Purple-Headed Post

It was all Sean's idea. Erik will tell you that he is "the fun one." I think they make a great team. They balance each other well.

The deal was made at the first game of the season. Sean said that if every single member of the team scored in one game that they (Erik and Sean ~ the coaches) would color their hair purple. It is kind of ironic that Sean made the deal when you consider the fact that he shaves his head. But, still, the deal was made, and the kids worked hard every game. And, finally on the last game of the year, all the kiddos scored ~ with a little help from the refs who knew about the deal. Anyway, today was the Upwards awards banquet, and Erik and Sean came with purple heads/hair much to their team's delight!

Here is the artist at work. . .



With his proud son. . .



The boys asked Erik several times over the course of the day to keep his hair purple. I am just praying it comes out easily! JCT referred to him as "the purple headed man" all day!

It was a fun memory for Erik and Sean to add to their collection of fun memories! And, it was a fun memory for Joshua and all his teammates!

Following Free. . .

In this world. . .

but not of it.

So, how do we know where to draw the line? I like precision. perfection. But, God asks us to read His word, to seek His face, to trust and obey. And, that looks different for you and for me. He didn't call all of us to send our kids to Christian schools. He didn't call all of us to go overseas as missionaries. He didn't call all of us to live in really cool towns with megachurch pastors that inspire us to live like Christ daily. He called us to different places and different missions. And, that is really hard for me.

Ever since I became a mom, it has been a huge passion of mine. And, I have wanted to do it well. I spent the first two or three years begging God each morning to send me a mommy mentor. I wanted someone who lived close to me that I could meet with on a regular basis, someone who could inspire me, someone that I could imitate. But, my prayer was never answered. No Godly mama came out of the woodwork of my small town and asked me to follow her as she followed Christ. And, a few years ago God revealed something to me about all this. Basically, He said, "If I had given you what you asked, you would have followed her and not Me. I called you to something unique to you. Now keep your eyes on Me."

I tend to obsess over purity. This world is amazingly corrupt, and I long for my boys to be pure. But, you can't even watch a football game anymore without seeing commercials, cheerleaders, things that could lead their sweet little minds astray. And, that drives me crazy. I really like the whole raise them in a bubble idea. It seriously appeals to me, but unfortunately it is completely unrealistic.

I watched the Dugger boy get married on TLC's 17 Kids and Counting a few weeks ago. And, in many ways it reminded me of Erik and I. Although, we had kissed a few times before our wedding day. Not many times though, Erik wanted so badly for both of us to be pure that he would call off all kissing from time to time. But, anyway, I couldn't get that silly Dugger boy off my mind for several days.

Then, I went to lunch with my friend Sara. And, we spent a lot of the meal talking about King David and Queen Esther. We discussed our views of purity, and asked each other questions like, "How could God call David a man after His own heart after what he had done?" We discussed different things in the Old Testament like men that had several wives, or kings with concubines, things that baffle us. And, thoughts of our conversation followed me through the next couple of days.

And, over the next week, because I am seriously obsessed with my sons' purity, I continued to ponder all these things. In my mind I compared and contrasted my Erik with the Dugger boy. Erik grew up in New Orleans by parents who were not overly strict. They trusted their boys a good bit. He went to a Christian private school, Christian in name only, I assure you, and he was allowed to date without chaperones. And, the Dugger boy grew up homeschooled and very much monitored by his loving parents ~ little to no TV and limited access to the internet, and no dating ~ he found his wife through courtship. The two have marked differences in their background.

But, yet both were pure when they married. And, both claim to love God. And, I can honestly say that no one has ever been more of a picture of Christ to me than my husband. He is a selfless soul. He loves God with passion and not just words. He lives it daily. Period. And, if I knew the Dugger boy, I'd probably say the same thing about him.

So, now I am going to attempt to come full circle in my thoughts. As I watched the Duggers, part of me wanted to pull Joshua out of school and home school him, to shelter him as they do their children. But, then I thought of my Erik and how he has impacted lives all along the way from his early school days to his medical residency days. His residency director said it best when he said of Erik at his residency graduation ceremony, "Erik is the gospel in tennis shoes." He is Christ to others at church on Sunday and Christ to others on his 3rd night of call in a week. He leaves an impression everywhere he goes. And, if I knew the Dugger boy, I'd likely say the same thing about him.

So, what does God have for my boys?

I'm just not sure. But, I know one thing. It is for them to be like Christ, to walk like Him and talk like Him and act like Him at home, at school, at work, in all of their lives, in every single moment of every single day, breath by breath.

And, though I know that it is God's will for my boys to be pure, to remain pure, holy, set apart in this corrupt generation, I also know that just like with King David and Queen Esther, He is much more interested in their hearts, in their relationship with Him than He is in their legalistic purity. I say this not at all to downplay purity. It is my desire that my boys are able to experience what Erik and I have been blessed to experience going into our marriage pure. But, it is my even greater desire that they experience a true, genuine, intimate, daily, walking breath by breath relationship with their Creator.

So, I guess what God showed me through all of this is that He calls each of us to follow Him daily, to walk with Him, and to allow Him to lead us wherever He desires to lead us. And, if that means that God wants us to pull Joshua out of school next year and home school him and teach him daily what it means to walk with Christ and not just go to church or walk an aisle, then, glory to God, we are all there! And, if God leads Erik and I to keep Joshua in school, to trust Him to walk with our little man there, and through the years, to use our little man as a catalyst there, then, glory to God, we are all there, too!

I guess this is what freedom in Christ is all about, but, man, is it hard for me. Most days I'd prefer a book of dos and don'ts. Following a plan, a schedule, a list is easy but following Christ that is an entirely different thing! He is like the wind, blowing to and fro, wherever He chooses. Unpredictable. Reckless. Free. Following Him takes discipline, focus, and a humble, teachable heart. It takes being quiet in a very loud world. It takes love and patience. It takes perseverance. It takes all I have, all that I am, and that is exactly what He desires of me.

He has more faith in me than I do in myself that is for sure!

Goodness, I love Him!

Holy Huddles!

This video is amazing! If you haven't seen it, take time to watch!!!!

Happy Mardi Gras, Dawlin'

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, and 15 years ago I'm not sure if I would have known what Fat Tuesday was. But, into my life walked a tall, dark, and handsome New Orleans boy, and he changed all of that.

Several months ago, I decided that I loved celebrating holidays and my kids agree, so I sat down and made a list in the back of my calendar of fun holidays that we could celebrate as a family. And, Mardi Gras was on that list, so for the first time ever, this year we celebrated it! I wanted to make a King Cake from scratch, but Erik wanted to order one from a traditional New Orleans bakery. Forty dollars and two days later this arrived in the mail. . .


Yeah, we won't be ordering our King Cake next year. I'll make it. I'm too frugal for a forty dollar mediocre king cake.

Last Friday Erik read to the boys all about the symbolism of the King Cake and a little background on the celebration of Mardi Gras. Then, we put on beads and passed out coins to make the kitchen feel a little more festive!



Even Rain got into all the excitement. He could hardly contain himself! Can't you see it in his eyes?



I'm sorry, but this was the cutest part of the evening. . .

And, then it was time for the unveiling of the amazing king cake. . .

A close up. . .

And, guess who (two days later) finally found the baby in his piece of King Cake?? The King, himself, King Joshua!

It was fun, and I believe it will make a good family tradition!

Happy 6 months, Sweet Mr. Goopy Eyes

Yesterday was your 6 month birthday! And, just to keep it real, I took a picture of you on the actual day that you turned 6 months old. This is how you looked. . .

You were sleeping soundly, eyelids closed, when I picked you up and put you in the car. It was time to pick up your big brother from elementary school, and so I was in a bit of a hurry. I didn't even look at your face until I was strapping you in your car seat!! And, there you sat, eyes all matted together, smiling. . .

You are a gem. And, I'd like to keep you forever! What a precious little soul your cute body houses! Today we went to see your pediatrician for your 6 month well baby check up and shots! You weighed in at 19 pounds and 14 ounces and were 29 inches long! You weigh almost as much as some of your brothers did at a year! But, the pediatrician said that this was completely normal. You doubled your birth weight just like you are supposed to! You just started out big, little one!

You continue to be a sweet little soul, and we all adore you! Even Lijah cannot get enough of you! The two of you are so close in age that it will be so fun to watch your little friendship develop! You are rolling around, but not yet crawling or sitting up. I haven't attempted solid foods with you, but I will very soon! I am just enjoying you, sweet little friend. I enjoy your sweet smiles, toothless grins ~ but not for long I am afraid! I tell Erik all the time, "We have to stop here because we'll never have a baby this sweet again!" You are spoiling us, little man.

Plain and simple, I adore you.

I love you with all my heart.

Let's journey on, my sweet goopy eyed little one!

Subtly Spectacular

The house is quiet and my cup is full ~ both figuratively and literally. JCT is napping peacefully once again on the couch. Dinner has been put together and is in the refrigerator waiting to be placed in the oven when the time is right. Five baskets of folded laundry beckon me to put them away, but two out of the three rooms in which they are to be put away house sleeping babies. Thus, I have chosen to wait until the late afternoon or evening hours for that little chore! For now I am content to sit still and sip deeply of my afternoon cup ~ Bifferdoodle of course!

Life is so calm right now, so calm. I have little to say, except that God is sweet. He is a sweet God. The sun rose orange-red behind the trees and the pond in our backyard this morning. It does this every morning, but I am not always sitting quietly watching it. The sunlight sparkled and shined on the surface of the pond's water. It was a subtle kind of spectacular, and I felt privileged to enjoy it. Isn't that the truth of all things around us? They are subtle, but if you stop what you are doing and tune into God's heart, you see the spectacular in them. This morning Elijah said, "I lika this movie, Mommy," as we drove to the grocery, and his face and his voice were quite possibly the cutest I have ever seen! Then, after the grocery we drove through the car wash, and he was ever more adorable as his little lip trembled when the streams of water roared over us. I held his sweet little hand and assured him that all would be okay. All the while, I couldn't help laughing because he was so cute afraid! What a sweet God I serve! Who lets me take care of these adorable little ones every single day and night! Spectacular!

And, speaking of spectacular. . .

These babies are back. . .

And, you know what that means!!

Spring is just around the corner!!

The Ramblings of a Mother losing her Mind. . .

I love being a mom.

My heart is bursting at the seams because. . .

I love being a mom.

And, here are a few reasons why I love being a mom. . .

Yesterday evening, I leashed Rain, and grabbed my little red-headed, blue-eyed man up and into my arms and headed out for a quick walk. Lijah immediately pointed out the only star visible in the big, dark blue evening sky. His sweet face lit up, and he said, "Tar. Look at da Tar, Mommy." I smiled and admired his sweet little watery blue eyes and rosy wind burned cheeks. Then, he looked me directly in the eyes and said with all seriousness, "Want to see-ya mo tars, pees. Mo tars, pees, Mommy." Oh, if only I could have made more stars appear, my sweet one, for you, I would have filled the sky!

Then, today, after the little boys went to sleep, I pulled out the game Trouble to play with JCT. He was delighted. For some reason he usually wins every game. I always tell Erik that we really need to take him to Vegas one day. I don't know what it is about that child. . .

Anyway, I set up the game and we began playing. And, this is the way the conversation went throughout the game. . .

JCT: "I'm going to win, Mommy. I am going to beat you at this game."

Me: "Let's just play. Okay?"

JCT: "See look my guy is ahead of your guy. So, I am going to win. I'm ahead."

Me: "Yes, but you have 3 pieces that aren't even out yet. And, I already have 2 out, and I have one already back around. So, actually I am winning right now. You need to roll a 6 to get another piece out."

JCT (undaunted): "I'm going to win this game, Mommy. I'm just telling you. . .I'm going to win. My guy is still ahead of yours. See, let me show you."

Me: "Okay, yeah, whatever, you don't really understand that I am ahead, but that is okay. Let's just play the game. Okay?"

JCT: "No, Mommy, you don't understand. I am going to beat you at this game. I really am going to beat you. Just wait. You'll see that I am going to win this game. Look, here is my guy going ahead of yours."

Me: "Okay, now, just quit talking and play the game. Please, let's just play the game!"

This little conversation continued on until, yes, he caught up to me. We both had our last pieces only a few spaces from home. I rolled a 5 which put my piece one space from being home. So, I knew the next roll I was going to win. And, to be honest I felt a twinge of guilt.

But, then. . .

he rolled a 6.

And, as he counted and moved his little piece in. . .

His eyes slowly looked up at mine. And, after his piece was safely in the slot, his victory secure, a sly little smile crept across his face, and he uttered one single little word. . .

"Beat."

In other words, "I beat you, Mommy. Just like I said I would."

I gave him a high five and literally could not stop laughing for at least 3 minutes. Goodness, I love that little man. If only I had an eighth of his confidence. . .

And, speaking of JCT, he is asleep on the couch. It has become a daily event ~ napping on the couch instead of in his room. And, I love it. I get to be with him while he naps! I can't get enough of watching him sleep. I take a picture of him everyday because everyday I think the same thing ~ "Oh, my goodness, he is soooo cute. I have to get my camera!" I am a silly mama!

Joshua was home on Monday, so I let them play through nap time! They were having a blast, so I wasn't about to interrupt them!!

But, here is Tuesday's nap. . .

And, Wednesday's. . .

Thursday's. . .

And, Friday's. . .

And, I had to get a picture with his sweet dino feet in it. . .

Everybody should have a JCT. He is just that great!

And, on a completely different note. . . I really think I am crazy. A few months ago, I was trying to coax Elijah out of the powder bath because I was ready to leave the house to run errands, and Elijah isn't allowed in bathrooms because he does awful things when he gets in them ~ throws toys and magazines in the toilet, puts his hands in the toilet water, etc. So, I said to him, "Erik Daniel, come here. Come out of the bathroom, Erik D.! Erik Daniel, come out of the bathroom! It is time to go!"

Everyone around me just kind of froze.

Elijah was staring at me like I was crazy and not moving a muscle.

Finally, JCT broke the silence and very carefully in a ~ I better talk slow because my mom may be losing her mind voice ~ said, "Mom, Erik Daniel is in the Moses basket over there. That is Elijah you're talkin to." I tried to kind of brush it off and said under my breath, "Yeah, I knew that. Come on, Lijah, let's go."

Yikes!

Then, today, I carried Erik Daniel to the mail box to get the mail. Elijah and JCT followed us. As we were walking back inside, I was looking through the mail. I noticed a thank you note for Joshua from a sweet older lady in our church that Joshua took flowers to on Valentines Day. So, I called out behind me, "Joshua, hey Joshua!"

Then, it hit me.

Yeah. He's at school. He's been gone for like 4 hours. He can't hear me.

I really am losing my mind.

Seriously. It is scary.

But, that is enough of that. And, now another reason why I love being a mom. . .

Yesterday JCT experienced lik-em-stix for the first time. . .

Who needs the stick anyway?

I used to love those things so much!!

Enough rambling. . .

It is good to be a Mommy.

Even if it means that I am slowly but surely. . .

losing my mind.

I guess I am a little behind. . .

Why am I the last to know???

I thought I'd look up the Mooneys, you know, just see what they were up to. . .

Apparently a lot!

I knew that they were pregnant, but you can imagine my surprise when my search "99 balloons" brought me to this. . .

Oprah!!!!!

They were on Oprah??? Where have I been????

Then, I was delighted to find this. . .

Their new Blog. . .

Now, I have some good reading. . .

When I get a second or two!!!

This Afternoon

Life is oddly calm this week. As I type my sweet JCT is napping on the sofa behind me and Erik Daniel and Elijah are napping in their cribs. It is a sunny, quiet day around here. I am sipping a mid afternoon cup of coffee since I had to forgo my morning cups in order to do our weekly grocery shopping trip.

Life is so daily, so busy, so full, so wonderfully full. But, some days it is so nice when everything and everyone stops for a moment. It is quiet. At present I hear my peaceful CD, the hum of the baby monitors, and the soft clicking of my fingers on the keyboard. It is almost time to fill juice cups and prep the diaper bag to go get my sweet Joshua. I'll have to wake my three sleeping angels and gently strap them in their car seats. We'll drive across town and wait for that sweet smiling face to come running to the van with his backpack and lunchbox in hand. And, when he gets into the van, he will smile at me and ask, "Are we going straight home?"~ he always asks this. And, I will say, "Yes." And, he will strap himself in, and we will drive back across town. We will pull into the garage, and one by one, they will file into the house ~ Joshua, then JCT, then Elijah who still needs help with the big brick step up into our home, and lastly Erik Daniel and I will make our way inside. Then, once again my house will be full of noise and laughter, snacks and stories.

But, for now the house is quiet. And, I can feel myself relaxing, gearing up for a busy afternoon and a full evening of activities at church.

I have never appreciated a minute or two to myself as much as I have during this stage in my life. And, one day, I will have lots of down-time again, lots of minutes here and there to sit still in a quiet house. But, those quiet moments won't be nearly as sweet as they are now because I appreciate them so much more now then I ever have before or ever will again. . .

My "I love erik" shirt and Beautiful Life

About the Valentines t-shirt. . .

All you have to do is search "customized t-shirts." I found several different websites that do this. I don't want to say the name of the one that I used because since I ordered my shirt, I have seen some things on their website that I don't like. So, I'd rather not promote them. I hope those of you who asked for the website understand. There are plenty of other sites that do the same thing! If you want more detailed info, please email me. I'd be more than happy to answer any questions.

If you are looking for a happy feels like spring kind of song. . .

The song "Beautiful Life" by Fisher that is played during the Jon and Kate Plus 8 commercials is on itunes!! I love, love, love this song!! It makes my heart smile! The other night while Erik bathed the big boys upstairs, I stood in the living room and danced with Erik Daniel to this sweet song! And, ya'll, I know it is a secular song, but it sure makes me want to lift my hands to my Father and thank Him for all the cute little blessings He placed in my womb! If you don't have it, and you are a mama, you should really consider buying it!!

Happy Hearts. . .

For as long as I can remember, I have scribbled hearts on everything ~ every note, beside by name, exchanging o's for hearts in certain words, etc. I love hearts. Always have. And, so it is no surprise that I love Valentine's Day!!!! I love it, but this year has been a little crazy! Last week I did birthday all week, and this week it has been Valentine's. I love it, but it has been a bit busier than I like! Of course, I got kind of used to being able to take it slow in the mornings ~ sipping my coffee for several hours with babies playing all around me, you know, before my big boys were in school. Now we are up and at 'em each morning!! But, I love mornings, so I really shouldn't complain!

Anyway, I helped with both Joshua and JCT's school Valentine parties this year. JCT watched intently as I made this heart shaped cake. . .


. . . that I was asked to make for Joshua's class. And, as I iced the cake, JCT asked the question that I was afraid he would ask, "Mommy, what are you making for my class?" I couldn't tell a lie. His teacher asked me to make ham sandwiches (we don't like ham around here), so I told him, "Ham sandwiches." He looked at me horrified. I mean, really, Mom. Joshua gets a fun cake and I get ham sandwiches. So, I added, "But, I am going to make them in the shape of a hearts. . ." And, I smiled sweetly at him, but I don't think it helped, and I don't blame him for being disappointed. I was, too, when the teacher assigned them to me. . .


That morning, as I put the sandwiches together, I had Elijah sitting on the counter "helping" me. I turned my head for no less than a second (the child has quick hands), and when I turned back around, my 3 heart-shaped cookie cutters were missing. I looked all over the counter. . . they were nowhere to be found. . . Where did I set them? Then, I looked up on the bar. . .

And, there in the bottom of our two fish bowls, lay the cookie cutters. But, thankfully, no fish were harmed. I couldn't help but chuckle because the child is a mess, I tell you. He continually creates work for me. Life is never boring with Lijah around ~ that is something I can count on.

But, a few minutes later when I found one of Joshua's "ilove" valentines in the bottom of the fish bowl, it wasn't so funny anymore.

This is what Joshua handed out to his classmates. . .


And, I loved these so much from last year, that I used them for JCT's class this year. . .


Oh, and want to know what we are wearing this Valentine's?

We made these T-shirts one afternoon this week. . .


Here is my attempt to get a picture of all three in their t-shirts. They simply would not hold still!!!


It is never boring around here, can you tell?

And, I surprised Erik by showing up to our church's Valentine banquet wearing this. . .


I had many husbands ask me to give their wives the website where I bought my shirt! It was definitely more of a hit with the men than the women!!! It was a hit with my man, and that is all that matters to me! :-)

Now here are a couple pics from my boys' school parties. . .

First, JCT's. . .

Elijah was a huge hit. Don't ask me why? But, the kids couldn't get enough of him!!! They weren't interested at all in the adorable baby that I was wearing, but they were all over little Li Li. . .


Cute. That is all I have to say. . .


Cute.


Cute.


And, now Joshua's. . .

Here he is eating at his desk/table. . .


Goodness, I love this little man. . .


We gotta lotta love in this house! Love, love, love, sweet baby love!!! Noone can keep their hands off this sweet little guy!!


I simply cannot wait until tomorrow!!!! I got a couple fun goodies to make for the boys, and I recorded Charlie Brown's Valentine for them to watch! I love weekends, and this is a long one!!! Hurray!!

The Brotherhood Continues. . .

Or, should I say rivalry. . .

Noooo, I'll say brotherhood! Because, after all, brotherhood is stronger than rivalry. And, the brotherhood that unites these little ones' fathers is of the strongest kind.

Brothers from another mother ~ as they like to say!

I mean, really, it is a beautiful thing ~ their fathers' friendship. When they went to the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, Erik packed an extra UNC shirt, and Sean packed an extra Duke shirt. And, when they went to the Duke/Purdue game, Erik wore Sean's extra Duke shirt, and when they went to the UNC game, Sean wore Erik's extra UNC shirt! Now that is true friendship! Friendship that is stronger, much stronger, than rivalry!

But, as an intro to tonight's big game, I had to take these pictures! And, it is their first picture together ~ the first of many, I am sure! I told Deana B it is like an arranged best friendship! I sure hope they like each other! Something tells me that they will!!!

Here is a picture of Quin practicing defense. I think he's a natural, Sean!

Thanks for the outfits Brandy!!!! We love them!

Party Review. . .

Party #1: JCT's Pre-school. . .

This is a picture of a sweet little girl whose mother works at Erik and Sean's office. She is handing out a squirt of germ-x to the darling little boy that I handpicked to be JCT's best friend. I know his parents well. They, also, have four boys and values similar to ours. And, he just seems like such a sweet kid. . .



But, JCT is his own little person, and this is the boy that he handpicked to be his best friend. . .


Go figure!

These are the cupcakes I made. A four for JCT's fourth birthday, and a square because it was the shape of the day!



This is a cute little girl in JCT's class with a personality as big as the classroom. She has nick-named my son Christopher Robin. And, I think that is the cutest thing ever!



Here they are sitting still eating their cupcakes! I was amazed at how well-behaved they were!! Sweet kiddos!


Now, on to party # 2: Joshua's Kindergarten class. . .


This was a fun group to hang out with!! Joshua's teacher is on maternity leave taking care of her sweet little baby boy, so Mrs. Robin is his teacher while she is away. I knew I liked her from the very first day she took over the class. Joshua came home and said, "Mommy, Mrs. Robin sits criss cross applesauce on top of her desk!" Now how can you not love a teacher who is that layed back and fun!

Oh, and she was the life of the party! I smiled from ear to ear when she pulled out Twister for the children to play!!! She let Joshua pick 3 people to play with him and here they are. . .



And, yes, that is Princess M beside him!

After each child took a turn playing twister, Mrs. Robin led the class in the hokey pokey. She was so funny even I was laughing!! Fun! Fun! Fun!


And, here is the birthday boy!



Party #3: Our house. . .

We let Joshua and James Christofer invite two friends each over to play for a small birthday party. We are having a larger party in a few weeks with a couple friends who also have Feb/March birthdays.


Joshua and JCT are into space, so I did a quick solar system birthday cake(s). I actually iced the cakes while the kids played outside. It was a crazy day, and I was sooooo behind!! In fact they asked for specifice planets to eat!



They ate, and then went back outside for more fun in the front yard!!

Oh, me, oh, my, he looks so old in this picture!!!

Now I am ready for a break from cupcakes and parties, but, guess what, I have another week filled with them! Valentines!!! Sugar, sugar, sugar!