Reflection on 2008

I can't believe that today is December 31, the last day of 2008. It sounds like a cliche but where does the time go? When I was younger it seemed like the time just crawled by, but the older I get the days just seem to fly by. Days are counted now in ballgames, dentist appointments and the next school holiday.

A look back at some things that happened this year....We went on our first cruise back in March as a family. I had gone the year before with a group of friends from church, but Spring Break I dragged Marty kicking and screaming onto the Fantasy for a 4 day cruise with the kids. We had a great time, but he says he won't be going again...hates the open water. :) Carson's all-star team won the 7/8 yr. old Dixie Small State Tournament which was very exciting for him...and daddy who was helping coach the team. Gracen's team won the 7/8 yr old Softball District Tournament which thrilled her beyond belief! When she quit t-ball the first practice ...because her head got hot, who would've thought she would've turned into the competitive little player she has become these last two years. Gracen has continued to take piano and had her first piano recital in May. She was very nervous (she said her hands were shaking), but she did excellent! She also played "The First Noel" at church for the first time on Sunday morning, December 21st. She did very well and we were so proud of her. These were both such accomplishments for a child that does not like to be singled out. She still cries if she hears us telling a funny story about something she said or did! Carson killed his first "Big Buck," an 8 point, and Gracen killed her first deer this year. They are quite the little hunters. The "Big White Hunter," aka Marty, is so proud!

I've been teaching a Sunday School class at our church for a little over a year now. The Caney CHICS (Caring Hearts in Christ's Service) is our name. We started in Sept. '07 with 7 ladies the first Sunday. Our first study was "Power of the Praying Wife" which was really good. Over the last year we finished that study, moved on and did "Secret of the Lord" which was awesome and we just finished a couple weeks ago. Last week, we started "Makeover" and from reading the book ahead researching it I know we are going to be really blessed by it. Our class has grown to now we have about 27 or so ladies that come periodically and average about 19 or 20 each Sunday. The class has been a tremendous blessing to me. It is challenging and uplifting and so rewarding to feel successful at something I feel God has led me to do outside of my job and my family that enriches my life and I think the lives of those in my class. I just love everyone in our class...we have such a great time!

It's been such a busy year...all of these things seem like they happened forever ago and yesterday all at the same time! I am so blessed with two beautiful kids who make me want to be a better mom and a better person when I see the world through their eyes. I am thankful for my husband, for my parents and the rest of our families and all of our wonderful friends. I am thankful most of all for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for without Him none of this is possible.

My little girl is growing up...

It was a sad and happy day in my world yesterday and not just because I went to see Marley and Me! Gracen has been wanting contacts for a few months now and after she had her glasses knocked off a couple times in her first basketball game a few weeks ago and the second time it hurt her cheek when they pinched her...I gave in and took her to the eye doctor yesterday. We went to Dr. Webb, an eye dr in Hot Springs that I had heard rave reviews on from several different people as a very progressive eye doctor so off we went. I was not disappointed...she was extremely thorough and she is now wearing contacts!!! Yippee!! She put her in the 30-day extended wear type that she sleeps in and then throws away at the end of the month...how awesome is that?! She put one in and out by herself in the office so maybe she'll catch on quicker than I did when I got mine. Sad news is...she looks so much older and more mature. It's amazing how quickly they grow up. When she was getting dressed this weekend one morning she said she was wearing something a certain way because that's the way the "big girls" wear them. She is quite into wearing her pant legs and shoes and hair and things like that the way they do. Fortunately for us, because our kids are at such a small school, we are not dealing with brand name issues and all that...hasn't come up yet at all...Gracen getting "Fat Girl" boots for Christmas and Carson wanting some "Muck" boots is the closest to brand names as they've asked for yet! LOL!

Congrats to the Trojans...both are in the finals tonight of the Ouachita Tournament!

A Tale of Two Tales....The Treadmill and The Shack

Corny title, huh?! LOL! Well, I dusted off the treadmill this morning...hope I can move tomorrow! It's been about, well, maybe since the first of November since I've been on it despite the fact that I parked it in my living room about 6 months ago so I would do it daily!! I did get on it faithfully for the first four months but then basketball season hit, I got tired and started hitting snooze. :) I decided to beat myself to my new year's resolution and get back on the wagon on Dec. 29th!

While on the treadmill, I had one of the books I'm currently reading (I tend to read several at once, crazy I know). I started "The Shack" by William P. Young last year after Matt Mosler recommended it in his emails I subscribe to. I had to actually order it from the author's website b/c it wasn't available in stores yet. I read half immediately and loved it, but then I was trying to find a Sunday School study for my class and got caught up reading several different books for that and in the meantime I lost it! A while back, I found it...I think it was under my car seat..go figure! I picked back up and all I can say is, WOW!! Honestly, there are pages I read and I have to read them twice..especially in the second half of the book where I am now. Now this is a fiction book, don't get me wrong, but he talks about the trinity and your relationship with God like no other non-fiction book (outside of the Bible of course) that I have ever read.

I want to share something I read in it today that really spoke to me about relationships with others...this is from pg. 106 and Mack (the main character) has been having dinner with Papa (God), Sarayu (Holy Spirit), and Jesus. Mack has been sharing things about his family and he began questioning why they listen to him and ask questions about his family as if it's the first time they have heard when they are all-knowing. Sarayu replies....."Remember, that choosing to stay on the ground is a choice to facilitate a relationship. Mackenzie, you do this yourself. You don't play a game or color a picture with a child to show your superiority. Rather, you choose to limit yourself so as to facilitate and honor that relationship. You will even lose a competition to accomplish love. It is not about winning and losing, but about love and respect."

"So when I am telling you about my children?"

"We have limited ourselves out of respect for you. We are not bringing to mind, as it were, our knowledge of your children. As we are listening to you, it is as if this is the first time we have known about them, and we take great delight in seeing them through your eyes.........Relationships are never about power, and one way to avoid the will to power is to choose to limit oneself-to serve. Humans often do this-in touching the infirm and sick, in serving the ones whose minds have left to wander, in relating to the poor, in loving the very old and the very young, or even in caring for the other who has assumed a position of power over them."

We talked yesterday in Sunday School a little bit about relationships in beginning our new study...about that God cares about the little details in your life because it's like that snowball affect...the little problems and stresses affect the roles you play in your life which affect the relationships you have with other people......and relationships are important to God.

Have a great day!

Christmas 2008

Well, it's all over for another year...as my mother-in-law says every year. Santa delivered right on time and Carson even heard him on the back porch during the night! :) This year he left jr. golf club sets and new basketballs for Carson & Gracen and they were very pleased. They're already looking forward to spring so they can head to the driving range!

I wanted to start a blog so I could better keep up with events in our family life. I thought Christmas was a great time to start! I'm sitting here now looking at my tree thinking of when I should take it down. It's always more fun to put it up than it is to take it down!! Beside my tree is my arrangement of cards we received this year and it is one of mine and the kids' favorite things about Christmas. If they don't get the mail for me that day, they are asking as they hit the door where the new cards are to put up. We really enjoy discussing who friends are that the kids may not know well, or talking about how cute the pictures are and how much everyone changes each year!

The kids and I had a few days to do some things together this year that we haven't done the past few years. We made candy together...wow, that's a lot of work! Then the kids helped me make cheese balls using a new recipe for a yummy cheese ball a friend gave me. I'm now sick of cream cheese we ate so much of them...but Carson especially loved squishing that with his hands!!

I just love Christmas and enjoy being with family. I'm ready for 2009 and all that God blesses our family with!