One last post for the evening. Revisit my post on March 1st of Ruby's sign language and sweet song. Here's her tune when Willie starts claiming her song at dinner one morning last week.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Home
Today was a very quiet day. Other than a great workout and a visit to Forest Acres to check on the progress of our house.....I've watched a lot of basketball in my PJ's when Ruby was sleeping and cooked quesadillas (lunch), shrimp creole (dinner), and lasagne (tomorrow's lunch). I should stay home more often. Actually, it's my favorite thing to do......be at home with my family and I love cooking for them....even at the rental house where we're minus a few luxuries that most of us are used to having like a garbage disposal or a master bath that Jay and I can both stand in at same time. Here's some pics of a couple of my favorite things at our new house on Forest Acres--the lockers in the mud room (to be painted next week) and the slate in our shower. Our move-in date is some time late April. The last couple of weeks were dedicated to the building of the cabinets, build-out of the closets etc. Next week, will be some painting, countertops, backsplashes. The progress even in a couple of days is amazing. We're ready to enjoy and share this blessing!
Spring????
Spring keeps coming then going, but we're outside every chance we get, and Ruby loves this patch of daffodils. Thank God for Zyrtec for Willie and me. We've had Willie's first ever baseball practice for the Crieve Hall farm league. We've always heard it's a serious league so I was a bit nervous. But, Willie looked great out there, and Jay is really pleased with the structure the coaches were bringing. Can you imagine how hard it is for Jay to experience a poor coaching exhibition (even if it is for little ones). You may be wondering why Jay doesn't coach himself then?? Trust me, at this stage, I don't think he can ratchet his profession back enough. Plus, the man just needs to just enjoy it. He and Willie practice alot together with plenty of opportunity for the fundamentals to be reinforced although Jay said he learned alot himself from Willie's baseball coaches.
Willie was shooting for the one hundredth hour (at least) on his indoor goal today and I heard him correct himself or one of his imaginary players to square his feet up to the basket:) Willie's imaginary teams today were KY high school teams that I've never heard of. He went recruiting with Jay at the KY High School State Tournament (which only draws 15,000-20,000 fans) this week. They have every form of junk food evidently available it such a big deal--even cotton candy. Yes, in KY, a high school basketball tournament is equivalent to the state fair or something. Anyway, Willie watched 8 games in 2 days plus traveled 7 hours by car in the same 2 days with his backpack chug full of books, cards, doodle boards and anything else I could think of he might need should he tire of the game of basketball. That didn't happen and he's been reenacting the tournament on his little indoor goal ever since he returned.
I treasure hearing his imaginary tournaments. I try to listen very closely when he and Ruby play and converse. I don't want to forget their precious play. Like today, when Ruby told one of her baby's to stay right there and she'd be right back. She's runs back with a blanket, of course, for that baby. Or today, when Willie was praying over dinner and he thanked God for every ingredient including the "yonguns" (onions). Lately, one of our favorites is Ruby telling the 3 Bears by herself.
We spent alot of time reading today too. Willie can't get enough of the Magic Treehouse series that my dear friend Jenn suggested for him. I'm treasuring the books too b/c it's the one time Willie prefers me over Jay (well, he lets me read them without requesting Jay) since I took him to the library to get them and started reading them to him. I try to do my best voices so I get to keep the gig. Anway, it gives Jay time with Ruby who prefers me right now. She did tell me yesterday, that she's "mama's baby, daddy's sweetheart and Willie's girl." When I notified Jay of her ingenuity, I found out he taught her that b/c he couldn't take her claiming to be mama's girl anymore.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The Devil Gonna Get Ya
Tonight at bedtime Willie was singing songs to Stephanie & me. "This Little Light of Mine" is one of his favorites. His version goes something like this, "Don't let it say they gonna blow it out...I'm gonna let it shine." That led to the following conversation.
Jay: This is how it really goes..."Don't let Satan blow it out...I'm gonna let it shine."
Willie: Who is Satan?
Jay: He's the devil.
Steph: Do you know who the devil is?
Willie: Well, I've heard 'em tell me about the devil, but I don't really know who it is.
Jay: He's a very bad guy. He's God's enemy. Sometimes he will try to get you to do bad things.
Willie: Does he live in heaven?
Jay: No, he lives in a place called hell.
Willie: I know about hell. Ms. Johnson's been there. She's got a picture of it on her computer.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Chasing God
Most of you know that I've barely scraped the surface in knowing what it truly means to follow God, but I do recognize more and more God things in my life and it's because I'm chasing it. I wanted to blog on my birthday (but chose to go sit by precious husband at someone else's basketball game) to admit that I'm now 36 and finally really feel like I'm just now understanding my true purpose. I wish such maturity could come instantanously when we say yes to Jesus. Kind of like the many things my parents told me growing up seemed to crystallize this last year too. Too bad I couldn't have just understood it then but I guess that's we call this life a journey right? And I know I'll never fully get there but I so appreciate how enlightening my 35th year was. You know why I think 35 was so revealing? I'm finally sick of myself. I'm ready to give it up to serve my Lord, my family and those who have not been blessed the way I have. These blessings have nothing to do with me and only have to do for the wise decisions on the part of my family and so many others God has placed in my life to guide me.
This week I have been reminded that we just need to take small obedient steps daily and watch God make miracles. So, here's one miracle I got to be a small part of this week. A 9 month pregnant mom came to the school where Jan and I volunteer some time. She's due end of the month and has nothing for the this baby after having moved several times since the last baby. The family resource counselor contacted our SS class which got in my hands simply b/c we're co-chairing this year. I sent the email to the class. We had multiple families respond and one friend suggested that I talk to the coordinators of the BUMC kids' sale ongoing this weekend. I didn't get that done until the last day of the sale on Saturday. I was there shopping the 1/2 price sale for my own Ruby. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me, I need to get this mom taken care of. I look for someone who might appear to be in charge in this zoo of savy shoppers. Sure enough, my intuition kicked in and the first lady I grabbed was the same lady who my friend told me to contact. (There were 100's of women there.) This lady got me in touch with overall adminstrator of this monstrous kids's sale (can you imagine how many kids clothes/toys there are to resale after gentle use in Brentwood, TN? In fact, this was just one of several sales on the same weekend. If you need a synonym for abundance try Brentwood.) Anyway, I talk to the head lady and just mentioned Harvest Hands (which is the name of the community development corporation that our church dreamed of to take the church outside the walls of our Brentwood sanctuary. )When I said Harvest Hands she lit up and told me about an idea she'd been dreaming. She asked me if I would liason with her to start opening the semi-annual sale to the HH community for slashed prices before the left over items are donated to a local NFP. Basically, the Lord asked me if I could help get the word out.....and I said yes. Once we got that God-given dream worked out, we got back to the very pregnant mama that had been placed in our path to help. She was willing for us to come in at end of the sale and get whatever the mama needed. My friend Susan was volunteering at the sale and walked up. Using my gift of delegation, I asked Susan if she was going to be there when the sale ended and sure enough....she was (which I had prayed in line for God give me someone to help get the stuff b/c we had to get downtown for Ruby's art exhibit.....). So, Susan took over from there and got bouncy seats, strollers, swings, clothes, toys. We combined her loot with the other donations from ladies in our class and met the mama on Monday at the school with 2 car loads. She was so excited!! The best part for me when I drove up, she jumped out and said "I didn't know it was going to be Marco's coach!" Yep, one of her older children was on my basketball team. How cool to be able to be obedient in very little ways and watch God put together a miracles for this family.
Don't know what the next miracle will be but I'm ready to be a part!
This week I have been reminded that we just need to take small obedient steps daily and watch God make miracles. So, here's one miracle I got to be a small part of this week. A 9 month pregnant mom came to the school where Jan and I volunteer some time. She's due end of the month and has nothing for the this baby after having moved several times since the last baby. The family resource counselor contacted our SS class which got in my hands simply b/c we're co-chairing this year. I sent the email to the class. We had multiple families respond and one friend suggested that I talk to the coordinators of the BUMC kids' sale ongoing this weekend. I didn't get that done until the last day of the sale on Saturday. I was there shopping the 1/2 price sale for my own Ruby. Then the Holy Spirit reminds me, I need to get this mom taken care of. I look for someone who might appear to be in charge in this zoo of savy shoppers. Sure enough, my intuition kicked in and the first lady I grabbed was the same lady who my friend told me to contact. (There were 100's of women there.) This lady got me in touch with overall adminstrator of this monstrous kids's sale (can you imagine how many kids clothes/toys there are to resale after gentle use in Brentwood, TN? In fact, this was just one of several sales on the same weekend. If you need a synonym for abundance try Brentwood.) Anyway, I talk to the head lady and just mentioned Harvest Hands (which is the name of the community development corporation that our church dreamed of to take the church outside the walls of our Brentwood sanctuary. )When I said Harvest Hands she lit up and told me about an idea she'd been dreaming. She asked me if I would liason with her to start opening the semi-annual sale to the HH community for slashed prices before the left over items are donated to a local NFP. Basically, the Lord asked me if I could help get the word out.....and I said yes. Once we got that God-given dream worked out, we got back to the very pregnant mama that had been placed in our path to help. She was willing for us to come in at end of the sale and get whatever the mama needed. My friend Susan was volunteering at the sale and walked up. Using my gift of delegation, I asked Susan if she was going to be there when the sale ended and sure enough....she was (which I had prayed in line for God give me someone to help get the stuff b/c we had to get downtown for Ruby's art exhibit.....). So, Susan took over from there and got bouncy seats, strollers, swings, clothes, toys. We combined her loot with the other donations from ladies in our class and met the mama on Monday at the school with 2 car loads. She was so excited!! The best part for me when I drove up, she jumped out and said "I didn't know it was going to be Marco's coach!" Yep, one of her older children was on my basketball team. How cool to be able to be obedient in very little ways and watch God put together a miracles for this family.
Don't know what the next miracle will be but I'm ready to be a part!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Not just a game
Another basketball season draws to a close with plenty of tears after tonight's semi-finals. Honestly, I hate to lose but we couldn't handle Jacksonville tonight even after our strong 8 game winning streak and beating those same fools just a couple of weeks ago.
I am so proud of the Bisons though. They ended up having a great season and we are quite young so the future is bright, and the high school state tournaments start next week so no rest for the weary.
Willie cried for Daddy after the game and couldn't understand why Mike and Thomas (our seniors) wouldn't play again because there are the pros. Over and over I explained they were good college players but just not big enough for the pros.
WW: But Thomas is taller than Daddy.
I finally respond generically after exhaustion.
Me: Well, they just aren't strong enough or good enough with shooters to play in the pros.
WW: You mean like Pete Maravich.
Me: Yes.
WW: Then nobody is good enough for the pros.
He cried some more which is probably from staying at the arena until 11 PM the last 2 nights. The one thing I am thankful for is that in the morning, he and Ruby will for sure make us laugh and make the hurt of a season ended distant or at least distract us until it is. In fact, Willie cracked us up this morning when Jay commented on how smart mommy is and he grumpily retorted, "yeah, but she talks too much."
So, we'll keep working at being our best in everything, keep being thankful in all circumstances, and stay the course. In fact, shouldn't Jay be home by now? The game's been over for a a couple of hours and we don't play again until next year. But after 13 years of coaching, I guarantee the coaches meeting tonight is about the next season. And I can't wait!
I am so proud of the Bisons though. They ended up having a great season and we are quite young so the future is bright, and the high school state tournaments start next week so no rest for the weary.
Willie cried for Daddy after the game and couldn't understand why Mike and Thomas (our seniors) wouldn't play again because there are the pros. Over and over I explained they were good college players but just not big enough for the pros.
WW: But Thomas is taller than Daddy.
I finally respond generically after exhaustion.
Me: Well, they just aren't strong enough or good enough with shooters to play in the pros.
WW: You mean like Pete Maravich.
Me: Yes.
WW: Then nobody is good enough for the pros.
He cried some more which is probably from staying at the arena until 11 PM the last 2 nights. The one thing I am thankful for is that in the morning, he and Ruby will for sure make us laugh and make the hurt of a season ended distant or at least distract us until it is. In fact, Willie cracked us up this morning when Jay commented on how smart mommy is and he grumpily retorted, "yeah, but she talks too much."
So, we'll keep working at being our best in everything, keep being thankful in all circumstances, and stay the course. In fact, shouldn't Jay be home by now? The game's been over for a a couple of hours and we don't play again until next year. But after 13 years of coaching, I guarantee the coaches meeting tonight is about the next season. And I can't wait!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sign Language
Sign Language is one several enrichment programs at Ruby's day school. I feel enriched everytime she breaks out in this song which is quite often these days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)