. I love me a nativity set. I love that it is something tangible that represents the birth of a Savior. I know a lot of people that have multiple nativities. But I am the owner of only one. Not a fancy shmancy nativity, but one that is just precious to me and holds a special place in my heart. It was given to me by my dear friend, LaRue Skaggs, Christmas 2003, when we left the first church where Ryan was on staff in Texas.

It is a teeny, tiny little set with an angel, baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, four wisemen, and three animals. I just love it! It has been through several moves as well as a four year old boy, so it has seen better days. But look on the bright side for these particular stable animals, since they no longer have their ears, they don't have to hear baby Jesus crying...

Mary, specifically, was on my heart a lot through the Christmas holiday. I spent a lot of time thinking about the birth of Jesus from her point of view and where her heart must have been through all of the unknowns. I guess because it was on my mind a lot, it got transfered on to the kids. We talked as the days of Christmas got closer about Mary and what she would be doing right now. We had a lot of these conversations, "it's getting close", "they are traveling now to Bethlehem", "the baby Jesus is almost here".

I want my kids to know that these aren't just stories but real people that lived before us. A real Savior that was born in a stable to a virgin named Mary and an earthly father named Joseph... But you just never know if the things you're saying stick with them or go in one ear and out the other.

Well, I think my boy got it. The day before Christmas Eve, he was playing with the baby Jesus in the nativity set, and he looks up at me and says, "Mommy, the baby Jesus is almost to Bethland." That's right buddy! He is almost there. It won't be long now.

Granddaddy

2010-12-31T17:07:00.004-06:00

The Monday after Christmas, we headed to West TN with my parents to see my granddaddy. I have written before about my Granddaddy and MamaKate. This past October marks a year since MamaKate left us. It is still hard for me to wrap my mind around. Needless to say, this past year has been beyond hard for Granddaddy. He lost his partner and best friend, and after 70 years of marriage, you don't get over that. He is the last one left of 8 siblings, and the days are long and lonely for him. I have heard him say more than a few times that he is ready for "the good Lord to take him home." And as much as it hurts my heart to think of him not being with us, I understand, and pray God's timing for him too.

Ryan and I went together to see them not long after we first got married, but Ryan has not been back since. And I have taken the kids a few times as well. I wanted the chance to take the kids again after Christmas and bring the photog along to capture some moments with him.

As far as I'm concerned my Granddaddy is the sweetest man on the face of the earth. A man of honesty and integrity that would literally give you the shirt off of his back; and a killer sense of humor to boot.

We got to spend a couple of days with him eating, talking, laughing, playing, eating, laughing, and then eating some more. Oh, how he loves to eat. He finishes one meal and starts asking what else there is to eat. Oh to have that metabolism! It was a wonderful time, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

They built the house that he lives in the year I was born. He built it with one of his brothers and paid cash for it as he went. So, that is where I grew up going every summer and Christmas. I have sweet memories of that house and that farm. When we pulled out of the driveway to leave, I couldn't stop the tears. Going there brings up so much nostalgia and memories for me. It is both comforting and heartbreaking all at the same time. Comforting because, besides MamaKate not being there, it is as it's always been. Heartbreaking because I know as timeless as they and that house have seemed, it will not always be the same.

I love my Grandaddy and the impact he has had on my life. I love that my children have gotten to spend time with him and create memories of him that they will take with them their whole lives, just as I do. I am grateful that he knows Jesus and when "the good Lord does take him home", I know I will see him again. But for now, we love on him every chance we get and are thankful for each visit we get to have with him.

Christmas with the Grandparents

2010-12-31T16:45:00.006-06:00

Since Ryan's parents are out of state, they sent there gifts to the kids before Christmas. All of them were wrapped, put under the tree and were opened on Christmas morning. We got to skype with them on Christmas day, so they could see their purchases, and their grandchildren, in action.

And we even got in a game of Scattegories with them over skype. And guess who kicked some Scattegorie booty?! Considering having all competitions over skype from here on out.

My parents braved the winter wonderland and drove over from East TN the day after Christmas for dinner and the opening festivities. We ate and then got to the matter at hand.

Here is Papa with the calendar that we gave them.

And if we could just have a moment of silence for the following two "gifts". Lord, help us!

Tradition #6

2010-12-30T21:07:00.002-06:00

Christmas Morning.

Growing up we always read the Christmas story before we opened gifts as a family. Ryan and I started doing this together our very first Christmas that we were married, and have continued to do it every year. I remember as a kid thinking that Luke 2 had to be the longest chapter of the Bible and my Dad the slowest reader of all mankind. Could we not just get to the presents already. And, watching my kids as their Dad reads, I can't help but wonder if they are having those same thoughts. But as an adult, I love it and never tire of hearing those verses.

This year for the first time in my life that I can remember, we woke up to an actual, real deal, white stuff on the ground, White Christmas! What a treat! I sat there with my kids, in a warm house with a our tree and gifts, snow on the ground, breakfast in the oven, and Ryan reading Luke 2. My my heart was so full. Overflowing with gratitude. A moment I wanted to stand still. God has been so good to us. We are truly blessed.

Tradition #5

2010-12-30T20:26:00.006-06:00

Lets just be honest, we live in an excessive society where bigger is better and more is never enough. Contentment is a foreign concept. I am not sure when Christmas became so much about the getting and buying and spending and over spending some more, but it hurts my heart. I want better for myself. I want better for my children.

Now, don't misunderstand. My children still get gifts from their grandparents and aunt and uncles, and all in all, get way more than any two children need. That being said, we started a new policy for ourselves a couple of years ago in regard to the buying and the gifts. Each child now gets from us 'something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read'.

Contentment. God is at work big-time in my mind and heart about this very subject. So as far as this tradition goes, I don't know what future Christmas' will hold for this family, but I hope it is more and more about the heart of Jesus and less and less about the wants of the Alexanders.

Tradition #4

2010-12-30T20:02:00.005-06:00

We started this tradition with P for her first Christmas. And I have a sneaking suspicion that she is catching on. How, you ask? Because of a little convo Ryan and I overheard on the afternoon of the Eve of Christmas. It went a little something like this...

P: "We get to open a present tonight, Mason."

M: "Yep, I love pwesents."

P: "We only get to open one though."

M: "Yep, I love opening one pwesent."

P: "And I can bet you that it is a pair of pajamas."

Awesome.

The only rule about new Christmas p.j.'s is that they cannot, under any circumstances, have anything Santaish on them.

Another tradition that is going to be a keeper.

Tradition #3

2010-12-30T19:42:00.003-06:00

This is our third year for this tradition. After the Christmas Eve Service at church our friends the Stewarts host a little get-together. And by little, I mean, 14 adults and 18 kids. Oh my gracious, are they some brave peeps. It is always lots of yummy food, laughs, and fun. I am grateful for friends that are like family for us.

I guess the carrying-on of this tradition will depend on the Stews. Stews...?

And who doesn't love a little birthday cake in honor of the baby Jesus' birthday?

Tradition #2

2010-12-30T19:10:00.006-06:00

Christmas Eve Service at church.

This is a tradition that Ryan and I both did as kids, and continue as adults...dragging the kids along with us. I love Christmas Eve at church. A time-out from the craziness that comes with the season and an opportunity to refocus.

There is no childcare at church for the Christmas Eve service, so we all get to go to "big church". The little guy can be a bit of a challenge, but then again, what's new.

We take communion, worship, and celebrate our Savior as a family. And, I am not sure if there is much of anything in life I love more.

This tradition is most definitely a keeper.

On our way out the door this year...

Tradition #1

2010-12-30T18:53:00.005-06:00

Decorating our Christmas tree.

Last year we decorated our tree the weekend before Thanksgiving. I am not going to lie, somebody in the house was not a big fan of the idea. Ahem, Ryan. But we generally travel to my parents for Thanksgiving, and I really wanted to try putting them up early, so when we get home from our travels, Christmas would be in full effect in our house, all the work of putting it up behind us, and we could just enjoy. So, decorating for Christmas happened at our house before Thanksgiving. Gasp!

And, guess who is now a fan of decorating the house before Thanksgiving. Ahem, Ryan.

Coming home to a house that is already in the Christmas spirit is wonderful! This is year number two of this tradition, and as of now, this tradition will live on.

From our family to yours...

2010-12-25T14:11:00.001-06:00

Traditions

2010-12-05T21:53:00.005-06:00

I love traditions. Sometimes they can be a bit stressful and cumbersome, but for the most part I love what a tradition represents and the memories that they create. This time of year seems to bring out traditions in full force. We had traditions in our house growing up. Some I hated, ie. having to have my mom comb and hairspray, that's right, AquaNet, my hair on Christmas morning before I could come downstairs so that my hair "would look good for the pictures." And others I loved, ie. going to cut our Christmas tree at the tree farm the day after Thanksgiving every year.

Ryan and I have tried to create traditions in our home for ourselves and for our children to have as well. We have lived our entire marriage away from family, so, we have been forced to make our own holiday traditions, and that's okay. Some of them are carried over from our own childhoods, others we started our first years of marriage, and other we have added as the years have gone on. Either way, they are special to us, and I hope will be memories for our children to take with them when they have families of their own. So, a few Alexander traditions for the Christmas holidays....

Depraved Indifference

2010-12-04T11:54:00.006-06:00

"Do we care? At the level that God cares."

Etsy and some rules

2010-11-28T22:13:00.008-06:00

I posted about a little family rules project that Ryan and I did a few months back. It was originally intended to be subway art, which I had been wanting, created by my 'oh so talented resident designer', while incorporating some family rules in a style and design that would fit our home. Well, since that post we have gotten emails, letters, phone calls, telegrams from hundreds of people willing to do whatever they had to do to get their hands on a copy of those family rules.

Or maybe just two people.

But that's neither here nor there.

So for those ~~hundreds of~~ two people, we introduce to you our Etsy store.

Alexander Creative on Etsy

Currently we have these two items for sale:

The kinks are still being worked out, but we are having fun learning the ins and outs of running an Etsy store and are excited about the potential. So, thanks for your interest, and stayed tuned for more items that will be posted soon!

Just Like That...

2010-11-19T21:54:00.010-06:00

she is nine. I am the mom of a nine year old. Oh how that hurts my heart to type. Nine. The last year of single digits. P has been counting down the days. Me, not so much. She could hardly wait to be 9, and I would have been happy with 8 for much, much longer! But alas...

The celebration this year consisted of a sleepover with a few friends. Bless her, she went back and forth with all the ways in which she wanted to celebrate, one of which included "building" a bear, but in the end, we went with a sleepover with friends. That's right, friendS. Like more than one. Like six. I guess I am a sucker or a glutton for punishment. Or both.

The big day fell on a Friday this year, so it worked perfectly for having friends to spend the night. Six of her pals showed up Friday evening for the festivities. Instead of building bears, we built our own pizzas.

While the pizzas were in the oven we had a riveting game of charades. Oh my gracious, if you have never played charades with 8 year old girls, you are without a doubt missing out. Oh the hilarity. Between the pizzas and cupcakes we also had our very own dance party with dj Dad. I wish we had pics of the oh so stellar dancing, but I guess dj Dad couldn't drop the beats and be the photog at the same time. So, you are just going to have to take my word for it that these girls dance moves were no joke.

Somehow in my planning for this I thought it would be a great idea for the girls to frost and decorate their own cupcakes. Again, sucker or glutton? The frosting. Oh the frosting!

After watching two movies most of the girls crashed with the exception of a couple. Bless them. They were still ready to party well into the night!

In the morning I made blueberry muffins. The girls built a gigantic fort in the family room with every blanket under the sun, and then went outside until it was time to be picked up. I think they had a good time, and we are glad they all came to be a part of celebrating Peyt's day.

Peyt, I love you more than you could ever know. You are my firstborn; the baby that made me a mommy. I love you always! Happy Birthday sweet girl! And remember, this was your last one; no more birthdays for you.

Adoption A'Plenty

2010-11-18T14:35:00.004-06:00

What an honor it is when God places people in your life that lead by example. People that understand God's heart for orphans. People that want to be obedient to God's calling. People that are willing to take a leap of faith. We have some of those people in our lives, and we are blessed to be able to call them our friends.

Royce is Ryan's good friend and co-worker. He and his wife Eve and their two girls have been on their adoption journey for quite a while. The DeGrie's just got a referral for a sweet, teeny, tiny little lump of sugar in Africa. I know they are ready to have that sweet baby in their arms. They have done their share of waiting and then some. But it won't be long now, and we could not be happier for them! You can follow them on their journey here.

Casey and TJ are some of the first friends we made when we started going to our church. We actually started our small group with them almost five years ago now. I remember Ryan being so excited when he came home from church one Wednesday night because he met this great guy and his wife's name is Casey, and "it ends in a y like yours does." Um, okay Ryan; in that case, I am sure we will be best friends! Bless him. But the truth is, we did become friends. We were able to be a part of their surprise of little Will after there struggle with infertility, and now we are blessed to see them walk this journey of adoption as well. The Overstreet's started the adoption process a few months ago and have chosen a special needs child off of a waiting list in Eastern Europe. I know they are counting the days until they get their little guy home. You can follow them on their journey here.

Jason and Kelly are also friends that we made not long after we started attending our church. We are connected through our children (who are very close in age), our church, our small group, and of course, our friendship. J and Kelly are just beginning their adoption journey for a little boy in Ethiopia. And I already have his name picked out! Right Kelly?! We are so excited to watch God show up big for them through their journey. Cause we know He will! You can follow them on their journey here.

We love each of these families. We consider it a privilege to pray for them and love on them as they seek to obey God's calling on their lives through adoption. May He be glorified!

Select Soccer Girl

2010-11-18T08:25:00.006-06:00

Most weekends this fall, from August to November, you would have found the Alexanders on a soccer field somewhere. P just finished up her first season of select soccer. Practice 2-3 nights a week and then games on Saturday and/or Sundays. It was busy and hectic and sometimes downright tiring, but she loved it, and that makes it so worth it.

I am grateful for the team that P has gotten to be a part of this season. These girls love them some soccer and some fun!

It is no secret to anyone that knows us that we love sports. We are all about competition; specifically, winning competitions. We may or may not be a teeny, tiny bit competitive. But aside from the competition side of athletics, we believe that many life lessons can be learned through being on a team and competing in a sport. Dedication, commitment, hard work, being a team player, being a gracious winner and loser (although we always prefer the former), responding correctly to authority, yep, even when you don't agree, and of course the relationships that are developed between teammates--all life lessons that in one way or another you will deal with for your entire life. So, for this season of our life, we are cheerin' for our girl and loving getting to watch her experience these things.

So proud of you #3!

Myrtle Beach and Sunsets

2010-11-16T15:51:00.004-06:00

Thanks to this guy always doing this...

we get to enjoy these...

Wishing I was there again right now.

Myrtle

2010-11-16T13:24:00.010-06:00

Fall break fell the first week of October this year, and we took our first, hopefully of many, vacations to the beach. We have been to the beach before when we have visited family, but we have never taken a trip just for beachin'.

With it being October, it was considered the off season, and we got a great rate for a week. We stayed in a condo on the third floor of a quaint, little beach front complex. There is just nothing like going to sleep to the sound of waves crashing. This is what we got to wake up to every morning...

Pure bliss I tell you.

Our unit had two bedrooms with a kitchen and living area. Nothing fancy, but was beach front with a great view and perfect for our little fam.

But, we didn't go it alone. Just to keep things interesting, we went with three other families; the Hales, Stewarts, and Coxs. 10 kids. 8 adults.

We are no strangers to these families, and truth be told do most of 'life' with them, but this was the first time we have vacationed together as families. I was cautiously optimistic that all of the kids would do well spending every day together for a week. For the most part they get along really well, but the older girls sometimes have a bit of trouble acting like...well, girls. And all in all, I think they did great. It is always interesting and sometimes quite comical to watch the dynamic of them together, but they truly love each other, and my prayer is that they are forming relationships that will be true and authentic for a lifetime.

There was some golf, shopping, eating out, date nights, and putt putt thrown in the mix, but we all spent the majority of our time on the beach. Each family had their own condo, and we would all make our way to the beach in the mornings and set up camp for the day. Man, there is a lot of gear that goes with beachin'. We looked like pack-mules making our way down in the mornings.

This is Parker and P on boogie boards. P loved being in the water. She was always out there on a board ever in pursuit of the next big wave.
P + a boogie board = a cute buns photo op. (Shhhh, don't tell! She would be oh so embarrased)

There was some serious bocce ball games that took place on that beach. Kids and adults alike. Doesn't matter where we go, we always find a way to make a competition out of something!

This was a great get-away for us! I loved the no schedule, reading, walking, playing, talking, eating, relaxing, swimming, and just hanging vacation that going to the beach provided. We had so much fun and made memories that we will have for years to come. I am grateful to these families for sharing a week of vacation with us. We are blessed to have them in our lives.

And here is just a bit a proof that vacation or no vacation.... some things never change.

A big 'fourd' year old

2010-11-16T09:06:00.011-06:00

This little guy was counting down the days till he turned 'fourd.' Somehow in his little mind he thought that he would get to go to school when he was four. Sorry bud, not going to happen.
We did a little family celebration on his actual birthday. We had his favorite, pancakes for dinner, and then opened a few gifts.

For the past few weeks, maybe even months, Mas has had an obsession with 'bowling pins and bowl.' They have a little play set of pins and a ball in his class at church, and he plays with it every week. And every time we would pick him up he would say, "can i get bowling pins and bowl for my birthday?" So, when we were planning his party, we asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday party, and you guessed it... 'bowling pins and bowl' with my 'fwiends.' You got it mister! We can make that happen.

Oh my word, I love his guts! Happy birthday big 'fourd' year old! So blessed to be your mom!

A Few Fun Facts

2010-10-26T11:52:00.006-05:00

* made the Honor Roll for the first nine weeks of school.

* made the Dance Team for lyrical and hip hop at school.

* about to finish up your first season of select soccer.

* in love with all things animals, specifically horses.

* social girl that loves to have 'play dates' and 'sleepovers' with your friends.

* your room looks like a hurricane hit 99% of the time, and you could not care less.

* hours of your life are spent painting, drawing, writing, coloring, or anything to do with arts/crafts.

* you and spelling, well, lets just say you don't have the greatest of relationships.

* you have one more baby tooth to lose, and chances are, braces are in our future.

* current favorite tv show is Animal Planet.

* favorite music, still going strong at number one is Toby Mac.

* you fight with your brother like no tomorrow.

* early mornings are your thing, except when you have to get up for school.

* you love life, and Daddy and I love watching you live it!

* big 'fourd' year old.

* every morning your breakfast order is toast with butter and sugar and 'cut it in five.'

* followed by an apple, 'cut it in five' with 'no holes.'

* playing the wii is one of your most favorite things to do, and the number one controller is a must.

* football, basketball, baseball, soccer....anything with a ball!

* current favorite tv show Word World.

* you are a professional at drive by punches.

* counting to 20 and abc's...mastered.

* you want to 'stay in the home' with your mommy 'fa-eva'.

* all about anything to do with Michael Jordan.

* when asked "whose boy are you?" you always say, "Daddy's boy."

* Chick-fil-A is your favorite. Sharing is not.

* Sweet, sweet boy that I get to love and kiss a million times a day. And I love every second of it!

Vacation Scenery

2010-09-21T09:37:00.020-05:00

I mentioned in our vacation post about stopping along our travels for a couple or 600 photo ops. Well, here is some of the photog's handy work.

Northern CA really is a beautiful part of the country. Not to be confused with God's country, which is where we live here in the south, but beautiful nonetheless.

bragging rights … if there even is such a thing?

2010-09-13T10:21:00.006-05:00

This post is to brag on my man just a bit. So, if that sort of thing turns your stomach, you may want to 'mark as read' and move on to another blog.

A little less than a year ago, Ryan started his journey as a contributor on istock. A coworker of his, who has also become one of Ryan's closest friends, introduced him to the world of stock photography. I know I speak for both of us when I say how thankful we are for God bringing the Degrie's into our lives. Royce has been an encourager, teacher, and mentor through the whole process, and we will always be grateful.

And, all of those hours and hours of work have paid off! As of last week this little guy
represents big things for Ryan Alexander. He is now an exclusive contributor on istock!

I am beyond excited for him and his achievement. It has been my pleasure as a wife to watch my husband be so passionate about something and pursue it with such die-hard committment. Ryan has spent countless hours of the past months reading, learning, and working. He has always been a hard worker. He has stepped up to the plate on many occasions for our family doing jobs that he has not always enjoyed. But it does my heart good to see him work so hard and know that it is for something that he loves. When I was a kid I can remember my Dad saying, "Success is getting paid to do what you would pay to do." And I know that is where Ryan is right now, and I could not be happier for him.

Ryan, your dedication and hard work are inspiring. Your commitment to excellence is refreshing. I am your biggest fan. I love you and am so proud of all that you have accomplished!

Family Rules

2010-08-31T12:44:00.005-05:00

well, here they are. the rules of our family, also known as family rules.

I have been admiring the subway art that seems to be very popular right now, but not so much the subway art price tags. This little project has been floating around in my mind for quite some time, and I thought it would be a chance to attempt some 'on the cheap' subway art and incorporate some family rules.

And this past weekend I finally got resident designer on board. I love it when he gets on board! I like to think of us as a team. You know, the two's of us coming up with an idea, figuring out the best way to execute said idea, and then, voila! a masterpiece is born.

I can't be certain but I think his version is, I have a wild hair, I tell/nag him about it, and then he does all of the work. Either way, it's a beautiful thing.

And for the record, I am pretty certain every single rule was broken before the mod podge had time to dry.

goin' back to Cali

2010-08-17T13:05:00.010-05:00

In July the TN Alexanders boarded a plane to go spend a couple of weeks with the west coast Alexanders. We have not been back to CA since we moved five years ago, so we were long overdue for a visit! We flew into San Francisco where Scotty, Dawn, Sadie, and Braden picked us up at the airport. We wasted no time finding us an IN-N-OUT. (Don't tell Ryan, but I have now crossed over to the 5 Guys side. It's a better burger and better fries. There, I've said it. And I am sure I will pay a steep price for that little confession.) After our burger, we headed down to Pier 39 to show the kids around.

That's M gettin' his first taste of cotton candy, aka sugar that has been dyed with food coloring. A highly nutritional snack! He wasn't sure what to make of it, and the look on his face was a crack-up!

After our time in SF, we spent the night and then headed up the coast to Ryan's parents. We were only there for a few days, so we had to cram a lot into not a lot of time.

We had fantastic weather while we were there! When you are on the coast, you just never know. Could be rainy and foggy, but if it isn't, then usually the weather is just about perfect. And we got lucky! We managed to accomplish the ocean, the river, surfing, hiking, eating, a photo op or 6000 for resident photog, and lots of laughing and hanging out.

One of the reasons for our trip was for Ryan to help his brother run a week of camp at Lassen Pines. So, after the coast we loaded up yet again and headed for Redding. We went from beautiful, breezy 65 degrees to blazing hot 115. Yikes! We lived in Redding, but man, I forgot what 115 feels like. It is warm for sure! We stayed in Redding for a couple of days with our good friends the Corns (more on that later) and then headed up the mountain for a week of camp at Lassen Pines. It was a bit cooler up there, which I was grateful for!
Ryan created the logo for the camp theme and then was responsible for set design and setting up/running the lights and all things technological. Here are the guys that they worked with and some of their handiwork.

And while the student camp was happening, there was a junior camp going on as well, so little P got to be an official camper with her cousin Sadie. Two little girls were lovin' life! However, one small anxiety attack for me when I asked P about her shower schedule for the week and her response was, "Yes, I took a shower. On Wednesday." Heaven. Help. Us.

All in all we had a great time! Two weeks is a long time, and I was ready to be in my own bed. But I love the memories that were made and am grateful we had the opportunity to go! Love you west coast Alexanders!

A for Effort

2010-08-16T13:10:00.005-05:00

What do you get when the man you love makes an effort to 'help out' around the house by not just loading but also starting the dishwasher?

What do you get when through your uncontrollable laughter you ask, "what soap did you use?"

Bonus Features or Gag Reel, whichever...

1. "The soap under the sink said to fill both cups, but it ran out after only filling half of one of the cups. So I filled the rest with this."

2. "It says 'dishWASHING' liquid."

3. More laughter.

4. Said 'dishwashing liquid' did not even belong to us. It was put in my bag accidentally at the store and was sitting out to be returned.

5. Trying to get control of laughter while asking where the camera is.

6. Answer to question about where camera is, "I don't know."

7. More laughter. Knowing full well one of our children would be misplaced before said camera would be.

8. Locating camera and trying to take pictures without shaking while laughing.

9. Very clean and shiny dishes.

10. Very clean and shiny tile.

R-love you and am grateful for all of your 'help!' You are a good sport and always give us something to laugh about.

3rd Grader.

2010-08-12T21:03:00.007-05:00

Well, here we are. The end of summer. Goodbye summer; hello alarm clock. Boo! We are on the tail end of our first week back to school, and so far, so good.

We did the annual school supply date last Wednesday night and got all of the necessary supplies sure to make 3rd grade a big, fat success. The list was a bit shorter this year than the last two. Which is nice because that means less searching, less fighting crowds, less money spent, but is also a bit sad, because it also means our girl is getting older. We did have a small discrepancy in the folder choosing. Man do 8 year old girls love them some puppies and kitties. But we survived. Choosing the just perfect notebooks and folders makes me a bit nostalgic for my Trapper Keeper days. Man, did I love my purple and pink trapper keeper.

P loves her school and was excited to go back and see all of her friends. She again got the teacher that she was hoping for this year. God has been so good to us in the teacher department. Every year He has given us the perfect fit for P. I pray for it all summer long and try to rest in His plan for our girl, and that His ways are better than our ways.

Here she is on her first day this year...

(Side note: please notice P's friend Janvier in the background of the pic with her and her teacher. Those two have played on the same soccer team and this is their 2nd year to be in class together. She is a hoot!)

Here's to a great year 3rd grade! And P, you can stop growing up now. Thanks.

you know your dad is a photographer when...

2010-08-06T21:13:00.006-05:00

today P and I were doing some 'back to school' shopping. I, being the cheap-o mom that I am, kept steering her towards the clearance sections. I would hold up potential articles of clothing and get her opinion. At one point I hold up a cute little lavender top, and she, being her daddy's child and apparently a super model in the making, says, "I like it okay. I could probably wear it for photo shoots."

oh. my. word.

Adventure Week in Action

2010-07-31T22:39:00.004-05:00

I already posted about Adventure Week at our church earlier this summer. Here are a few pics of our little praise team girl in action...

I am pretty sure I see 'So You Think You Can Dance' in our future!

A girl and her date

2010-07-31T22:14:00.003-05:00

How lucky could a girl be to get a date with this fella...

wordless Wednesday

2010-07-07T15:14:00.001-05:00

wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T14:06:00.001-05:00

goodbye 2nd grade, hello 3rd!

2010-06-25T15:00:00.005-05:00

Somehow, someway another school year has come and gone. Here is the first and last day of 2nd grade.

We were blessed with another good teacher this year. Mrs. M has been teaching for a long time and ran a very laid back classroom. A great teacher and a great fit for Peyt. 2nd grade was good to us, and now we are ready to see what 3rd grade has to offer. We may or may not need 3rd grade to really step up big in the spelling area.

A few of the highlights from the year...

Hard to believe this August we will have a 3rd grader amongst us. Time is marching on, and I can't seem to figure out how to slow it down. Proud of our girl for sure!

wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T11:22:00.003-05:00

Adventure Week

2010-06-14T15:37:00.004-05:00

I am so proud of my girl today! This week is Adventure Week at our church. A few weeks ago there were tryouts for the praise team for this week, and when I told P about them, she was all about it. I said, "P, you know what a tryout means, right?" "Yes, mom! I might make it, but I might not." Okay then, off you go! Have fun! And, she made it. The praise team kids are on stage with the leaders and sing and do the choreography for the praise and worship songs. The kids were divided into two teams, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Peyt is on the morning team.

We have been hearing the songs and seeing the dances for days now. They had one last practice yesterday afternoon, and then this morning was the first day. Her daddy dropped her off, and then I brought Mason with me to see the opening songs. They started the first session and all of the praise team kids come running out onto the stage clapping and getting in their spots. There was my girl, front and center. Gettin' her worship on for Jesus. Could. Not. Stop. The. Tears. So many thoughts and emotions going through my mind as I watched her. She did not seem one bit nervous being in front of over 600 other kids. She looked like she was having the time of her life. I watched her and thanked God for our church. I thanked Him for Peyt and her heart for Him. I prayed that she will always be 'front and center' in her testimony for her God. And that she will always be 'brave' in her praise and worship for the Father, no matter who is watching her. My heart is full! I am one proud momma today folks!

P--Daddy and I could not be any prouder of you. It makes our hearts so happy to see you worshipping Jesus with all of your little heart. May you never lose that, sweet girl! May you always honor Him and want to worship and praise Him with your life no matter who is watching you. He is great and worthy of our praise! We love you little praise team girl!

wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T16:20:00.004-05:00

A Decade

2010-06-03T11:59:00.014-05:00

Cannot believe that it has been ten years since this day!

Ryan and I met in college, second semester of my freshman year and his sophomore year. I can still vividly remember the first day he introduced himself to me in the cafeteria. We had both just come out of bad relationships, and had no interest in getting into another relationship. Small talk, 'nice to meet you', and bubye. That was it. But we had mutual friends, so we kept finding ourselves hanging out at the same places. Long and short of it, we became inseparable. You know, the all night phone conversations, every spare minute together, every meal together. We had it bad. But of course when asked would always say, we were 'just friends.' It's quite comical actually! We dated for one year, were engaged for another year, and then married on June 3, 2000.

And what a crazy ride the last ten years have been. We have had highs and lows, ups and downs, across town moves and across the country moves, good days and bad days, great jobs and not so great jobs, good times and not so good times. We have weathered and we have strengthened.

The 'd' word has never been an option for us. It isn't even on the table. In my opinion marriage is a choice. Feelings are fleeting, looks come and go, and as years go by, people change, but we chose each other. Come what may, good or bad, we are in this for the long haul.

Ryan, you work countless hours to provide for our family. You always have time for our kids. You support the heck out of me, and are always trying to make things better for us. You love Jesus and lead our family in the ways of Christ. I am so grateful for the man that God ordained for me before he laid the foundations of the earth. He created us to do life together, and I could not have asked for a better partner. I am so grateful you are my teammate on this journey. Here's to 100 more years! I love you!

fun times

2010-06-02T20:44:00.010-05:00

One of my best pals Mar came to town this weekend. As I've talked about before, we became friends many years ago, and I love every opportunity that we get to be together. This trip was all about her birthday. We share a common, shall we say, affection to a certain singer named Daughtry, who we may or may not think is relatively easy on the eyes. Said singer had a concert in town on Sunday night and for Marleah's birthday, I got us tickets. And can I just say, it did not disappoint! Awesome seats, great concert, and priceless memories!

We had a blast over the past few days. Shopping, eating, hanging, movies, talking, and a lot of this...

I have no doubt that Marleah and I will be friends for life. I know that relationships like ours are few and far between in life, so I value it very much. Even though we go months and sometimes years between visits, we are always able to pick up where we left off. We know each other. We get each other. We are free to totally be ourselves, and that, in my opinion, is worth its weight in gold.

Mar, I love you much my friend! Can't wait till the next visit!

May 22

2010-05-22T09:06:00.002-05:00

Celebrating this guy today...

We are some lucky people around these parts, I tell you!

R-happy birthday! We love you!

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-10T13:46:00.004-05:00

Some day when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a mother, I will tell them:
I loved you enough to ask about where you were going, with whom and what time you would get home.
I loved you enough to insist that you buy a bike, that we could afford to give you, with your own money.
I loved you enough to make you return a Milky-Way— with a bite out of it—to the drug store and to confess “I stole this.”
I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that would have taken me 15 minutes.
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, disgust and tears in my eyes.
I loved you enough to admit I was wrong and ask for your forgiveness.
I loved you enough to let you stumble, fall and hurt.
But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when you hated me for it. That was the hardest part of all.
Erma Bombeck

Peyton and Mason, you are the joy of my life. I count it a privilege to be your 'mommy'. May I point you to Jesus daily and raise you to be world-changers, for the fame of His name. I love you for life!

Going Green?

2010-04-24T15:48:00.004-05:00

We've never been what I would consider a 'green' family or household. But with a husband and one child with horrible allergies and same said child with eczema that has had a recent flare-up like no other, we have been implementing some changes around this place. And one of those changes, I decided needed to be the chemicals I have been using to clean and do laundry with.

And I use the words clean and do laundry very loosely.

A few weeks ago I went on the hunt for the best products to use without the harmful chemicals. And the company Shaklee kept coming up. I did a lot of research and fell in love with their products. I wanted everything! But alas, didn't really have the funds to sink into it at the time, so I did what any responsible mother would do, I stopped cleaning and doing laundry. Totally kidding. Kinda.

So fast forward about four weeks and Jenn at Livin' the Simple Life was hosting a give away for Bonnie at House of Grace. I have been 'stalking' both blogs for a while and was super excited about the give away. Bonnie is pure genius with her cleaning and organizational skills. The giveaway was for a 30 dollar gift certificate for the Shaklee products, lifetime membership, and free shipping. And get a load, I won! Can you believe that? I never win anything. Seriously! Needless to say, I was beyond excited! Bonnie, if you're reading, thank you so much!

So, I got my loot a couple of days ago, and I am thrilled! I got it all out last night and took a little pic for all you tens of readers out there. And by took a little pic, I mean resident photog got out all his gear and had a mini session. Love that guy.

The products that I started out with are the laundry detergent, dryer sheets, automatic dishwashing detergent, dish detergent, Basic H2 cleaner which is a concentrate that is used to create the Degreaser, Window Cleaner, and the All-Purpose Cleaner. Can't say enough about Basic H2. This stuff is the macdaddy of all cleaners! And then there is the Scour Off for those tough jobs like a beyond nasty oven and a very neglected sink. Not that I have either of those.

I have already run a load of laundry, run the dishwasher, washed pots and pans, and wiped down all of my cabinets and table. And people, I am in love. And one of the best parts about these products is that they are concentrated so a little goes a long way. And while their cost is a little more up front they are a much better value and last longer than commercial cleaners without all of the harmful chemicals or side effects. So it's cheaper and safer and best of all, they work!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

Grateful

2010-04-17T22:02:00.001-05:00

God has been showing Himself to me over and over through these last weeks. He has revealed parts of myself to me that lets be honest, aren't so pretty. He has used circumstances, and He has used people. When we got the first phone call about Ryan's mom we knew we had to go. Without a second thought, we called some of our closest friends to come be with our kids. And of course without hesitation, they stopped and came to help. We left without knowing what to expect, how long we would be gone, or what the next days would hold for us. That is an overwhelming feeling, especially if you are a planner like myself with a touch of 'homebody.' We have spent our entire married life away from family. So consequently, when we went, our kids went. It is not second nature to me to leave my kids. Now, don't get me wrong, I love love love some time away for myself. I think me and my kids are both better for it. That having been said, when I am away from them, I kinda feel like something is missing. Like something is just a little off. So driving off that night was tough in more ways than one, but I knew they were in good hands with people that love them like we love them.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the Browns, Hales and Stewarts for juggling our kids and loving on them while we had to be gone. And beyond having our kids, they, along with others in our small group, put together a care package for us with quarters for machines in the hospital, magazines, books, snacks, germ-x, and some cash for expenses. OH MY WORD. I am not a crier, but when we got that, I lost it. We have never in our married life been anywhere were we have had friends that have loved us like these people were loving us. I was, Overwhelmed. Humbled. Convicted. Overwhelmed by the sacrifices that these people were making on our behalf. Humbled by the generosity and thoughtfulness that went into that package. And convicted by the thought, 'would that be my first instinct?' would I love and give without a thought and expect nothing in return?

I most definitely buy into the philosophy that we are "blessed to be a blessing." I am also a firm believer that kids learn from what you do a lot more than from what you say. Which is a sobering thought to say the least. My prayer is that we are a giving family. Not just in dollars, because sometimes quite honestly that is too easy. But givers from a place of sacrifice. Givers unconditionally, with no strings attached. Givers out of gratitude. Givers out of obedience. Just givers.

I am grateful for God's love in our lives. My heart overflows with gratitude for the friends and relationships that He has chosen to bless us with. People who given to us sacrificially when we were not in a position to give back. People who have been the hands and feet of Jesus. People that allowed Him to use them to be a blessing to us. May I be a better Christ-follower and friend for it.

Mimi and a Miracle, part II

2010-04-12T12:04:00.003-05:00

The days following the two surgeries were full of a lot of waiting... waiting for test results, waiting for any response from Karen, waiting for the next visitation time. Just waiting. hoping. and lots of praying. Asking God to glorify himself through our family but bottom line, asking for complete healing.

On Monday afternoon we got the news that the hospital lab had found NO cancer in the pathology report from the initial surgery. Dr. Alexander had been under the assumption that we were dealing with more than likely melanoma, and yet the pathology came back clean. To be thorough, they were sending to Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. Another miracle. Another answered prayer.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and through most of Thursday we kept the four hour visiting schedule going in to see Karen. We would spend the 30 minutes singing, talking to her, and praying. Karen had been asleep since the initial surgery on Saturday night and had not responded to any of our voices or any communication with her. Those were long hard days, and it was difficult not to let your mind go to the "what if's". But on Thursday afternoon, just about an hour after we had finished the 2 p.m. visit Ryan got a call from the nurse in ICU. She says, "I need you to come back; you are going to want to see this." We of course load up and haul tail back to the ICU. When we walk in, she has open eyes, still not speaking, but is shaking her head yes or no, holding up fingers, and blinking in answer to our questions! Oh my word, I never in my life imagined to be so thrilled over a thumbs up, but we were ecstatic! The next morning, Friday morning, when we got there, the tube had been removed from her throat and she was whispering to us. Her other movement was minimum at best, but she knew us and was communicating with us. Another answered prayer. Another miracle.

And from that day forward she has continued to improve beyond what anyone ever hoped or imagined. She was moved out of ICU about 9 days after being admitted, to a regular room for about two days, and then to physical therapy floor after that. We all knew she had a long road of recovery ahead of her, but we were beyond grateful, first of all that she was still with us, and secondly, that she had a fighting chance and with a lot of hard work and prayers she had the potential for a FULL recovery. She stayed on the physical therapy floor for 3 weeks relearning activities of daily living. She did fantastic and made remarkable recovery in such a short time.

She was released from the hospital on March 6, 2010 just one month after walking through the emergency room door within minutes of death. Another answered prayer. Another miracle.

She and Steve stayed with Karen's sister for another three weeks while Karen completed more outpatient therapy in Mobile, AL before being release to fly home. Fly home! They had flown into Nashville on January 18th and had a short visit with us on there way to a conference in Jacksonville, FL and then on to Susan's, Karen's sister, in Mobile when the initial trauma happened. So, they arranged their tickets to be able to have there return flights from here on their way home. What a joy it was for us to get to see her again after all of the physical therapy and see how well she was doing! Walking on her own, feeding herself, reading to P, and talking like there is no tomorrow! And then on April 7th getting on a plane to fly home. Another answered prayer. Another miracle.

Karen still has 80% vision loss in her left eye and some vision loss in her right eye as well. She is still doing physical therapy and learning to compensate for the loss. I know it is frustrating and difficult for her but she is doing great! And we continue to ask Jehovah Rapha, the LORD our healer, to continue to heal her vision as he has the rest of her body and mind.

I think it is impossible for a person or family to go through such a situation and come out the other side the same. Death has a way of putting things in perspective. Priorities, relationships, values, choices...the list goes on. You find yourself, or at least I did, letting things go, and extending grace and love in place of frustration and anger. Relationships can be tough, especially those within families, so I am grateful for the lessons that God taught me through this. He is a sovereign God and 'knows the plans He has for us.' He proved faithful to our family time and time again and I stand in awe of His favor over our lives. To Him be all glory and praise!

Wednesday Wish

2010-04-07T13:34:00.002-05:00

May you always have a shoulder to lean on.

Mimi and a Miracle, part I

2010-03-31T16:08:00.006-05:00

Devotions for every day of the year...Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
February 6
Come to Me and rest. I am all about you, to bless and restore. Breath Me in with each breath. The way just ahead of you is very steep. Slow down and cling tightly to My hand. I am teaching you a difficult lesson, learned only by hardship.
Lift up empty hands of faith to receive My precious presence. Light, Life, Joy, and Peace flow freely through this gift. When your focus turns away from Me, you grasp for other things. You drop the glowing gift of My presence as you reach for lifeless ashes. Return to Me; regain My presence. Matt. 12:28-29; I Tim. 2:8.

Saturday, February 6th, 2010 we got a phone call that would change our lives in a big way. Ryan's cell phone rang at 10:35 p.m. It was his Dad, Steve, informing us that they were in an emergency room in Hattiesburg, MS. His mom, Karen, had suffered two brain hemorrages, and she most likely would not make it through the night. She was being taken into emergency surgery.

Complete shock. So much emotion. So many questions. So much disbelief. And the grief. Pure, gut-wrenching grief.

The surgeon's name was Dr. Alexander, and he informed Steve that "the list of possibilities are short, and none of them are good." He then said there was small window of time to save her life, prayed with Ryan's dad, and then to the operating room they went.

The statement, "We are all only one phone call from our knees" was made very real to us. We called friends to come be with our kids, threw some clothes in a bag, and drove through the night to get the hospital. Without a doubt some of the most difficult hours of our lives and most certainly our marriage as we drove to MS. Praying, crying, hoping, and begging God for a miracle.

We got a call from Ryan's dad about 3:30 in the morning saying that his mom had made it through surgery. The surgeon had found a tumor the size of an egg that had hemorrhaged. He went on to say that the tumor was malignant, and that they had gotten all that they could see.

Praise Jesus, he had spared her life! We were so grateful, yet apprehensive with the diagnosis of cancer and what that was going to mean for her and the potential for a full recovery. We knew there was potential for brain damage and vision damage as well. We began to ask God for more miracles. And we were not alone. Prayer chains all over the country had been called. From the East coast to the West coast and even over seas, we were truly overwhelmed with the response of people, many who knew us and/or Karen and many who didn't-- going before the throne of Jesus on Karen's behalf.

We got to the hospital about 5:30 in the morning and met Ryan's dad in the waiting room. We sat with him for a while as he retold the events as they had unfolded earlier in the night. And then at 6 a.m. we were able to go in and see Karen. Incredibly difficult, to say the least.

Ryan's sister, Kari, arrived with her husband and their baby the next morning, Sunday, around ten and then Ryan's brother, Scotty, and his wife, Dawn, flew in the next night around 8. So grateful that all of us were able to be there together.

Karen had to be taken back in for another surgery on Sunday night to remove more of the swelling and hemorrhage from the previous surgery. We waited in the ICU waiting room until 1:30 a.m., when Dr. Alexander came in to tell us that it had gone as well as he had hoped, and he believed that she would survive this to fight the bigger fight of cancer. Another prayer answered.

The following days would prove to be the most difficult...

Wednesday Wish

2010-03-17T12:41:00.002-05:00

Grateful for the 'messes' in our life...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-10T17:12:00.000-06:00

Snow Snow Snow

2010-03-03T16:44:00.005-06:00

This year it seems as though we have gotten more than our usual share of snow. Our usual share being slim to none. I'm guessing someone has unplugged the global warmer? Because of old man winter shining on us, we have used up pretty much every single snow day built into the school calendar. How lucky could we be? We managed to capture a few snow pics along the way...

Wednesday Wish

2010-02-24T14:50:00.001-06:00

May the people in your life always know how much they mean to you.

my girl, the tooth fairy, and a memory

2010-02-04T19:25:00.007-06:00

P has been losing teeth like a champ since she was four years old. It started early with her, and I was not prepared, so I subsequently had not prepared her. Unbeknownst to me, she had two bottom teeth loose just after she had turned four. She bit into a graham cracker and comes to me, "my teeth are hurting." I took a feel and realized they were loose, and just casually made the statement, "oh, you are going to lose those teeth." Wrong thing to say to a little girl who may or may not be one of the most dramatic little girls of all time. All out panic ensued. She busts out crying and runs to her room. Bless her, she heard, "oh, you are going to lose those teeth" and in her little mind thought her teeth were going to fall out and she would have a mouth full of gums and no teeth! She had no idea there was such a thing as baby teeth, and that they fall out, and then you get permanent teeth. Mom of the year here people.

It took some explaining but once the tooth fairy was introduced, and then that fact that the tooth fairy leaves you money when you leave her your pulled tooth--she was totally on board! Lets just be honest, she is her mother's child, and there just isn't much that a little dough rae can't make all better.

Well, to this point she has lost 11 teeth. That's right 11. Some of those have made it under the pillow, some lost, and yes, some even swallowed. For the ones that were not able to make it under the pillow, she has been known to draw a picture of them with a note explaining what had happened for the tooth fairy. Well, a couple of days ago I was cleaning out some drawers and came across one of her notes to the TF. This is not a note to the tooth fairy after she had lost a tooth, but just a simple inquiry from a 6 year old with a few very important questions.

It reads (with some minor, and in some cases major, spelling adjustments):

Dear Tooth Fairy,
I lost 3 teeth but I did not get to give them to you. Can you give me money for them? Since then I haven't lost any teeth for a long time. Can you tell me why that is? Thank you.

Sincerely,
Peyton Alexander

P.S. What is your favorite color and do you lose teeth?

Oh my word, I love it! This is so P. She is a justice seeker from the word go, and my girl loves herself some cash! But our tooth fairy is CHEAP, and if there is no tooth, then there is no cash. It's an unfortunate reality at the Alexander casa.

Boy do I love this kid! She keeps us laughing, and I am grateful for these memories of her and her little personality that I will have for years to come.

wednesday wish

2010-02-03T10:18:00.004-06:00

may you always have a tissue handy...

Louisville and TMac

2010-02-02T14:42:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago my friend Ashley scored six Toby Mac tickets for his winter wonder slam tour. There is a lady that goes to our church that has a connection with Toby and his band, so we got the hook-up for six tickets with pre-show meet-n-greet passes. Oh my word, Exciting!
We love us some Toby as do our hubbies and our girls. So we decided to make it a surprise for the girls and a little get-a-way for the six of us. We made the plan to not tell the girls until we were on our way to Lousiville. Do you think they were surprised?
We had our hotel booked, our tickets/passess, and every song Toby has ever mixed or thought about mixing on our ipods, and we were ready to roll!
Through an unfortunate turn of events we were not able to have our camera in the arena for the meet-n-greet. (Can I just say, that does not make for a happy Ryan) But fortunately a nice lady behind us took our pic when we got to meet Toby. Not the greatest of pics but hey, it's the best we've got, and we are just grateful to have one!

Ashley had also gotten two copies of an old, glossy press release photo of Toby for him to sign for them. We gave him a hard time about the photo's that we had for him to sign, because we had heard that he hated those pictures back when they were taken. Funny! And can I just say he was just as nice and kind in person as you would hope him to be. Ash used to work at Forefront years ago, and he remembered her! Pretty impressive for a guy that sees thousands of faces every year!
I cannot even tell you how excited these two 8 year olds (and 30 something year olds) were. Jonas brothers who? And Toby did not disappoint. Great concert! And even better to get to be there with our girls!
After the concert we got some dinner at the dive, aka Waffle House. Not my first choice for a place to eat or even my 49th choice, but I took one for the team.

The next day we had a little time to kill before heading home so we took the kids to a children's museum. We had free admission and thought we would take advantage while we had the chance.

We are not the kind of parents that will let our kids get into over-the-top infatuation with boy bands or really musicians of any kind. There is only One in our life who is worthy of worship and praise. But, on the same hand, we love music and it is a huge part of our family and our lives. We are not naive enough to believe nor do we require that all music that we listen to be 'Christian' music, but for right now we are very grateful that P's current music and musician of choice is someone that loves Jesus and is a great role model for kids. And what a time we had! We made it home with some great memories and an autographed glossy of Toby! Does it get any better? Not for P it doesn't.

2010-01-31T19:46:00.002-06:00

day thirty--GRATITUDE--Lord, help my family to live lives that overflow with thankfulness, always giving thanks to You. Eph. 5:20.

day thirty-one--BOLDNESS--I pray that may family would fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel of Christ Jesus. Eph. 6:19

I have loved being able to pray over my family every day of the month and asking specifics of 'Him that is able to do abundantly more than we can even ask or think'! Claiming and believing that God is working each one of these virtues into my life and the life of each member of my family.

RIP

2010-01-31T19:24:00.003-06:00

well, our little point and shoot camera has fallen victim to resident destroyer. here is one of her last moments.

She wasn't the fanciest of cameras, but she did what was asked of her to the very best of her ability. RIP camera.
So, now you know why ye ol' blog has been a bit short of pics lately. But not to worry, hubz got a new camera for his work, and we are hoping to maybe, possibly, if we beg and plead and promise to always replace the lens cap, borrow for an occasional photo op. So to our three readers, no worries, we will be back up and running with some pics soon.
I know you can just hardly wait.

2010-01-29T20:56:00.001-06:00

day twenty-nine--PRAYERFULNESS--I ask that my family would be committed to prayer, and not faint, lose heart or give up. Lk 18:1

2010-01-28T21:21:00.002-06:00

day twenty-eight--WISDOM--Father, I pray my family would ask and that you would generously give wisdom to them as you promise. Js. 1:5

2010-01-27T13:38:00.002-06:00

day twenty-seven--PASSION FOR THE LORD--Jesus, I pray my family's souls would pant for you as the deer pants for streams of water. Ps. 42:1

2010-01-26T15:46:00.002-06:00

day twenty-six--PATIENCE--God, strengthen my family with all power, so that they may have great endurance and patience. Gal. 5:22

2010-01-26T11:18:00.001-06:00

day twenty-five--HOPE--God of hope, grant that my family may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rs. 15:13

well, it was bound to happen...

2010-01-24T18:47:00.002-06:00

day twenty-two--CONTENTMENT--Father, teach my family the secret of being content in every situation, through Him who gives them strength. Phil. 4:12-13.

day twenty-three--FAITH--Lord, help my family to fight the good fight of faith, taking hold of the eternal life to which they were called. I Tim. 6:12

day twenty-four--A SERVANT'S HEART--God, help my family develop servants' hearts, that they may serve whole heartedly. Eph. 6:7

2010-01-21T22:16:00.001-06:00

day twenty-one--RESPONSIBILITY--Lord, grant that my family would learn to be responsible, for each one should carry his own load. Gal. 6:5

Can I get an AMEN?!

2010-01-20T20:29:00.002-06:00

day twenty--COMPASSION--Holy Father, I pray that You would clothe my family with the virtue of compassion. Col. 3:12

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-20T20:27:00.000-06:00

2010-01-19T10:39:00.001-06:00

day nineteen--HUMILITY--God, please cultivate in my family the ability to show true humility toward all. Titus 3:2

2010-01-18T19:12:00.002-06:00

day eighteen--PERSEVERANCE--Lord, teach my family to persevere in all they do, and help them to run with perseverance the race that is set before them. Heb. 12:1

2010-01-17T18:19:00.002-06:00

day seventeen--JOY--Heavenly Father, grant that my family would be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. I Thess. 1:6

"blocks and dinasowes"

2010-01-16T21:14:00.004-06:00

I might love this kid just a little bit. maybe.

2010-01-16T21:06:00.002-06:00

day sixteen--PEACE LOVING--Father God, help my family make every effort to do what leads to peace. Rs. 14:19

2010-01-15T13:00:00.002-06:00

day fifteen--GENEROSITY--Lord, I pray my family would be rich in good deeds, generous and willing to share. I Tim. 6:18

2010-01-14T15:21:00.003-06:00

day fourteen--KINDNESS--Father, I pray that my family would be kind to each other and to others. I Thess. 5:15

This one is no joke! Why is it so hard to be kind sometimes?

2010-01-13T15:18:00.001-06:00

day thirteen--PURITY--Create in my family pure hearts, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their lives. Ps. 51:10

wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T09:55:00.003-06:00

2010-01-12T11:40:00.001-06:00

day twelve--COURAGE--Jesus, may my family always be strong and courageous in their character and their actions. Deut. 31:6

Brace Yourselves Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a dusting!

2010-01-11T13:52:00.005-06:00

We here in the South are known for our ability to sufficiently freak-out when we hear that four letter word mentioned by mr. weatherman. And truth be told, it doesn't even have to be from the weatherman. Pretty much when we come into contact with anyone that speaks assuredly about the possibility of potential for any amount of the s word, you better believe there won't be a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread to be had for miles. There is really no reasonable explanation. Some things just are the way they are. No reason to fight it. Just go with it. And be oh so grateful for yet another two days of there being no school, having all of your children home, indoors, with an outdoor temperature of 7 degrees. Or is it 11 degrees? Really, if we are below 20 degrees, is there much a difference?

So, that is what we did last week. The snow word was being thrown around all week. It was coming! Suppose to arrive sometime through the night on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Batten down the hatches, we would most assuredly get 1-3 inches. So, before one snowflake began to fall we got THE call on Wednesday night. You know THE call. The one that says, "Parents, this is a message from your county school system. School will NOT be in session, tomorrow, Thursday, January 7th, 2010." And then, at that moment, if you are really quiet, you can hear the muffled cries of many a mom that knows what the days to come will hold, only to have those cries drowned out by the echoes of cheers from all school teachers within a hundred mile radius.

With great expectation the kids go to bed on Wednesday night knowing that when they awake it will be to a winter wonderland. I mean we have been hearing about it for days. There is no school for goodness sakes. Surely it must be so! Right? WRONG! Let me introduce you to the blizzard of o-ten.

There you have it. Beautiful isn't it? Bet you are wondering, 'how will you manage to get out of the house?' 'Do you have electricity?' 'How will you ever drive in all of that snow?' But no worries. We were prepared. We had our milk and our bread, and you know what we did? We made ourselves some french toast.

And then as you might know it, after we had been out of school for two days due to the aforementioned winter storm, when the forecast for more of the white stuff was but a distant memory, and after we had eaten all of our bread and drank all of our milk... Yep, you guessed it, we actually got more than six flakes of snow.

And I have two little guys who could not have been happier!

2010-01-11T11:55:00.001-06:00

day eleven--FAITHFULNESS--"Let faithfulness never leave my children, but bind this virtue around their necks." Prov. 3:3

2010-01-10T16:46:00.001-06:00

day ten--SELF-ESTEEM--God, help my family to develop a strong self-esteem, grounded in the realization that they are YOUR workmanship. Eph. 2:10

2010-01-09T12:18:00.001-06:00

day nine--RESPECT--Lord, help my family to show respect to all people as your Word commands. I Peter 2:17

2009, The Remix

2010-01-08T23:30:00.010-06:00

2010-01-08T16:15:00.002-06:00

day eight--Mercy--Jesus, may my family be filled with mercy and compassion as you are Lord. Js. 5:11

Been praying over this one specifically for myself today. So easy to be quick to point out the wrong and so difficult to give mercy in place of anger.

Christmas 09 Wrap-up

2010-01-07T13:13:00.003-06:00

The day after Christmas my parents stopped in to have dinner and open gifts with us. They were on their way home from West Tennessee and made a pit stop at our house for some Christmasing. After we ate the kids got after some gifts.

Top items received from Gran Gran and Papa for P was her DS and an electric blanket. Mason has taken over her Leapster, so she had been wanting another game system, and lets just say, she is a teeny tiny bit addicted already. And the electric blanket--we LOVE it! I'll be honest, I am a little jealous of that gift!

And for Mason, he got a "feetball, boom!" from my brother and his family, and then from my parents he got a four wheeler.

Gran Gran and Papa have always been very gracious to us, and they do their best to spread the love and gifts evenly. With 6 grandkids, I'm sure that isn't always easy!

Somebody was a little excited about a new DS...

The look on his face when he pulled the cover off of that four wheeler was priceless. He said, "I love it!" So cute!

We had a great holiday and have much to be thankful for. We are very blessed!

2010-01-07T09:05:00.001-06:00

day 7--JUSTICE--Jesus, help my family to love justice as You do and to act justly in all they do. Ps. 11:7/Micah 6:8

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-06T09:56:00.000-06:00

2010-01-06T09:47:00.002-06:00

day six--LOVE FOR GOD'S WORD-- Father, may my family regard and love YOUR Word as more precious than gold and sweeter than honey. Ps. 19:10

Grateful

2010-01-05T15:48:00.005-06:00

Christmas Day 09

2010-01-05T14:36:00.005-06:00

We try to be very diligent about reminding our kids, well, specifically P at this point, about 'need' verses 'want.' And honestly, most of the time when we are teaching her principles of giving verses receiving, gratitude, contentment, etc. I am convicted. Just trying to stay in a place of contentment and being grateful for all that the Lord has chosen to provide and bless us with can be a challenge at the very least. So, with that in mind, we instituted a new philosophy in our gift giving for the kids this year... something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. I read a similar idea a while ago and thought, I love it! We can totally make that work for our family!

So, Christmas morning P woke up at the crack begging to open presents. I opened one eye, saw that it was still dark outside, and promptly sent her back to bed. Once Mas woke up, we drug ourselves out of bed to see what "Santa" had brought us. Grandma and Grandpa from CA had most of their gifts for the kids sent to our house so those were under the tree waiting to be opened as well.

For P the favorite item of the day was her American Girl Doll from her Grandma. She has been asking for one of these for about three years now and our answer has always been a resounding, "no." So, this year her Grandma and Grandpa came through for her! And boy was she thrilled!

And for Mason, his favorite thing was of course the first gift he opened (big mistake on our part!), "Queen" aka Lightning McQueen for his "leapsta."

We are truly blessed. I am so grateful for our life.

2010-01-05T12:34:00.002-06:00

Day 5--SELF-CONTROL-- Jesus, help my family to be self-controlled in all they do. I Thess. 5:6.

New Year of Writing My Stories

2010-01-04T16:19:00.005-06:00

I am not big on new year's resolutions. Knowing I have to do something or not do something feels like I'm just setting myself up for failure. I guess it's the rebel in me that revolts. Not my thing. Anyway, a few days ago hubz sent me the link to this blog post by Don Miller. I have been wanting to read his book A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, and after reading this post, it is definitely on my book list.
Number one on his list for "writing your story" is to 'want something.' And this year one of the things I want is to pray for Ryan, Peyton, and Mason daily. Sure, I have prayed for them up to this point; praying isn't a totally new concept to me. ha! But I want to be intentional about it.

Specifics, not just in generals.

I have a chart for thirty-one days of the month that I plan to use. So, I thought for the next month I will post my prayer for each day, in case anyone wants to join me. Obviously, I am a couple of days behind, so let's play catch-up, and then we will be on task tomorrow for the rest of the month.

1st--SALVATION--I pray that my family would obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. II Tim. 2:10.

2nd--GOD'S GRACE--May my family grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. II Peter 3:18.

3rd--LOVE--Father, grant that my family would learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who lives in them. Eph. 5:2.

4th--INTEGRITY--Lord, may integrity and uprightness protect my family because their hope is in you. Ps 25:21.

Can't wait to get my prayer on for my peeps! Claiming and believing that God is working each of these virtues into each member of my family!

Christmas Eve 09

2010-01-03T22:38:00.003-06:00

Our tradition continued this year with attending the Christmas Eve service at our church. It is a wonderful opportunity to go to "big church" as a family, focus on the season and what we are celebrating, and to take communion together. There is no childcare for this particular service, and taking a three year old into the main service can be a bit hairy. So we went in armed with snacks and the Leapster! Both of the kids did great, and I loved getting to worship as a family.
After the service we headed to our friends the Stewarts for a little Christmas Eve get together. This is our second year to have Stew Christmas Eve, and I think it is becoming a tradition as well. The invite was extended to quite a few families this year. The Stews are brave! And gracious hosts to boot! We like to be in our own home for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning so we choose not travel, but having no family in town is sometimes tough when it comes to holidays and special events. I am grateful for the friends that we have that "do life" with us and embrace us like family.
In the spirit of traditions, the kids got to open one gift before bed. This gift is the same every year, new Christmas p.j.'s. "Here's your gift kids! Bet you can't guess what it is!"

We read the "Night Before Christmas" together, and then the treats were left for Santa, and this year P threw in a little treat for the reindeer as well as a note for Santa. The note--

Deer S. Nick,
Whey cant we se you. can you please wake me up. Can I see all your raindeer & take a short ride. I'm shore my parints wont minde. And if you say no I just hop you write back.
Your's troly,
Peyton Alexander
P.S. Please give the raindeers one caret each.

And here they are showin' off new p.j.'s! Gosh, I love these kids!

From Our Family to Yours

2009-12-25T00:20:00.004-06:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-23T13:37:00.001-06:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an 8 year old

2009-12-22T21:45:00.005-06:00

Our baby girl turned 8 years old this year. To celebrate her birthday, she asked for an "art party." And me, being the art-wanna-be that I am, was totally up for it! She invited all of the girls in her class as well as her soccer team. We had three different "stations" where the girls could get their art on. First, we had a bead table where necklaces and bracelets were made. Next, we had the ornament table, where one could paint, draw, sticker, or pretty much any way you want decorate an ornament. And third, was personalizing a tumbler with art, your name, or whatever their little artistic hearts wanted to do.

I think the girls had a great time, and P loved every second of it! Here are some pics from the big day..

Happy Birthday baby girl! We love you!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-16T09:48:00.000-06:00

Incredibles--take three

2009-12-15T15:54:00.005-06:00

The Incredibles showed up at our house again for Halloween this year. I do believe this will be their last year to trick or treat with us. It's been a good run. Check out how the Incredibles have grown over the past three years.

That last one is a little taste of Violet's attitude and Dash exhibiting his super powers. Be very afraid.

Oh, and time, could you please stop moving so quickly.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T16:37:00.006-06:00

. . .

Ella Kate Stanley

2009-12-08T20:22:00.003-06:00

She was known as MamaKate to us. My mother's mother. On Sunday afternoon, October the 4th, she went from this life into the presence of Jesus.

She was 84 years old. She married my Grandaddy when she was fourteen and he was eighteen. Boy, was that a different day and age. You know, when you said "I do" and it meant for life, come what may, good/bad, rich/poor, sickness/health. They would have celebrated their 70th anniversary; yep, seventy years of marriage this January. Wow! And if he's said it once, he has said it a hundred times, "If I could, I would have kept her another seventy." Their story is a true love story.

In my mind somehow they have always seemed timeless. I grew up going every summer and every Christmas to visit. They were farmers and worked very hard, very long days just to make ends meet. But they loved each other. And they were happy and content with each other and with what they had. And let me tell you, it wasn't much.

It's hard to think of her no longer being there when you walk through the front door of that house. My heart breaks for my Granddaddy and the huge void that it has left for him. He is lost without her. He is the most selfless man I have ever known. He loved her with all of his being and still does. Death is heartbreaking and grief is overwhelming at times. But I choose to celebrate that she is with the Father. I know we will see her again and for me, that makes heaven even sweeter.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

More Fall Break Fun

2009-11-30T20:29:00.004-06:00

To round out our little fall break vacation we ended with a trip to one of our favorite places, Chattanooga. Chattanooga is where Ryan and I met so it holds a lot of nostalgia for us not to mention it is just a great city! We made a little stop at the Discovery Museum. Papa Don and Grandma Ruth met us there, and we got our museum on. We had a great time, and the kids loved it!

After the museum we introduced Papa Don and Grandma Ruth to a little pizza place we love called Mellow Mushroom. We split a pizza and had a nice time visiting with them. Lots of fun, good food, and the company was great too!
I am grateful we got to get away for a couple of days this year. Nothing extravagant, but lots of fun and good memories made as a family. Love my family; they make life fun!

Day Two of Farm Livin'

2009-11-17T10:22:00.007-06:00

We woke up to clouds and drizzle. But when you are on a farm, you do as farmers do and you brave the elements, right? So we jumped in the golf carts (because every good farmer gets around his land via a golf cart) and we headed to do some fishin'. On our way to the pond we came upon three deer standing in a clearing. It was misting a little but so quiet, peaceful, and just refreshing to take in.
Once we got to the pond we got our bucket of worms, and I gave a crash course in putting your worm on your hook. P was not a fan, but if you're gonna fish, you're gonna put on your own bait. Peyton was the only one of us that got a bite all morning. She went to battle with a 12ish inch catfish and just as we were about to pull him out of the water, the line snapped. Big bummer! Nevertheless, she was thrilled and every time she tells the story the catfish gets longer and bigger.
And fishing with Mason is less than desirable. That's all I'm gonna say about that.

We spent the rest of the day exploring, hanging out with the horses, and just enjoying getting to spend some time together. It was a fantastic vacation and we are already planning our next visit. I am hoping this trip becomes a tradition for us and will be something that our kids will look back on as adults and have such fun memories of.

Farm Livin'

2009-11-15T23:40:00.005-06:00

This year for Fall break we took a weekend trip to a farm. It's a fantastic little place on the plateau called Avans Farms. Needless to say, P was a teeny, tiny bit excited and to be honest, so was I! We left on Saturday morning after an 8:00 a.m. soccer game (blek!) and got there about lunch time. We got settled in to the guest house, had some lunch, and set out on the golf carts for some exploring on the 10 miles of hiking/riding trails. We spent the afternoon riding the horses and the surry. The surry was made in the amish community just south of us, and we all got to take a turn driving it. So neat! After the horses we got to take a hay ride and then we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows around the bond fire. The weather could not have been better. Day 1 on the farm = success!