locks of LOVE

Someone is missing a ponytail!!!

I can't always give to every organization I believe in financially so I love that I can give like this. Hoping this makes some little girl very happy...here's to quick mornings with the blow dryer!

{thankful for}

34. forgiveness

35. needed tears

36. 6 am spin class

37. positive test results

38. a house full of books

39. lunch date with Tanner and Chris

40. a morning spent playing batman with Sam

41. hours spent reading to the boys

42. the craft closet 

MERRY MERRY

We had such a wonderful Christmas celebrating with our sweet boys! Sam was really into Christmas this year. I think it was the 1st year he really understood the "reason for the season". Cupid, our elf, came a few days after Thanksgiving and Sam spent every waking moment asking questions about Cupid. He wanted to know "do Jesus and Cupid talk?" Tanner was starting to ask us really hard questions about some of the "magic" of Christmas. I was really sad at first but then I realized through all of his questions that he understands the IMPORTANT WHYof the season...Jesus' birth. The closer Christmas got the less questions he asked but he is my serious and practical guy so I'm sure his wheels are still turning.

We started our celebration of Jesus' birth with the Phillips family.

 We spent the next afternoon with my parents and sisters. There is something so nostalgic about Christmas with my parents. I love the little traditions they have for the boys some of the same ones they did for my sisters and I.

See that excited face on my mom???

My parents are SO hard to surprise with GREAT gifts because they always just buy it for themselves.

This year I took the boys to a friend, the owner of MiniMasters, to paint a painting for my parents. Look in the photo below to see the painting...its the long rectangle in front of the other painting. We also had the boys do a painting for Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. I think they turned out really well!

It's hard work being so loved and spoiled with oodles of gifts. The boys were exhausted after round 2 and we still had more to go. They are so very blessed. I hope that the things we do like Christmas shoeboxes, baking for community helpers and writing down our gift for Jesus help the boys realize how very blessed they are.

BEST GIFT...SNOWBALL FIGHT

(below)

We have played with these at least 20 times since they opened them. Mom ordered each of the boys a "bucket of snowballs" from etsy. They were about the size of baseballs, made from really soft fabric and the boys just blast each other! BOY HEAVEN!

Traditions. When my sisters and I were little we opened new jambes every year on Christmas Eve. My mom still gives us all new jammies every Christmas Eve. 

Chris and I wanted to give the boys a gift on Christmas Eve also so we decided a few years ago to do a new Christmas book.

This year we got:

Christmas morning

I always love to see what's a big hit Christmas morning. The boys each picked a play-doh set for the other and they played with them for hours Christmas morning!

I absolutely love gifts that keep the boys outside...our house is small and their energy is big!

Phillips cousins minus one sleepyhead. It was so much fun this year watching all of the little ones at Christmas!

tis the season

1st Night of Advent

Every night we read our scripture, then the story and say a prayers.

We use a (made up by us) version of the Jesse Tree. 

This year the boys are drawing a picture each night to add to our tree.

Weekly Advent Calendar

Sunday-Light candles and sing/listen to hymns...we like the Third Day versions

Mondays-Baking special thank you's: friends, teachers, service workers

Tuesdays-special treat/lunch note

Wednesdays-christmas craft...sewing, beaded ornaments, name of Christ ornaments, etc

Thursdays-writing cards/drawing pictures for people who serve us and mailing them

Fridays-family movie night

Saturdays-special family date to a Christmas activity

Westminster Christmas Program

1st grade recited Luke 2:1-15

It was beautiful!

For some reason Chris and I got the FATTEST tree on the lot. It takes up like 1200 feet of our 1660 foot house.

It fell...so now it is bolted to the wall...don't ask?!?!

And no worries...Sam emailed Santa and "Cupid" the elf his Christmas list!

Was that sermon written for me???

JOY and COMPLAINING are not COMPATIBLE...ouch...those were the words I heard and they hit me pretty hard.

I can not tell you how often I pray for a joyful heart not just for me but for one of my boys as well.  I pray that God will let me see the good not the bad.  I don't however ask God to stop my 

complaining heart

so 

last Sunday when Dr. Strickland said

joy and complaining are not compatible I was CONVICTED...big time. 

This sermon was for me:)  

How could God possibly answer my prayers for a joyful heart when I do complain so often?

Dr. Strickland called it

"RISE AND WHINE"

hum...yes some days I do just rise and whine...i didn't get to run, the boys are making me crazy, often i find myself feeling like other people have an easier life or i feel sorry for myself and want someone to appreciate me...i know PITY PARTY.

Philippians 2:14 says 

"Do everything without grumbling or complaining". Another translation says "do everything readily and cheerfully".  I do grumble and I do complain so this week my prayer has changed not just God give me a JOYFUL heart but cease my awful complaining.  

"ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"

Another point made was to 

"See God at work in all things"...not sure that I really do that

so I am praying to learn how to better...

"fix our(my) attention , not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen. What is seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17b-18

I clearly need to change HOW I look at things because this is how my attitude is determined.

So from this I take: (all Dr. Stricklands' words)

I CANT CONTROL THE CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I CAN CONTROL MY ATTITUDE.

CHALLENGE:

FIND THE GOOD IN THE HERE AND NOW!

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors

Happy Easter weekend sweet friends...this is by far my favorite holiday. I am so very grateful for the forgiveness of my Savior who shed his blood for a sinner like me...Thank you Jesus!  I hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend to celebrate the love of our Savior.

HAPPY EASTER from the Phillips Family

Easter Eve with Drew and Ellie Holcomb

Such an amazing way to worship as a family, outside with great music and hymns from the familiar voices of Drew and Ellie.

Grateful for such a beautiful night to ride our bikes to the Levitt Shell.

They sang my favorite hymn "Come Thou Font", we picnicked "family style" and Yolo was there...doesn't get much better than that.

Looking forward to worshipping with my family at Hope and then spending the day celebrating our Savior and a sister's birthday!

This is my favorite song they sing, "Live Forever"...makes me cry.  The video has his family in it...watch it a few times and you'll be crying also. It is really a beautiful song. 

a missing car?????

Sooooo....

my car was stolen

from the driveway

while we slept

and

in the midst of writing down the contents of my car

i realized

i secretly HOARD in my car

maybe its bc I'm obsessed with a clean house

tell me you car is not empty???

i run(drive) all day

stuff just accumulates

east memphis to germantown to midtown

taekwondo baseball church play dates bible study lessons school

i am in the car alot

no they haven't found it but in the grand scheme of things its just a car

it can be replaced

we are safe

the boys are safe

so for now I am driving "the Beast"...thats what I call the Tahoe...its so stinkin wide

no Poplar for me in the wide load "Beast"

so

a SEA DOG was necessary last night

i rarely drink but it was a beer kind of night

actually

a 2 beer night

the boys have had excessive energy so we found a good tree to take it out on

we filled a few big yard divots...and chris and i got a bonus 45minutes of interrupted talk while they retrieved the sand/dirt and filled the holes

i may dig a few more yard holes for them to fill

made some grocery trips via bike and trailer

suprisingly Sam had NO tantrums for Chris at Kroger...ahh he bought him cheetos first...bribery

found some snakes...note to self "you are a city girl"...I do not prefer snakes

and had some MELON for dessert...yummo

reflection

First, let me say that Chris and I are so grateful for God's provision during a rocky few months.  Life is good with a steady job and Chris just finished his second class at Union University.  I was given a few more responsibilities at work so I am learning to efficiently juggle those from home. Our biggest lesson from all of this was that it can all go away tomorrow so don't spend your time storing up your treasures on Earth.  We are trying to use this as our guide for our budget and giving this year.
God was not done with testing our faith.  In December I found a lump...before you finish reading everything is fine. In the midst of no income or clarity about our future it was the last thing I needed on my plate. Long story short the mammogram look ok...clear for radiologist but a little "white" so she referred me to Dr. Berry.  When my OB saw the films she agreed but I was feeling good...radiologist said "I looked good" so I just pushed it aside. Fast forward, I very confidently go to the "breast surgeon"... next time I hope it's for elective surgery!!  I shower, put on a cute trendy outfit and load a new book onto my iPad...I'd been warned it was slow AND I went solo. ( For those of you who are moms...you understand the importance of mentioning the shower, no yoga pant outfit and time to read book:) Everyone offered to go with me but I was fine according to the radiologist SOOO I went alone. After the ultrasound Dr Berry said alot but all I heard was lobular CARSINOMA..."what I'm sorry I've been cleared by the radiologist so I'm fine...wonder how he missed that memo?"  Needless to say I heard nothing he said after that.  Long story sort of short...I had a fine needle aspiration done a week later and a few days later (I took Chris with me this time) and I got the call a few days later that it was normal breast tissue.  Of course I missed 3 of the phone calls bc my phone stinks but my frugal side  is patiently waiting for the free or cheap upgrade!
I can not even begin to express the paralyzing emotions of wondering if you have cancer. 
We have had so many dear friends have cancer or have loved ones with cancer and though we have tried to be good friends, it is only now that I sort of understand the overwhelming, uncontrollable emotion that goes with the diagnosis.
That said...
we have some very dear, very precious friends who found out their nephew of just 9 months has cancer.  I found out about his cancer in the midst of waiting to get my results and I just cried ( I was on a field trip with Tanner...thank goodness for great friends).  My heart can not even begin to image if one of my boys had cancer.  I have spent the last week on my knees praying for this precious baby boys and his dear family.
Will you pray also for baby Cam?

This is not what I intended to write about this morning...I planned to write about the messes below, the quiet time I so desperatly desire and how thankful I am for the friendship my boys are developing...guess God had another message?

2012

GOals for 2012

I am not a New Years Resolution maker however I do love a good "list"! Nothing overwhelming just goals to grow in my faith, family and self over the next year.  If I only run a 1/2 on the trails or just make it to Luke in the Bible...at least I will know I am that much closer to my goals. This year I added 32 goals since I will be 32 in 12 days.  Some of the goals are for me, some for the family, some house, some financial...you get it. So here are the first few from my "list"...

1.Read the bible cover to cover

2.READ 12 BOOKS

3. ENCOURAGE MY BOYS

4. WRITE DOWN ONE PRAISE EVERYDAY

5. PLAY INTENTIONALLY with my BOYS everyday

6. PRAY FERVENTLY…JAMES 5:16

7. Take a Photography class

8. PRAY FOR CHRIS DAILY

9. DRINK MORE WATER

10. RUN a TRAIL mARATHON

11. TAKE A SEWING CLASS

12.make a quilt

13. PRACTICE CONTENTMENT

 

christmas morning

How do you do your Christmas?
We sit "Santa" gifts out and they are unwrapped.  The boys get three gifts from Santa because the wise men brought baby Jesus three gifts.
The boys shop for each other and wrap the gifts for one another. This is really sweet.
Chris and I give the boys a gift from us.
And the stocking goodies are from us not Santa.


Some of the Santa things bug me...I do not prefer to hear parents say "if your good santa will come" or "santa's not coming if you act like that".  REALLY?  Don't use that on your children...just have consistent discipline.  They should not think how must stuff they get on Christmas moring is a reflection of whether they are a good or bad kiddo.  So we don't use Santa to try to make the boys behave.  It's very simple he comes and brings the same number of items...3...every year...because that's what Jesus got! Sorry to rant it's one of my many "soapboxes".



Sam got his OWN skateboard...super exciting!

Legos were a big hit for Tanner and I think Chris too!

My sweet Sam loved the candy...not suprising...this was pre breakfast!

Tanner has been begging for tickets to The Magic School Bus...of course since he wanted to go Sam wanted to go also SO Chris and I gave the boys tickets.  Tanner is thrilled...we have read every book from the library at least 2 times!  It's a "family date"...the show is at 11:00 so maybe lunch after with a trolley ride!

pure joy

pure joy...this is what it is all about
it makes parking and shopping with the crazies worth it


To see the looks on their faces Christmas morning is so precious.  The boys were so excited they could barely contain themselves. 
We have a special tradition...each year before the boys rip through the stuff we stop to reflect on Jesus.  Each family member has to tell what our "gift" to Jesus will be.  What will work do or work on during the upcoming year that will glorify or honor God? We videotape our answers so they can be remembered!
Now it's time to bust into the toys!

What a week

Oh my goodness...I have never been so grateful for FRIDAY!  After several great no awesome weeks in K and a phone call about how wonderful our child has been...it all ended on Tuesday when a note came home.  This was the first time EVER that a teacher had to talk to me about Tanner "misbehaving"...he's never gotten in "trouble" at school.

I should first clarify by letting you now that the "note" had 3 paragraphs...yes 3! It also went home to 3 other children...all boys!  Wrestling, crashing and the wiggles were all the basic gist of the letter.  I really wanted to cry...I am not sure why it just seemed like a good natural reaction.  We gave Tanner a consequence, a firm talking to and the expectation that tomorrow MUST be better. 

NO SUCH LUCK...well Wednesday wasn't "awful" but not good either according to Ms.H and Ms. H.  Apparently the boys have a tendency to "rev" each other up...there is not a ring leader!

So night 2 again we gave Tanner a consequence, a firm talking to but this time we sat him down and prayed.  We prayed about self-control, obedience and being our best.  Chris and I don't want Tanner to think "he is bad" (because he is a joy) just that his "choices were bad."  We talked to him about how Mom and Dad are not perfect and we make bad choices too about how God forgives us and how He will forgive Tanner too. 

Ok...DAY 3...GREAT GREAT...woo-hooo!  Tanner came out glowing with a big sticker...his teachers followed him out to carpool and both went on and on about how wonderful he was today!  As we were driving off, I asked Tanner why today was a better day?  He said, "I asked God like 40 hundred times to help...it worked...you know mom!"  PURE JOY...not only did Tanner have a great day but he is beginning to understand that God is in our hearts and all we have to do is ask Him to help us. TEARS again...really I am soo not a crier but it has just been an emotional week!

As a reward for Tanner's great day, he choose bikes and a picnic!

After our picnic on the MS River, we played tag!

We stopped by the UofM to see the tigers...really cool!  Each department decorated one...Tanner loved the fire on this one.

To end the night, we listened to a little bluegrass at the Levitt Shell.  Both of the boys love music just like Chris!

In case you are wondering...I am a reader when "issues"

occur.  So this week my nose was in the following books:

Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson

***B.U.B. is a MUST read for parents of boys, Chris and i refer to it ALL of the time

Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie O??

Love Languages for Children by Gary Chapman

Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp