Playing Dress-Up

Little girls love to dress up their dolls, and play princess dress-up with their friends.

Little boys cringe when they hear, "come play house with me", and find themselves wearing an apron.

Little puppies pretty much endure whatever comes their way for the sake of their owner...which leads me to this:

Amanda decided yesterday morning that she would dress Al up in her pajamas. She thought it was so cute! Yes, he is wearing both the PJ top and PJ bottoms. Oh what this little dog wouldn't do for his "sister". He follows her, he sleeps on her bed with her {under the covers mind you}, plays with her. He loves her! Talk about loyalty.

BEST BUDDIES - ALBERT AND AMANDA

Wordless Wednesday

{Recovering from} VBS

Last week wrapped a fun week of VBS at church. I LOVED spending time with Lizzie, Cayden, Jimmy, and Amanda taking them to and from the church for vacation bible school, listening to VBS music in the car, learning the songs with them, seeing them get excited over learning about Jesus. VBS is a week full of fun times, memories in the making. But, it can be exhausting. By Friday, the last day of VBS for this summer, I was exhausted {thank you mom for reminding me 'your not that young anymore' - ha!}. Thank goodness we have the ever-so-necessary {at times} Starbucks - we have 2 of them within close proximity of our house..whoo hoo! So, needless to say, I needed one of these to keep me going that Friday....

hmm, but I was not the only one exhausted after a busy week of VBS....check this out....

Jimmy - "Aunt Anne, I don't need a nap"....um, yeah right :)Cayden - "How long is rest time, Aunt Anne?".....well, it was 3 hours to tell ya the truth

Amanda - Falling asleep at the lunch table?

Lizzie - peaceful slumber

So, despite the week being busy, busy, and rest times like I have never seen the kiddos take before, the week was filled with memories to last a lifetime. Here's a glimpse into VBS memories....

My beautiful niece, Sarah

got to be a junior leader this year!

My Sweet Amanda - Junior leader

of Team 12!

Crazy, crazy cousins...

Evelyn and Lizzie

The "theme" for the week...

1 Net = 1 Life. The kids were

collecting $ to send to Kenya

for mosquito nets.

The amount they raised for the week.
Their goal was 250 nets for Kenya....
297 are being sent! PRAISE GOD!

Sweet Lizzie the LizardVBS WATER DAY!

(l-r) Amanda, Jimmy, Evelyn, Lizzie, and Cayden

Happy Father's Day {slightly belated}

Cards I made for my Father-in-law and my Daddy

I did not forget the fathers in my life. No, not I. In fact, they were and are very much on my mind day in and day out. Yes, we have one day that we set aside to honor our fathers, but to me, everyday can be "father's day" :) So, here is to all the "fathers" in my life....

My Daddy (with one of his grandsons - Dayton)

DADDY - My life is so richly blessed by your very presence. God gave me such a special gift when He gave me you as my daddy. He entrusted me to you - to raise and nurture in a godly way. You have been there for me in every situation imaginable, and yet you never once judged me. Your love for me is unconditional. I thank you, Daddy, for being the godly man that you are, for loving me, caring for me, and raising me to fear God. I am also so blessed to have you as the grandpa for my sweet Amanda. The relationship you have with her makes me think back to the days when I was that little girl admiring you, loving you....I will always wear"Daddy's Little Girl" around my neck (hasn't come off {except for surgeries, and giving birth to Amanda} since high school.

DOUG (FATHER-IN-LAW) - Who would have ever guessed that God would have chosen you to be in my life? When I said "I Do" to your son 3 years ago, I knew not only was I gaining a godly husband who loves and cherishes me, but I was gaining a father-in-law that loves and cherishes me. I can still remember on that day three years ago when you gave me a hug with tears glistening in your eyes and said "welcome to the family. I love you".

GRANDPA - Oh how I miss you. I miss your jokes, your laughter. I miss your smile, your warm embrace. I miss the man who played with his grandkids no matter what. I remember Wendy's frostys, and dates with grandpa. I remember bike rides, and outdoor play. I remember the gnomes that lived in your front yard, and the little "footprints" they left behind. I miss you holding my little girl, and seeing your eyes light up when she came in the room. My heart aches knowing you never had a chance to meet "the one" that God gave me - Larry {yet I know you were smiling down on me when we married}. I love you, Grandpa.

My husband, Larry

LARRY - My true love. The man God blessed my life with. Oh my were you ever thrown for a loop. Little did you know that when we married you would be entering the, shall I say, "tween, highly-hormonal years"!! BUT, you have done such a good job in loving Amanda as your own, and though it is tough at times, and has been a learning lesson for you, you have done a wonderful job, and I know will continue to do awesome. Thank you for being my husband, my best friend, and the man made for me even before time began.

My brother, Danny - with his children, Faith and Dayton

DANNY - My brother, my friend. I have watched you grow up into the godly man you are today. But, who would have ever thought that you would be where you are today - a youth pastor, leading worship. You are my kid brother, and we are alike in so many ways; God knew what He was doing! :) I see you as a daddy now to Faith, Dayton, and soon-to-be Paige. The children sure do love you, and despite all that you have been through, you continue to love and cherish your children, and Bree. Thank you, too, for being the wonderful uncle you are to Amanda. She truly looks up to you!

BROTHERS-IN-LAW - My life has been richly blessed with 4 brothers-in-law - Ron, Mark, Paul, and Jake. I love all of you SO much, and can't see my life without all of you in it. You all do a remarkable job with your children, and yes, Ron, even if your girls are adults now :). I love to get to know you better each day, and get a little better glimpse into what your life is like. Thank you for allowing me that opportunity by allowing me to spend time with your kids.

My life is filled with fathers, but on this Father's Day {or slightly belated} my heart swells with love, awestruck wonder when I think of MY FATHER GOD...Thank you God for loving me unconditionally, for sending Your Son to die for me. It is through You that Father's Day is even a day to honor fathers. I Love You, God!

CAYDEN'S TESTIMONY

On Friday, Cayden was sitting at the breakfast table and something was being said about VBS, and Cayden said to me, "Aunt Anne, Jesus is in my heart". I can honestly say I was a little bewildered because as far as I know he never prayed with anyone. I asked him when he asked Jesus into his heart, and he told me during rest time yesterday (Thurs) when I was all by myself. Excited, I said to him, Cayden do you know what that means now? And, he told me "yes, Jesus lives in my heart as my special friend, and I am a Christian now".

I approached Cayden's VBS leader and explained the situation to her and she told me that she would pray with him during snacktime.

I picked Cayden up from VBS and he just had this permanent smile on his face. He wanted to call and tell everyone what had happened..He was a Christian now! And, through his testimony, it caused his sister Lizzie to cry hysterically. When we told her that she, too could ask Jesus into her heart, she said I already did, when I was 5 years old!!

Amazing. A year ago, Cayden didn't "get it". He wanted Jesus in his heart but thought if he asked Jesus he would die right then and there. A year time lapse and now he wears a smile on his face, and allowed his sister to tell that she, too, "IS A CHRISTIAN NOW"!

A New Life for the Kingdom..

....the Angels in Heaven are having a party today. A HUGE party. God tells us that when one life comes to know Him, the Angels rejoice and celebrate. I can imagine the celebration.

This morning, while getting the kids ready for Vacaction Bible School, in all the hurriedness, my nephew, Cayden, said, "Aunt Anne, I prayed the prayer to ask Jesus in my heart to be my special friend". I was a little bewildered. Cayden when did you pray this prayer? He told me he prayed the prayer when he was by himself during rest time yesterday. He was ALL smiles this morning, and his Aunt was so moved to tears and emotions as you could never believe. I told him we would talk with his VBS leader this morning (he was a little shy about going to talk to her, but God knows the love this little boy has for HIS JESUS!).

A NEW LIFE!! Cayden, you amaze me!! You can be the goofiest kid ever, and yet you have a soft and tender side that melts my heart. I love you SO much and celebrate with you in that you are now a NEW LIFE IN CHRIST!

God, I just pray over my nephew. Help him grow in love for you with each day. Let him see your miracles. Help him to strive to live a life 100% for you, God. Touch his heart, and allow him to continue to touch the lives of others. He is your child God, and now not only is he your Child..he is a NEW LIFE in you!! Amen

Cayden{ism}

CAYDENMAN!!

Cayden is quite the little character. My six-year-old nephew never fails to make me laugh. Last night at dinner it went a little something like this:

{Amanda told the kids that Tikis (these were on the Islands cup Jimmy was using) are in Hawaii - my birthplace}

Cayden: Aunt Anne, did you ever see a Tiki when you lived in Hawaii?

Aunt Anne: {laugh} Cayden, I left when I was a baby, so I don't remember Hawaii.

Cayden: {thinking}...Aunt Anne, in Hawaii, did you live in a house?

Aunt Anne: Yes Cayden, we lived in a house.

Cayden: Aunt Anne, you mean like a hut? you lived in a hut?

Aunt Anne: {laughing hysterically now} NO! we lived in a house just like you live in. Not a hut!

Cayden: I think you really lived in a hut.

Nothing was going to convince this fella that we did NOT live in a hut. At this moment, I thought to all the times I kidded my mom about "living on a farm" when she was younger. My mom grew up in Illinois, and as kids, my dad used to tell us she grew up in the cornfields (there were cornfields close to her house growing up)...so I thought she must have grown up on a farm with all the animals, etc. So, now the table is turned, and Cayden thinks I lived in a Hut!

Cayden, you make me laugh, you make me smile, you make me mad at times, but you put such joy in my heart....I love ya, Cayden{man}

Vacation Bible School

So, summer is upon us, and that means it is time, once again, for VBS at church!! Amanda is going to be a helper (co/junior-leader) and is VERY excited to get to serve in this way. Several family members of mine will be attending VBS, too. Sara (my sister) will be helping with crafts, Sarah (my niece) will do the same as Amanda, Lizzie (my niece) 3rd grade "crocodile hunter" (not sure what they will be referred to as, I just like the sound of that), Cayden (my nephew) 1st grade "crocodile hunter", Evelyn (my niece) 2nd grade "crocodile hunter" and Jimmy (my nephew) 1st grade "crocodile hunter"! Though I would love to be involved in some capacity, my {four-letter word} JOB requires some much needed attn. So, while the kids are heading to the bayou for some awesome worship, bible story time, etc, I will be at home working to support the fam. God is SO good, and I am SO excited that the kids have such enthusiasm for VBS! ....and on that note "...living God's unshakable truth......"

Blue-Tongued kiddos

Blue might be this little boy's favorite color, and might make the little girls giggle when they see their mouth colored with this little boy's favorite color, but do they realize the color blue is actually getting rid of all the germs in their mouths? We have made it a practice to use this to help rid our teeth and mouths of the awful cavity causing germs. But here, the kids just wanted to be silly with their blue tongues {but this mom knew it was working it's blue magical wonders}

L-R: Cayden, Amanda, and Lizzie

...a culprit is lurking in our midst

JIMMY - a little boy, a son, a nephew, a grandson, a brother, and a ....what? a red-mustached little fella? Please do tell me how you ever happened to "grow" a red mustache? I mean, come on, you are only 6! Kids aren't maturing that quickly these days; quick, yes, but not that quick! Your grin in this picture makes me start to wonder if you are up to something. Are you trying to pull a fast one on your Aunt Anne? Tell, please do tell.....oh wait, what is that I see....ah, a culprit in our midst....the red mustache is compliments of this:




THE RED MUSTACHE MAKER....

Sisters to each other = nieces to me

God saw fit to truly bless my life with a lot of nieces and nephews; and when I married into Larry's family, I gained 2 more nieces. My grand total is 13 nieces/nephews, and one new little one {Paige} on the way! Being an aunt is a wonderful title. I love my title with all my heart. Being a mom is the utmost loving job one could ever have, don't' get me wrong; but, aunt is a close second indeed!



All the nieces and nephews (except Albany, Chelsea, Dayton, Faith {and soon to be Paige}) live in Arizona, and because of this, I get to spend so much time with all of them. For me, the chaos of multiple children running around in my little (1200-sq feet) townhouse puts joy in my heart.



Last week, I had the joy of watching several of the little ones...Lizzie, Cayden, Alannah, Jimmy, Joey, and Jeffrey (and yes without Amanda at home - she was at camp). While watching these precious little ones, I captured this moment between the sisters in the group - Alannah and Lizzie





Lizzie, you are such a sweet, loving big sister to baby Alannah, and I think this picture {to me} captures that love wholeheartedly. Two little girls whom God chose to be sisters, friends, and {for me} nieces....God definitely knew what He was doing!

THANKFUL THURSDAY..

Ten Things I am Thankful for This Thursday....

1. Larry - my husband who is truly a blessing in my life. Created perfectly for me by God.
2. Amanda - my daughter, my mini-me, my friend, the one that can frustrate me, yet love me unconditionally.
3. Albert - my doggie. He is like the son I have never had {spoiled rotten, too}
4. Modern Medicine. At least I didn't have to bite a bullet or drink whiskey to have my foot operated on..thank goodness!!
5. Employment - Thank you God for my job{s}
6. Service at Church. Going on 10 years in the nursery this summer, and preparing to teach my first group of 5th grade girls this summer.
7. God's providing. Thank you God for always providing for my family and me.
8. Nieces, nephews, siblings. My life is abundantly blessed with all of you in it.
9. Mom and Daddy - Love you til the end of time.
10. Doug and Lois (in-laws) - My second set of parents, so blessed to have you in my life.

Dear Jesus, there are just so many things in my life I am thankful for. It's hard to limit my number. Ultimately, none of my thankfulness would be made possible without you giving the ultimate sacrifice of your life, and then allowing me into Your family!

OUCH!

So, several of you know that I had major reconstructive surgery on my foot back in October 2007. Not very fond memories at all! Well, during the reconstruction, I had to have my heel put back together, and in order to do that, the doctor had to place a screw in the back of my foot to hold my heel bone together thus allowing it to heal. All this time, I have thought that the tenderness in my foot where the screw is, is a normal thing. But, I asked the doctor about it, and he said it is no longer necessary, and could be removed. He told me that since there is no cushion to protect the heel bone, my heel would be tender, so might as well just remove the screw. And, by golly, I told him to just do it! After months of having Larry massage my foot {a good thing} I finally decided the tenderness needs to go. On June 1, I had my lovely hardware accessory removed from my foot. I have to put up with a walking boot {again} for two weeks, but if it will get rid of that pain, I am all for it. The bone has to be allowed to heal now as the screw left quite a hole in my foot, and why wouldn't it, when it is as big as this-----

This is the actual screw that was in my foot (sorry for the poor quality pic)...now you tell me, do you think this would hurt?

Birthday Party

BIRTHDAY FUN WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS!

On Saturday, May 30, we celebrated Amanda's 12th birthday. She had a swim party, thanks to my in-laws {they have a pool..whoo hoo}. She had 5 friends, and a plethora of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, even her great-grandma, and mom and Larry there. What a fun 2 hours in the Arizona sun. She didn't really have a character theme this year {getting a little old for that :( } but, the theme just sort of turned into Flip-Flops and all things beach{y}. The kids all had a blast. We did a guessing game - how many candies in different jars; the little nieces/nephews blew me away with how close their guesses were...only 1, yes ONE older girl won one of the jars of candy! There was plenty of swimming, present opening, snack eating, and cake lovin' fun for that afternoon. By time it was all said and done, I think everyone was near exhausted and ready to head home! Birthday memories to last a lifetime!


The "impromptu" theme? Fun in the Sun welcomed the kids into the pool!

The cake. There were actually two {palm tree} cakes that went along with our "theme" of beach{y}. *disclaimer, yes I did make the cake.

Plenty of presents to open {thank you to everyone}

Amanda and her monkeys - I think this girl is monkey crazy! (Thank you Elysse for the monkey)

Show me the money...money in my pocket

Fun in the water. Sarah and Amanda, and Mr. Crocodile!

Thank you to everyone who made Amanda's birthday party a success, and helped etch more memories into her life. Family and friends are so important, and such a blessing :)

In this picture (l-r) Sarah, Gia, Emily, Amanda, Abby, and Elysse

Birthday Pictures...

My Girl....

We are so thankful to Kristen for taking Amanda's birthday pictures this year. They turned out AMAZING! It was SO hard to choose my favorites because they are all so good! So, I narrowed it down to a few of my favorites.

Kristen- you have quite a talent and eye for photography! Thank you so much for taking Amanda's birthday pictures this year. We will forever cherish them!

Wacky Wednesday

Ok, so Amanda left for Jr. High Camp this morning with the church. Simple enough, right? Not! Here is how our morning played out.......

5:45 - trying to get her to get moving. We have to take Larry to his carpool, and the bus leaves at 7 a.m.

6:05 - Out the door, to take Larry. We get to his drop of in the nick of time (van leaves at 6:10). We pulled in at 6:09:30...talk about cutting it close!

6:15 - back home, load up trash to take out, and we are ready to go.

6:20 - QT stop - Donuts and milk ya know - power breakfast before the bus ride.

6:21 - Mom, I brought the wrong medicine with me. Argh! Back to the house, get the right medicine, and then back on the road by 6:30

6:35 - Amanda, you don't have your pillow and sleeping bag. ARRGGH! Turn onto freeway from Rural, head up to McClintock and back home we go AGAIN. Call church leader - no answer. Called Aunt Sara; reassured Amanda that the bus won't leave without her, and that Sara wasn't even at the church yet.

6:40 - Back on the road, turning into the church parking lot (everything Amanda's needs, she has ..whew - thank goodness we live 5 minutes away from the church).

6:45 - Start the sign in process, fill out medical waiver, drop off meds, get bus assignment, and cabin assignment.

7:00 - Head outside and realize carry on and pillow were packed under the bus. {And mom told her it wouldn't be packed under the bus}.

7:10 - Searching for carry on bag and pillow; unsuccessful. Friend's dad even helping. Thankfully Amanda had her money for lunch!

7:15 - Looking some more - hooray, pillow is found! Now where is that silly carry on!?

7:30 - The movement of one little sleeping bag lead to us finding that carry on. Amanda is now relieved to know she has all her books, pencils, etc to take on the bus (although we all tried to tell her she would be talking most of the way there).

7:35 - pictures with a couple of friends.

7:45 - Still waiting.

7:55 - Start lining up to get on the bus. hugs and kisses, and "will miss ya mom" {ahh, how can this mom not get tears in her eyes?}

8:10 - buses still have not left, but mom heads out (darkly tinted windows prevent seeing the kids so figure it was time to head out).

8:15 - Mom back in car, and praying for a fun time for Amanda, stronger relationships with friends, leaders, and especially a renewed outlook on relationship with Christ :)

......and did I say the bus was to leave at 7 a.m?

12 Years' Ago....

12 years' ago.....

Ok, so this post is a little past the actual date, but life sometimes gets in the way of updates :). On May 29, 1997, I arrived at the hospital and was admitted at 12 noon. I was scheduled for an induction. Being young and naive, I thought 'piece of cake...baby will be here in no time'. Was I ever wrong!! So the waiting began, and a mere 13 hours and 46 minutes later, at 1:46 a.m. on May 30, 1997, my baby girl was placed in my arms for the first time. Amanda Victoria weighed in at 8 lbs even, and was 21 1/2 inches long, and bald, and a spitting image of me. {God knew what He was doing}Through the years, I have been blessed with raising this child God entrusted to me. Being a mom is an amazing journey. There are the good times, and there are the not so good times, but never would I trade being a mother! Time has flown by since that Thursday back in May 1997 when I first was admitted to the hospital, and I am sure the next 12 years will fly by just a quickly, which is a daily reminder to me to try and spend as much time with my sweet daughter as I can.
Amanda, I love you so much. I am so blessed to have been entrusted by God to raise you in in the way of the Lord. I look back and think upon the precious little newborn baby girl placed in my arms, and the memories are a plenty. You have brought many joys to my life. Despite all that you have been through in your life thus far, you have never stopped loving your Jesus, whom you asked into your heart at the tender age of 4. You have astounded me with the wisdom God has given you that is way beyond your years, yet, you amaze me that you are still my little girl wrapped up into such a special package. My sweet Amanda Victoria, thank you for being my daughter, and for the loving heart you have for others. Through the good times and bad times, you have always put a smile on my face...who could stay mad at you forever?
REMINISCING
1. Born - May 30, 1997 at Desert Samaritan Hospital in Mesa, AZ
2. 1999 - had your first hospital stay for a viral infection that your little body could not shake..broke your mommy's heart.
3. 2000 and forward - countless doctors, ER visits, procedures, yet you always remained my brave little girl. You AMAZED the nurses by not even flinching when getting your IV; no tears either!
4. 2001 - you started Kindergarten at age 4. You were not a happy camper because your cousin Sarah was going to start kindergarten, and you wanted to go to school SO badly. So, your homeschooling career began.
5. 2001 - GREATEST OF ALL....YOU ACCEPTED JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR!
6. 2002 - you started the Awana {Cubbies} program at church. You definitely has a knack for memorizing. You completed the program through the 4th grade, and earned the highest award - The Timothy Award (an award that your mommy {and Aunt Sara} was awarded when I went through the program.
7. 2005 - you met a man, the man you said your mommy would marry some day (after only meeting him one)...I thought you were crazy! 7 months later, we were married. you walked me down the aisle and "gave me away" (after being reassured that you were not really "giving me away").
8. 2007 - You broke your foot (most likely from Karate) and had to have surgery to repair it. A few days after your surgery, you fell down our stairs and broke your wrist. You were a site to see, cast on the arm, and walking boot on your foot. And, then two weeks later, you helped care for your mommy after her foot surgery despite your cast and boot, and being in a wheelchair.
9. 2008 - continuing in Karate, you went to tournaments, etc...and finally, you were SO excited to win a first place trophy! But, despite your happiness, your mommy was a little nervous to see my girl sparring for the first time...lol You did wonderful!
10. 2009 - You earned your orange belt w/black stripe in Karate, finished up your 7th grade year of school, {yikes} are starting to notice...uh um...boys (bleh), went on an overnight trip to Page, Arizona, turned around and went to CA with you dad (even though you didn't truly want to), and after that, a week later, you turned 12!!...and now you are off at camp.
Twelve years have been busy, indeed, but never ever would I trade them. Amanda, I look forward to all the nexts with you, the years to come. I love you with an unconditional love. You are my baby, you are my daughter, you are my little one.

This song makes me think of what my Daddy and mom used to always tell me. Time goes by so fast. Cherish the moments with your little ones :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02tcf-O-O3I