less of me

I don't know how well you can see Sam's shirt, but it says "Marine Corps Devil Pup." Infantry members of the USMC are often affectionately referred to as "Devil Dogs." My brother was sweet enough to bless my little ones with this USMC wear for Christmas, so I took these pictures to make a card for him for his 22nd birthday, which is tomorrow. He, however, never sent me his address so he will be viewing them online as opposed to via snail mail. Am I the only old fashioned one left who loves sending/receiving a good old letter or card through the USPS?

At any rate, you can see Sam walking a bit! She is getting stronger at walking each day; although these days she much prefers a half walk/half crawl thing with one foot and one knee... which in my opinion takes more effort than walking.

Did you realize that W and I are not only approaching our 5th wedding anniversary, but our 5th anniversary of being in full time ministry also? Just as we're looking forward to a small getaway for our wedding anniversary, I'm thinking of a small getaway for ministry as well. As Christians we're each called to daily pick up our cross, which is not what I'm referring to getting away from (just in case you were wondering). In these past few years I know I have often drawn from myself as opposed to from the Lord, and now that I have realized some of my strengths and weaknesses in ministry, I feel like I can more adequately let the Lord show me more in these areas.

Here we go people, here is my "getaway"... Less of me, more of Him. I'm getting away from myself. I am shutting up. We are around people a lot who talk about problems and diseases of the church, and I am no longer (for a season...or forever?) going to be a part of it. I simply want to walk daily with my Lord and live in love and obedience to Him.

I am getting away from my thoughts and opinions and simply taking one day at a time. Speak, for your servant is listening. Teach me today oh God; allow me to love you, to love my husband and children, and show them your love as well.

One day at a time.

Thanks, babe!

Thanks to my sweet husband for getting me Valentine's Day flowers! We normally don't do anything for each other so this was a great surprise to come home to today!

Other things in my day today included going to the eye doctor. I've had some type of reading glasses ever since I was a freshman in high school, but over the past several months I have really noticed a change. Hopefully the new glasses will help.

This afternoon the children and I took W's vehicle to get serviced. It was a short trip to AL and I enjoyed an excuse to get Chick-Fil-A chicken salad. I feel like I'm being healthy because it is chicken "salad" but the more and more I think about it the more depressed I become that it is loaded with mayonnaise and fried chicken. Oh well... I am more than willing to eat it and not think about the details of its contents!

I've been feeling worn out the past few days, and Sam has had a runny nose (+ a cough as of today) so I'm starting some vitC in hopes of building our immune systems back up. I hope it's not too late because my throat is a little scratchy.

I'm not one to go around looking for confrontation or trying to stir things up, but I watched the Dateline documentary earlier this week about the mother of the octuplets. My heart breaks for her and those children. We have a friend who is not married who is in the process of adopting a baby internationally, and I support her 150%. It's a completely different scenario though to repeatedly have invitro with no father and no consistent income outside of student loans and disability checks.

“ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

I know His ways are higher than mine. I know that God breathed life into each of this woman's 14 children and I pray that some how, some way, they would all know the love and mercy of God.

I guess as a small soap box, this defines so much of our mentality as Americans. You go after what you want and get it, no matter the cost or consequence. Oh, how we would see such a drastic change if we all looked to give rather than receive.

dinner is a cookin'

W and I are having frozen dinners tonight. Not just any frozen dinner though; chicken tika masala! Here's the thing... I love Indian food. I love eating it. But when it comes frozen in a box, I begin to get a little skeptical. I have a bit more assurance though because the dinners came from Whole Foods, which we all know as reputible. We also have frozen naan (the flat bread for you non-Indian eaters). I told W I'd make his first, and if it was too off the charts for me I would most definitely skip out on the frozen Indian. I'm not ashamed to make a PBJ my friends.

While on the subject of our dinner, I'm making the children chicken and crash potatoes. I only tell you because you need to check out the crash potatoes because they are amazing. I may have PBJ and crash potatoes if the inevitable happens.

I thought about posting a not me Monday, but eh... not feeling it. The only thing I could think of was the fact that I drove 30 miles to a nearby town with a great discount shoe store to find that it is closed on Mondays. Oh the joy. But, it was a beautiful ride and T-Pup pointed out every farm animal he saw (do I need to remind any of you that in spite of the economy agriculture is well and alive in this area?).

We live in a pasture people. I'm waiting for my curious son to ask "Mommy, why is that cow jumping on that other cow?". I know it's coming.

And if you have continued reading my random thoughts this far care I am going to the eye doctor on Thursday. I have no idea where my glasses have traveled to and my vision has changed drastically I'm sure. When I sit at my new computer I have to scoot back to fully see the screen but then I can't reach the mouse. It kind of leaves me in this half-macarena awkward pose. It's lovely.

If I don't write for a long time, maybe I consumed the tika masala and it got the best of me. Let's hope not.

Here we go... Visit MckMama if you want to read more!

The children and I did not travel 4 hours south this week only to return 3 days later, meaning 5 days early. I did not offend my family either.

While on that trip, I did not find myself getting hungry and decide to eat some of the boiled peanuts I had purchased. So, I definitely did not drive up the interstate cracking, sucking, and eating boiled peanuts. Also, I was not drinking a Starbuck's frappachino at the same time. That would be gross.

The children and I did not go with W and the youth on their trip this weekend. We did not stay at a great hotel with an amazing view and we did not ride the elevator repeatedly just to look at the view of the city. No way... we would never do such a thing.

Saturday night, the youth did not request I pick them up a large nugget tray from Chick-Fil-A. I did not carry said tray out the door and across the parking lot also carrying my daughter and holding my son's hand while he was pitching a fit. Then, my son did not tell me he needed to pee and in an attempt to avoid going back into CFA, I did not tell him to just pee in the grass by the vehicle. I would never do that.

My son also did not begin having diarhhea later that evening and also begin vomiting. I did not get vomited on either. I did not almost vomit myself (for the first time in Mommy history, the stuff got to me) and have to leave the room and leave both children with my husband. I then did not travel down the pretty elevator to the front desk and beg for more towels and some type of cleaning solution.

When the towels came and the cleaning solution did not, I did not have to clean all the vomit and diarhhea up with a wet washcloth and we did not have to continue smelling it all night.

I then did not put all soiled laundry in front of the housekeeping door down the hall.

I also did not pack my son 5 pairs of underwear for a 3 day trip. They so did not come in handy.

I am not blogging about such things... I would never talk about this kind stuff to anyone...

And lastly, I did not come home, get my children bathed and clean, put them down for a nap, and crash myself for 2 hours without thinking of moving. I'd never take a nap in the daytime.

Oh oh oh, one more! My husband was not wonderful and supportive through it all. He did not continually say "How can I help? What do you need me to do? I'm so sorry honey." What a keeper, he is not.