Language

Do you know how much our language affects our kiddos?! It is CRAZY to me how much they pick up on, even at the young ages of 3 and 4!! Wyatt and I don't use bad words at all, they just aren't in our vocabulary, so we watch what we say, but mostly we are cautious about the tones in our voice and the sarcasm that we use!!!! Unfortunately that is NOT the case for many other people!! I often cringe when we walk past young teenagers, or a couple that is arguing...even commercials on tv! WOW!! Don't these people that my precious, innocent young kiddos are present, AND, listening, AND soaking in every words they are hearing to "try on" mommy and daddy later!?! ! Even when we are watching Dancing with the Stars... some of the language is absolutely unacceptable!!! Do we even realize that they words that come out of our mouths are a direct reflection of what our hearts looks like!? Now, I will be the first to say that sometimes my words aren't as gentle as they should be, BUT, I don't speak harshly or meanly or profanely!! We want our words to directly reflect Christ!! Lord, hear our prayers! Please help us to be so focused on you, that every thing that we do and say reflect YOU!! Please dwell in Maddie and Zack's hearts as well, so they may turn their eyes and minds on you!

"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Being Consistent!

For those of you who have little kiddos, you KNOW that consistency is key!!!! Consistency in disciplining, consistency with teaching manners, consistency with staying in bed, consistency with you-name-it-you-must-be-consistent-with-it!!! I have never really thought about having consistency with anything other than my kiddos!! (Isn't that funny!?!:)) But as usual, God is teaching me that I need to be consistent in EVERYTHING that I am doing!! :) Here are a few lessons that I am learning!! :)

**God wants me to have consistency with Him! He wants my time every morning! He wants to hear my voice as I pray to Him each time!! He loves when I spend time with Him, just He and I! I DO spend time with Him each day, but it isn't consistently!!!! Now I don't think that God is taking score, but I KNOW in my heart that He wants more of my time, which I am happy to spend with Him!! Consistency!!

**I need to be consistent in my relationship with my amazing husband!! We have a pretty amazing relationship, and I am SO thankful for it!! He "gets" me in every way and I "get" him in every way!! We can pretty much tell exactly what the other is thinking...about 99% of the time!! What an incredible BLESSING our marriage is to me!! :) I guess what I mean is, that I need to be consistently thinking about ways to encourage and love on Wyatt!! I am so thankful that he is exactly who he is and knowing that his love languages are different than mine, I need to be consistent in making sure I am loving on him the way HE needs to be taken care of!! Consistency!

**I need to continually be consistent with my precious kiddos!! Never could I have imagined how MUCH I would love them!! :):) They truly are the JOY of my life!! And, they are really good kiddos, but with them being the ages that they are...consistency is KEY!! I want to be a mommy that they can count on and I want to have rules that they can count on!! :) Consistency!!

**I want to be consistent with my friends!! I am so thankful for the dear friends that God has placed in my life and I want to be consistent with the friendships that we share!! This means I need to get better about calling to check in...sending cards, and just getting good one-on-one time!! Friendships are so precious and I want to be a consistent...all-the-time friend!! Consistency!!

I am so thankful that God is consistent with me!! I am learning and growing and being challenged every day and I KNOW it is because of His love and grace!! Thank you Father for your consistency with me!!!!!

Pregnant...nope, not ME!!!! :):)

So... three of my dearest friends are pregnant right now, and I couldn't be ANY more excited for them!! :):) I cried when all three of these precious ladies told me with HUGE smiles on their faces that they were expecting!! What an incredible JOY to be able to share!!! These three couples have all been married for a long time (7 years, 8 1/2 years and 11 1/2 years:)) and now God's perfect timing has come for them each to welcome a baby into their little family!! :) WHOO-HOO!! :) It is SO special to watch dear friends experience pregnancy and the early moments of becoming parents!! It is such a JOY and God's timing is AMAZING!! Of course as I watch these new mommy's and daddy's get excited about expanding their families, I can't help but reflect on our precious little bundle's of joy! :) They were both totally in God's perfect timing and now we absolutely cannot imagine life ANY different!!!!!

Our daughter was born shortly after our 3rd anniversary and our sweet son came after our 4th anniversary!! Our kiddos are only 12 1/2 months a part which was VERY hard at the beginning but it is a HUGE blessing now!! They are the BEST of friends...they have never known life without the other!!! They have an amazing bond that I pray they keep for the rest of their lives!! We often get asked the BIG question, "Will you have any more babies!?!" We always smile and say "If God blesses us!!" :) We really don't know if we will have more, that is totally up to God, but we are SO Thankful for the perfect two that we have!! :)

I am SO looking forward to planning and throwing baby showers for these amazing ladies!! I can't WAIT to hear what sex their babies are and enjoy showering my dear friends with excitement and encouragement!! :):) WHOO-HOO!! :):)

Excited!

I am SO excited and JOY-filled for this NEW year!! There are so many things that I want to do with our kiddos this year! They are at such FUN ages and I LOVE to see their minds at work!! I am SO blessed to be able to stay at home with them, AND, be at school with them!! I get to see into their every day lives, and it is amazing!! Wyatt had gotten to have the past 14 days off with us and our family bonding time together was absolutely priceless!!! Our time off didn't exactly go as we had planned, but I think in the end, it was far better than we could have even hoped for!!! We got a LOT Of snuggle, reading, snuggling, laughing face time together with our kiddos!! Our fall was nothing short if INSANE, so we welcomed this break!!!! Now in all honesty, I do have to mention that I was very, very sick during this time...thus we weren't able to do as much as we wanted, BUT, our down time was so priceless!! Now that I am feeling MUCH better, we have so much to look forward to!!

Every January, Wyatt and I sit down and talk through goals that we would both like to achieve throughout the new year! Some of our goals are for our family, others are for us as a couple, and some of our goals are individual goals!! It is SO fun to think about ways we can better ourselves as a married couple, as parents and as individual people! :) I LOVE having these conversations with Wyatt!! There is NO ONE BETTER to hold me accountable than my amazing husband!! He is so good for me and I rarely feel like he is attacking me when he holds me accountable for something that I said I wanted to do!! We decided this year to only share our goals with each other, just to be sure we weren't trying to be showy or extreme!! (I love the way my husbands mind works!! He is so humble and Godly!! :) I am a proud woman!! :)) SO, all I will say is be watching for some good change in the Jenkins household this year!! I am SO EXCITED about what this year will bring!! :):)

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of JOY." Job 8:21

Conversations!

Life is in full swing here at the Jenkins household!! We are LIVING IT UP this Christmas season and enjoying every moment of it!! :) We have attended Christmas parties, had our Christmas program at school, baked cookies with sweet dear friends, crafted ALL kinds of things (which just makes me smile:)) and just ENJOYED this holiday season so much!! We look forward to what these next few weeks have in store!! :) My kiddos are at such FUN ages!! Here are a few of the conversations we have had over the past couple of weeks!

Me: "So where should we shop for daddy?"

Maddie: "THE MALL!!!!" (Like mommy, like daughter!:))

Zack: "No, not "de" mall, Daddy "yikes" Bass Pro!!!!" (Our little Z is in LOVE with Bass Pro this year!!:))

Me: "Maddie, mommy is so sorry I forgot to clean out your backpack today! I Know you have lots of special projects from school today!!"

Maddie: "GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrlllllllllll, it's ok!!!!"

**(Oh, yes, she sure did just whip out some attitude!! It was absolutely HILARIOUS!!:))**

Zack: "Mommy, is this you???" (Wide-eyed...pointing to one of the Rockette's on the cover of a brochure he took from Steak and Shake!! :))

Me: "Ok, kiddos let's go, we have a LOT of shopping to do today!!"

My kids together: "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to "Quismas" shop we go!!" :))

I LOVE MY PRECIOUS KID'S!!! :):)

Our Thanksgiving Week!

We have enjoyed the BEST week this week!! Wyatt has been off since noon on Monday and we have enjoyed every single moment with him home! Wyatt LOVES his job so much and we are even more thankful for the time they allow him to have off! He gets to choose 5 weeks off each year and we are so blessed by this time together!! God has blessed us SO much this year with Wyatt's new job and special time as a family! We are so thankful for His continual provision!!! Here is what we did this week!

Monday night we got some super exciting, and totally unexpected news!! Some of our dearest friends are moving back to Springfield and we ARE SO EXCITED!!! :):):):) So ,we spent Monday night dreaming about how life is going to change again...and for so many FUN ways!! :)

Tuesday was such a FUN day! We went to school on Tuesday morning and Wyatt came and read to the kiddos in their classes and attended our Pilgrim Pizza parties! Then, we enjoyed our weekly lunch out with my mom! Tuesday evening we got our Christmas pictures taken and went to kids night at McAllister's since we were in town!! I love the banter that Wyatt and our kiddos have...we all just laugh and laugh when we are together, it is such fun!!

Wednesday we woke up and headed out to have breakfast with my dad!! We had a BAST!! My kiddos LOVE their grandparents so much, it is such a JOY to be able to spend such special time with them!! :) We had gathered some toys and clothes to give away to the kiddos that don't have any, so as a family we drive over to the Victory Mission clothes store and handed over our bags of goodies! It was so special to have our kiddos who are SO BLESSED by so many things, have such compassionate hearts!! We prayed over the bags of clothes and toys right there in the store and then headed out! Our Maddie and Zack asked who was going to get their things...they were SO excited to be able to share!! We pray every day that our kids will have compassionate and loving hearts to everyone, we were SO proud of them!! Wednesday evening, we went and spent some time with Wyatt's family for Thanksgiving! We had a nice time and look forward to having them to our house for Christmas!!

Thursday morning stated off with pancakes and my precious little family sitting around our table together, talking about what we are thankful for! This is a tradition on our family and Wyatt and I felt that it was something we wanted to continue!! It was hilarious...all of the things our kiddos said they were thankful for!! :) When we got to my parents house my Aunt and Uncle were there! Shortly thereafter another Aunt and Uncle showed up with my Grandparents and sister and brother-in-law! I LOVE my extended family and always have, but it is such a blessing to get to know them as adults!! They will always be my Aunt and Uncle, but they are also my friends, they have GREAT parenting advice and are just fun to be around!! :) I love my family! After an A-MAZING lunch (my mom is the best cook EVER:)) several of us went for a walk and then came home and started planning out our black Friday deals!! We also gathered around the table to share what we were thankful for! It was pretty awesome hear what God had done this year in each person's lived!! We serve a MIGHTY God, who LOVES us and HEAR's us each day!! WOW!!

Thursday evening my mom, sister Aunt, cousin and I headed to Wal-Mart about 9:30 to get our black Friday deals!! After making two trips in and out of Wal-Mart (we had to load our cars so we could go back in and find more!:)) we headed over to Target!! We had a GREAT time together and made some fun memories!! I got home about 4:30 a..m!! Friday we met our family at Hemingway's for breakfast and enjoyed some last minute time together!! Then we went over to the playland!! Our M and Z LOVED it!!! We spent the rest of the day shopping and napping and just being together!!

This morning we stayed at HOME and enjoyed the morning together!! We are looking forward to getting out this evening and meeting up with some sweet friends!! WHOO-HOO for an AWESOME week!! {And we STILL have TOMORROW!!!!!!!:)}

"Sorry"

I hate it when people use this word, to get out of things! You know...the heartless, mindless, non-commital, just-say-it-because-you-feel-like-you- have-to say-something-- "SORRY!" Grrrrr!! It is absolutely one of my pet peeves!! (DO you know the "sorry I am talking about!?!) You absolutely cannot mean that you are sorry for something if you say it 100 times within a 5 minute period!!! It is obvious that you don't mean it...you are just trying to show that you realize that you are doing something wrong and want to address it in the most non-commital way possible!! I see this in kiddos, I see it mostly in adults and it is a word we are teaching to our kids that really holds NO meaning and purpose!! DON'T say it if you don't meant it!! Our words must be spoken with intention and purpose, not just to get out of something!!

Since our kids are SO close together, they kind of figure things out at the same time!! :) Our kids are really good friends, they love to be together and appreciate that they always have each other around! Just recently have they figured out how to argue! Oh boy...take a deep breath and keep typing! :) In our household whenever someone gets into trouble they are required to say that they are sorry and ask for forgiveness!! Now, this is no easy task my friends, it is HARD to ask for forgiveness for doing something wrong to someone else!!! We also don't allow our kids to say grumpily or rudely, "SORRY!" and brush off whatever they have done! How will they EVER learn from that!?!? They won't friends, they won't lean, in fact they WILL learn that they can be rude and disrespectful and get away with it!! Like many adults have!! Our kids must say, "I am sorry for______, will you please forgive me for ______!?" They aren't allowed out of time out until they say these words!

These words aren't just for our kiddos! Wyatt and I also tell each other that we are sorry for whatever specific reason and ask for forgiveness!! Parents must always take the lead and set a good example because your kiddos are watching, every move you make!! Scary right?! Whether you realize it or not, they are!! There are many times that I have to ask for forgiveness from my kiddos for acting grumpy or for not taking special time for them!!

As I have been thinking about this, I have often thought about my relationship with God! How often do I say "SORRY" to God and not really mean it!? How often do I brush off a mistake I have made or a sin I have committed without really stopping to think about it and ask for forgiveness!! I am so thankful that our God is One of love and grace, otherwise I would be in BIG trouble!

So, as I step down from my soap box, I will wrap this post up with this!! If you really ARE sorry, don't just try to brush it off with a brash "SORRY!" Put on your big girl (or big boy) underwear and say you are sorry and ask for forgiveness because you really are sorry about something and you are seeking forgivenss!!

War Eagle

I was so blessed to be able to take a quick girls weekend away this past weekend with some of my favorite ladies! :) On Thursday we all loaded up together about 6:00p.m. to drive to AR for the HUGE craft shows, going on all weekend long!! We ate a nice leisurely dinner in Joplin at Cheddar s (my FAV:)) and enjoyed some wonderfully girly chatter all the way to our beautiful hotel! One of the girls that I went with is a MAJORLY awesome coupon-er and was able to get our room for $29 for the first night and $39 for the second night for the four of us!! Whoo-hoo!! We woke up on Friday morning and had a leisurely breakfast, and had Starbubks before we took off for the day!!! For all of you who know me well, KNOW that I L-O-V-E being crafty!! :) Well this weekend friends, was THE weekend of crafts!!

On Friday, we went to 3 HUGE, craft fairs! Tent after tent after tent of handmade... ANYTHING, you could ever possibly want! :):) We bought bows and cute dresses for our girls and clothes for us and Christmas ornaments and decor for our homes...the possibilities were endless!! (Ok, so not ALL of the tents had handmade items in them...but at War Eagle that is a requirement!:)) The girls that I went with have been going to these craft shows for years and had our days all planned out!! It was SO much fun to know the in's and out's of each craft fair!!! We topped Friday night off with dinner at "On the Border" and a shopping trip to Target (where I got an adorable new outfit for $20!!:):) After some chatting and a LOT of laughing...by 1:00 a.m. we were ready for bed!!

On Saturday morning we got up EARLY, had a quick breakfast, got our Starbucks and headed out for War Eagle!! I had NEVER seen ANYTHING like it before!! :) All of the white tents took my breath away!! We had to drive for a while to get there but it was SO worth it!!! There is an awesome running Mill there that I could have stared out for hours! It was beautiful!!(Wyatt and I plan to take our kiddos back there this spring!! It was SO cool!!:)) Then... we shopped!! They had everything, I was in heaven!! It is SO cool to see what everyone's passions were!! Everyone was interested in something different, and it was exciting to see the excitement in their eyes!! We had a BALL and I came home with so many treasures!! :) We have already put the dates on our calendar for next year!! This will definitely be one of my favorite new fall traditions!!

Life these days!!

WHEW!! Life in our household these days is so totally busy!! We are for sure staying on our toes!! But, I am so thankful for the quiet days that the kiddos and I have here and there!! I used to plan up almost every single day, but now we try not to plan up our Monday's and Friday's, although those are our only two days to have play dates! Today has been wonderful!! No BIG planned out plans, just fun, relaxing spontaneous plans!! It has been wonderful!!

Today, we enjoyed a much needed morning at home! Maddie helped me make muffins and we enjoyed talking over preparing for breakfast!! She is my sweet little helper!! She wants to be right where I am, whenever I am doing something that she thinks she can help with!! I LOVE her compassionate, loving heart!!! After breakfast we snuggled on the couch for a while! Then we were off to meet Tre-Tre and Maddux for an early playdate!!! We enjoyed our time with them so much!! The kiddos played and I got to chat with my sweet sister for awhile!! It was so nice and relaxing!! This afternoon I was so productive, it was wonderful!!! I made dinner and cleaned our house! I made phone calls and responded to e-mails!! Ah, it was BLISS!!!

I get so caught up in being busy sometimes, that I just forget to ENJOY life!!! Isn't that sad!?! I have the two most beautiful children and an AMAZING husband, yet I forget to live life with them!!! I am SO THANKFUL for all that God has blessed us with...a job for Wyatt, Premier for me, school for all of us, precious family, the dearest friends...I just need to slow down sometimes and remember!!!

"The Lord has done GREAT things for us, and we are FILLED with JOY!!!!" Psalm 126:3

Ahhhhh!! :)

I have my ring back!! It has never been so beautiful!! It just sparkles and it is gorgeous!! :):) I am so thankful for my husband and for his unconditional love for me!! :) My Maddie has now confiscated the ring "she" gave me!! Into her jewelry box it went, in my beautiful leather Justice Jewelers ring box!! I an't hardly wait to see when she will bring it back out!! I love my girly girl!! :):)

My new ring! :)

Wyatt had to take my diamond engagement ring and wedding band to the "doctor" today at Justice Jewelers!! Yesterday I noticed that one of my diamond baguette's was missing!! I was totally bummed!! I LOVE my wedding set!!! It isn't big or fancy, but it was what my amazing husband chose, just for me!!! Every time I look at it, I think of the sacrifices he had to make in order to buy the best he could afford for his bride!!! {LOVE!!} So, today Maddie and I were talking about my ring and how beautiful she thinks it is (I absolutely LOVE this stage with my daughter!! She thinks that everything that I do, and say and have are absolutely the COOLEST things ever!!!! I am so thankful for the relationship we have and I hope it never changes! Oh, I know it will take on different faces at times, but one of my biggest prayers is that we will always be close!!:))

Anyhoo, we were talking about my ring and how much I love it and she asked me if I was sad to not have it!! I explained to her that I was sad, but that I knew it would be back on my finger in 10-12 business days!! :):) SOOOO, tonight after I got home from my jewelry show, she and Wyatt gave me a *new* "diamond" ring to wear until my special ring gets fixed!! It is HUGER and totally gaudy, but I wouldn't trade it for the world!! AND, I plan to totally wear it until I get mine back! Wyatt later told me, that Maddie knew I was sad without my diamonds so she wanted to help me feel better!! So... off to the Jewelry and Galore store they went to pick out the perfect ring for mommy!!! I LOVE her beautiful, compassionate heart!! She is so special to me!!

{BLESSED!!!!!}

HIGHLIGHT of my DAY!!! :)

Today we had school and it was a BLAST!! We had a really busy weekend filled with family, friends and FUN so I was a little worried about how school would go today!! Thankfully God heard my prayers and my sweet M and Z had an awesome day!! :):) Whoo-hoo!! :):) I wanted to share with you the highlight of my day! At our pre-school we have a drop off line, so we get each kiddo out of their car before school and then they come and sit in their class line on the floor until everyone in the class arrives!! The same is true after school!! Each class lines up in a specific place on the floor while they wait for their parents to come through the line!! Well today, my little class came first, then Zack's calss and then the other classes!! When Maddie's class came through, she dropped down right beside her brother to give him a BIG kiss, and then went on her way!! No words were exchanged just sweet smiles and a brother-sister kiss!!!!!!! :):) The smile on my Zack's face was PRICELESS!!! It just made me tear up!! I am so thankful for the relationships my kiddos have!!! I pray that they will always look out for one another!! SO BLESSED!!! :):)

My Mom and Dad

I love my parents!!! They were awesome parents to my sister and I! Not perfect parents, but, they raised us to know, love and follow hard after God! ! I am so thankful for their profound impact on my life!! I have always enjoyed hanging out with my parents, but I never knew how much more I would enjoy watching them with my kiddos!! WOW!! It is such an incredible blessing!! My mom and dad are SO good about making time for our M and Z! Actually, I think they would rather hang out with them, than Wyatt and I, but since we are transportation for their Grandkids, they put up with us! :) Ha! :) Lately I have been totally blessed by some unexpected time with our Ga-Ga and Mze! Like on Thursday, we had just pulled into Sam's to grab some lunch (Ok, people, DON'T judge, it is quick and cheap and it is right by our pre-school!!:)) and here comes my dad on his motorcycle!! Zack and I got out quickly and yelled out his name... he stopped, turned around and gave us all big hugs! I think he was just as excited to see us, as we were to see him!! Now, I know he was there to get a few things and get out, but he was so excited to see us, he joined us for lunch!! It was an incredible blessing and I am SO thankful for that time with him!!

My mom is always excited to hang out with our kiddos so we can run errands or go out on dates! She isn't willing, she WANT'S to be with our kiddos!! And in turn, they have an awesome relationship with her!! They love their Ga-Ga more than life itself! :):) We are looking forward to going out on a date tomorrow afternoon and evening!! I think she is just as excited as we are!! :):) I am SO unbelievably thankful for her!!

Another example! I had a jewelry show this morning, so my dad and Wyatt planned a "guys day" (with Maddie!!:)) and off they went to McDonalds for breakfast and then to Bass Pro for some bonding time! (I guess that is what people do at Bass Pro...Bond"! I personally can't stand the place, but my kiddos LOVE it!! Oh, the sacrifices of being a mommy!! :)) Then they grabbed some lunch together!! Well my mom was none-to-pleased about NOT being invited to Bas Pro, so she showed up for lunch!! I just LOVE that my parents want to spend time with us!!! They are such a blessing to Wyatt and I and also to our little J'S!! :):) I hope we encourage and love them as much as they encourage and love on us!! We feel SO blessed!! :):)

Christmas Shopping

I started my Christmas shopping last week...I KNOW, it seems crazy doesn't it?! But, Christmas is just over 3 months away!!! :):) AND...we have 12 people to buy for in Wyatt's family and then my family and extended family!! I LOVE to give gifts, and in order to give exactly what we want to give, we have to start early!! Also, I have ideas for EVERYONE, which is totally rare, so I am trying to be really smart and thrifty and buy gifts when they go on sale!!! I am REALLY excited about Christmas presents for my family this year!! For the ladies in my family we are doing "My Favorite Things" (you know, like Oprah's favorite things...only there will be NO car's or trips to Jamaica involved...SO sorry sister and mom!!:)) So, I have already found and purchased a few of these gifts and I CANNOT wait to give them out!!! I love my family SO much, I am looking SO forward to our traditions starting up!! WHOO-HOO!!!!!!!!! :):)

Days like today! :)

We have had a really busy week this week!! So... earlier in the week, I told my kiddos if they would be patient with mommy the first four days of the week, we would do something SUPER special on Friday!! We went right t our calendar and marked off our end-of-the-year-BIG-celebration day! :) That is TODAY!! :):) My M and Z have been AWESOME this week!!! :) I am SO proud of them!! My kiddos are definitely flexible and I am so thankful for that!! :)

As we were putting our kiddos to bed last night I began to chat with them about what they wanted to do on our BIG special day! :) Well, on Tuesday I had talked to my dear friend Amber Grider (her boys just happen to by my kiddos' besties, so it always works out well!!!:)) and we set up a day to play!! We were going to have one last BIG FUN SUMMER DAY before life gets REALLY crazy!! :) So, we all woke up early this morning in eager anticipation!! We met our Griders at 10 a.m. and off we were!!! We went all kinds of places and we had a BLAST!! :) {We actually just got home! :)} It was the perfect last summer day!! Of course we will still continue to have lots of fun this fall...but there is just something special about summer, you know!?

I must give a shout out to my sweet friend Amber!! :) We have known each other for a LONG time, but God has really blessed our friendship in the last year and a half!! She is a lot like me which is a LOT of fun, and our husbands are very similar also!! It is awesome to have a family of friends that is so much like our family!! We enjoy hanging out together so much, it is a true blessing!! Grider family, we are SO thankful for you all!! :):)

I am really looking forward to our weekend!! Tonight, we are headed to Founders's Park for their free kids movie!! Tomorrow, I am meeting some of my favorites girls for an early lunch and then shopping (to plan our BIG weekend away in October!:)) and then on Sunday is CCH's outdoor worship!! We are beyond EXCITED!!! :):) ENJOY your weekend friends!!!!

School

Yes, I said it, and it is true!! My kiddos are going to start school this fall!! Well, actually on Tuesday!! I am EXCITED for them, because they are so excited!! But at the same time, it is a little sad!! I love my babies!! I have enjoyed most every moment (let's be honest folks, with two kiddos 12 months apart, it isn't ALWAYS fabulous!!:)) they have been home with me! I have gotten to watch them learn EVERYTHING and it has been a JOY!! :):)

We never thought we would send our M and Z to pre-school, simply because we do a LOT of learning at home!! But, as we began to pray about school for them, God totally opened our hearts and we began to feel at peace with sending them two days a week!!! They are both so ready for some different kids interactions and I am SO excited to see how they will handle themselves when challenged!! I know they are going to be AWESOME!!! :):) (ok, maybe I am a little bias, but they are great kiddos!! :))

You know what is even better...? :) I get to go to school with them! :):) Whoo-hoo!! :) When I went in to talk to the director about sending my Maddie, she said, "Why dont you send both of our kiddos, then you could teach the 2 year old class!!" Hmmmm, not exactly what I was expected to hear, but I told her I would pray about it!! When I told Wyatt he was pretty unsure of the idea, but again, as we prayed about it, we both felt an unexpected peace and excitement!! So this week has been FULL of meetings and meet the teacher days!!! I think we are going to LOVE all being in school together!! This is going to be AWESOME for my kiddos, and I KNOW that God is going to BLESS our year!! It is going to be a crazy busy fall, but I think we are totally up for it!!! Watch out pre-school, the 3 Jenkins are on our way!! :):)

So, I don't usually post about things like this, but it is so heavy on my heart, I almost can't not post about it!! And...since this is my blog...I guess I will open my heart up a crack and spill some of the feelings that I have been having!! If you aren't one for emotions, you might want to STOP reading now, because this could get a whole lot of emotional, kind of fast!! :) I am a pretty tender hearted girl, I think I always have been, so somethings just hurt me to the core!! If I could not be so sensitive, I would be, but I have come to realize that God has made me this way for His Glory! So I try to run things by my husband when I feel like I might be feeling too tender hearted about something, just to be sure I am not totally way off course!! He is pretty good about gauging me, and I am SO thankful for his love and compassion! But that is a whole other blog!! :) Ha! :) Soooo, if you are still reading, remember I warned you! :)

*This is my disclaimer! I am not a perfect person! As I type this, I am reminding myself of who I want to be and who I stand for!! It is so easy to get sidetracked in the busy-ness of life!!*

Friendships are hard, aren't they?! People's seasons of life are always changing (mine included)!! People are always having babies, moving to new houses, trying out different churches, moving away, starting school, etc! It is hard to keep up with people!! I have always believed that in order to HAVE good friends, you must BE a good friend!! I have tried so hard to be a good friend to people!! Of course, it is so important to know that all friendships look different, and it is fun to see what works is each friendship!! But, none-the-less, friendships are hard!!! I hate that many people, girls especially, are ok with gossip!! REALLY!? Don't we realize that gossip HURTS people, and that eventually it will get back to the person that it is about?! I have had my fair share of being a gossip, and I am not proud of those times!! But once I became an adult, I starting thinking A LOT about the words that I say to people...and about people!!! I wouldn't ever want to hurt someone intentionally!! I may have a venting session with my bestie or my husband, but I pray that those hurt words that pour from my mouth will be held in confidence and prayed over, NOT spread around!!! As I was thinking and praying through this today, I found these verses!! I love what these verses say!! Wow!

Proverbs 11:13

"A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret."

Proverbs 16:28

"A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends."

Proverbs 20:19
"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much."

Don't we realize that GOD hates gossip!?! My dad always used to tell my sister and I this when we were younger and I never understood what it meant! NOW, I get it!! I have been hurt by gossip lately!! I know that this chatter was never meant for my ears, but be assured!!!!!! If someone is willing to talk TO YOU about someone, KNOW that they are willing to TALK ABOUT YOU to someone else!!! And, sometimes you are on the side of being talked about!! We never expect for things to be on the other side, do we?! And, usually it is just one or two people that are unhappy with where they are at that enjoy chatting! Well, I am DONE!!!

I really have a great group{s} of friends!! I am surrounded by love and encouragement!! I am SO thankful for where God has led us over the past few years!! I am really careful about who I trust! Getting hurt time and time again, makes for a pretty thick skin!! So, when I find those dear friends, I stick to them pretty tight!! I have to say that one of these women is my mom!! I am amazed at God's graciousness in blessing me with her!! She knows me and understands me so well!! She lets me talk without interruption and is always willing to gently tell me when I am wrong (or right for that matter!!:)) She is SO precious to me and I am so thankful for the friendship we share!!!

So, ALL of this to say!! I am thankful for a God of grace and peace!! Without Him, I would be a mess!! (Well even more of a mess!:)) I am thankful for His promise of new mercies each morning and of forgiveness!! I am so thankful for a loving husband who knows me SO well!! I am thankful for dear, sweet friends!!! Friends that have been, and will continue to be there for me NO MATTER what!!

{And, as I hit the send button, my stomach hurts!!}

VBS Comments

We are enjoying VBS SO MUCH this week!! My kiddos have been awesome and we have made it to VBS on time every day...almost!! Ha! :) They are SO EXCITED to go to "PBS!" I love that they are teaching my kids to serve and have compassion and love on others!! Maddie and Zack are especially excited about giving to the kids in "Sadie" (Haiti!:)) I LOVE that they are learning how to love others!! :) Here are some of my favorite quotes from my little M and Z this week! They are too funny not to share!!

Maddie: "Mommy, I LOVE PBS!!" (That is what she calls VBS! I think it is SO cute!:))

Zack: "WE GOT A SNACK and it was soooooooo good!!!" :) (My little guy LOVES to eat!:))

Maddie: "Mommy, why is Mr. Wayne dressed like a cowgirl!?" (Our awesome minister leads the kiddos in the Praise time during "PBS" and he is always dressed "in part!" Except he isn't dressed like a cow girl, just a cow boy, she gets confused! :))

Zack: "WE HAD A CRAFT!!!!! :) My Hayden sat by me!" (Hayden is one of his besties, so Z has to give me a full report on Hayden also each day!! :))

Maddie: "MOMMY, did you know that the kids in "Sadie" don't have ANYTHING!?" (Here she is referring to the mission for VBS this week!! They have been collecting money for the kiddos in HAITI so they can have shoes and such! Apparently they did the BIG presentation on this on Tuesday because both my M and Z came home telling me about the kids in "Sadie!" And they haven't stopped! They even hit up their Ga-Ga and Mze for money for these kids! A-dorable! :))

Zack: "Mommy, the kids in "Sadie" don't have a refrigerator or a fan! Can you believe that?" (TRUE story!! :):) He must have heard that somewhere!!:))

Maddie: "My favorite times are snack and craft time! Oh, and I love the sing and dance time!! Do grown ups really dance like that?? (referring to the adults acting goofy on stage!) Did you KNOW I get to sing and dance ON STAGE on Sunday??!"

Zack: "I don't "yike" to sing and dance on stage!"

Maddie: "Bye-bye mommy, have fun in your BIG girl class!! And don't forget to learn stuff!!:)"

Zack: "Will you stay with me?" (He said this in my ear very quietly on the first day!! He was SO precious!! He wasn't crying or throwing a fit...he just needed some reassurance from his Mommy!! You can BET I stayed for a bit!!:))

I know I say this a lot, but you can NEVER say it too much, and they can never HEAR it too much!! I LOVE MY KIDDOS!!! They are so fun and so sweet and so funny!! They are just the perfect mix of Wyatt and I! I LOVE to watch them learn!! What an incredible privilege!! I am enjoying my time with them so much, because...the next time VBS rolls around, I will have a 5 year old and an almost 4 year old!! Time is FLYING, so we are ENJOYING every moment!!

SO BLESSED!!!!!!

A Love Letter to my Zack

Dear Sweet Precious Baby Boy,

Are you REALLY 3!?! As I look at your precious face, I can hardly believe the BIG boy you are becoming!! You have such beautiful blue eyes and a smile that totally light's up your face (and anyone's else's that is around! :)) Your smile is totally contagious!!!:))!! You are sure spunky and stinky, (in all fun ways of course :)) but you are so cute and fun loving also!! You love trains and fire truck's... throwing balls and jumping off of EVERYTHING...you are our true little boy!! We love you SO much!!

Of course I feel like I know you the best, since we get to spend every day together and I love it so much!! :) You were challenging to me at first, son, I simply didn't know what to do with a boy! But, you have been so patient with your mommy and I am so thankful for your life and for God's perfect timing in giving us YOU!! I love the way you hold my hand each night as you have your last "dink" (drink) of the day and how you snuggle up close to me when you are feeling sleepy or just need some encouragement!! I love the way you dance, brother bear's got some rhythm! :) I love hot proud you are of being able to spell your name and knowing ALL the letters in the alphabet!! You have a tender heart and I pray that God will use that for His Glory!! I love the way you love all of the special family members you have in your life...you adore your Mze and your Daddy!! You think your Ga-Ga is pretty special and you enjoy the presence of your Tre-Tre, Unk and Maddux so much! BUT, above ALL, you L-O-V-E your sister!! She is your favorite and your best! I pray that you two will continue forming the amazing bond you share!! Precious!! :):) I love the way you say "Mommy" and how you ask the sweetest questions!!! I love the way you want to learn!! You LOVE your big sister, and want to know everything that she knows!! You are my little lovey!

My prayer for you son, is that you grow to be a man that loves, serves and fears God!! I pray that He will dwell in your heart and that you will find your identity in Him each day!!! I pray that you will seek Him and find Him in each situation that you have in life!! I know that days seem hard at times, but God is ALWAYS there and He loves you SO much!!! I pray scripture over you a lot son...you can be so strong willed, but I know that God is doing a work in your heart and I CANNOT WAIT to see who He makes you and molds you to be!!! Never could I have imagined how much I love you and how precious your life is to me!! Happy Birthday my precious child, mommy loves you SO much!!!

I LOVE you Zack!!!

:) Christina

VBS

Today was our first day at VBS at Northside and it was a huge SUCCESS!! :):) This is our second year at VBS and my kiddos have been talking about it ALL month long!! :) Maddie and Zack were SO EXCITED to go and be with their friends and learn about Jesus!! They were also quite excited to learn a new theme song and just enjoy being with their friends! I grew up going to VBS, so it is very special to me too! I am SO excited that my kiddos get the chance to be blessed by all of the time and energy our church puts into this program!! They realize that for some kiddos, this might be their first {and only} chance at learning about the Bible!! We LOVE VBS!!

As I mentioned previously, this is our second year at VBS!! Last year looked MUCH different that this year!! At this time last year we had just started attending our new church and we were so anxious about the new-ness that it was!!! I had gone to many activities with Northside growing up (my family attended a sister church throughout my childhood:)) but it was different going as an adult!! I was so worried about whether we would like it there, or if anyone would talk to us...you know! If you have ever left a church and gone to a new one, you know exactly the feelings I am describing!! It is {SCARY!!} BUT, God is SO gracious and we have found so many new and dear friendships! Wyatt and I feel totally blessed!!! God's hand really has been in our move, and we are so thankful for His leading and for His perfect timing!!

Today, as we walked into VBS, instead of feeling nervous or anxious, we had friends waiting for us to go to class! :):) As we walked down the hall, different friends hugged on us and told us how excited they were that we were there!! It was an incredible blessing!!! I hope that we, The Jenkins family, will be a blessing to others who just need to be loved on!! :)

AND, we can't WAIT for the rest of this week!!!!! :):):):)