Just Had To Share

This book is absolutely amazing!! I just had to post about it for those of you who have not read it. He has such a practical way of sharing the necessity and power of prayer, and he answers so many of the questions that tend to just linger in the air for many believers. This man has such a respect and devotion to His Father that it oozes out of his every word. The knowledge you will gain from this book will leave you changed forever. Enjoy!

This weekend...

....we played and played and played and played with Nana and Pops, and we enjoyed EVERY messy minute of it! We painted with our bodies, played the Wii for the first time with Uncle Shane, ate some good home cookin' and, finally, pushed the wrong button on the token machine at Chuck E Cheese and spent Nana and Pops' money FAST! We had so much fun, as always, and love you guys TONS!

How to make "finger" paint become "body" paint in a split second!

WAYYYY too much Wii!Uncle Shane

You leave her alone for one minute with her grandkids and this is what happens!

Watch out Romo!

Hatch Time

So we were eating at a restaurant last night when Bryce announces he needs to "use the restroom." Now, this phrase indicates a little more serious business that needs to be done, so I get to handle this task:) He has entered a glorious phase of not wanting me to actually be in the stall with him, but wants to see my hand over the top of the door. It is so cute the way he organizes the whole scene. I know the lady in the next stall must be enjoying our little conversation so far. Then, in order to continue to entertain the other stalls, he completes his "duty" loudly, and calls me back in. As I enter the stall, he announces loud and proud "Mom, I hatched it!" Stalls go in an uproar:) He had the cutest look on his face, and I almost hated to tell him what "hatch" really meant! The exploration of different words and different meanings is endless at this phase and I LOVE how they sometimes crash into one hilarious sentence! They bring some serious joy to their mama's heart:)

Okay, I'll admit it...

...she gets all her moves from her daddy:) HA! Seriously, Mayce is doing some kind of little dance for the majority of the time she is awake, and I love it:) She is so full of joy that she just has to move! Often times, throughout the day, the Lord will remind me of the reckless abandonment at which my children love and serve Him. They don't care what they look like, they just want to let that joy come out:) What a fine balance we must find in continuing to grow mature in wisdom and staying childlike in faith. He reminded me that everyday when my children call out for "mama," a load falls off of them and onto me (as it should be). So, every moment I call out "Father," I can fall into His peace of being His child:) Enjoy the beauty of being a "child" today:)

"I will become even more undignified than this..." (2 Samuel 6:22)

He's a poet and didn't know it

So I just had to blog about something sweet and hilarious that my husband did:) Being 6 months pregnant, I sometimes have great intentions to go and purchase items, but just don't always get around to doing it! This leads me to my latest "only Monty" moment:) As I have stated many times before, my kids love to swim, but I don't always enjoy sitting outside, in the smoldering heat, watching them. I have also greatly desired to soak up a little sun, thinking that this might conceal my ever growing cellulite:) So, I thought I would purchase a fold out chair so I could turn the sprinkler on me, lay out, get a tan and watch them all at the same time. Well, going to the store specifically to find a chair was just not happening...pathetic, I know. Then, a few weekends ago, Monty came in after a long Saturday morning of restoring a fence in 100 degree weather, and asked me to please check in the garage for something he needed. When I walked out the door, I saw a new tri-fold lawn chair with this letter of endearment:

I am so glad you are Mine

I think you are so Fine

But you think your skin is Fair

So I went and bought you a Chair

Now you can lay out in the Sun

And tan your white Buns

But at the end of the Day

I can still Say

I think you are so Fine

And you are all Mine!

What more can I say...I ADORE THIS MAN!

10 Year Reunion

This past weekend, we headed to Kress for the annual "Hi Neighbor Picnic" (adorable!) and Monty's 10 year reunion. We had such a good time! They really go all out for this all day picnic...they start with a wonderful parade with more candy than my kids could handle, then town lunch at the school, duck race that afternoon (yes, my kids LOVED it), homemade ice cream galore, then to top it off, a town dance at the tennis courts at night! That's right folks, a good ol' town dance:) They throw a little corn meal on the concrete, set up the DJ and let it fly! It was so refreshing just to go to Kress and get away:) We spent all of our time visiting with family, playing outside, eating GREAT meals and just relaxing. I had such a good time visiting with some of Monty's old friends, and letting all of our kids play together. I am not sure my kids have ever been as dirty as they were this weekend, but they loved every minute:) Thank you, Nanny and Pawpaw, for letting us stay with you! It was a much needed trip that blessed us more than you will ever know:)

Nanny
Riding Uncle Dane's four wheeler

Sitting in Nanny's front yard, watching the parade, with some new friends:)
Mayce's favorite dance partner:)
Uncle Dane, Aunt Jamie, Dillon and Bryce


Riding the lawn mower with Pawpaw

BRING ON THE BLUE!

Just wanted to announce that we will be welcoming another sweet baby boy Durham into our household on December 4th! We are so excited and can't wait for Bryce to be a big brother....he will LOVE it:) Thanks for sharing in our excitement and please know that we covet your prayers. Blessings!

The Grape in my Guitar

As my guitar teacher was tuning my guitar the other night a strange noise caught his attention. "Did you drop a pick in here?" He asked, smiling. "Uh, not exactly." I said, smiling back. "It's a grape." I said. "A grape!" He said, laughing. "Well, technically, it's more of a petrified raisin now, I guess. My kids dropped it in there too long ago for me to remember, and it has been in there ever since." He just continued to chuckle and tell me about some cute stories of his 5 kids. After I left, I had to laugh, again, about the condition of this good ol' guitar of mine. I was so hesitant to even take the class, knowing that I probably had one of the oldest, most used, guitars in the bunch. My sweet father-in-law had loaned me this guitar a long time ago, when I vowed someday I would learn how to play it....then it just sat in my closet. The kids eventually found it, and you guessed, dropped a grape in it for fun. They would clank around on that thing all the time, and to tell you the truth, I didn't really care. I made sure they didn't destroy it, but I was not that protective of it.
Then, low and behold, years later, I find myself sitting in a guitar class, finding a new love for this grape-filled friend of mine. I found that I began to be very protective of it once I discovered I could produce beautiful sounds with it, and needless to say, the kids were no longer allowed to clank around on it. In a matter of weeks, it became special and important...it became what it was created for.
So, I am driving home, thinking about this new found love for this old piece of wood, and it hits me like a ton of bricks. Since I have started lessons, I have dropped my pick in there at least three times, and was able to retrieve it quickly each time. But, do you know after all these years I have yet to get that silly grape out, much less even see it! It's still the same old guitar it was, I have just found a new love for it because I put the effort into finding its potential. The minute I thought about this I realized that this is like Christ...and I am like the grape-filled guitar. There was no possible way for me to ever know my potential unless He picked me up and played my song...the one He wrote just for me. And ,yes, I sometimes hear that petrified grape of my old self clanking around, but instead of making me sad and useless, it makes me grateful and motivated. I love this old guitar, and all the character that comes with it. I was right, it is different than any other guitar in my class...it has a story...a testimony you might say. And every time I pick it up to worship (with the one song I know), I smile because I think of Him, His grace, and His song for me.

Lakeside Fireworks

We got to spend a wonderful 4th of July with our dear friends Andy and Susan, and their nieces, Sydney and Corbin. They took us to a great spot on Grapevine Lake where the view was unbelievable!! The kids watched about .5 seconds of the fire works, then decided snacking around a lantern was more fun....go figure:) Thanks Andy and Susan, it was a blast!! Blessings!

"If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed." (John 8:36)

On the way to the lake!

Sydney, Mayce and Corbin

Monty, Andy and Bryce right after a small set of fireworks was set off right next to us:)

Andy and Susan (and soon to arrive baby girl!)

Snacks around the lantern

Girl's got her own style!!

Well, Mayce is totally into picking out her own outfit, fixing her hair, then attacking mine! She is so much fun and so intense about her ideas of "fashion":) She is already becoming such a little lady and I love watching it happen:) What an unbelievable experience children are! Thanks, God....You are brilliant!

We had to "re-direct" our images just a little before we did our grocery shopping! (HA)

Jess and Emmy

On Friday, Jess and Emmy came over to play and swim. We had so much fun and little Emmy made us laugh the entire time!! She is a riot! Mayce, of course, loved having her "living baby doll" around and she was on top of every little need that Emmy had:) She fetched her juice, tried to feed her, tried to change her diaper, pushed her in the swing and helped her in the pool. I'm pretty sure when our baby comes I am going to have to stand in line to care for him/her:) Thanks for blessing us, guys!

Jess made these for the kids! (I pray, daily, for the gift of "artsy"...I know it's coming...He's just producing patience, I can feel it!)

Emmy, I want to eat you!

I don't know, your guess is as good as mine! I do know he loves those stinkin' "gobbles".... even in 6 inches of water!

Mayce's goal is to create a new way to come down that slide every time...it's hilarious!

Kress

A couple of weeks ago, we got the chance to drive down to Kress to visit the family. We had such a good time seeing everyone and wish that we had gotten the chance to take a picture of ALL of it:) We first stopped in Lubbock to visit Aunt Jamie, Uncle Dane, Dillon and Grammie. We had so much fun playing with Dillon and their 7 new puppies! Bryce and Dillon played for hours together without ever saying a word....only boys can do that:) Also, a huge highlight of the weekend was that Aunt Jamie got to come home from the hospital for a few hours to visit with us and it was so good to see her! Only a few more weeks to go before baby Drew arrives! We then headed to Kress to visit Monty's Grandparents and eat some TASTY food:) I can't put into words how much this weekend blessed us and we can't wait to do it again in August!

Nearing the end of a 6 hour car trip!

Playing with Pawpaw

Grandaddy

Meme

Playing at Jamie's house

Daddy's highschool friend, Travis, brought his motorcycle:) He was officially the coolest person to the kids!

The kids loved Travis:)

"Duck, Duck....Goose!"

Training Day

Stroller, kids, juice, cell phone...we were ready for the walk. No different than most days, except for the fact that it is exponentially hotter this week, the wind has blown about 30 miles an hour everyday and I am more pregnant than before:) So, I get about half way through the walk, and I am feeling the burn. I don't always walk with the kids and I don't always walk a mile! Most days I go for a nice stroll, in the evenings, by myself, and come back refreshed. But, I realized I would have no time that evening to walk, so I chose to go in the morning, pushing 70 plus pounds of kids...against the wind! I turn onto the final street, and I begin to chat with the Spirit. I was kindof griping about having to walk and was also pondering about what drives you to care for your body. Then, He softly said "It's me." "I am the still small voice that subtly urges you to care for my temple." Now, I am certainly not the picture of perfection when it comes to a completely healthy lifestyle, but I certainly would be quick to take the credit for an incredible act of will power when it comes to a healthy decision. He was so compassionate and patient as He reminded me that in ALL things He receives the glory and this is just one example of how He is the creator of ALL good decisions that we could ever make. He reminded me that the deep down desire to keep this temple in a healthy state was placed by Him and that He was proud of this very small effort. "What a kind thing to say! Thank you God." I thought.

Then....it happened.

I look up and notice and older gentleman trimming his bushes. He was sweating a great deal because, by now, it was getting pretty hot. He appeared to be crippled on his left side, but was able to stand without assistance. As I approached from across the street, he suddenly turned and said "Ma'am" with the sweetest smile I had ever seen. I said "Yes sir?" Then he said the most amazing words as he put his beautiful hand over his heart

"God bless you, ma'am....you have been trained well!"

What an incredibly odd thing to say to just anyone, but how incredibly accurate those words were to me! My God cared so much about our seemingly light conversation that He voiced it through this precious man. He wanted it made known that every good and perfect ANYTHING

(idea, gift, act) comes from Him! They were words directly from my Father to me......the Ultimate Trainer of this Temple!

Discovery

It's just kindof been one of those weeks. The ones where you are super reflective, a little hard on yourself, and certainly not feeling like the most disciplined of God's children. I'm just now 12 weeks pregnant with the 3rd Durham, and although I feel new energy approaching, it still takes alot for me to stay "on my game" throughout the day. I want to spend my much needed time with my Father, have fun with the kids, educate them for that particular day, keep my house up, cook one to two meals, spend time with my hubby when he comes home and on top of it all, constantly be ready to act when the Spirit says...oh, and sit for a second when it's available. So, needless to say, rarely does my head hit the pillow at night that I feel accomplished and satisfied.

Then it happened. I walked outside and found that my daughter had managed to find the most remote and random mud puddle in our back yard! Now this puddle was not even rain created, but "neighbor washing off fence" created. And she not only found it, she DISCOVERED it! I mean, if she could have submerged her body anymore she would have. You would have thought she had never stepped outside before in her life:) At first, I admit, I was a little irritated with the soon-to-follow clean up process, but Monty quickly snapped me out of that by laughing hysterically and asking for the camera:) As soon as she stood up for the picture, my heart said "that's what I feel like!" I just felt like I was covered with situations, self-imposed agenda's and ridiculous goals. I am amazed how easily I put myself in performance mode for the Lord, rather than belief mode in His power!

So, here I was with this great revelation, and a passionate prayer for an answer.

Then, just as quickly as my heart asked, the answer came. Monty asked Mayce to stand still while he washed her off, and this was her reaction...

Priceless. She could have just stood there, but no, she welcomed that cleansing water with open arms, knowing ALL the dirt would be gone in a matter of seconds.

And, yes, you guessed it...just as she had hers, here was MY discovery. He never made me feel overwhelmed and bogged down, I did that. He never asked me to set those limits on myself, I did that. All He asked is that I believe... believe that He sent His Spirit so that I can do all things through Him. Believe that even in a grocery store, my prayer could change a life. Believe that the circumstances He allows can only be faced in His power and not on my own. Believe that the wife my husband needs and the mother my children need can only be found in the woman submitted to Him. Just believe... by faith... arms open wide... as He washes me white as snow.