Resolutions

It's that time again; time for new goals...new dreams...new beginnings.  It's a brand new year; time for those life-changing resolutions!

Some want to be more fit while others want to be more organized.  Personally, I want them both; along with being more fiscally responsible, a better time manager, a more submissive wife, be a more joyful server and to spend more time in the Word!  Wow, that's a lot!  In fact, at first glance, it could seem overwhelming.

As I paused to reread my lengthy list of wants, I realized something quite profound.  Although my desires seem quite daunting at first glance...they're really not...at all.

In fact, my resolutions can be summed up rather quickly.  This year I am going to spend more time in the Word.  By doing that I will become:  more fiscally responsible; a better time manager; a more submissive wife; a more joyful server and I will take better care of myself.  Everything we need to know to live our lives can be found in God's Word.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Dedication is never an easy thing for anyone.   However, by dedicating yourself fully to something, especially something as wonderful as our Creator, a whole new level of understanding and love will be revealed before our eyes. Besides, let's face it, in a world that's ever-changing, the only thing constant we have that we can fully rely on is God's Word.  He is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)  So, that is my New Year's resolution.  I am going to spend more time in the Word.  As for all of the other goals?  I know they will all fall into place.  

Take Five

It started out as any other day; breakfast, dishes, cartoons. It wasn't long, before we decided it was a good idea to do our Christmas cleanup. This is completely changing our family tradition, as we usually wait until after the New Year. I just thought it would be nice to start 2012 off with a freshly cleaned home. Plus, it would be great to have help hauling all the Christmas decorations back up into the attic.  What began with a simple Christmas "tear-down" quickly turned into a "clean your room, reduce your clutter, empty your junk drawer, go through your closet" kind of day.  It was a beautiful sight for a Mother to see.  Everyone was participating...except for the little ones of course.  They were peacefully playing on the floor with their new Cinderella castle. 

Mike and I were talking, when he came up with the most brilliant idea.  He thought the children should come up with 5 old toys they don't play with any more to donate to Goodwill.  I thought that was simply genius!  Especially since the children had been so blessed at Christmastime!  It would be a wonderful opportunity for them to "give back".  So we called a family meeting and Mike explained to the children what he wanted them to do.  I fully expected moans and groans along with all types of resistance; not one negative word came from their lips.  In fact, they were eager to pick out their toys.  It did take some time for them to filter through their goods, but they all made wonderful choices that would make any child happy.  What amazed me the most, is what started out with choosing 5 things quickly turned into 10 and then 15 and then 20 things.  Before it was all over, we had 5 big bags full of things to donate.  Of course, I did help them go through clothes to see what could be passed down and what could be donated, but as far as toys, books and art supplies; they did that all on their own. It's not everyday that we get the opportunity to help someone in a big way. However, everyday presents us with a chance to help someone in smaller ways. It can be as simple as holding the door for someone; thanking a cashier for her help or sharing a sincere smile.

While choosing 5 favorite toys to donate may be small potatoes to some, it was HUGE for my children. Sharing God's love comes in all shapes and sizes...and THAT'S what I want them to take from this. God will always present us with opportunities to help others. We just have to look.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others 

Philippians 2:4

2011 Wrap Up

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas filled with lots of love and laughter.  It has become a tradition in our home to send out a family letter wrapping up, if  you will, our year.  This year, since I know there were a few cards that didn't make it out, I decided I would do an online 2011 wrap up!  Besides, it's always nice to take a moment away from the busy activities of day to day life to actually sit down to recall and reflect on the many happenings of the year.  This year, like so many others, has gone by at an accelerated pace.  However, this year in particular, we've appreciated every single moment!

Our sweet, sweet Victoria is now 11 years old.  She's growing and maturing into quite the young lady.  This summer our girl participated in two basketball camps; the Citadel and the Harlem Globe Trotters Shoot for the Stars Camp.  She thoroughly enjoyed them both.  As you know, Victoria is now back in public school.  While I thought it would be difficult for her to get back into the swing of things, she pas  proven me wrong.  She not only has adjusted well, but is flourishing in the new environment.  She is maintaining a straight A average, not getting less than a 96  of her report card, and has even gone on her very first overnight field trip.  That was a tough one on Mom and Dad, but she did great; enjoying a few nights in Huntsville, Alabama at space camp!  This year she officially started 6th grade at Mossy Creek Middle School.  I was a little nervous, as I've heard so many horror stories about this transition , but so far so good.  Victoria stays busy reading, playing her clarinet, going to FCA meetings, Book Club meetings and shooting hoops.  In fact, basketball season is right around the corner.  This year, because of her high scores, she will be playing with the 7th and 8th grade girls, despite her young age.  We say it every year and this one is no exception...Victoria is a precious girl who dreams big...we are so proud of her!

Ethan Michael has finally reached double digits.  My boy is 10!  This, I must say, has been a year full of firsts for him!  Ethan adopted his very first pet...a bearded dragon named Rex.  I was reluctant at first.  The thought of having a reptile of any sort in my house gave me the creeps.  However, after a family field trip to the pet store and an introduction to the creature, I caved.  He truly loves his new friend and is doing an amazing job taking care of him.  In March, Mike and Ethan took a trip of a lifetime to North Carolina to watch the ACC tournament.  This was a dream come true for Mike and an experience Ethan will never forget!  I'm not sure what was the best part; slapping five with the Duke players or having the entire Georgia Tech team sign his shirt.  Next, of course, is when Ethan broke his foot in three places on the tire swing.  He is our first child to break any major bones.  Now, THAT, was a lot of fun.  Poor boy, couldn't run, jump or play basketball for 6 weeks.  It was tough, but did well listening to the doctor.  Thankfully, he was all together for both basketball camps and the biggie...TACKLE FOOTBALL!  Yep, my baby played tackle  football this year.  I was hesitant to let him play, thinking he was too small (the kid barely breaks 58 pounds), but once again my worry was for  nothing.  Football has been the best thing for Ethan.  He has  learned that he is tougher than he once thought he was and has a new found confidence that I've never seen in him before.  When he's  not playing sports, you'll either find him at a student council meeting, studying, creating a masterpiece out of Lego's or reading a good book; all this while maintaining a straight A average.  I am so proud of the young man Ethan is becoming.  He's tough as nails, but sweet as pie!

My sweet Christian is now 7!  He's grown in leaps and bounds over the course of this year.  He's excelling in school, sports and friendships.  This has been HIS year!  We spent his birthday at Frankie's Fun Park in Charleston and wouldn't you know, my little boy was now tall enough to ride of some of the big kid rides!  The timing was perfect, as he was sure it was because he was 7.  He was even more thrilled when we went to Disney World and he could actually ride some of the amazing roller coasters!  I don't know how much he actually enjoyed them or if he just enjoyed the fact that he was big enough.  Christian was able to partake in all the camps this summer as well.  He loved, loved, loved them!  Christian finished his last season of flag football this year pulling a record number of flags and scoring 7 touchdowns.  He's determined and competitive beyond words (wonder who he gets that from -Ahem - MIKE).  He's stumped as to which sport he likes the most; basketball or football.  When asked about it, he'll get a sheepish grin and look to see if Daddy is listening.  Christian is still the social butterfly of the family and thrives on attention.  We love him so much as he adds so much color to our family!

My little ones are 3!!  It almost hurts my fingers to type that...3 already.  Some days I'm asking myself where has the time gone and other days I'm asking when will day be over.  So many things have changed since last year.  Their once quiet dispositions have now blossomed into full out personalities.  We've gone from pull ups to panties; sippy cups to cups; cribs to big girl beds and we're officially pacy free!  We've had first hair cuts, first days of school, first field trips, first birthday parties, first pony rides, first fairs, first time seeing Mickey Mouse, first trip to Disney, first time on a boat and on and on and on!  It has been a wonderful year for them!  Although every moment has not been easy, it has been a year full of blessings to see their sweet faces experience it all!  Here's a little more about each little girl:

Princess Addie Pie is our most independent little one!  She has an undeniable spirit and loves to try new things.  Her favorite color is pink and she loves, loves, loves Beauty and the Beast.  She loves to change her clothes as often as possible to show how much of a princess she can be.  We like to call her Curious George as she's just that...curious.  I know she wants to do the right things, but her curiosity just gets the best of her sometimes.  One of her favorite things to do is to make soup; puppy food soup, make-up soup, toilet bowl soup, anything that can mix with water.  Although she's rough and tough, she likes dressing up and having pretty toes above all else.  What can I say, she's a true princess at heart.

Last, but not least, is our precious Kaitlyn.  She loves Cinderella, My Little Ponies and anything purple.  She likes having painted fingers and toes and thinks it to  be a special treat when she gets to wear my make-up.  She loves to eat sweets, cuddle with Mommy and follow her "Too-ri" around.  I must confess, she is the sneakiest of the bunch.  Her siblings try and keep her out of their rooms by locking their doors; however, Kaitlyn has mastered the art of picking locks.  So, when no one is around she likes to sneak in and play with their toys.  I have even caught her playing their DS when she is suppose to be napping.  It's a good thing she's cute.

As for Mike, he pinned on Major.  With that promotion has come a lot of responsibility and a lot of long hours.  He's been on several TDY's and spent a lot of time on the jet training students.  Despite the long hours and the busyness of life, we still make it a priority to spend as much time as a family as possible.  This year we took a family vacation to Florida.  We visited Disney World, Sea World and the Kennedy Space Center.  Each of us had our favorite spots, but we all agreed we had a blast!  Another family favorite was spent a little closer to home in Pine Mountain, Georgia.  There, we visited an Animal Safari!  We loaded up in a van and drove through a park full of safari wildlife.  They were roaming free and would even come up to our van and allow us to feed them.  We hand-fed giraffes, zebras and all kinds of other animals.  The kids were so tickled!  It was a lot of fun.

While 2011 was a good year, I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in 2012!  We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and pray for a blessed New Year!

Unwrapping Christmas

Christmas is only days away and my children are waiting ever so patiently to find out just what exactly is underneath our Christmas tree.  They've written their letters to Santa all pleading their case as to how good they've been and all asking so very politely for a few new things.  Our home is all lit up with Christmas lights and adorned with homemade ornaments and decorations.  In fact, if you didn't know better, you would think Santa himself had crafted some of these handmade items around our house.  My children take such pride in the things they bring home from school to surprise us with on Christmas morning.  They spend so much time wrapping their gifts just to see the light in our eyes as we eagerly unwrap them to see what precious present is tucked away.  The anticipation.  The wonder.  The excitement.


Christmas is a wonderful time of year; the lights, the music, the smiles, the baking, the crafts!  It's so easy to become consumed with it all, that the real message is forgotten.  Sure, most of us know that this is the time we celebrate the birth of our King, but do we really grasp what that meant for us all those years ago?  Just as impatiently as our children wait for their presents, a world waited for theirs.  Finally, when our gift was born He was tucked away in a manger.  When the wise men came, just imagine the wonder and excitement in their eyes as Mary eagerly unwrapped her precious baby, that she had no doubt meticulously bundled, to show the most priceless gift this world would ever know. 


Is it wrong to enjoy all the presents we're given from those we love?  No, it's not.  However, we can't forget the presence of the One who was born to give his all for us.  We simply can't forget the very first gift of Christmas that was unwrapped all those years ago.

Pleasure To Meet You

I am a true believer that there are so many different factors that go into raising children.  Let's see...you've got  religion, genetics, emotional nurturing, education, environment; just to name a few.  When I found out I was going to be a Mother, I hit the books.  I have to admit, that did help, with the "to-do's" at least.  But when I found out I was having twins, I felt I was starting from scratch.  There's so much debate on how to raise multiples.  I wanted to know everything I could on to how to help these two little people become successful in life.  Although they were precious beyond words, my deepest desire was for them to grow into smart, independent little ladies.  Some books said not to dress them same; others said it didn't matter.  Some said keep them in the same classes; some said it didn't matter.  Some said to allow them to sleep together; others said it didn't matter.  Basically the conclusion that Mike and I came up with is that...it was all up to us.  Yes...it all comes down to trial and error.  So, as we have done with all the rest of our children, we have done the very best we can.  I believe to my core that we are accomplishing what we set out to do.  Not only are these two smart and independent, they could not be any more different.  They have their own likes and dislikes, giggles, phrases, annunciations and quircks.  With that...I would like to introduce to you Miss Addeline Grace and Miss Kaitlyn Elizabeth.  

It's "Princess Addie Pie" to most and sung to a cute little tune my Mom and Dad made up.  I am an independent little girl with undeniable spirit!  I love trying new things...even if they're the wrong things.  I'm the oldest twin; by one minute.  Let's face it, in a family of 7, every minute counts.  My favorite color is purple and I love, love, love pasta!  So does my big sis, Victoria.  My favorite thing to watch is "Booty and the Beast".  I just love Belle!  I change my clothes as often as I can to show how much of a princess I am!  My family likes to refer to me as Curious George.  I try so hard to do the right thing, but they're right, I'm just so curious.  I love making soups; puppy food soup, make-up soup, toilet bowl soup, pretty much anything I can mix with water.  It's funny how no one else in my family has a country accent except me.  I seem to have picked that one up all on my own.  My Mommy loves the way I take one syllable words and turn them two; for example, instead of saying "self" I turn it into "se-yelf".  It gets her every time.  I'm not sure where the future will take me, but I'm going places!  I just know it.

They call me "KK".  It started when my sister, Addie Pie, couldn't quite pronounce my name.  My family thought it was so cute, it stuck.  I'm the baby of the family; in every possible way.  I like to be held, cuddled and coddled.  My favorite color is pink and I love My Little Ponies.  Well, today I love them.  Tomorrow, I may love Mickey Mouse...or Barbies...or a stuffed animal.  You just never know with me.  My favorite movie is "Cinnerella".  I...am...a...princess!  I like to have "pretty toes" and "pretty finners" and my favorite is when Mommy lets me wear her make up!  That is a real treat.  My favorite food is anything sweet, just like my Mommy!  I say skip the meal and head for the dessert : )  My brothers and sisters try and lock their doors to  keep me out of their rooms because I like to sneak in and secretly play with their toys; don't tell them, but I know how to use a penny and pick the lock!  Yup, I go right in and snag their DS!  Sometimes I even do it when I'm supposed to be napping.  I'm the sneakiest one of the bunch.  They say it's a good thing I'm cute!  I don't know what I want to be when I grow up, but I know the possibilities are endless!  I'll do great things.

Even with all the books that I read, I still don't really know what I'm doing. The only thing I know for sure about this parenting thing is it's all about the relationship. The relationship and the love...both of which we have plenty of. For the record, I do dress our girls alike and they are in the same class. However, as you can see, they couldn't be more unique.

Commitment

After 3 months of marriage

 

I, Ashley, take you Mike, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day 

forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to 

cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

When I first looked into Mike's eyes and said my vows I just knew...as long as we had love we could get through anything!  I knew that our lives would always be as full of romance as they were right then and that no matter what, we would always be able to make one another happy.

Marriage.

We, like so many before us, fell into the trap of believing those common misconceptions that couples have when they say their "I do's".  We all think we are going to ride off into the sunset and our lives are going to be nothing but sunshine and butterflies.  Never do we dream of all the challenges we will inevitably have in store for us. 

Children...housework...deployments...arguments...work...family...loss...
sickness...debt...decisions...relocations

The one common denominator all these things hopefully have is commitment.  There are times in marriage
when you will be stretched and tested beyond your limits, or what you once thought were your limits.  There will be some times in your marriage when you will look at your spouse and not even like who you're looking at it.  Then there will be those pivotal moments when you realize there is no one else in this world you would rather walk through the pits of hell with than the man/woman you are married to.


Marriage is not always about the feeling of love.  At some point it becomes a decision to love.  A husband and wife have to decide over and over again to put forth the effort into the relationship, even when they don't feel like it and especially when those trials inevitably come along.  You have to decide to encourage one another; to respect one another and to put in the effort it takes to keep a marriage alive.

By no means do I have all the answers, nor will I EVER pretend to.  In fact, the ONLY thing I know for sure is that no relationship comes with a lifetime guarantee.  Author, Gary Thomas talks about marriage and says,

"If happiness is our primary goal, we'll get a divorce as soon as happiness seems to wane.  If receiving love is our primary goal, we'll dump our spouse as soon as they seem to be less attentive. But if we marry for the glory of God, to model His love and commitment to our children, and to reveal His witness to the world, divorce makes no sense." 

  

Remember...for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...

until death do us part.

After 10 years of marriage.

Never Quit

When the decision was made for Ethan to participate in tackle football, to say I was not on-board would be an understatement.  When I looked at my Ethan, I saw a small, thin, fragile boy not ready to be pushed around and possibly crushed by the much larger boys I saw running on the field.  The thought terrified me and yet I knew it was time.  Mike had allowed me to direct their sports routines for long enough.  I needed to step aside and allow him to lead our boy.  So, I did.  He signed him up for the Westside Warriors.  We still kept him in a church league...it was just a 'keeping score and tackling' church league!

I didn't attend the first couple of practices, because I was terrified of what I may see.  I didn't want to get angry if I saw Ethan on the bottom of a pile up or if I saw some sort of illegal move.  I basically let Mike take the lead.  Of course, the day came when Mike was unable to take Ethan to practice, so I loaded everyone up and headed to the church.  Boy oh boy was I in for a surprise.  Not only was Ethan not the fragile little boy I thought he was, but I never even took into account how quick he is!  My little guy can run!  I found myself shouting; "Block him!"  "Get him!"  "Take him down!!!"  I was so excited and yet shocked at the same time.  Was this really the same boy that would sometimes get teary because his sisters would "break into his room"; The same little boy who gets teary when his little brother wears his socks!?!  Yes, it was.  Not only was he juking and jiving his way around these other kids on offense, but he was pushing and taking down these 80-90 pound boys on defense!  I was swelling with pride watching my son get so physical with these kids...not even worrying about the pushing and shoving that I was witnessing!  It was amazing to see Ethan toughening up before my very eyes.  My once little boy was becoming a young man. 

Ethan was thrilled that I actually got up the nerve to watch an entire practice.  I told him how proud I was of him and how tough he was!  Believe me, he came home with his share of bumps and bruises, but he never quit.  The team made it to the playoffs undefeated.  The game was definitely a nail-biter as it was the toughest of the season.  However, our boys pushed through the pain, gave it their all and came out with a victory!

One of the many team banners

Ethan getting low and taking an opponent down.

He was an animal on defense!

They are now champions!