Sunday, June 24, 2012

Don't you eat that...

I never, ever blog back to back but today something happened and I just couldn't resist the urge to alert the world of the danger. Look at this sweet little boy...

Isn't he the sweetest little thing ever! He is three years old (almost). He is the most innocent little boy and his little manners, behavior, speech and all things little boyish are being developed RIGHT NOW. One of the things that is being developed are his eating habits. They aren't very good either. He doesn't like to eat. When he does eat it is hot dogs, chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. Getting him to eat those things are sometimes the hardest and most frustrating thing I have ever done! So we created a new game!! It goes like this:
Mom, Dad, Pa, Nana or anyone else trying to get him to eat: Jase DON'T YOU EAT THAT.
Jase immediately grabs whatever it is and shoves into his mouth! Again, the process repeats until all the food is gone!

Today, it hit me like a ton of bricks! God SCREAMING at me to stop doing that. Why?? I am willingly teaching my son to be disobedient. I am training to do exactly the opposite of what I want him to do. AM I NUTS OR WHAT?

We know that because Adam and Eve jacked it all up in the garden that we are bored with a rebellious nature! Paul says in Romans that he wants to do things one way but his sin nature pulls him to something different:
Romans 7:19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

Now I know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit will guide Jase to do the right things in life but I also know it is my job to train him. To teach him to be obedient. A word was given on Father's Day at church. The word was from Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Does that not spell it right out for me?? Everytime I (or anyone else) provoke him to disobedience even if it is to get him do something good, I am provoking him to wrath.

Shame on me!! I am right now praying for crop failure. I pray that I do not reap the disobedience that I have sewn into that innocence. Boy oh Boy...I have really learned my lesson!!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Vacay from Heaven part 2

I left you guys with Sunday. The day of relaxing. Relaxing we did too. We started out with more of this...


We had a cook-out Sunday evening which required Jason and I to make a trip to Wal-Mart for some hotdogs and stuff. We really looked a mess. Neither of us had showered and we were fresh out of the pool. Jase had been playing outside so he was dirty and bare-footed (which is the way I grew up). We head into Wal-Mart and get our stuff. When we got to the check out there was this young, well dressed lady standing behind us in line. She kept making eye-contact with me and acting as though she wanted to say something to me. Eventually, she tapped me on the shoulder and asked if she could PAY FOR OUR STUFF. Of course, I said yes! I was taught early on to never rob someone else of a blessing. I grinned ear to ear leaving that store. God followed me to NC :) I couldn't wait to tell everyone about that. If any of you have really talked to me you know I think Wal-Mart is the DEVIL and there was God right there. It was awesome!

Anyway, later that night we grilled and played cornhole with some of my mom's friends. It was a lot of fun. It is fun to see my mom having fun and living life so freely. I love to see her laugh. When we all get together for family dinners that is all we do. Reminisce and laugh until we cry. It is so good for my heart.


On Monday we took Jase to the beach! It was so much fun. The day was perfect. It was warm out but over cast so it wasn't too hot and sun wasn't beating down. This time we went to Emerald Isle. It is much more family friendly. This is Jase's first sand castle ever!


He did pretty good. Him and his daddy walked down the beach and picked up some seashells and just let the water run over his feet. Jase didn't like the water very much.


After we left the beach we headed toward the Pine Knolls Aquarium. I hadn't been there since the 3rd grade so it was like a first time for us all. We couldn't believe that it was only $8 per person! We saw all kinds of animals. I touched a stingray which wss the slimiest thing ever. We saw sharks, jellyfish, seahorses, penguins, octopus, otters (which was my fav), lobster...if it lived in the water, we saw it.

This will be a lot of pictures so be ready...



Monday night we spent some grown up time with my brother and sister and sister in law. We ate at East Coast Wings! That place was yummy. We had a great time just laughing and talking. Jason and Michael have become really good friends. It is hard to explain why that is so important to me! i love my sister but there is something about my brother. We have a bond that is unique. It just is and we will leave it at that.

Tuesday was another family day! Then on Wednesday we came back home! I love Tennessee and all the people here but I will say that there are some super special people back in North Carolina and it's always tough to leave them. I love my family with my whole heart. They mean more to me than I ever realized. This trip changed something about each relationship. I am not sure what exactly happened but each one of those relationships are a lot more simple now!








Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Vacay from Heaven...part one

Most of my friends know that I just took a vacation to see my parents. It was probably no definately the BEST vacation we have ever had. This fact alone is completely contrary to what we should have been doing as two unemployed adults with 4 children. That just goes to show how AWESOME my God is. When you give God your first fruits of everything the blessings just roll in. One of those blessings being this time with my family.


We drove all night to get to the great state of NC. The kids slept most of the way (all but Emilee whom I have discovered is a major complainer when she is sleep deprived). It was amazing watching the sunrise with my husband beside me. Watching that sunrise just reminded me that God's mercies are new everyday and like the sunrise he is steady and always. I tried so hard to get a picture but I couldn't. Bummer huh?

This year we were able let Alyssa take a friend with her. Her name?? Miss Kelsey Mullins! What a blessing she is. This little girl belongs in my family and will have a spot with us anytime she needs it. She is the sweetest thing. Manners like you would not believe. Everything we did, regardless of the activity, was greeted with a "Thank You" and "This is so much fun" and honestly I am sure some of it was quite boring for a 14 year old. Jase loves her too. They are for sure new friends!


Any family with children should know the first thing we did was hit the pool. Oh the glorious, refreshing, cold pool. I WILL own a pool in the 5 years. I will float around in the crystal blue water on one of those floats with a cup holder. On the deck will be a table with chairs and umbrellas. There will lights all around the pool and the radio will play Zac Brown Band.


On Friday we hung with the family. We went to visit my Grandma! Now my Grandma Dorothy is something else. She is southern as they get. We warned Kelsey before we went that she would call her "Shug" more than Kelsey and she sure held true. Grandma Dorothy is a woman after God's heart. I don't remember her missing church much. In fact, she is the reason I ever knew church existed. I remember when I was a little girl thinking that my Grandma was a little nutty because she was constantly talking to herself. Years later I realized she was praying! While cooking she prayed for everyone in the room. How cool is that? This is her...Isn't she cute?


My parents have the coolest place to live. There is farmland all around and why not? They are farmers so that makes sense doesn't it. This wheat field made me think about the wheats and tears story in the bible I had to take the picture! My parents only farm corn and soybeans but this pic was cool.

Growing up I remember helping my mom in the garden and complaining about it often. Digging up potatoes makes for gross and dirty finger nails! Friday I remembered how much I miss that life. The carefree life of a child with your parents taking care of you. The fun memories that you make as a child should be cherished. Jase got to experience that with my mom!

Jase spent Saturday with my parents at the Mule Plowing Contest. My dad has mules named Jack and Jill and man, he has trained those mules to work! Here he is practicing! He won 2nd place first time out by the way!! We were proud of him!


Saturday was the day! We headed to Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington NC!

With no little man we were able to do some more grown up stuff. Of course, THE BEACH..

We had such a good time on the beach. We relaxed and laughed and talked. We really got to spend some time with my brother and sister and my sister in law!



The water park was for the girls, literally! All the girls hit Jungle Rapids and had a blast. The water was COLD but the water slides and lazy river was the bomb! I didn't get pics though because we were up and down ladders constantly! To much fun for the camera!

After that, we headed to downtown Wilmington to walk on the Riverwalk. Cape Fear River is beautiful. If you have ever seen the movie "Cape Fear" then you have seen the Cape Fear River. The movie was shot here! We ate at Front Street Brewery and just walked around and enjoyed the scenery!


We relaxed on Sunday and the fun started again on Monday! Stay tuned for part 2...

Hope you enjoyed my vacay as much as I did!