My boo was pitcher last night!

Joseph did a really good job during practice as pitcher (he wasn't picking flowers, or laying in the grass!!!), so coach decided to try him out as pitcher...and he did a really good job...I was so impressed! Also, he tends to be really hard on himself, and this gave him a confidence boost...that was the best part about it for me...
I'm pretty sure they got the runner out in this sequence...





Way to go, boo!

About that sappy post...

About that last post...the sappy one about missing my babies being babies...
Well, today, in true female fashion, I feel differently! Don't get me wrong, It does still break my heart to realize how fast these blessings of ours are growing up. But, I feel like my life is kind of at a crossroads right now, possibly headed in a new direction. So, I am thankful that I don't have a tiny one right now who needs constant care, I really am. I am amazed at who my children are becoming. I mean, as parents you know your kids are individuals, and you expect they won't do/like all the same things, but since they are being raised in the same family I guess sometimes you expect they will be similar. I am reminded daily just how different my three children are. I mean...really different. From the foods they eat, to their hobbies, to the way they react to certain situations...my three are all SO. VERY. DIFFERENT. Andrew, my oldest, was such a laid back child. I just assumed every child was like that.
Ding Ding Ding. I get the idiot award.
Of course, with Andrew, this year has been tough...I guess he is going through "changes" (& I'm sure he would be THRILLED to no end that I'm blogging about it)...I mean, I am a woman (Yikes, that makes me sound old, I don't know if I've ever referred to myself as a woman), I know nothing about hormonal boys. A friend from church says to give him some physical labor to do around the house, in the yard, etc...and I think it has helped some.
Anyway, back to my point...I am just truly amazed at how inept I sometimes feel as a parent, but yet have these three amazing, individual, smart, talented (in their own ways) kids to show for it. I thank God for his grace...daily.
I have no clue what they will grow up to be. Just the other day, as we were driving, Joseph pipes up from the backseat, "Mom, I want to be a garbage man when I grow up. They get to pick up every one's trash, then they can go through it and save all the cool stuff. They can collect it or sell it for money. That would be so cooooool".
I have to admit, my dreams for my children don't include "Garbage Guy". But, when it comes down to it, my main goal for my children is that they know and accept the Lord as their Savior. Truth is, if they have Him, they can be anything they want and find happiness (you know what I mean). So, if I end up with a garbage guy, or girl :-), as a child, I'm cool with that. I just love them and want them to really, really know it.
So, again, so much for wanting another wee one...I think I'll just stick with the three I've got :-)

OH How I miss this today...
(Thanks to the fresh, new, adorable sprout I got to hang out with today @ MOPS)




I also miss the boys being small, adorable, loveable bundles...
but, I don't have their photographs from that age saved to my computer...
:-(
I miss how easy it was to make them happy...
give them a bottle of milk to fill their tummies...then a drowsy, content sigh would come along, and off to dreamland they would go...
I could watch them sleep for hours...there was no place I'd rather be...
it was a piece of Heaven, within my grasp here on Earth :-)

Dying/Hunting eggs...

The day before Easter, we went to my Mamaw's house (who passed away last August) to dye and hunt Easter eggs...Andrew thought he was to old to partake in the activities, and made himself scarce (though he did help hide the eggs, which included throwing some of them into trees)...










Along the side of my Mamaw's house, she has many iris that bloom...they are all colors and are so beautiful. In years past, I have enjoyed admiring the blooms with her...this year I had to do it alone...

On one hand, it made me sad she wasn't there to see how beautiful they all were, then again, I was reminded that she is in Heaven and the blooms there probably put these to shame...
Hope you all had a very blessed Easter holiday.

Convicted

This morning I fueled up and headed for Sherman. I was so excited to be going for a little girl time with my cousins, one of which is visiting from Honduras. I had a great time (Much Needed!), but that isn't really what this post is about.
After we said our "goodbye's", I got in the car and was making my way to highway 82. I had to stop at a red light and there was a man there holding a sign, "On the road, please help". I HATE when I see this...I don't know why, I guess partly feeling guilty that they are "worse off" than I, and partly annoyed that they are asking for help when I'm just trying to drive down the road...I don't know exactly. Anyway, like most people, I just try to avoid eye contact. I immediately knew I had to avoid looking into his eyes...there was no way I could give him a ride. I've been told my my husband, brother, dad, etc..to NEVER, under any circumstances, pick up a hitchhiker. But, I could feel his eyes on me. I felt him walking towards my car. I began to panic because my window, though not rolled down, was cracked open. I wanted to roll it up, but felt a combination of emotions and couldn't bring myself to roll it up all the way. As he got right up to my window, I was afraid to even look over at him, I didn't know what he might do (my door was locked though, so I knew he couldn't get it open). Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him reach up to my window, and he dropped something in.
A dollar bill.
I was confused.
I picked it up and tried to hand it back to him, he just smiled and said, "No". The light turned green, and I drove away in shock. Not because a dollar amounts to much, but why did he do that? I drove silently for several miles, basically in shock, going over the situation multiple times wondering why that man did that, when it was clearly he that needed help. I called one of my cousins, who I had spent the day with, and told her what happened. "What if it was Jesus, "she said. After that, I really didn't hear anything else. I immediately felt ashamed.

Hebrews 13:2
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.


If I had it to do over again, I probably still wouldn't offer him a ride, just for my own safety. But, I had $5 in my pocket I could've given to HIM. I also had a sack of Chic-Fil-A food I could've offered him..I SHOULD'VE offered him (It defiantly wouldn't have hurt me to miss those calories), but I didn't.
I began to think to myself, "When did I let my heart become so cold? When did I decide I didn't have to share my blessings because it was an inconvenience to me?" Why, do I automatically assume "those people" are just going to spend it on alcohol, or something else that is bad for their health. Why, when I saw him smoking, did I decide if he could afford cigarettes, he could afford to eat? Where in the Bible does it say that if you FEEL like helping, you can. Who gave me the right to judge?
By the time I had all these thoughts, I had driven quite a ways. I wanted to go back and talk to him, and ask him why he did that. I wanted to know more about him, I wanted to know his story, I wanted to pray with him. But, my voice of reason said I had gone too far, and had family waiting that I needed to get home to.
So, I will never know his reason, or his story. But, I know that I walked away from those couple of minutes, convicted. On one hand, I am ashamed of how I handled the situation. On the other, I feel God spoke to me through this situation...He softened my heart so that I can make better choices next time. I pray that I do make better choices when something else like this comes up. Until then, I will pray that the Lord lays his might hand on that man and blesses him.
I share this story, because I think a lot of us have hearts that could use a little softening. I think we could all give a little more than we currently do. Weather it is your money, or your time, or something else, let's pray together that we are not only thankful of our blessings, but also willing to share them...because as the verse says, you truly may be entertaining an angel.

Come Home Soon....

I am wondering, "Where did I loose my self discipline"?
I can't quite place it...
I stare at piles of clean laundry, but can't bring myself to put it away.
My waistline is ever expanding (and since Izzy is 4 I can no longer use her as an excuse), but I can't talk myself into working out.
The car has slushie cups from last week, why can't I just throw them away?
It's way past my daughter's bed time, but I'm too tired to follow through with getting her into the bed.
My hair needs a new do, why can't I call and make an appointment?
It's seems like I have turned into the world's most talented procrastinator.
There are so many things needing to be done, but I just have lost all self will...
Where have I left my self discipline?

Maybe it was left in the buggy @ Walmart the other day,
or perhaps fell into my coupon organizer.
Possibly it flew out the window a couple weeks ago,
when I had rolled it down to enjoy the nice weather.
Maybe my Joseph took it and locked it up in his safe with his other treasures.
Heck, maybe a friend stole it as a cruel joke...ya think?
You know, it's even possible I lost it way back in high school.
I mean, who really knows?
All I know is, it is gone.

So, if any of you see it, please send it home...
because if I don't find it, I won't be able to get the house tidy or myself in shape...and my family may abandon me...
So, self discipline, please...Come Home Soon!