Previous Entry's

I keep a journal for both of my kiddos and I LOVE it! I think it is almost as much for me, as it is for them! :) I try to write in it at least once a week, sometimes I write every day, sometimes, I write three times a month! But, it has been awesome to write down the things that they do or say on a daily/weekly/monthly basis! It is fun to look back and remember all of those little things that they did! I can't WAIT to give these journals to each child when they get married!! I have been looking back at my previous entry's and it is SO much fun to see how my kids have grown and changed!! They are such good, sweet, SMART kids! I am amazed at them constantly and I love them so much! :) Of course every parents loves their child, but I am in awe of how my love grows for them every single day! :) They are such great little people!! :)

It is also good to know that you DO forget about the hard days and press on towards the wonderful days!!! The last entry I read was from the beginning of September 2009! Maddie was just 14 months old and Zack was 1 1/2 months old! It was the first time I had taken them both to the grocery store by myself!! In the duration of our 30 minutes there, Maddie had managed to open BOTH a box of cereal and a box of pasta and dumped them both on the floor! Of course I couldn't find different people to clean up both messes so I had a grumpy sales-person AND a hungry screaming baby on my hands!! I remember SO well getting in the car feeling SO defeated, wondering if my life would ever be "normal" again! :) My daughter was sad because she knew I was upset with her, and my son was screaming with hunger!! AUGH!! What was I to d?? So, I cried! :):) A lot!

Now, I laugh at the memory!! I am SURE I looked like I had NO clue what was going on!! And how on EARTH had I let my 14 month old open TWO boxes and dump them out...where was I?? Oh yeah,I was the mom trying frantically to get a few groceries so I could cook a meal for my family!! :) I can be so hard on myself sometimes! I am not perfect...I don't say the perfect things or always act the perfect way! BUT I am work in progress, for God, for myself, for my husband and for my kids!!! I am SO THANKFUL for where God has led us to this point!! Life ISN'T always easy! Actually it will never be easy if we are doing what God has called us to do! BUT...it. is. SO! GOOD!!! :) I am SO grateful for God's timing being so much better than my own! I am so thankful for the way He teaches me and stretches me to grow in Him every single day!!!! THANKS God for your perfect plan for us!!!!

A cute story!

Yesterday we were driving in the car on the way to church and we were talking about sisters! My mom's sister came into town kind of unexpectedly yesterday, so we were talking about Aunt Julie being Ga-Ga's sister, and how Tre Tre was mommy's sister. Then we went on to talk about how Maddie is Zack's sister! It was so cute how she was stringing everyone together! She knew that Mze didn't have any sisters (but she did point out that he has 2 brothers, she is SO smart! :)) And we talked about daddy having several sisters!! Anyway, as we are talking through all of this, she suddenly stops, looks straight at me and says, "Mommy, I want a sister!!!!!" Wyatt and I looked at each other and burst out laughing!! It was just SO cute, she was very insistent upon it!!! :) I don't know what God has in store for us, but if a sister would happen to be born into our family, I think our little Maddie would be so happy!!! :):)

Love Languages_Edited

I just realized that some of this blog got erased, not sure how it happened!! Anyway, here is the original version!

Last week at MOPs our mentor talked to us about the 5 Love Languages! This book has been around forever and Wyatt and I have been through it several times, it is an awesome book!! So as she was introducing the topic, I was thinking, "I already know this, I want to learn something new!" However, I was excited to hear what she had to say! I really love our mentor's at MOPs this year! They are really knowledgeable and loving, wise and discerning and kind! She talked to us about the importance of meeting your spouses needs! It is always good to be reminded that his needs are not necessarily MY needs, but he needs them met anyway! What is interesting is that Wyatt and I do have the same top 2 love languages, but we SHOW them in different ways!! It was so good to be reminded of ways to continually meet Wyatt's love languages, and to think of some fun, new ways to show him how much I love him!

What was even more interesting was our mentor mentioning that we will be able to tell what our childrens' love languages are going to be by the time they are around 8 years!! As I was thinking through the 5 languages I pictured my children in each of those capacities! At this point in their lives, they NEED all 5 languages SHOWN to them!! But I can already kind of tell what language they are speaking to Wyatt and I and to each other!! Of course it will be fun to watch them grow and change, I want them to be stretched and grown the way God wants to teach them! It is just such a blessing to watch them become little people!

My Maddie LOVES her quality time and special gifts! She is also a acts of service kind of girl! She lights up whenever she gets to spend just a few minutes with anyone, just them and her!! She and I went out on a shopping date over the weekend and she just GLOWED the entire time! she was so happy to just be WITH me, it didn't matter at ALL what we were doing, it just mattered that it was her and I! My little girl loves her mommy and her daddy so much!! She also loves little gifts, even if I just color a picture for her or get her inexpensive stickers!! She loves to be given something, and then she loves to give in return! I am so proud of her for the way she helps take are of her "broder!" She is such a sweet girl and I am so thankful for her little life!!

My little Z is also a quality time kind of guy but also a words of affirmation! He loves to hear my love for him!! He really isn't the touchy feely kind of guy, BUT when I am snuggling him telling him what a good boy he is and how much I love him, he eats it up!! He needs to hear that although he needs to be disciplined sometimes, he IS an AMAZING little boy and that I love him SO MUCH!! He likes to spend time with us one on one and smiles so big whenever he is being BIG with daddy!! He sure is a daddy's boy, but he loves his mommy too!! :)

I was so blessed by this lesson!! I love living life with my husband and our children!!!

Today we went to an Easter Egg hunt with several of our good friends!! What a FUN time we had together!! :) We have been hanging out with this crew of people since college and we are SO blessed by the friendship that both Wyatt and I share with them!! What is even more fun, is that we all have children around the same ages so we like to get together and all play! Today was no exception! As I looked around the circle if little smiles, it was amazing to see how God has blessed each one of these little families! Some have one child, others have two or three children, and it is incredible to see how God is working in each of the hearts of each child! It is also awesome to see our kids forming such tight friendships with each other!! Maddie and Zack both ask for these kids on a regular basis, asking me how they are and if we are going to see them anytime soon! :) I am SO THANKFUL for these families and for the history we have with them! There are a lot of people that come in and out of our lives, but I know that no matter what, we will always be friends with these people, and for that, I am SO thankful!!

I truly feel that God uses our children (among SO many other things) to teach us about unconditional love, blessing and contentment! I am SO CONTENT with my Maddie and my Zack! I look into their little eyes and I see Wyatt and I and it is the most incredible feeling! I don't know if God has us to have more children, if He does, I am totally ok with that! But, if it is His will for us just to have our two, I am to content with that too!! My Maddie and Zack are such little blessings to me, they are refining me and teaching and stretching me in so many ways! I love them SO much I want to be the BEST I can be for them and our family!! My prayer is that God will give us the wisdom that we need to raise them as Godly toddlers, teenagers and adults! Thanks God for the blessing of our little ones!!!

SO PRECIOUS!!!!

Tonight I was making dinner for the family and it got really quiet! I finished up our baked ziti, (Wyatt's favorite) put it in the oven and went to investigate, worrying about what I might find!!! I peeked into Zack's room, then the play room, and then I heard it!! Maddie and Zack were sitting in her room, both in her chair (it is a pink over stuffed chair, really only comfortable for one child) and she was reading books to him!! Ok, so she wasn't reading the actual words, but she knew they book so well, she was telling him about the pictures and actions! :):) It was ABSOLUTELY the most precious thing I have ever seen!!! When I walked in, she said "Hi mommy, Broder and I are reading books!" It was so cute! She is such a good sister and he is such a precious little brother!! :)

It has been so hard at times having them so close in age, but after seeing them this week, I think they are going to be the BEST of friends!! At McDonald's on Thursday, they had several friends there to play with, and they did play with their friends, BUT they played together first and always kept an eye on the other! Then at the park on Wednesday, they held hands and Maddie helped Zack down the slide and "caught" him each time!!! I am so thankful for my son and daughter and for the J-O-Y they bring to my life! I am so thankful that God's grace covers us! :) I am such a proud mommy of two!!! :):)

"Um, excuse me...!"

My kiddos and I went to McDonalds yesterday with some friends to play at the play place and have some delicious lunch! Well after my two kids and the other 3 kiddos "ate" they wanted to play! Well my kiddos hadn't eaten very much because they wanted to play with their friends, so I left out their plates of food so that when they realized they were hungry, they could finish their lunches!! So I am chatting with my friends and this older woman walks up to me and says, "Um, excuse me, I just wanted you to know that your son is eating off the floor!!" I jumped up and looked over, and SURE ENOUGH my little Zack was eating some nuggets (that he had been carrying around) that had dropped onto the floor!! At this moment I had a decision to make! A. I could either raise my voice to him and try to dig out the half eaten nuggets in his mouth, OR B. I could let him finish the bite he had in his mouth and then tell him that lunch was O-V-E-R!!! So, knowing how my sweet little boy gets embarrassed at times, I let him finish his bite and then I told him lunch was over!! He swallowed BIG and said "YUMMY Mommy!!" It was pretty cute! The girls I was with cracked up and we went about our business!! I mean, the nuggets that dropped on the floor for 3 seconds couldn't possibly be worse than goat food...right?! :):):)

My Son-the talker!

Zack is now 19 months old and I am ENJOYING him so much!! He is SO full of life and joy!! I love the way he smiles and how his nose crinkles up when he is happy! I love the sound of his laugh and the way he loves for me to "get" him!!! He is ALL boy! he has bruises on his knees and his jeans are already stained and ripping! :) He LOVES to eat his 'anna's and drink his "ilk, pease!" (Bannas and milk are his favorites right now!! :)) What I am loving these days is his little voice!!! He is saying SO many words!! My favorites are "snuggle," "book," "snack," "sissser," "pease," "yuve you," oh and so many more!! He is just so sweet!! Today we hung out with some friends at the park and Zack just LOVED on the little boy!! Well I guess he isn't little, he was 12, but he just played with Zack and Zack just ATE IT UP!!! He laughed and laughed as T pushed him in his swing and chased after him at the park!! It brought me so much joy just to see him interacting so sweetly with other kids!! :) I am just so proud of my son and so thankful that God saw it fit to bless Wyatt and I with a son!!!

My Favorite Song

This is absolutely my favorite song right now!!! I LOVE IT and I listen to it over and over! It brings me so much encouragement and JOY to know that God is ALIVE and that He is ALWAYS faithful!!! Even though life can be HARD, no matter what season you are in life, God is HERE and HE knows my heart and my mind!! I am SO thankful that He LOVES me, just for who I am!

Let The Waters Rise- by Mikeschair

Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach

God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You

Ohhh

There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You

Ohhh

Father, I will FOLLOW YOU!! No matter what!!!

A Day at the Zoo

We went to the zoo with my sister and nephew and another friend who has twin boys last week! We had a BLAST!!! We love hanging out with Tre Tre and Maddux so anytime we get to hang out with them is a treat! And, it was a beautiful day!! When we got to the zoo Maddie and Zack took off running and didn't stop until their little legs were absolutely worn out! It was so cute!! Maddie wanted to keep up with the boys (who are about 6 months older than she) and brother wanted to keep up with sister so it was this continual train of kids!! It was so much fun!! At the goat/donkey display they have food you can buy to feed the animals!! Well Zack was picking it off the ground and feeding it to the animals so I thought it would be fun to get some food to give to him to feed the goats! I turned away from him for about a second to check on Maddie (she was MUCH less sure of feeding the animals) and as I turned back around Zack started chomping on something! Oh yes, he was EATING the goat food!!! EWWWW!!! What was so cute, was that he didn't think it tasted bad at all! I have him his sippy cup and he washed it all down with some apple juice!!! Hilarious!! I am so thankful for my sweet little BOY!! He is ALL boy!! He wants to get into everything, get dirty and experience absolutely everything he can!! I love having a boy!!

Special Relationships!

We are so thankful for the special relationships our kiddos have with their Ga-Ga and Mze! I am constantly reminded how blessed we are that our kids know, LOVE and adore their Grandparents!! My mom and dad know our kids SO well, they love them and take such good care of them!! Anytime we go anywhere with my parents, Maddie is walking with my mom holding her hand, and my dad has Zack in his arms, telling him about some CRAZY adventure they are going to share! :) It warms my heart SO much to know that my parents, the people who poured themselves into me, will do the same with my children!! They are teaching M and Z about God and His love for us! We pray together at every meal, and now Maddie says prayers for our meals, always thanking God for her Ga-Ga and Mze!! They are teaching them about sharing and adventures and so many exciting fun things, that only grandparents can say to their grand kids!! Whew, what a blessing!! :) I sure do LOVE my parents!!!!

I am also thankful for the relationship that my sister and brother-in-law have with our kids!! Tre-Tre and Unk are SO important to Zack and Maddie!! Maddie constantly tell me that Ga-Ga and Tre-Tre and I are her best friends!! Ahh, melt my heart!! :) I love that I get to know and be close to my nephew!! He is so precious, I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see him on an every other day basis! He is growing and shaping my sister and BIL into even more amazing people, and it is SO fun to watch!! Today, and everyday I am reminded that my family is a true BLESSING!! God is SO good!!

My Birthday Weekend!

Two weeks before my birthday I received the sweetest e-vite from my two BFF's Sarah and Katie! They were inviting me away for a surprise birthday weekend! The e-vite instructed on what to bring/wear on our weekend, but it gave no specific direction as to where we were going!! Of course I replied "yes" and our weekend was set! For 10 days I waited for my birthday to get here, I knew it would be amazing, but I didn't know exactly HOW amazing!!

On Friday, Catrina and Maddux came and picked up Zack, Maddie and I and we went into town for lunch! First we stopped by CCH to take a look at the new paint and couches and then we were off to lunch with my mom!! My family is the BEST at celebrating birthdays!! We enjoy each other so much, we love to celebrate together!! Catrina and my mom were so thoughtful an d bought us lunch at one of my favorite restaurant's--Maria's!It was SO much fun! After lunch at Maria's we stopped for yogurt...YUM-O!!! Wyatt came home that evening after being out of town all week! He took me out to dinner and we had a nice evening just being adults! I love my husband so much, he had been gone all week and it was wonderful to have him home!

The next morning my BFF Sarah picked me up at 6:30 a.m. and we headed out on our girls' weekend!! We had some amazing chats on the 3 1/2 drive to get Katie! Sarah is one of the most genuine, honest, caring, loving and unconditional women I know!! She is simply amazing! We laughed our heads off, cried maybe a tear or too, and anxiously awaited picking up our Katie!! When we pulled in we ran up to her door whooping and hollering, we all hugged and squealed with excitement...it was the perfect start to our weekend!! After Sarah and I loved on our little Max and Sophie, we were OFF!! We went to a really fancy shopping mall, to walk around and dream...and to people watch! It was so much fun! After our first round of "shopping," we went to a delicious upscale pizza restaurant!! Then we headed to the Galleria!! :) It was a BLAST!! We shopped and shopped and shopped!! One of our favorite things to do is stick Sarah in the dressing room and bring her clothes to try on!! She is a teacher so she really needs nice new clothes and we are happy to help!! Well on this particular day she needed shoes, so we went everywhere looking for the perfect pairs of shoes! We found them and celebrated with ice cream!

After several hours at the mall, we headed to our hotel!! Wyatt had taken care of the hotel for us with reservations and valet parking! It was a beautiful hotel, we had a view of the arch from our window!! After checking in we went to our room (on the 21st floor) and laid on our beds and chatted for about 2 hours!! Now, I imagine that with anyone else after awhile we would run out of things to talk about, but we didn't!! Thus one of the best parts about having dear friends!! We are so close, that we can (and do) talk for hours about everything, never getting tired of one another's presence!

Around 6:45 we started getting ready for our dinner reservation! We were all so excited about getting dressed up and going out!! Our restaurant was just 5 blocks from our hotel so we walked...it was so much fun to just be us!! Not mommies, not teachers, not even wives at the moment, just the three of us...the best of friends!!!! Dinner was amazing, it was quite the experience! Our waiter was fun, he really enjoyed having three hotties at his table! Probably the funniest part of our evening was when he asked us what we were celebrating! We told him it was my 30th birthday and he went on to tell us how TERRIBLE his 30's were!! WOW! Not expecting that at all, but we laughed none the less and enjoyed the rest of our diner, including the complimentary chocolate cake...ummm, YUM-O!!!!!!!!!!!! After dinner we were walking back to our hotel when we saw a horse drawn carriage! Sarah said, "let's go for a ride" and Katie and I said "ok," so off we went!! We must have looked ridiculous all three of us in the same bench, but it was so much fun!! We were riding through downtown St. Louis just the three of us laughing our heads off! It. was. AWESOME!! When we got home we put on our pajamas and chatted late into the night!! The perfect way to end the perfect day!!

On Sunday morning we woke up to the beautiful view of the arch, chatted some more and then decided we were hungry!! Thanks to Prudence, Katie's handy dandy GPS system, we found a St. Louis bread close tour hotel (after going the wrong way on a downtown street) and settled in for breakfast!! The rest of the day was spent at Target (with Sarah in the dressing room and us bringing her all kinds of cute clothes), eating lunch and being best friends! Sadly around 3 we took Katie home and started our trip back to Springfield! Our weekend was over!! But it was the BEST birthday weekend I have ever had! Sarah and I talked all the way home, laughing and crying some more!! It is amazing how God has changed our lives since we have known each other! It is so good see His glory shine through what He has done!!! I came home totally refreshed, encouraged and energized!!!

THANKS to Wyatt and Nick for keeping our kiddos!!! And THANK YOU to Katie and Sarah for being such incredible friends!! I am SO BLESSED to have you in my life! I love that we know each other so well and have such an awesome friendship!! I love you girls!!!

The Proverbs

I have been reading through the book of Proverbs a lot lately...it has become one of my favorites books in the Bible! In the verses all throughout the book of Proverbs, I find much encouragement and also instruction on how to live, and on how NOT to live!! The Proverbs talk a LOT about the foolish, and about the wise, and I am striving each day to be wise! I am really working on being a better wife to Wyatt this busy season, I love him so much and he needs to know that EVERY day!! As many of you know, Wyatt is an accountant so our life right now is CRAZY! Many times in the past I have met him at the door with disdain and dis-respect..not at all because I am mad at him, just because I have had a rough day and no one to talk to except two small children! So I am really trying to change that this year and all of the years to come! Wyatt works hard to provide for our family, and for that I am SO thankful! He doesn't have a "normal" job, but as long as he enjoys it, we will stick with it! As I was reading my daily reading, I came across this verse! It hit me SO hard, kind of out of nowhere! It is one of those verses that just STICKS in my mind and I am constantly held accountable for my actions with and against my husband! This verse is found in Proverbs 12:4, and it says:

"A wife of noble character is her husbands crown, but a disgraceful wife is like DECAY in his bones!" Proverbs 12:4

WOW!! DECAY in my husbands bones, no thank you!! I think that sounds terribly gross and quite uncomfortable! But... it really has made an impact on my heart!! Those 19 words have changed my heart! THANKS God for reminding me of who You are and who You are molding and making me to be!! So this week, along with the last few weeks and I hope, the remaining weeks/months/years of my life, I am going to focus on making my husband proud of me and for simply being a woman of noble character, instead of decay in Wyatt's bones! (YUCK! :))

TOP 10!

Hello friends!! Happy February! I love the month of February! It is far enough past Christmas, that it is no longer depressing that everyone has taken down their Christmas lights and tree's! It is fun when it snows, the occasional day "off" of whatever because of the snow is awesome!! :) Another reason that February is my favorite month...Valentine's Day is this month so I am pretty much guaranteed a date with my husband!!! Lastly, I LOVE February because it is my birthday month! :) My parents were really thoughtful with our birthday's when we were growing up, so birthdays are very special to me! My mom always made us a special cake, and we always had a plethora of friends over to help celebrate!! This birthday is particularly special because I am going to be 30!! Yes friends, this is the last week of my twenties! And you know what, I am totally ok with that!! With age comes wisdom and many new blessings! I am excited to see what God has in store for me (and my family) this year and the year after that, and the year after that...! :) I really believe that you should live life in the present! I think God calls us to be content with exactly where we are right now, but it is exciting to think about what He has for us in the future! It is also good to look back and see what He has done in my life for the past 10 years, He worked and worked and worked in my heart and I am so thankful!! They have been FULL of life lessons, amazing experiences, and a lot of JOY!! So...I think I will share with you my top 1o List of Lessons I Learned in my 20's! :) (Be assured friends that I am STILL learning and growing in many of these area's!!! :))

10. Life is FUN when you have a heart full of JOY!!! Of course there are days when joy may come in different shapes and sizes, it might not always be huge smiles and lots of bouncing up and down!! But when I live my life full of JOY for God, life is a lot better!! Joy is certainly a choice!! You have to choose joy even on the days that are rough, even when you are walking in the valley, and when life is hard! But friends, I promise you that the choice of Joy in Christ is amazing!!! The freedom that comes with JOY is un-replaceable! Therefore, I will always CHOOSE JOY, for myself, for my kids, and for our life!

9. Life truly goes by so fast!! If you don't embrace where you are at, every single day...years will have flown by without you even knowing it!! I can hardly believe how fast the past 10 years have flown by! ( I realize that that statement alone makes me sounds like I am 100 years old, but it is TRUE!!! :)) I am learning to make every second really COUNT and I am striving to be intentional with my family, I don't want to miss a second with them!!

8. True friends are very hard to come by!! A lot of people have come and gone in my life over the years, and I am so thankful for each one!! I have been refined by so many relationships, in both good and hard ways!! I am so thankful for the people that I have in my life right now! They are wonderfully loving, good listening, unconditional, GODLY families who live their lives very similarly to how Wyatt and I desire to live our lives and raise our family!! I have also learned that you don't need an entire entourage of people! Friendships are great, I don't want to discount that, but everyone cannot be your BEST friend!! That title should only be reserved for people who know you, love you and are unconditional with you!! But for us, for this season, we are thankful for the handful of people loving on us as we love on them!! We are truly blessed!!

7. Life runs in seasons! In some seasons, life is full of family and friends and busy-ness! In other seasons, life means change--changing job, changing churches, moving to a different house in a different state or simply having a different outlook on life! Seasons are not bad, in fact they help you grow and spiritually mature! I love the season of life we are in right now! We have taken a step back to see what is really important!! We are re-evaluating where were are and where we want to be...it is a wonderful season of learning, reflecting and growing!

6. If someone is willing to talk TO you about someone else, be assured that they are willing to talk ABOUT you to someone else!! This has been a VERY hard lesson in the past years, but I am thankful to have learned it and moved on! I have readjusted my ideas of what a good conversation is...if all I have to talk about is someone else, I probably shouldn't be talking, or listening!

5. The statement "If you don't put anything IN TO(fill in the blank), you won't get anything OUT OF (Fill in the blank!)!" This is one of my biggest pet peeves, but it is also one of the biggest lessons I have learned over the past decade!! God can teach us something in EVERY situation, we just have to allow Him!! Our hearts and minds have to be open and centered on Him and what He is trying to teach us!! Early in my 20's, I got so "me"-minded...everything was about ME, so of course I wasn't getting anything out of ANYthing!! My dad and I had several chats about this and I had the hardest time understanding his point!! That life isn't about ME, it is about GOD and how I can serve Him best! Now, I understand what it takes to learn, be fed and grow!!! It takes me putting everything aside to focus on what God has for me to learn, even when it might not be a lesson I want to hear!!

4. A family that loves, serves and honors God is priceless!! I can't even begin to explain how many times in the past 10 years I have talked to my parents about choices that I am making or would make! They always answer(ed) my questions and concerns with Godly wisdom and discernment!! They LOVE God, and, because of them...I live my life for Christ, and my children will live their lives for Christ!! It is a legacy that started a very long time ago, that lives on today, through my parents, Wyatt and I, and our children! My parent's aren't fancy people, they don't have a huge house or drive fancy cars , but they are living life for Christ and there is nothing better than knowing that we will be together in Heaven someday, praising God together there! I am SO thankful for my parents and for the way they chose to obey God, even when it might not have been the life they were expecting!

3. Children are a BLESSING!!! My two kids are the BEST thing that could have ever happened to me!! I am so in love with them and their little personalities!! They make me laugh and cry because I love them SO much!! Before I had my kids, I got to hang out with a sweet little man named Griffin!! I started being his nanny when he was just 2 weeks old!! I had really never cared for a baby that small, yet his parents entrusted his little life to me!! He has been a true blessing to me, and, he has taught me so much about what being a true parents means!! I am so thankful for the ways that God touches me through Maddie and Zack every single day! I am also thankful for my relationship with Griffin and all that God has provided through him and his family!

2. My husband is my perfect match! If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be marrying a man that was home schooled and had never kissed a girl before me, I would have laughed out loud!! I never knew that God would have someone SO AMAZING for me!! Wyatt is my best friend, he is the most incredible man I have ever met!! He still amazes me every single day with his patience, love and God fearing heart! He is a man of God, he loves God with his entire being! He challenges me to know and follow hard after God every single day! He is always on my side, but he is always willing to help me see the other side of any situation! Every decision that he makes for our family has been soaked in prayer! I am the luckiest woman in the world, and for him, I am SO thankful!!!

1. God is GOOD, ALL THE TIME!! He hears us when we talk to Him! He loves me unconditionally, and He is ALWAYS there!! He is proud of me, and He gives me the affirmation I need, simply because I belong to Him! I guess this isn't new to me, it is just a lesson that I have to learn over and over again! God is bigger than me, He is bigger than any situation I feel like I can't get over! He is BIGGER than my fears and failures! He knows me inside and out! He knows my heart's desire's! He knows my character and my integrity! He knows my passions and my struggles!! HE IS BIG...nd I am SO thankful!!

Father that you for your BIG-ness! Thank you for being constant with me and for loving me, hearing me and protecting me! Father, please guide me as I enter this new season of life! Please give me wisdom and guidance!! Father please help me to serve You, above all things!! Remind me each morning that You have provided a new day for me! Help me to keep focus on doing Your work each day!! Please give me wisdom and discernment in my mommy-ing skills, with my relationship with Wyatt, with my family...and in my friendships! Please use me to shine Your love, in all circumstances!! Please give me contagious JOY!! I love you and I give YOU the glory!! Amen!

Happy NEW year!

Happy New Year Friends!! It is so hard to believe that it is already a new year!! Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone and here we are looking at the beginning of another year!! I am SO EXCITED for this year! It is going to be the BEST year for the Jenkins family, I can feel it in my bones!! Wyatt took 16 days off for Christmas and just went back to work today, needless to say, we are MISSING him VERY much! During his time home we had a BLAST together!! We had a lot of good friends over for dinner and we got to spend New Year's with our BESTest college buddies!! It was a par-tay!!! :)

Some of the best time we had were the evenings that Wyatt and I just sat together and chatted!! I love my husband so much, he gets me in ways that I never thought someone could understand me!! I am so thankful for his love and unconditional-ness!! We feel like this year there is going to be a LOT of change, BUT, we are EXCITED about what 2010 holds for our family!!! We trust that God will guide and direct us and we are excited to follow His will for us!! During some of our chats, Wyatt made some pretty awesome challenges to me, I am ready to watch God work in my heart and mind!! Go GOD!!!! I also wanted to share some of my own personal goals for this year!

*Spend time in God's Word FIRST thing every morning!! If I am going to trust Him with my life, then I need to start my day with Him, every day!

*I want to be a better wife! I know that this sounds cheesy but it is true! Wyatt is amazing and his is the most incredible gift that God could have ever given to me!! So, one way I want to be better is that I want to be more mindful at making dinners that he especially enjoys! Sometimes I get stuck in a rut and he is SO patient, but I know I can do better! I want to make sure he has something yummy for breakfast and something to take to work with him for lunch! We aren't a big leftover family, BUT I am in charge of the food in our house and I want to take care of Wyatt by making sure he is well fed! Again, I know that sounds cheesy but it is big for me!!

*I would like to lose 50 pounds this year! I lost 70 last year and if I could lose another 50, I think I would be at a good place! Please pray for perserverance for me friends!!

* I want to stick to our budget and feel good about where we are one year from today!! By this time next year, we should have a lot paid off and that would be AWESOME for us!!!

* I want to be better about communicating with my friends!! I am not good on the phone, but I need to be better!! It always makes me feel special to get a call from someone, just because they are thinking about me! I think about people all the time, I just need to pick up the phone and tell them so!! I also want to send at least one letter per week! I LOVE to get mail, so I am sure others do too! :)

* I want to be more confident, pretty much all the way around!!!!

*I want to have contagious JOY!!!!

These are just a few of my goals for this year!! I am looking forward to all of the new adventures that God has in store for me and my sweet family this year!!!

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus!" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

You Never Know...

I would say that my kiddos and I are pretty active each week!! We attend MOPs, we have play dates and we eat lunch with my mom every single Tuesday!! (It is a blessing for both her and us!:)) We love being out and about, learning about new things, experiencing life together and meeting new people! All of these new adventures are fun!!! However, the meeting new people has really affected my life in the past year!!! You never know what people's stories are...us humans can be SO interesting!! I never let my kiddos talk to strangers, I am huge on stranger danger, but there are a few restaurants that we frequent quite a bit, so we have gotten to know workers at each place!! There a two people that have especially made an impact on my life and I wanted to share about them!!!

Our favorite restaurant here in Nixa is called Luigi's!! It is a local pizza joint and it is delicious!! :) But even better than the pizza, is our favorite waitress there named Kristie!!! My friend Kristie is a very lonely lady who loves to be loved on!! So each week when we go in there ( I know right, each WEEK!! :) We L-O-V-E pizza!!:)) she knows we are coming so she has crackers for the kiddos, high chairs and crayons ready for us!!! We started going to Luigi's several years ago, but it was just last year I felt a connection with Kristie!! She was so sad one day that we came in, I simply asked her if she was ok! She broke down...I was stunned!! I didn't know what to do!! She always has a bright smile on her face, but I could always tell there was something just not right!! So over the year she has poured out her life story to me, over the course of each week she tells me something new!!! It isn't always good, sometimes it is really hard to hear, but I love it that she feels so comfortable with us!! The last time I saw her (we haven't seen her in several weeks, she is quite ill) she said, "You know, I have never had a friend like you!" Oh my heart!!!! You never know who's life you are going to touch...just being loving and kind to people, taking an extra minute to really care about them and in turn THEY have a lasting affect on YOU!! I was getting so complacent in life, having two pretty awesome kids, a husband who works SO hard and a beautiful house to go home to, I think God knew I needed a wake up call, so He sent me Kristie!

Our other favorite place is in Springfield and of course it is another pizza place!! (Have I mentioned we LOVE pizza???) There is a guy there who has been waiting on us for just about a year!! He too is very lonely! He has had a rough life and is still trying to recover from some of the mistakes he made as a young man!!! He smiles so big at us when we come through the door!!! We know we are going to have to make some time to talk to Gary!! Much like Kristie, he has shared a lot with us over the year about his life!! It is hard to hear, but I know God is working on him slowly through us!! (Wyatt often meets us for lunch, it is halfway between our house and his work, so he gets to talk with him too!:)) This guy has made an impact on me because he has been through A LOT in life, yet he is still just trying to get through life! Gosh, I NEVER want to "just get through life," I want to LOVE life and ENJOY it to it's fullest!!! Unbeknownest to him, he has really challenged me to live every day for God, to find JOY in the little things and to trust that God's plan is always best for us, even when I am unsure!!

If you have a minute will you pray for the two people?? They have become dear to me, I pray for them every day!! They both need Jesus very much, we all do!!!

God is constantly reminding me of how BIG HE is!!!! He is everywhere, and in everything!! He uses us to touch each others lives, sometimes in ways we never imagined!!!

A Cute Story!

As we were walking into church on Sunday, I was holding Zack and Wyatt and I were both holding Maddie's hands! We were just talking and laughing on our way to the front doors! As I was holding Zack,I leaned down to him and told him that he looked so handsome and that I was so proud of him!! Almost immediately after, Maddie let go of my hand and turned to Wyatt and said, "Daddy, you are so handsome! I am so proud of you!" Then she gave him a big hug and kiss, right there in the middle of the parking lot!! I thought Wyatt was going to melt away!! :) It is amazing how much of our words our kiddos hear and understand and then want to say themselves!! She truly DID think Wyatt was handsome and she IS so proud of him, and she just wanted him to know! We really try to affirm our kiddos every day! We try to be calm and patient with them, and really LOVE on them no matter what the circumstance! (We still have our days friends when there is much chaos and craziness, but we always pray every morning for our day, and claim that it is the day that God has made for us , so we are going to rejoice and be glad!!!) We want to be a family that knows what unconditional love is, and we want our kids to know HOW to share that with others!!! It is a work in progress, but it is awesome to see how Maddie wants to love on people and share her joy with others!! We are SO proud of our kiddos!!

Wyatt

Wyatt and I have been married for 5 years and I am still in awe of how awesome he is!!! He is SO Godly and wise, I am so thankful for the advice he gives to me, so lovingly and honestly!! Since having kids I have seen a whole new side of him appear and I love it!! He loves having a son AND a daughter and he is SO good at playing with each of them they way they need to be played with!! Maddie and Zack love him so much, their little faces just light up when he comes home from work! He might have had a long 12 hour day, but you would never know by the smile on his face! He has missed them just as much as they missed him and they know it!! What a wonderful husband God provided for me and what an amazing daddy He provided for my kids!! He is such a good listener and encourager!!! Wyatt certainly isn't perfect, no one is, but I will always honor him in my conversations about him! God calls us to HONOR our husbands, ALL the time, not just when it is convenient to us! We both make mistakes but God fills us with grace for each other, and through Christ we are able to forgive one another and move on!! That is probably one of the things I love the most about Wyatt!! I can be so grumpy and self centered sometimes, but he always see's right past that and loves me unconditionally! We had such a fun family weekend together, God really used this time to remind me how blessed we are to have one another!!

A week of lessons

WOW, it has been a rough week!! I have learned a lot this week about my relationship with God, friendships and my sweet little family!! I've spent a lot of time on my knee's praying for wisdom and grace, for patience and knowledge! Many tears have fallen! I am so thankful that I serve a God who listens and who truly hears me! He knows my heart and my struggles, He hears my prayers, and holds me when I am unsure!! I think I always thought when I grew up, I would have it all together!! SURPRISE...I don't!! Don't get me wrong, life is certainly a lot more fun now, I love sharing my life with Wyatt, Maddie and Zack!! They bring me the most JOY, I never imagined that my heart so feel so full of love for three people!! But there are always life struggles...and I feel like they are all hitting me at once!! I am a very strong person, I LOVE God with my entire soul, I talk to Him a lot, I depend on my time with Him each day! So I am thankful for the time I have gotten to spend with Him...just Him and I late at night and early in the morning!!

I won't share every lesson that I have learned this week, there have been A LOT, (I can be kind of stubborn sometimes!!:)) but I think by writing them out, it helps keep me accountable!

I learned that I am not meant to work right now!! I subbed at GDA this week for two days, and although I LOVED my time there, I was sick being away from my babies!! I loved the fellowship in the friendships that I have made there, there are some AMAZING women there who challenge me in SO many ways!! I worked at GDA when I found out I was pregnant with Maddie! So many of the ladies poured into me wisdom and love!!! For them, I am SO THANKFUL!!!! Those two days I was there, felt like I never left, I had a blast!! But my time away from my kids, made realize how important my time is with them right now! They need me and I need them!!! We enjoy life together so much, I want to invest in them as much as I can before they start their school career's and I don't get to be with them all day every day!! Maddie and Zack have truly REFINED me, is that crazy to say about your kids?? I don't think so, they have helped me realize what kind of mom and woman I want to be! I have a LOT of work to do!!!

Lesson number 2! People/friends will come and go, but God will always stay the same!! People refine us, they make us better, despite who WE are! God uses people to teach us lessons (in my case, when I chose not to listen to Him!:) some really fun, good lessons and some lessons that break your heart! But, life is all about learning and growing, seeking and finding!! In order to HAVE good friends, you must BE a good friend!! I am truly still working on this one!! I want to be an awesome friend, one who listens and loves unconditionally!

Lesson number three! Being a parent is HARD!! Holy cow!! This has been a hard week of parenting for me, but I won't give up!! My sweet little Zack is SO MUCH different than my Maddie!!! It is hard for me to get used to it!! I N-E-V-E-R want to be a parent that compares their children and makes them feel bad about themselves because they aren't just like big sister (or big brother)!! Every child is important for exactly who they are!! God created both of my kids for a specific purpose!! He is going to do BIG things with them!! Maddie and Zack have their own personalities and I need to work on managing BOTH of their personalities!!! PLEASE, please, PLEASE pray for me as I discipline my children!! Kids NEED structure and discipline, probably not always the same kind of discipline, but they do need it!!! Please pray that I will take on this challenge wholeheartedly, lovingly and with MUCH patience and grace!! I love having my kids so close, but it makes for rough days sometimes! Pray me through those days friends, I NEED your intervention!!!

I am excited to see what God has to teach me next week!!! I used to think that God taught me lessons to get "back" at me (how self centered was I?!) Now I know that He teaches me lessons so that I can glorify Him with my whole life and not just parts of it!!! It is hard for me to remember Who I am living for sometimes, we keep so busy! BUT, after this week, I will NOT forget!

A Funny Story

So today Maddie and I were coloring and Zack was crawling around us pulling up on the things he thought he needed to look at!!! He crawled past me a few times and by about the third or fourth time he went past me, I could smell *something!* So...I asked him if he had a poopy diaper!! Before he even had a chance to "answer," Maddie looked up at me and said, "My check momma, my check!" So being the big sister that she is, she went over to him, pulled out his diaper (as I am sure she has seen me do about a hundred times,) and looked down, all as Zack is looking at her like "What are you doing kid???" She stands back up and says, "YEP momma, he is poopy!! He is poopy!!!" It was HILARIOUS to see my 2 year old become the BIG sister!! I laughed and laughed all day, the way she did it and said it...well, it was just like me!! Oh the things that our kids say!!!!

The Hardest Job

I love my kids so much!! I never knew I would (or could) love them as much as I do!! Their smiles and laughter bring an abundant amount of joy to my heart, and their little voices are so precious!! I want to have a hand in everything that they do, I just love to experience life with them, every second of every day!! They are our pride and JOY!!!!

Now that Maddie is two she has become quite attached to the word "mine!" Mine-itis attacked Sesame Street a few weeks ago and I think it caught Maddie!! However when it left Sesame Street, it came straight to Allison street!! The word "mine" seems to be Maddie's new favorite word! Oh boy!! :) I am big on discipline!! I think all children should be disciplined!! Discipline is how we shape our kids into Godly, well mannered, respectable children, teens and then adults!!! I really desire for our kiddos to be all of these so, I have been really disciplining Maddie when she gets on these "mine" kicks!!! She either has to sit time out, and then apologize or she gets a spanking (which rarely happens! I have to admit she knows when she does something wrong, and she usually feels really bad so it doesn't take much!! It is all about being consistent :)) WOW!! I thought they would have stopped by now, but nope, not yet!!! She is getting better and she is really good at apologizing!! She is so cute and I love so much, but she HAS to be kind to others, especially her bubby!!

Zack is now one and he is SUCH a boy (I LOVE it!!!)!! He wants to be everywhere all the time!! He likes to get into things, just to see what is going on! He does NOT want to sit still, he wants to crawl around! His newest thing is...he throws fits! They are not always big, but he knows what he wants and he wants it RIGHT now!!!! Unfortunately for him, that is not always possible!! :) I just started giving him time out and it seems to be working ok!! He is my precious son and I want him to be happy, but he has to learn that fits are never an option!!

Being a parent is the hardest job I have ever had!! It is the most amazing job I would ever want, and, it is certainly a career!! :) I have been praying over my children since the second I found out I was pregnant and I will never stop, but it amazing to me how my prayers have changed!! At first I prayed that God would keep them safe in my stomach, and that they would come in God's timing! Then I prayed that they would be safely (and quickly) delivered!! Later I prayed for them to be good sleepers and quick eaters!! Then I prayed that they would be safe in their cribs once they left our bedroom!!! I prayed that they would learn how to be mobile, that they would eat well, that they would not throw fits when we were out with friends!! Now more than ever I am praying that they will come to know Christ at a young age!!! I pray that they will always be loving to others and that they will set the example! I pray that God will help ME to be a good momma to them!! That He will shower me with adoration and patience and an abundance of love and grace!! I pray for their hearts and for their minds and for the words they will speak to others!! I pray for the friends that they will make and for the people they will date!! Our God is SO big and so Great, I know that He is preparing them to do something amazing in this world!! I guess it helps me to feel a part of it when I talk to God about it, as their momma and as His child!!! Life is so exciting, so fast, so rewarding and so scary all at the same time!!! I am so thankful for the gifts that God has given us!!!