Santa

So, Punky does officially believe in Santa...I am not sure how that happened, but somehow we have to ease her into the reality that he doesn't...anyways...

Grandma gave Punky a gift in a blue snowman bag. I, of course, save all give bags to reuse. So, as I was wrapping Punky's presents on Christmas Eve night from Santa, I grabbed that gift bag, not even thinking.

Christmas morning, Punky starts unwrapping all of her presents and gets to that one. She looks at it and says, "Wow! Another snowman bag! I wonder how Santa knew to get that one!" She obviously remembered the bag and was questioning it...she is way to smart for her own good.

Also, she was not going to bed like a good girl the other night and I said, okay, I am going to leave a note for Santa so that he won't leave us any presents. She got very serious and asked if I was going to call him. I said I didn't have the number and she said that Jen (her babysitter) does. She said Jen called Santa when they were being bad and told him to stop making toys! She thought that was going to happen again! Too funny.

I am very thankful for this Christmas...we did not have to travel outside of town once! We did have quite a few get togethers, but it all worked out in the end.

Lessons From a Punky

It never fails to amaze me how much Punky teaches me...things about life but also things about the Lord.

As we were walking on the ice covered ground the other day, hand in hand, Punky slipped and fell...not too hard, as I had her hand, but landed on her knees. She was fine, got up, and we kept walking. The next day, we were walking and she slipped again, only this time, I held her up. She said, "Whoa, you caught me mama!"

In that moment, I thought, that's how it is with God. He is constantly holding our hand, wanting us to rely on Him. Does that mean we won't fall? No. Does it mean we won't get hurt? No. But what it does mean is that he will ALWAYS be there to pick us up, brush us off, and take our hand for the next time. I would much rather walk hand in hand with Jesus than to risk it by myself.

I took these pictures from our first snow fall...Punky LOVES the snow, and had a lot of fun playing with Daddy.

Priorities

I learned a very unexpected lesson on Thanksgiving that I thought I would share...

Every Thanksgiving morning, I venture out into the barren streets to get a newspaper...you know, the one overflowing with the Black Friday ads. I then race back home to look through every single one to see if there is anything I can't live without. This Thursday was no exception.

I went to the nearest gas station, grabbed a paper, and took it up to the register. The cashier was a young Indian man who was very friendly. He saw what I was buying, and then said, "Oh, very heavy paper. Too bad all of those store ads are in there." I said that was why I was buying it, was to look at all of the ads. He said "Oh, I thought you wanted to read this," and pointed to the article on the front page about the attacks that had just happened in India. I said I hadn't heard about that and he said, "Yes, very sad. The Taj Mahal hotel was on fire from terrorists. Very beautiful place. Americans are hostage too." I could tell he was saddened by this news and I immediately felt sorry for him. Here I am wanting to look through ads to see how I can spend my money, and he is worried about his country and the people that are there. I felt very snobby and realized how other people in less fortunate countries probably view Americans.

It really made me think while I was looking through those ads, and I just prayed that God would give me a thankful, content heart. He answered my prayer as I didn't purchase anything on Black Friday...I literally didn't see anything in the ads that I felt I should buy, considering all of the unfortunate people living even in my own town. God has really given me a burden this holiday season to share what I have with those that don't have. I am thankful for it, and hope that I remember to carry it with me all year round, not just at the holidays.

Excellent

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Many times, we don't understand or see this because we want things OUR way...OUR timing...I have been convinced lately that our ultimate desire should be for the perfect will of God. I know that God will always get me to the place He wants me to be, but sometimes I don't understand the process or events He uses to get me there.

Two quotes I have heard lately that have really spoken to me are:

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

'It will cost you more to miss the will of God than it will to find it.'

Santa's House

So, Punky and I were talking about Christmas and I mentioned to her that if she wanted, she could make Christmas presents for people. She looked at me with big eyes and said "NOOOOO!" I asked why and she said, "I don't want to go to Santa's House. I want to stay here. I don't want to ride in the sleigh..." I started laughing and said that no, she wouldn't be going to the north pole, she would stay here with me and make them. She thought I was going to send her to the north pole to make the presents. Precious.

President Obama

I found this posted on someone else's blog, but it is so wonderful...The following is an open letter from a girltalk reader to President-Elect Barack Obama. Her words eloquently capture our hearts on this historic day.

Dear President-Elect Obama,
Today I shed tears of joy, along with hundreds of thousands of Americans, for the great victory of your election. The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Our African-American friends have been oppressed and cast aside for generations in this country of ours. Now, may the shame be completely wiped away and may the glory that this nation represents and strives for become a reality for more and more of our once silenced citizens.
I confess I did not cast my vote for you. Not because you failed to inspire me with your speeches, because you did. Not because you do not impress me with your leadership and vision, because you do. I cast my vote for another based upon my concern for another segment of our society which is downtrodden and cast aside, the weak, the innocent; the unborn.
Mr. President-Elect, I pray that your heart would be burdened as well to do all in your power to encourage the life that is even now forming in many to come to fruition, to share in this great moment in our nation’s history. We all know the times are difficult and no one will escape the trials at hand. Just as this is true, so is the gift and privilege we have to live it. May the millions of unborn get this chance as well. May the virtue of responsibility reign as mothers choose to carry the fruit of their wombs to term, to give the gift of life to another. I ask, President Obama, that you would prayerfully consider your pay grade since indeed it has now risen at this moment in our history. May you be the champion of all those who are weak yet share the same right to life.
May God bless you and your beautiful family.
Sincerely,
Margaret Buckley

Vote Vote Vote...Pray Pray Pray

I went this morning to vote before work and taking Punky to school. She went with me.

This is my third presidential election which I have voted. I never took it too seriously...However, with this election between Barack Obama and John McCain, I have never been more aware of how big a privilege and responsibility this is-as an American and as a Christian. As I was walking out of the school where I voted, I got tears in my eyes. God really placed on my heart the fact that I am very blessed to live in this country. I have the privilege and right to vote however I want, without fear of persecution. I thanked God right there while walking to the car for allowing me to do this. I also prayed...prayed for the country to turn to God, prayed that whoever wins the election would be right for our country, and that God would use him. Our country needs that.

Trick or Treat!

Here are some pics from last night...we had so many people to see that we didn't even make it everywhere we wanted to go. It was a fun night with LOTS of candy. Punky was Dorothy and Buddy was Tigger...so cute!

Make it stop!

I am so tired of election buzz, talk, video, comments, slams, and opinions. I am ready for this election to be over. I know who I am going to vote for and don't need to hear any more.

I urge everyone to seriously pray...pray that God will continue to bless our country and that the candidate of HIS CHOOSING would be elected. Pray for wisdom as you vote, AND VOTE!!! It is such a privilege to be able to vote. And while not everyone agrees as to who the right candidate is, that is okay. It is the beauty of this country. I am truly thankful to live here.

The Invisible Woman

I know anyone out there that is a mom can understand what it is like to be the invisible woman. I feel so often that I am doing so much and no one sees. I came across this you tube video and it really spoke to my heart about what it really means to serve God by serving your family. It is only 5 minutes and is definitely worth the time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Bad Morning

So, it is probably not a surprise to the people that know me, but I hate mornings...I hate getting up, I hate getting ready for the day, I hate having to be on time to get somewhere so early.

So, the last few mornings, I have had to get Punky to the babysitter early because Hubby had to teach a class at work. I found myself getting frustrated and stressed, all by 7:30 a.m. So, one of those mornings, I had been impatient with Punky, she had made me late, and I was simply enjoying the quietness in the car on the way to the sitter. We passed a grain elevator that had some sort of a smoke stack with smoke billowing out of it. Punky said, "Look MAMA! They are making breakfast!" It just made me think how much I over think, over do, over analyze, and get overly frustrated about things and then Punky brings me back to reality...there is happiness in seeing the small stuff. I have to remember that.

The worst question you could ask...

Ok...so, I know I should have a much better attitude than this, but I really can't help it...

My cousin got married last weekend and had such a beautiful wedding! (Congrats Lisa & Jeremy!) However, my sister warned her that as soon as she got married, it would start...the constant nagging and people asking "when are you going to have a baby?" It actually did start for her at the shower we went to. I just don't understand why people have to ask. It hurts. A lot for some people. I will explain...

When hubby and I were first married, we knew we wanted children, but in our timing. In God's timing. Not everyone else's. So, we made the decision that when we started trying to get pregnant, we weren't going to tell people we were trying. We still heard it from many people. It took us about a year and a half to get pregnant with Punky so we are so glad we didn't tell people! However, it did hurt when people were asking us when we were going to have one. We would just say "sometime!" and leave it at that, but it hurt that we really didn't know when or if it would happen.

We made the mistake of telling people this time that we are trying and it has taken over a year with no luck. Now, not only are we getting the question "when are you going to have another one?", but we are also getting, "you need to get working on a second one" or "Punky is getting pretty old..." OR people are now starting to give us tips as to how to get pregnant. It still hurts. It's not like we don't know how to get pregnant...we have had one child. So why is it such a big deal to people?

There is no good reason to ask someone when they are going to have kids. If they want kids, it means the timing isn't right or they can't get pregnant. If they don't want kids, then they don't want kids, and that should be okay too. Either way, it is uncomfortable and it hurts. I know someone who has no kids, but wants kids with all her heart, but has had a miscarriage (that she hasn't let anyone know about). People are constantly asking her when...when...when...and it hurts.

So, the next time you are about to ask someone that question, stop...think...maybe that person is going through something you don't know about and it may hurt them. Instead, pray for them...for the mother, for the couple, for the marriage, that God would give them children in His timing. If we are truly relying on Him, then we don't need to ask when when when. It will happen when it is supposed to. I have truly given our children (yes, the one we have, and the one(s) we hope to have) over to God. I have peace in my heart that it will happen when it is supposed to happen. I am excited to think about Punky being old enough to remember a new baby (I don't remember my sister as a baby)...to help care for it and love it...to protect it and be a good big sister example. I am glad we will be past the baby stage with one, so that the baby stage with the second is that much sweeter... And if it doesn't happen again, then I am abundantly thankful that I have one beautiful, healthy little girl, as there are others that don't have any.

Morning Cuddles

Punky will usually come into bed with me when she wakes up in the morning (Hubby gets up WAY to early). She has said, "Mama, I like getting in your bed in the morning...your body is so warm!" Too cute.

Well the other morning, she came into our bed and cuddled up next to me. She said, "Mama, I've been thinking. When a baby comes to live at our house, I am going to show her my toy room and my bedroom!" I told her that was great and that it would be good for her to share her toys. She said, "and I will help her go down the stairs! Maybe she could play with me!" I said that yes, a baby would need help going down the stairs and I am sure she would love to play. I said that Punky would have to be a good big sister and big helper because we would have to feed the baby. She said, "and change her diaper." Then she asked if baby Sarah (who was adopted from Guatemala by a family in our church and whom Punky LOVES) could come to our house. I think Punky thinks you just go and pick your baby and bring them home! It made me kind of sad to think that she is waiting so hard for a baby. I told her we have to keep praying that God would send a baby to our house, and she agreed, then moved on to the next subject. How sweet and innocent...too cute for words. I am so thankful for morning cuddles, as I know they will not last forever.

Whoa!

A month? It has really been a month since I last posted...sorry all...I will try to do better. Here is a glimpse as to what we have been doing...

• Punky loves school and her new sitter. She does so well at both. I am so very thankful I was able to change my work hours so that I can take and pick Punky up from school. Hubby and I have said many times that it is our desire to be able to always take and pick our kids up from school. Punky had her first show and tell and got to take treats to the class...she chose mint green Oreos since they are learning about circles this month and it was wear green day. She took her little stuffed Dolphin to show the class.

We went to the orchard again this year, this time with Buddy! The kids had a ball...

• We went on a family trip to Wisconsin Dells with Hubby's parents, grandparents and sister. We visited the indoor water parks and Punky loved it...it took her a while to be brave and get in the water toys, but once she went down the slide, she was hooked.

• We found out Punky is going to have a new cousin! We are so excited for Hubby's brother and sister in law...and Punky was a little confused when I told her there was a baby in Aunt Uh-coles belly...Actually, two new cousins, as one of Hubby's cousin's also found out they are expecting their second...we are so happy for all of you! :)



• We have been attending 8 nights of revival meetings at our church. I was a little skeptical at first, but they have turned out to be incredible. Hubby and I have really seen God work and know that He has spoken directly to us about issues in our lives, individually, in our marriage, and in our parenting. I know God has been working, because Satan has been working overtime! I am so thankful for a Bible-believing church that is not afraid to let you know the truth, even though it may hurt.



• My sis's birthday was exciting...we surprised her by taking Buddy to her work and having lunch with her. She was so surprised and I think she had a great day...my baby sister is 28!!!!



• Hubby may be buying a new car...more details on that to follow...

The next few weeks will be just as busy...church has started on Wednesday nights, Hubby has soccer games, we have two birthday parties, a shower, a wedding and Halloween to prepare for. I will try to keep you posted!

Oh...and here are the mischievious little toots the other day while I was babysitting...

(notice the pnut butter on Punky's face...nice...)

Incredible

Our pastor played this in church a few weeks ago and I found it on You Tube...if you have never heard it, YOU HAVE TO!

That's My King!
S.M. Lockridge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX_7j32zgNw

Preschool!

Today was the first day of Preschool for Punky! Hard to believe. She went to bed last night excited about it and it was the first thing she talked about this morning. She couldn't wait to get out of the house this morning to go. She was ready with her backpack on before it was even time to go. That is an answer to prayer.

We left the house and drove to school. Punky was not the least bit nervous...but I was!!! I oddly felt a lot of old feelings well up inside of me...I almost felt like I was starting my first day of school! I can remember doing that as clear as day, and couldn't help but feel that way now. When we got there, the parking lot had many cars in it. Punky said, "Look mama! There are lots of kids here to be in MY class! Don't worry, I won't cry!" I walked her to the front door and asked her to stand in front of a plant so that I could take her picture. She sighed and said, "No, mama, we need to go inside."

I managed to coax her into letting me snap one shot and then we went inside. Once in her room, I took a couple more pictures of her in her classroom, and she was off, playing with the other kids.

Her teacher seems exceptionally nice and was so cute...she went up to Punky, got down on her level and asked her name and introduced herself. Punky actually talked to her and seemed very comfortable with her. I think this will be a great experience for Punky and ease her into real school (K4) next year. Wow!

School Supplies

We made the big trip to Wal-mart to get Punky's school supplies...she is so excited to start school! I can't believe she is going to preschool...where has the time gone? Of course, I had to document the big occasion with some pictures.

I'll let you know how the first day goes!!!

End of Summer

Well, I think I have to say that summer is officially over in our house. Our sitter for the summer, who we will greatly miss is done watching Punky and we start a new sitter this week (which was a wonderful answer to prayer)! Here are a few fun pics I have taken over the last few weeks...

Hubby likes to draw pics for Punky in the tub...somehow it even ended up on her back...

Punky loves corn on the cob...

Punky and Grandma!

Good by, summer. It was a lot of fun, but now it is on to my favorite season...FALL!

Smarty Pants

Well, it seems I have not been doing well at updating my blog as of late...I will try to do better.

Punky was jumping on the bed the other day (something we don't allow, since Hubby broke his collar bone as a small child by jumping and falling off the bed). I told her to stop jumping and sit on the bed and she cleverly said, "Mommy, I can jump on the bed, it is good exercise for me!" She now has a response for EVERYTHING!

Backstreet Boys Rock!

So, yes, at first I was a little embarrassed to admit I was going to see a Backstreet Boys concert with my sister. She said, "We need a girl's night out and they are going to be in our town...we should go!" I agreed, not sure what it would be like, but at least I knew a few of their songs and thought it would be entertaining to watch all of the girls that were in attendence. I also thought that it would be a little disappointing because they are so old, but then I investigated and found that they are actually not that much older than me. YIKES!

Entertaining it was. As we were sitting there waiting for the boys to make their appearance, the girls in the audience were hilarious. Every time they would see a foot under the black curtain or a security guard walk around from the side of the stage, an eruption of high pitched teen girl screams would begin, only to stop a few seconds later when they realized it was not a BSB. However, we think it was AJ that actually walked down one of the halls/aisles and jumped out, waved, and then darted back out of sight (the girls went crazy). We then also saw him again in a high section of the back part of the stage, trying to get the girls to scream. It was quite entertaining.

Then, when the show started, the girls went absolutely out of control. I have been to concerts in my day, but have never heard screaming like that. Crazy. I do have to admit that it was an absolutely incredible concert. They played right through their intermission and I think we decided they changed their clothes at least 8 times during the concert. It was WOW! It definitely made me want to go out and buy their new CD (which, I don't own ANY of their CD's, but I want to now).

Both me and my sister agreed that if they are EVER near us again, we will pay to see them (these tickets were free thanks to my sis-in-law). And yes, I will drag Hubby to the next one! All in all, best girls night out I have ever had...it was AWESOME!

Wait

We have been waiting for God's answers on a few issues in our family. I came across this poem from a friend's blog...it is incredible.

Wait
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, He replied.I pleaded, and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, “Child, you must wait.”
“Wait? You say wait?” my indignant reply.
“Lord, I need answers, I need to know why.Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming your Word.
“My future, and all to which I can relate
Hangs in balance, and you tell me ‘wait’?I’m needing a ‘yes’, a go-ahead sign,
Or even a ‘no’, to which I can resign.
“And Lord, you have promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.And Lord I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:
I’m weary of asking: I need a reply!”
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, “You must wait.”
So I slumped in my chair; defeated and taut
And grumbled to God; “So I’m waiting, for what?”He seemed then to kneel and His eyes met with mine
And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign.I could shake the heavens, darken the sun,
Raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.
“All you see I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint;
You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.
“You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You’d not learn to trust, just by knowing I’m there.You’d not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence was all you could see.
“You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove.You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
“The glow of My comfort late in the night;
The faith that I give when you walk without sight;The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
“And you never would know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that ‘My grace is sufficient for thee’.Yes, your dreams for that loved one o’ernight could come true,
But the loss! If you lost what I’m doing in you.
“So be silent, my child, and in time you will seeThat the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.And though oft’ may My answers seem terribly late,My most precious answer of all...is still...wait.”-Russel Kelfer

Line

My sister forwarded me an email, and this was the last line...I thought it was pretty powerful...

'Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.'

Spicy

So, we generally do not give Punky pop to drink...only on rare occasion. Today we were eating at a restaurant and all we had was pop, so we gave her a little in her cup. Of course, she loved it and wanted to drink that instead of eating. We coaxed her into taking a bite each time she wanted a drink. The fizz on her tongue must have felt very weird, because she would take a drink, smile and then say, "My drink is spicy!"

I was just thinking today that this is my favorite age...she knows a lot of words and can fully communicate. She has her own definite personality, feelings, opinions, desires and dreams, but she is still little enough that what she says and does is still cute. Even saying the most common thing is priceless. I am so thankful for her and that she is healthy, smart, and happy. Her favorite song right now is "And I'm so happy, so very happy, I've got the love of Jesus in my heart!"

Bob Costas Says It All...

Hubby and I love to watch the Olympics...It was 4 years ago (I can't BELIEVE it!) that we were watching the Olympics, me pregnant with Punky, and we found her name. It was the first (and I think only) name that as soon as we both heard it, we knew we BOTH liked it. Ahhh, memories...

We are big Michael Phelps fans and are so excited he is winning! Unfortunately, we both fell asleep last night before his team swim came on...You Tube, here we come!

I have to say, every Olympics, the announcers say something so incredibly stupid, I just laugh and laugh. Well, I have heard it already. During Michael Phelps first swim, the announcer was saying what an incredible swimmer he is and comparing him to Tiger Woods (not sure how that came about). Anyway, the announcer says, "Phelps is Tiger in a speedo!" I could tell as soon as he said it, he regretted it, and he immediately started talking about something else. Ugh! I am sure Phelps and Tiger cringed at that one!

Lucky #7!

Today is Hubby & my 7th wedding anniversary! Tonight, sis offered to watch Punky so we could go out to dinner-just the two of us! We went out and had a wonderful dinner together and actually got to talk with out being interrupted constantly or having to cut up someone else's food. I feel so blessed to have him by my side. I love you Hubby and thank God for you. You are the best!

Where has the time gone?

I know, I know, it has been forever since I last posted. Here is a little of what has been going on:

• Hubby went to New York with NYC Ministries and helped with the soccer camp for inter-city kids. He had a lot of fun and was safe and sound. It is good to have him back.
• Punky is a little stinker...she surprises us more every day.
• We are still looking for a babysitter for the fall...I have a few people who want to do it, but I either don't know them, or they live so far away, that it would be awful even thinking about taking her there and picking her up there every day. I am still praying to find someone close to our house, that we know, or that will come to our house like Julie did. Yikes!
• Hubby turned the big 2-9 on Monday. Happy Birthday babe!

That's about it. Have a good day!

Today...

I think I worked 11 hours today...is that crazy?

Sunday Fun

We got up this morning and went to church. Punky looked so adorable in her little dress and white shoes, that I had to take a picture. Actually, her hair was behaving itself too and she just looked like my little sunshine.

We also went swimming/boating with our best friends, the "L" family. Punky always has fun with her buddies. She did great in the life jacket swimming around and really seemed to like the boat. I got a little sun burned, but just enough that I think it will turn into a good tan. The weather was beautiful!

Swingsets & Bedrooms

So, after a lot of hard work on the part of Hubby, we finally got Punky's swingset. It took his whole day off to get it together, but it was worth it. Punky absolutely loves it and has so much fun.

I have also finally completed her bedroom...

It is not exactly what I had envisioned, but Punky picked her princess bedspread (I really tried to talk her out of it) and that is what we went with. I agreed a long time ago that it was her room and I would let her pick out what we put in it.

4th of July

We had a great 4th of July...

In the morning, we went to the parade in Towanda with Sis and her fam and Grammy & Grampy...Punky and Buddy loved it and got a ton of candy.

We then had everyone over for a cookout. We were so glad Uncle Teeb and Aunt Uh-cole were here for a visit! Oh, and don't forget the Smudge! Punky loved having a dog for a couple of days and would even sit on the floor and just put her little arm around him and say "Don't worry, they will be back...don't cry!" (He got upset when they left to see a friend).

We can see the fireworks from our front yard, pretty big in fact. I have to say the music on the radio that was meant to accompany was pretty bad, but all in all it was a fun day. The weather was absolutely perfection, and I am so thankful for that! We could not have asked for a nicer day.

No More Diapers!

We have finally reached the point of no more diapers (actually, for a few weeks now). She has been doing very well and getting through the night with no accidents. (for probably the last six months we have still put a diaper on her at night only because every third night or so, she would wet).

I am so proud of my little Punky and am amazed at how fast she is growing up! This last Thursday, I signed her up for preschool!!!! She is so ready and is excited. I know she will like it.

The Fern and the Bamboo

I found this poem and really loved its message...

One day I decided to quit.I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality.I wanted to quit my life.I went to the woods to have one last talk with God."God", I asked. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"His answer surprised me."Look around", He said."Do you see the fern and the bamboo?""Yes", I replied."When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds,I took very good care of them.I gave them light. I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo.""In the second yearThe Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo"."In the third year,There was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.In the fourth year,Again, there was still nothingfrom the bamboo seed.Yet I would not quit.""Then in the fifth year, he continuedA tiny sprout emerged from the earth.Compared to the fern it was seeminglySmall and insignificant.""But just 6 months later the bamboorose to over 100 feet tall.It had spent the five years growing roots.Those roots made it strong andgave it what it needed to survive.I would not give any of my creationsA challenge it could not handle."Then He said to me."Did you know, my child,that all this time you have been struggling,you have actually been growing roots?I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you.Don't compare yourself to others."He continued,"The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern,yet, they both make the forest beautiful.Your time will come," God said."You will rise high!""How high should I rise?" I asked."How high will the bamboo rise?"He asked in return."As high as it can?" I questioned."Yes." He said,"Give me glory by rising as high as you can."~ ~ ~Never regret a day in your life.Good days give you Happiness.Bad days give you Experiences.Both are essential to life.Keep going, DON'T QUIT!GOD is too wise to be mistaken.And too good to be unkind...So when you don't understand..When you don't see HIS plan...When you can't trace HIS hand...HAVE FAITH AND TRUST HIS HEART

Feature Presentation

Punky has now entered the wonderful world of Mary Poppins. I am so excited. This was one of my favorite movies as a kid (and still is) and my sister and I watched it over and over again. I had thought a few weeks ago that Haven would probably be at the right age for it, and last weekend Aunt K had it on TV and Punky liked it. I just happened to find a copy of it and now Punky has watched it too many times to count. Even Hubby has gotten into the Mary Poppins festivities.

In fact, just tonight in the car, I heard her singing..."Chim-chiminy, chim-chiminy, chim chim cherroo..." Too cute. My baby is growing up.

Also on the movie subject...I have decided that there are no good current movies out there right now for me, so I am going to start in on some oldies but goodies. A few that are on my list to see that I have never seen are: Rear Window, Casablanca, Singin in the Rain, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (I like Jimmy Stewart), Citizen Kane, and It Happened One Night. If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know!!!

Just a toot...

So, Punky has had this habit now of telling me when we are out in public "I have to go potty!" So we race off to whatever nasty bathroom we are nearest to and once I have the toilet covered in paper and sit her little butt on it (or hold her over it) she then says "I don't have to go". Makes me furious.

The other evening we were in Menards and she said "I have to go potty!" I asked twice, are you sure you have to go and she said yes. So as we are walking quickly toward the bathroom, I say, "Pee, or poop" (you know, to mentally prepare for what I have to go through in the bathroom) and she says poop. Great.

So as we are walking I ask her again "do you have to go?" She says "no". I ask her two more times, "Are you sure...you don't have to go?" and she finally says, "No mama, it was just a toot!"

UGH!!! If she weren't so darn cute...

And then I realize how blessed I am...how many women out there wish with all their heart they had a little girl to take to the potty...the parents who have lost a child and would give anything to take their kid to the bathroom EVERYWHERE they go. And I send up a prayer of thanks that I have such a wonderful little "Toot".

Wonderful Day

So today I had the afternoon off and decided to have a special afternoon with Punky (not that every day isn't special, you know). I picked her up and asked her if she wanted lunch. She said no (as usual). Then I said...OK, but I was thinking we could take pnut butter and jelly sandwiches to the park for a picnic... I heard her gasp and she said OH, let's do that!

So Punky helped me make (a mess) sandwiches and we headed off walking to the park. It is a good 3/4 mile away, so she rode in the stroller. We arrived and started eating our pnut butter and jelly
and Punky's favorite, white cheddar Cheetos.

We then preceeded to play...

And then the dreaded words...POTTY.

You can tell by the looks of the outside of the place how nice the inside was-trust me. And, as she has done before, after I get her in there, toilet all covered in toilet paper (I am a germ-a-phob), me holding her on the toilet breaking my back she says she doesn't have to go anymore. UGH! I never know when to believe her or not. Needless to say she got a little swat on the butt and a nice little lecture before we went back to playing.

Then the walk home, all was peaceful and this is how we returned home.

What a wonderful afternoon.

Daddy's Home!

Hooray! We went to the airport today to pick up Hubby after being gone for a week in Orlando at a work conference! Punky was so excited to see him (she constantly asked when he was coming home).

Actually it was quite funny...last week when we dropped him off at the airport, Punky cried and cried and didn't want to leave him. When we pulled into the garage that night, she saw Hubby's car in the garage and gasped and said "Daddy came home!" I had to tell her no, that he wouldn't be home for awhile and then she was disappointed all over again.

So needless to say, we are both happy and thankful Hubby is back (although the house stayed a lot cleaner with him gone, but I am sure that is due to the fact that I had less laundry and didn't cook ANY meals. However, now the laundry is back in full force).

I need a vacation...

...and we just got back two weeks ago...is there something wrong with that?

Yub

Punky said the cutest thing tonight...she was picking out her treat for being a good girl and eating her supper...the conversation went something like this
"how about a donut?"
"No, that's not a treat mama"
"Fruit snacks?"
"No"
"Granola bar"
"Yes! well, no"
"Some mini cookies?"
"Yes yes yes! I yub them I yub them I yub them. Yayyyyyy!"

She can't say her L's or her V's very well, so love is yub. I am so thankful for yub.

Florida 2008

So, I am going to write one REALLY long post to let you know what we did on our vacation.



Day 1

We left home at 10:00 pm on Thursday, May 15th, hoping the kids would sleep through the night in the car. They only slept about three hours. Did not go the way we planned. We arrived in Daytona around 6:00 pm, checked into our hotel, and went out to dinner. Everyone was tired, so we unpacked and went to bed.


Day 2

On Saturday, we had a beach/swim day...just lounged around. It was great!

Day 3

Hubby, Punky, and I traveled about two hours to Lakeland to visit our Aunt, Uncle, and cousins' church. We spent the day with them swimming and talking and then spent the night. GiGi is just Punky's age and Gannon was so fun to play with. Punky had fun swimming with them in their pool.

Day 4

Hubby, Punky and I spent the day in Orlando at the Florida Mall. It was huge and a lot of fun. We later met up with the rest of the fam at the Adidas Outlet and then to Downtown Disney...DD is one of my most favorite places, especially at night. The kids seemed to like it and we bought a few cool souveniers. The kids are just too cute.

Day 5

We had another beach day. We took some really cool pictures that morning, but not like what I wanted. I wanted some good family pictures, but Punky would not cooperate...they are the ones of her in the white dress.

Day 6

Disney World! We had such a great time! Even though it was about 95 degrees, the kids loved it. They met so many of the characters (they thought they were the REAL people) and had fun. I think they were the perfect age to go. The adults had fun too!

Day 7

Our last day there, we lounged some more and did a little shopping. We went and saw Indiana Jones in the theater. It was pretty good, but different from the rest (and Harrison Ford has definitely aged in the 20 years since the last one). It was so hard to pack up knowing we had the long car ride ahead of us!

Day 8

We started out around 9:30 a.m. leaving Daytona. We made our way home with a few stops along the way. The kids did not want to ride in the car, but overall did pretty well. We stopped overnight near Clarksville (I think) and then headed back out on the road Saturday morning. We arrived home around 7:30 in the evening, and we were all glad to be home! However, Punky did ask a few times to go over and play with Buddy on Sunday...I think they missed each other!

All in all it was a great, relaxing trip. I love the beach...I could go there every summer! I am very thankful for safety and good health (some of us caught a cold) and family fun.

We're Here!

Hey, we have arrived in Florida (about 6:30 Friday night). We have already had so much fun...here is a recap:

• Left home at 10pm Thursday with two tired kids and six tired adults.


• Car #2 hit a deer laying in the rode...no damage that we see.


• Kids did not like the idea of sleeping in the car...only got about 4 hours of sleep the entire 20 hours we were in the car.


• Our hotel room is awesome...the resort has four pools, a lazy river, water slide...and THE BEACH! The kids loved it.


• Ate dinner at Bubba Gumps...was yummy!


• Traveled to Lakeland to see Dave, Lori, Gannon and Gianna. Swam in their pool and had fun catching up with them!

Tomorrow is Magic Kingdom...hope for good weather (and happy kids)!

Florida here we come...

I am so excited...around this time tomorrow we will be getting ready to get in the car for the very long (and expensive) journey to Florida. I am so ready. I have a ton of stuff to do to get ready and even more to get done tomorrow at work before we leave. I am feeling the stress of the pre-vacation blues. I hate packing and getting ready to go...sometimes all of the effort at work to get ready to go makes the trip not even worth it...but I am sure this one will be great! We are so excited, and Punky cannot stop talking about the beach and seeing Cinderella's castle.

Graduation!

Today my dad graduated from Seminary with a Master's Degree in Counseling. We are so proud of you! After 7 years of hard work (and too many papers to count!), it is finally done! I am the one that has typed all of his papers, so I am VERY glad he is done. It was a nice ceremony and we had a great turn out at the open house.

We love you, Dad!