Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Brian's birthday was last week and we celebrated by going out to eat with his parents on Sunday. He was really excited to try a new restaurant and when we got to it, we were disappointed to find out it was closed...oops! So we decided on another favorite we liked and it too was closed! What was the deal...it was like a ghost town. Finally we found a quaint authentic Mexican restaurant that was open and pigged out on chips and salsa! When we got back to our house, Brian's mom had a little trivia game set up for him to recieve his presents. If he got a question wrong, then the kids got to pick from the pile of presents to keep for themselves. Turns out Brian has a horrible long term memory and the kids all got a present that had $1 and a juice box in it! Then she gave him his real gift..a Land's End vest and money. He also got money from my parents and so he purchased new running shoes, since he is planning to run a marathon this year(we'll see!) On Monday, the kids and I decorated the house and made him his favorite meal with a homemade birthday cake. They shouted Happy Birthday when he walked in the door and bombarded him with "Look Daddy!" It was a great day!

The Great Storm

There is a blog that I sometimes follow from Mark Mallet that always has such profound words and today is no exception. I opened the page to read his passage on the Great Storm that is brewing and I copied a portion of it to post on my blog......

THE Great Storm has arrived at the shores of humanity. It is soon to pass over the whole world. For there is a Great Shaking needed to awaken this humanity.
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Lo! Calamity stalks from nation to nation; a great storm is unleashed from the ends of the earth. "(Jeremiah 25:32)
As I pondered over the terrible disasters which are unfolding rapidly around the world, the Lord brought to my attention the response to them. After 911 and the Asian Tsuanmi; after Hurricane Katrina and the wildfires of California; after the cyclone in Mynamar and the earthquake in China; in the midst of this current economic storm—there has barely been any lasting recognition that we need to repent and turn from evil; no real connection that our sins are manifesting in nature itself (Rom 8:19-22). In an almost astonishing defiance, nations continue to legalize or protect abortion, redefine marriage, genetically modify and clone creation, and pipe pornography into the hearts and homes of families. The world has failed to make the connection that without Christ, there is chaos.
Yes… CHAOS is the name of this Storm.


His link is at the top of my page for those who would like to read further.

Power Rangers and Ballerinas

As the title says, I have Power Rangers and Ballerinas....however some might be surprised to find out that some of my "power rangers" have crossed over to the "ballerina" side! I think growing up with 2 older sisters certainly influences the choices of play that the boys make, much to their father's dismay sometimes. Brian always like to say, "Yep, they're all boy...tractors, dirt, trains and oh, yeah, that's my boy right now on the lawn mower in the pink tutu!!!" Life is funny for sure. Today Maggie wanted to dance to her Bella Ballerina DVD and slowly 2 other little ballerinas joined her as I caught it on the camera. Oh how they will love this when I bring it out it in 15 years!

Christmas in Clarkesville

Beau on the carousel

Happy Jack
Hip Hip Hooray for the Fun Factory
Mom, Ashley, Courtney and I went to water aerobics at mom's gym. That's the last time I make fun of water aerobics.....it kicked my booty!!!!
Jack with his new boots and me with my new Brazilian flip flops from Ash's trip to Brazil.
Ashley made each of the girls these namesake signs...too cute!

We went to my parents for the week after Christmas to visit with them and my two sisters and families. There were 7 adults and 7 kids so at least we were 1:1!! It's always a little crazy, a little crowded and always tons of fun when we are together. I love to see my kids play with their cousins and enjoy the wonderful surroundings of my parents property. They built forts, played hide and seek in the woods, and I think I saw them play the Wii a time or two! Us adults didn't have it too bad, staying up late playing games or watching movies and of course, EATING!! We had hoped to go snow tubing but the weather didn't cooperate so we headed up to the Fun Factory in North Carolina for a few hours of, well, fun. This place was HUGE. It had video games, laser tag, bumper cars, a carousel, a bounce zone, putt-putt golf, a bowling alley and a pizza buffet all under one roof! Needless to say we had a blast.....thank you Mom and Dad!!

My little Shepherds

Ok, Ok, I am a little behind the times here but December kind of took me by storm and now I have some time to relax. In between my last two posts, we had a Christmas program at the girls school, Holy Cross. Their music teacher, Sr. "T", did a great job with the kids, keeping the program entertaining, funny and, yes, even holy! The girls each had one line which they performed on cue (they had been practicing it only for one month!) and they were so adorable in their costumes. Grandma Rose helped us out there and Sr. T informed me that Katie had told her whole class that her Grandma was a "wizard" when it came to sewing! So true!