Sweetpea Stories

Grace for the Ordinary

2012-02-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

The older I have become, the more precious grace has also become. Grace... you don't deserve her and neither do I.

No, I'm not talking about a young girl; I am talking about unmerited favor, mercy, forgiveness. She is a gift that ushers you into security, covers you in love, and usually leaves you on your face in humility and gratitude. Sometimes she is wrapped in fancy wrapping with an exquisite bow. More often than not, she comes wrapped in crumpled newspaper or with a simple bow tied around her.

I have seen her step into marriages that have gone beyond the point of utter desparation. I have seen her lift the heads of teenagers who have made a complete mess of their lives and clothed themselves in shame. I have seen her redeem, restore, and revive.  How? Because she herself is not what brings the change, but the Giver of grace alone. And when you receive your package of grace...wrapped simply and small, or large and with great elegance, you can't receive her without brushing the nail-scarred hands of the One who gives her.

I am not a woman with a sordid past. I was the kind who didn't like to push the envelope, or disappoint.  There have been no drugs, no alcohol abuse, no sex before marriage. But oh, there was, and there is, a need for grace. When I look into the eyes of one of my precious daughters and have to correct her for wrong behavior, I am very well aware that more often than not, she learned that behavior from me. Those words of judgement that would leave someone completely crushed....oh, they may not come out of my mouth, but I live with the very real knowledge that they are rattling around in my heart. There are times that fear shouts so loudly in my spirit that it barely allows the Spirit of God to even be heard as a whisper.

But my sin is what nailed Christ to the cross, the same as the sin of any rapist or murderer or child molester. My heart, my soul, my very life is in as much need of grace, as the terrorist who lives half-way across the world plotting the demise of thousands. I need my head lifted, my heart restored, my life redeemed.  I have touched the life of the Giver of grace, and I will never be the same. I will forgive freely. I will pray with compassion. I will break my gift of grace...so sweetly given to me...into as many pieces as I possibly can, so that I can give her to those around me.

I need grace. Grace for the ordinary. And I don't care how she is gift-wrapped. As long as I can brush hands with her Giver.

Thankful...so thankful

2011-11-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

This was our 4th year to do our Thankfulness tree. Here are 3 quick snapshots into the hearts of my children...

We spent our Thanksgiving Day with Mimi and Papa D.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." Ps. 136:1

Fabulous Four!

2011-11-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

This precious girl is now 4! I can't believe it! I cried getting pictures out for her party just thinking that she is no longer a baby. Although, she knows well, no matter how old she gets, she is still my baby!

We had a pajama princess party Saturday morning.

We colored a princess puzzle...

We bounced in the princess castle bounce house...

We blew out candles (although embarassingly, I only put 3 candles on. Not a single person said something to me and I didn't even think about it until Monday on her real birthday) and ate cute ladybug cupcakes that Ashlyn decorated.

We opened gifts from sweet friends...

and then later that night went and got her ears pierced. The 2 things she has wanted for her birthday are to get her ears pierced and ride a horse.

She did as awesome as her big sisters did. No tears...

We talked on the phone to Gampa...

...and went to dinner at Shogun's with Mimi and Papa D. These two things were done on her actual birthday.

The only thing left is to reschedule our pony ride which got cancelled due to rain.

Precious girl, we love you more than words could ever say. You are so sweet, so kind, so funny and so smart. Everyday is fun with you! You make our days brighter and our nights sweeter. Love you so much, Reesie-boo! Love, Mommy

Fall Fun

2011-10-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

So Proud of my Girls

2011-10-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank Christ for the 3 sweet girls who call me mom each day. They stole my heart long ago and i feel tremendously blessed.

All 3 of my girls hold a special place in my heart and bless me beyond what I deserve. It truly feels like they are part of God's goodness wrapped up in petite little girl bodies. Reese brings my soul such peace and calmness. If you know her, you know she isn't shy and quiet. She doesn't just sit in a corner and smile over at me throughout the day. She is full of life and love and joy! She is so funny, so imaginitive, and so bright. Yet, there is something in her that truly soothes me to the core of my being. If something is bothering me or I feel sad, I'll often just have her snuggle up next to me or even sneak in her room at night after she's gone to bed just to lay next to her for awhile. I am so thankful for the Lord's blessing of peace through her in my life.

Laney brings me joy unimaginable. I've shared before what a people magnet our girl is, and i can't help but experience the Lord's pure joy and uninhibited love through her. I think one of my favorite things about her is how unassuming she is. I know she is a child and some of it is her age, but most of it is simply who she is. I wish I had more of that in me than I do. I assume too much when I give my answers and too much when I get them. She takes people and what they say at face value and it makes you want to be around her. She is uninhibited in her love, her laughter, her joy. She makes my heart sing and there are so many things in her that I hope rub off onto me.

Then there is my Ashlyn Jean. Oh, she is my faithful one. And her faithfulness reminds me so much of God's faithfulness. She is good. She is kind. She is forgiving. She is beautiful, inside and out. God has given her such insight and discernment and a heart to love people and show them kindness. She gets what is truly important and it brings life, the Lord's Life, simply by being around her. Her middle name, my mom's first name, means God's graciousness and she is every bit of that in my life.

About a month and a half ago she came up with the idea of Kindness Cakes. What she decided was that she could bake cakes, cookies, cupcakes and then whatever money people pay her, she will donate to people in need. We have friends of ours who started His Chase in honor of their precious little boy, Chase, who went to be with the Lord 2 years ago. Through His Chase (www.hischase.org) they help orphans in Africa. Ashlyn has chosen that her money will go to them and last week sent in over $85. None of this was my idea. It was the Lord at work in her. Here are a couple of the cakes she has made...again, all on her own.

I am so thankful for the way Christ loves me through these 3 precious ones. I am so thankful they are mine.

Remembering

2011-09-18T14:20:00.000-07:00

The last 2 weeks in September are always a time of remembering, a time of reflecting, a time full of memories. The last two weeks of September have brought the two most difficult, gutt-wrenching, heart-breaking days of my life. One of the days, September 18th, things went how I had dreamed and prayed. On September 30th things went drastically opposite of every prayer and every hope that I had. In both days, God was present; He was faithful, even though on one of the days I felt like He had let me down.

Three years ago on this very day, this is what was going on:

Actually, these are taken the day after her open heart surgery. The day of, there were many more tubes and wires, and well, this momma was the one who fainted in the pediatric ICU.

I can remember the month before her cardiologist telling me that we could no longer wait on surgery. Dr. Kort had been gracious with me...I was the one who kept asking for us to wait just a little longer and see if the hole would close up on its own. It didn't and fiinally, still with patience but firmness, he told me she was no longer growing because her heart had to work too hard to pump blood throughout her body. Long-term damage was going to be done if we didn't have the surgery.

From every step of the way, and there are too many details to share, I felt God holding my hand and being so gentle with me. Every nurse, every doctor, every office attendant, the surgeon was so kind in their answers. When I called to actually schedule the surgery one of the dates offered was Sept. 30th. There was no way my heart could take that. That was the worse day of my life, and I didn't want it to be a repeat. So it was settled, on Sept. 18th I would hand my 10 mos. old baby girl over to a surgeon and pray like crazy.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I have never experienced the peace of Christ more than on that day.

"Don't worry about anything; insteady, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

I had grown up hearing that verse all my life. I had it memorized. But to experience it is a completely different thing. I will never forget it. I literally felt like God was carrying me in His hands.

This is my girl today:

You have no idea how much joy can be packed into this petite little body!

I was reading Psalm 105 and 106 today. The psalmist was recounting Israel's history with the Lord...their journey with Him...the ups and the downs. It was a time to remember.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His faithful love endures forever." Ps. 106:1

Today is a day I will always remember, a day I will always give thanks.

We started a non-profit Gracious Legacy Foundation in honor of Reese and in memory of my mom. Gift bags are given to children going through open heart surgery or adults going through cancer treatment. Please join us in giving to others and donate at www.graciouslegacy.org.

Visiting Gampa- Part II

2011-08-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday brought Ashlyn's birthday. We, of course, went to church that morning which was one of the sweetest times of the trip for me. We picked up MomMom and then headed to the service. During the summer they combine the traditional and contemporary services. Besides being able to worship with 4 generations of my family I was surrounded by more elderly people than I have worshipped with in a long time, if not ever. All the songs ended up being worship songs I enjoy but are contemporary and I'm guessing that none of the precious older generations knew. But they stood and worshipped their hearts out. The pastor spoke God's truth passionately and in a very gripping way. I left sensing the Lord's presence and a little more in love with Him.

We swam that afternoon and then MomMom, Aunt Nancy, and Uncle Hank came over to help celebrate the sweetest, most amazing 9 year old girl I know! We cooked out, had cake, opened presents, and celebrated our Ashlyn Jean. What a blessing she is!

Visiting Gampa- Part I

2011-08-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

These girls love their Gampa! And it's been a tradition since Ashlyn was less than a year old for my dad to take his granddaughters to IHOP. Every time they are together, they all venture for a huge breakfast just the 4 of them.

We arrived on Friday afternoon, so guess where they were headed Saturday morning?

Laney didn't care what we did in Pennsylvania as long as Gampa and swimming were involved.

This is one of my favorite pics of our time together. I love the pure joy on Reesie's face walking back from the pool with her Gampa.

Another special part of our trip was getting to spend time with MomMom, my 93 year-old grandmother. She truly is an amazingly strong woman, a woman of great faith in the Lord, and a woman with great love for her family.

The last time I saw MomMom I was pregnant with Reese. It was a fun time of Reesie getting to meet her in person for the first time. Of course, all 3 girls love their MomMom. We got to go over to my Aunt Nancy, Uncle Hank, and MomMom's house Saturday night for dinner. Here is our 4 generation picture from the night:

I am so thankful for the family the Lord has blessed me with. We are far from perfect, and definitely have our quirks, but we love one another dearly, forgive one another when it's needed, and truly enjoy spending time together.

I Never Knew I Could Love...

2011-08-05T19:52:00.000-07:00

...someone so much until a precious 7lb. 7oz. baby girl came into my life 9 years ago. That end of July night it literally felt like my heart beat out of my chest so full of love, and it has never been the same since.

I need to scan in some baby pics of this sweet girl but here she is at her 4th birthday. Isn't she the cutest?

Fall of 2007

I love this picture. It captivates so much of who our Ashlyn is: joyful, sweet, kind, easy to laugh.

My Precious Ashlyn Jean, You are no longer a little girl, and yet I am so proud of the young lady you are becoming. You are the daughter every parent dreams of...loving, kind, considerate, smart, beautiful in every way inside and out. Your heart for the Lord and for your family make me love Jesus even more. My heart never knew I could love so much until you came along. You have brought us such joy, and we are blessed beyond measure to be given the gift of you for our family. I love you, sweet girl. Happy 9th birthday!

Love forever and always and even more than that, Momma

I miss her

2011-07-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because I've been having to find new doctors in this area, and you always have to give medical histories. Maybe it's because we've had close friends up to visit who I feel comfortable enough to be open and vulnerable with. Maybe it's because last week Ashlyn came into my room in tears after singing on the karaoke machine with her friends because a song that played was about a girl missing her grandfather who had passed away and she said it made her think of her Nana. Maybe it's because we are going to visit my dad soon and things don't seem quite right going to visit him without her being there. Maybe it's because the girls pulled out our wedding video a couple of weeks ago and wanted to watch it which of course included many pictures of her.

Or maybe it's just because I miss the normal, everyday things. I miss talking to her on the phone...simply hearing her voice would put my heart at ease. She always had the right words, even when they were hard to hear. And more often than not, it was just her sitting by my side without any words at all. I miss hearing her laugh. I miss my girls not getting to spend time with her...going back-to-school shopping or making milkshakes or doing some craft. I truly miss them not just getting to know her. I miss getting to come home and the normal pampering that any 34 yr old daughter would still receive simply for being one's daughter. I miss the feel of holding her hand. I miss calling and asking a question about how to cook something. I miss her burning rolls in the oven and then laughing that she did it again! I miss her talking loudly to the TV over some sporting event and then falling asleep in "her" chair cheering on the San Antonio Spurs or the Horned Frogs football team.

I miss my mom. I miss being known and loved so very well. I miss the deep, deep friendship that we had. There have been more tears lately as I miss all the she was in my life, but those tears also have hope mingled in their midst. I do not grieve like one "with no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died...Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then will will be with the Lord forever." I Thes. 4:13-14, 17 These years apart will seem like a blink of an eye. And once again, I'll hear that great laugh, feel that hand in mine, and feel even more at home than ever before because we both truly will be Home, with the Savior himself. I can't imagine anything sweeter.

Hotel de Mills

2011-07-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

We have been looking forward to July for several months now. Our house has been full of dear friends and it has made our hearts so full! First up, the beloved Aunt Jen. She came up for July 4th weekend so got to see the girls in their bike parade and of course celebrate our Independence Day in style with fireworks, homemade ice cream, and a little R&R. It was fantabulous!

Jen....we love you so!

The following weekend we were looking forward to our wonderful friends, the Fustons, coming in but poor Tenley got a stomach bug and we are now hoping for a rain check this fall. Our disappointment was short-lived because the following weekend our close friends, the Stehrs headed up to visit!

These girls are so much fun together...honestly, we rarely saw them when we were at the house because they just went from one room to the next playing together. It is such a sweet friendship they share! The above pic is at Fayetteville's Farmers Market.

We squeezed in swimming and the drive-in movie...lots of conversations (one bw Audrey and I that still makes us laugh) and lots of laughter. This family is one that makes you just want to love the Lord and love those around you better. We are so blessed to call you friends!

And you may think that's it but it isn't. Our good friends, and Ashlyn's best friend, the Phillips family got to come up this weekend. The kids were up super late, and it's been awhile since I've been up until 1 (please no old lady comments), but we enjoyed every minute of it.

I so miss having Avery around on a regular basis for our Ashlyn. They share a friendship that will stand the test of time...but wish we could zip over to their house in under 2 minutes like we used to.

We decided to do the Arkansas thing and be "outdoorsie." It was beautiful, but boy was it hot. You can't tell how profusely we were sweating in this pic. Yet, hot or cold, rain or shine, we love this family, and we're so glad they came!

It's no secret...

2011-07-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

I love summer! I mean, I really loooove summer! Always have. Always will.

Why, you ask?

1. As a mom, I love having more time with my girls!

2. I'll take 100 degree heat over 40 degree cold any day! (and yes, 40 is cold)

3. I love tanned faces. Here are some of my favorites:

4. Can I get an "amen, hallelujah!" to not having to get up and get going by 7:30 in the morning?

5. I love that it's sunny almost all of the time.

6. I adore that it stays light later into the night.

7. Extra play time with extra fun friends does my heart good. Here's one night that made my heart full:

8. I truly enjoy being at the pool...kinda wish we could do it all year 'round!

9. Walks at 8:30pm

10. Fresh corn on the cob...even better, eating fresh corn on the cob outside for dinner.

And there you have it, my top 10 reasons for the night. (Okay, and an extra one just for fun...wearing flip flops every. single. day.)

Beautiful Lengths from a Beautiful Girl

2011-06-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Many of you already know, but Ashlyn has been growing out her hair for a good year and a half in order to donate it to make a wig for a woman who has last her hair due to cancer treatments. We searched out L*cks of Love and P*ntene's Beautiful Lengths, and decided to go with Beautiful Lengths. Well, today those pretty locks of hers got cut. Here are a couple before shots:

A couple in process pics:

And the beautiful finished product:

Sweet girl, you are beyond beautiful on the outside! However, your heart is true gold and has a beauty that only your Heavenly Daddy can give you. I am so proud of you and love you to the moon and back!

Home Sweet Home

2011-06-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

After living with Jason's parents for 6 months (we never would have guessed when we moved that it would have been that long), we moved into our own home here in Rogers, Arkansas almost 2 months ago. We were thankful for David and Melody's kindness, but also so excited to be in our own place and begin truly settling in here.

We love our house, but I have to say...even if our house were a 6X6 foot shack we'd still love being here because of the wonderful neigbors God has blessed us with. So, without further ado...some pictures:

Happy, happy birthday, Laney!

2011-05-31T20:27:00.000-07:00

I truly can't believe that my middle child is now 6 years old. It's amazing how quickly time passes, and honestly, this momma's heart is having a hard time with it. It's true though, our Laney-bear is 6 years old!

On her actual birthday night we went to Shogun for her dinner. It took over an hour to get seated but this sweet girl is worth every minute of it!

We opened some great gifts and then waited until Saturday for her party. She chose to invite a bunch of her friends from school and go to a local art studio, Imagine. They made purses, sang Justin Be*ber songs, and laughed like crazy. It was too cute!

My dearest Laney Hope, I never cease to be amazed at how quickly people are drawn to you. Yet, I'm not surprised at why they desire to be around you...you are a tender heart, sweet, fun, ready to laugh, and always ready to make a new friend. As your love for Jesus grows, I pray that your friends' love for Jesus grows too because they see Him so brightly in you. You are an amazing blessing in our lives, Laney-lou. And we love you as high as the moon and back!

Easter 2011

2011-05-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry. What did you say? Easter was a month ago? I'm behind? Yes, I know. It seems to be the world I live in. Am I comfortable with that? Not really, but it's my life right now. And while I may be constantly behind, I am constantly blessed as well. So that is what I am trying to allow my heart to focus on rather than my messy house, the friends and family I am missing, and the fact that my thighs seem to be growing as wide as the Red Sea parted (age...gotta love it).

My biggest girl continues to get bigger.

My middle one is another year older, and the youngest of the bunch no longer is a baby...sigh.

But my hope...tried, true and eternal Hope...is found in nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. However many years pass, and as things shift and change over time (including this body of mine), I am reminded that this world is not my home. And because of that glorious Easter day a couple of thousand years ago, I do have Hope!

Spring Break...Part II (Sweet Friends)

2011-04-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

After visitng my brother's we drove to Arlington, TX to stay the night with some of our closest friends, the Stehr family. We became friends through LifeGroup at church and even when they moved to Arlington have remained close. They are simply people we have such deep heart connections with (okay, maybe Audrey and I have a deep heart connection and Rusty and Jason bond deeply over Jimmy Buffet concerts...ha).

In any case, our girls also have the sweetest friendships and play so incredibly well together. It was a short visit but sweet none-the-less.

Can't you just picture this crew a few years down the road as teenagers?Rusty, Audrey, Meagan and Olivia,

We are so thankful for the friendship God has blessed us with, and we love you dearly. Come visit soon!

Spring Break...Part I

2011-04-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

The first part of Spring Break we headed down to Georgetown, TX to visit my brother, Andy, sister-in-law, Kelly and their 2 kiddos. They just moved there in December and it was our first time to see their new, beautiful home in person. We were so excited to spend time with them! And so excited to meet our sweet new neice/cousin, Ainsley Keane. Ooooh, I just wanted to pack her up and bring her home with us! Plus, it was triple the excitement, because we got to be a part of Drew's 3rd birthday! They decided to have a woman bring her ponies, donkey and goats to their house. The kids loved it and Drew couldn't get enough of the baby goats. So much so, that even the momma goat tried head butting him a few times...ha!

We also got to head out to the Austin rodeo on Monday. Just mentioning the word rodeo brings a smile to my girls faces so they were pumped to actually be there. I believe the pig races were their favorite for the day.

And Gampa, this picture is just for you...all 5 grandkids!

We are so thankful for the family God has blessed us with! Now, we're ready for them to come visit us in our new home!

It's like riding a bike

2011-04-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

The weekend before we left for Spring Break, we decided to take Laney's training wheels off. I knew that she was ready and would be riding in a matter of seconds....IF SHE DIDN'T SYKE HERSELF OUT! Jase wheeling her out. What will the verdict be? And she's off! It literally took her less than a minute and she was out on her own. So proud of our Laney-loo!

Can you tell she's a second child? Poor girl gets hand-me-downs on most things, including the helmet which cute top came undone a few minutes before the ride. Oh well, it might not be fashionable, but at least it's safe.

PRECIOUS!

2011-03-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, couldn't you just eat her up? Oh, too much cuteness...makes my heart overflow!

Daddy/Daughter Dance

2011-03-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, the big girls had Daddy/Daughter dance at their school. They were so excited for weeks leading up to the night.
Don't they look so pretty (and handsome, of course)?!

It was extra fun because it was Aunt Jen's birthday and she came up to celebrate!

Yes, I am blessed.

I even snuck up to the school for a few minutes to get some dancing shots:

My sweet girls, may you be blessed with a husband one day who loves you as much as your daddy does, who can make your heart swirl with love as much as your dresses swirl when you dance, and who loves you second to only your Heavenly Father who loves you as with more passion than you'll ever be able to grasp.

Catch Up for Valentine's

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am in LOVE with these little girls...sometimes to the point where it feels like my heart might explode. Sometimes to the point it hurts. But these 3 have stolen my heart from the moment I've met them...actually even before that.

They woke up and opened up some little Valentine's gifts. The above picture is taken right before the big girls headed out the door for school. Later in the day I joined in the fun at their class parties.

To my precious girls, I love you more than words could ever say, more than you will ever know, and more than I ever thought it was possible to love.

The Not So Pretty

2011-02-17T13:44:00.001-08:00

I don't use this blog to go into detail about when my children are disobedient or to vent when Jason does things that make me really mad. I figure I wouldn't want someone airing my dirty laundry for others to read, so I am not going to air theirs.

However, I genuinely hope that when others check in that they don't get the impression our family is perfect. We aren't. I am definitely not. So, I thought today that I'd let you read my journal entry from my quiet time with the Lord from this morning.

Feb 17, 2011
Lord God,
I am frustrated and finding myself angry. Even angry at You, to be honest. I don't get the prayer thing all too often. I know you aren't a genie in a bottle or Santa Clause, but I do wonder sometimes if prayer makes any difference. It's scary to write these words of my heart down-- almost like I am waiting for lightening to strike. But I know that you know my heart and thoughts anyways. And I know that the best thing to do is to come to You, even when it isn't pretty.

God, we need our house to sell or lease SOON. If you want me to move on and settle in, I need a place where I can do that.

I'm struggling to hear your voice, to expereince Your joy. Please listen to the cries of my heart.

My Bible reading- Matthew 1:1-17 A record of Jesus' ancestors which include:

heroes of the faith
but those heroes also included liars, a murderer, and those that showed partiality
the ordinary
a prostitute
foreigners
the evil

"God's work in history is not limited by human failures or sins, and he works through ordinary people. Just as God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world, he uses all kinds today to accomplish His will. And God wants to use you." (commentary from my Life Application Bible study)

"Abundant life is not something to work for, but rather is something to be worked from." (Michael Wells, Sidetracked in the Wilderness)

I had just stopped in the parking lot of a local church on my way home from taking Reese to MDO. As I looked out my window I saw a bunch of tall trees. It's winter and there isn't any type of life on them. I feel like what they look like: dead with no signs of life, ugly. Yet, as I thought about it. They were tall and the wind was blowing like crazy. Still, they didn't fall over which means they have deep roots. And while they don't have anything but dead leaves on them now, I know in another month or two they will be filled with beautiful green leaves. And while I can't see the oxygen they are giving off, I know they are.

So I wrapped up with this prayer:

Father, keep me rooted deep in You. Use me to breathe Your life into others. Please bring new life into my life, spiritually and emotionally (I added spiritually and emotionally bc I think Jase would wince thinking about me having a new life growing in me physically!) May your Spirit always move me. Please sell my house soon. Your child, Kimberly

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-02-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

This is all I'm saying: 18 inches of snow, -12 degrees last night, and tomorrow will be the 9th day the girls have been off of school for snow since coming back from Christmas break.

Family Night

2011-02-03T12:46:00.001-08:00

The move to Arkansas has been quite the transition. I still feel very much in limbo, which isn't the most comfortable of positions to be in. We still own our "vacation" home in TX; I don't know what I'll be doing up here job-wise, and we still live with the ever gracious in-laws.

However, one great addition to our family since moving up here has been family night. We have one night a week that everyone knows is set aside just for our family. Phones, computers, TVs are pushed aside. And we rotate who gets to plan it each week. I'll give you what we have done so far:

1.) bowling night (Laney)

2.) movie night at home....ordered pizza in and had an intermission filled with fun treats (Ashlyn)

3.) Movie night #2 which included breakfast for dinner in our pj's (Reese)

4.) Fun City- a pizza place with indoor putt-putt, arcades and play area (me)

5.) dinner out and then onto an art gallery (Papa D)

6.) roller-skating (Jason)

7.) game night...we even called neighbors who recently moved to the other side of town and asked if we could borrow their almost empty house for a couple of hours for a fantastic game of Nerf War! Then we came back home and played Cooties (as shown below) (MiMi)

This week we were back on Laney-bear. We had a Valentine's night. Our food was red and pink (lasagna and a pink fruit salad with pink lemonade). Laney then told us about the crafts and reminded us that Jesus is love.

Our first craft I found in one of my magazines. You'll see close-ups at the end of the post but here are my 3 loves showing off our pretty Valentine heart hanging:

Then we moved on to making bookmarks and Valentine's cards.

A few of the final products:

"Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.... God showed how much he loves us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him. This is real love-- not that we loved God, but that He loves us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." I John 4:7, 9-10

Whispers from Heaven

2011-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have never audibly heard the voice of God. No notes from above have been left under my pillow. There isn't a contact in my cell phone with the name Jesus attached to it.

But I have heard His voice. He still speaks as clearly today as He did thousands of years ago.

Over the years I have been asked several times, "How do I know God is speaking to me?" My usual response, "you just know that you know that you know." There are, of course, the basics that if God is telling you to do something, whatever it is will always match up to Scripture and will always match up to His character. But I am telling you, when God speaks, whether in a whisper or in a what seems like a shout, you will know in the very core of your being. It might take time to truly know that it is Him or have a few specifics revealed to you, but you will know that you know it is Him. He speaks with authority but it is always accompanied with His gentleness.

A couple of weeks ago I heard His voice again. I heard it in a way that breathes air into my lungs and fills my heart with joy. We were driving down to Texas for New Year's weekend, to spend time with friends and be in our own house (which Jase lovingly refers to as our "vacation home" since it still hasn't sold or leased). I was in the middle of Karen Kingsbury's new book entitled Unlocked. It centers around an autistic high school boy who keeps saying to himself "Jesus, I know you love me." Every time I read those words my heart resonated with the truth. No, this move hasn't been easy. We still haven't sold our home. We are still living with Jason's parents. We don't really know anyone. But even when things don't go as I desire, Jesus still loves me.

This prompted me to open my Bible and read Isaiah 43 again. We are told marvelously in this chapter of the Bible that even if the fires are all around us and we feel the heat, they won't consume us. As the waters rise and threaten to knock us over, we will not drown. We are summoned by God; He calls us by name! I am His! As I kept reading I came across verses 18 and 19 and it took my breath away.

These were the same verses I read in a book a friend sent me several weeks back. The book is on moving and gives wonderful hope and promises of God as you move to a new place and everything familiar is stripped away. I heard God's heart for me as I read these words. This was Him talking to me, whispers of Heaven to soothe my soul.

An hour later I went back to the Kingsbury book and you wouldn't believe it! In the story of the book these very verses were written out in the story line to the mom of the autistic boy. Except they were personalized in this way "My precious daughter, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up...do you not perceive it...I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. I love you, my daughter...you are not alone. Not now or ever."

Tears came to my eyes; my heart felt like it was up in my throat. No, I have no idea if God's voice is deep or if it is raspy. I have yet to receive a personalized text message from Him. But I know that I know, He speaks. And I love what He has to say.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

Does this give you any idea how great Christmas was for us? Okay, actually we were just being silly as we played with my new camera. There are many crazy poses that I won't post, as to not be bribed later on with.
The highlight for me was that my best friend, Jen, came and spent Christmas in Arkansas with us. If you can't be at "home" then having "home" come to you is just perfection. Seriously, she is one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for!

Here is sweet Reesie-boo on Christmas Eve, after we got home from a lovely Christmas Eve service, celebrating the birth of our Savior!

And, of course, the famous matching pjs for everyone, including the dogs:

The girls with their plate of cookies for Santa:

Putting out reindeer food (which Laney Hope made at school with her classmates):

Mimi with Laney and Reese:

Me and my precious oldest:

We woke up and started with our stockings...

Our big present to Reese was a canopy for over her bed. Gampa and Diane got her the microphone. I found her singing under her canopy and snapped this shot right afterwards. Oh, what a CUTIE.PIE!

After the stockings we came to open our big presents. This is the big girls reaction to seeing...

these! Needless to say, the lockers I found at my favorite shop here in Arkansas were a huge hit! I got excited just thinking about them seeing these because I knew how much they'd love them! I asked Laney later in the day if she liked her locker. Her response, "I don't just like it. I LOVE it!"

Mimi and Papa D got the big girls scooters and Reesie got a riding scooter which she calls her motorcycle. She loves this thing. One day during lunch last week she looked at me and said, "Mommy, I'm a motorcycle girl."

Well friends, Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!

White Rock 2010

2010-12-12T12:15:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday, Jase ran his fifth marathon. It was his third time to run the White Rock and it has grown to be a fun tradition for our family. My friend Jen, being part of the family, has also made it a tradition. We have gotten the driving to different locations down to a science and have a lot of fun doing it!
Jason's biggest fans:

We got to see our favorite marathoner 4 times this year...at around mile 6 (pictured below), mile 12, mile 17 and mile 24. Lookin' good, Babe! Lookin' good!

He always loads up on kisses at each stop. I'm convinced it's part of why he does so well!

Way to go, Daddy!

Still running at mile 24.

After the race. He had his personal best at 3:51:50.

So Much to be Thankful For

2010-12-07T11:10:00.001-08:00

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever."

November is my favorite month of the year~ the fall colors, the warmth, reflecting on all the blessings God has given us. We started off our season of thankfulness with Laney's feast at school. Here she is sporting her handmade Indian vest. Didn't she do a great job? Prettiest little Indian I've ever seen! Laney with a friend and her first kinder teacher up here in Arkansas, Mrs. Lee:

One benefit of living in the same town as grandparents is that they get to be a part of everyday fun activites. Mimi and Papa D came to help out at the feast too.

Three years ago we started a tradition of making our very own Thankfulness Tree. We print out leaves and then write down different things we are thankful Christ has given us.

I am humbled and beyond grateful to see my Ashlyn Jean, at only 8, really understand how blessed we are. She knows that many people around the world don't have the same every day comforts that we do.

One of the things I am most thankful for this year is Laney's growth in understanding and loving Jesus!

My sweet Reesie does love her horses!

The girls decorated their nametags for the table:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday, Reesie-boo!

2010-11-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago it was this cutie-patootie's 3rd birthday! Jason and I drove back into town from a wedding in Dallas to find the birthday girl and her sweet sisters awaiting us. Can you just see why I love these girls so much?
We spent the next little bit of time opening up presents, that was until Reese was tired and decided to save some for the next day. Who doesn't like to spread the birthday love out over a few days time?

I wanted to do something special for Reese since we moved up to Arkansas right before her birthday and we'd be away from friends. So we loaded up and headed out somewhere special. This is the family as we waited for Reese's special treat.

Our girl absolutely adores horses. So...I called a woman who gives horse back riding lessons and she did some for the girls. Reesie was kind enough to share with her sisters. They got to brush the horses beforehand, and then ride together with the teacher. She let the girls trot and gallop which all 3 loved. Then they got to ride on their own.

Then we came back to the house and had cake and ice cream with some of our new friends.

Oh, sweet girl, my precious Reese Ellery, You are such a joy! I've never known a little girl with such a sense of humor. Your joy is such a testimony of the Lord's love and faithfulness and will always be a source of strength for those around you. We love the way you sing so loudly, run so fast, make us laugh, and love so freely. You are a pure gift to our family and WE LOVE YOU SO!

Carrying Stones

2010-11-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

"Today you will know that the living God is among you." Joshua 3:10

"'Take 12 stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up...' We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' Then you can tell them..." Josh. 4:3, 6-7

The Almighty God had already had His people cross over the Red Sea on dry ground and allowed the waters to swallow up their enemies. He fed them manna and quail in the middle of the desert. He had led them around by His presence in the day by a pillar of cloud and all night long too, by a pillar of fire. He made His presence known.

Yet, once again, for the next generation of Israelites, He made sure that they wouldn't forget His presence, His provision, His power. And so He told them to carry some rocks from the middle of a river which flooded at this time of year but that He held back once again...just for them.

Moving has been a little tougher than I thought it would be...on me. Jason is enjoying his job. Laney had a few days where adjusting to school was rough but otherwise, all 3 girls have done fabulously. I am so grateful.

But I miss my friends. I miss being around people who have become family to us in Dallas, being around those who know us well and love us well, and that we strive to know and love well in return. I really miss being in ministry. I know, I know....it's only been 2 1/2 weeks. But I miss that purpose in my life.

I don't cry everyday, and I do my best not to complain at all to those around me. However, I have cried into my mexi chip and dips from Bueno (which honestly taste better in Texas). There are moments everyday where I think to myself..."I just want to go home."

The Lord has placed many passages of Scripture on my heart and mind. Usually, late at night when I'm lying in bed. Probably, when a moment of "I just want to go home" has hit in my tired, more emotional state. One of the passages was this one. And so I am choosing to carry stones.

Stones that are big enough to be remembered. Stones that might be heavy to carry. Stones that will give Him glory and remind me that the living God is among me. Stones that I can remind myself of what He has done and where He has led. Stones I can one day tell my children and grandchildren about.

One stone...the Lord set change upon my heart well over a year and a half before this move even came. This is a stone of graciousness because I am a gal who loves stability and routine.

Another stone...the Lord literally dropped this job in Jason's lap. We didn't seek it out. We weren't prepared for it. This is a stone of guidance. Oh, how I would question even more this move if we had made this happen on our own.

Yet, another stone... the encouragement of other people. Even those closest to us, who would miss us the most, who cried tears with us over moving, have felt a peace and given us encouragement in the transition. My heart has needed this stone of confirmation from the Lord, given through His precious people, and our dearest friends.

I am praying for more stones. I am pretty sure that I'll still want to "go home" often over the next few months. Yet, I want to build a memorial. A memorial that belongs and points to Christ alone...in my heart, in my mind, in my life. A memorial that I can point back to and overflows a story of Him in my life and in the life of our family.

Even if they feel heavy at times, I will carry stones...and pray to do so with joy.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

Ladies and gentleman...for your viewing pleasure...Tinkerbell, a gorgeous bride, and the cutest little pink poodle! "FiFi" barked so nicely and absolutely loved trick-or-treating this year. Her "twick o tweet" was more than adorable.

Tinkerbell was beyond cute and flew very fast to keep up with her big sister and new friends!

Pass the tissues, as I blink and just imagine her walking down the aisle with her daddy in a day coming quicker than I can even imagine. All we need is one Jesus-loving groom and another 15 years (or longer if you ask her daddy).

"FiFi" and her friend Scooby-doo (aka, Marshall):

You know we're living with MiMi when even the dog gets dressed up. Poor Buckner enjoyed this as much as it looks. no worries, it last about 3 1/2 minutes.

New friends above and below

Our first Halloween in Arkansas:

A little catch up

2010-10-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

I really should be cleaning right now, but....that just isn't any fun.

The reality of us moving to Arkansas is becoming real. Actually, Jason started his job last week and the girls and I are heading up in the next few days. I am excited, and sad, and a bit nervous. There have been quite a few tears & part of today I had that anxious feeling in my tummy. However, the Lord's peace has prevailed throughout this journey.

A couple of weeks ago one of Jason's best friends from Seattle flew in to surprise Jase before he headed off to AR. It had been planned for 3 weeks and Jason had not even an inkling of it happening. On the way to the restaurant I had to keep myself from grinning from ear to ear so I wouldn't give anything away. Little did Jase know that I had a bag already packed in the back of the oh-so-cool mini-van. We ate dinner with my best friend and half way through in walked these guys... McKibben, Rusty, Snyder, Dave, my man & Chris

These are some of the best friends that Jason has ever had. These are men I prayed for my husband to have when he was 15 and long before we were even married. Jason was so surprised and still couldn't put the pieces together even after they walked in. After dinner they left and hung out with even more friends for the night. I love these men!

This past weekend I completed my first 5K. No, it's no marathon, but for me it's an accomplishment. It was something I had put down to accomplish this year and when my dear friend Lauren suggeested doing the Susan G. Komen run and having a Gracious Legacy team, I jumped on it! Like our shirts?

Here is almost our entire team. It really was a treat to run my first with these precious people. I can proudly say that I jogged the entire way, albeit not a neck-breaking speed! I am also happy to report that Gracious Legacy will continue here in Dallas and also have a branch up in the lovely state of Arkansas too.

Please keep us in your prayers (especially this mom who has developed the spiritual gift of crying over the last few years). We are so thrilled to see what the Lord has in store for us in this next chapter of life but it's also so hard to leave people we love so dearly!

Big News

2010-09-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I know I need to start this off by saying that our BIG NEWS is not that we are expecting another sweet Mills baby. I am not pregnant. However, we are moving... and we are moving out of the great state of Texas.

I am thankful that the Lord has prepared my heart for so long for this upcoming adventure. Over a year and a half ago I remember feeling like He was putting change on my heart. We prayed a lot and waited really. Then last summer Jason really felt a desire for change too. He put out some resumes around DFW and also had his dad put some out too. Jase ended up interviewing for a company up in Arkansas several times last summer and then nothing came of it. Again, we waited and prayed, and started Gracious Legacy.

Randomly, the middle of August, we went to pick up our girls from Jason's parents in Rogers, AR. They normally spend a few days each summer by themselves up there. Well, we hadn't been there too long before a neighbor called over saying he saw our car and was wondering if Jase still might be interested in interviewing up in that area. His company was hiring and he already had called the gal doing the interviewing who agreed to meet and interview with Jason on that Saturday. We had to run out to get pants and shoes since Jason had only brought shorts and flip flops. The interview went well and over the next week and a half he had 2 phone interviews. The following week he was asked to come up and give a presentation. And three weeks ago today he was given a verbal offer.

We again, prayed. This is huuuuge for us. We have lived in Dallas for almost 11 years. When we moved here we hadn't been married quite a year, had no children, and moved from one apartment to another apartment. This is where our family has grown tremendously...in numbers of course, but also emotionally and spiritually. People here are like family to us. Still, we clearly hear God calling us to make this move. We are so excited. It's beautiful in Arkansas....heck, they actually have seasons there, but the good news is it's not drastic changes weather-wise. This warm weather girl couldn't handle being in snow for weeks and months on end. Plus, we will live by Jason's parents. It will be a blessing to be near the beloved Mimi and Papa D.

On the other end, we are so sad to leave the people here we love deeply. I have used quite a few tissues and even told people at church they might not see me wear mascara again until we move. I am so thankful to have God's direction in this and feel His presence. Otherwise, the emotions would probably be too much for me.

I'm excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family. I have said many times over the past week that I have no idea any of the details other than that we are moving. I don't know where we will go to church, where we will end up living, what hopefully, part-time ministry position I might have, the schools the girls will go to, etc. Normally, this is a very uncomfortable position for me. But since I feel like we are in the center of God's will I'm okay to be on this ride where I don't have any idea what is ahead.

Please pray for everything that a move entails. An easy transition for our girls with sweet friendships to come quickly. That our home would sell quickly and for a great price. That we would end well here and love well until we leave. That we would be completely sensitive to the Spirit's leading on where to live, where the girls go to school, where I might work, etc. I love in Scripture where Christ is called the Author and Perfector of our faith. I am looking forward to seeing where this amazing Author has written for our lives to be. We appreciate your prayers.

And for the record, we will never be Arkansans...simply Texans living in Arkansas!

2 years ago today...

2010-09-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

This time two years ago my baby girl was fresh out of open heart surgery. She had tubes coming out of her body in many different places. I was in the ER after fainting from seeing her in such a state. Yet, we were so grateful for God's graciousness of the outcome. Her heart was fixed and she was alive and on her way to great health.
I will never forget that time in our life. As I was praying over Reese before going to bed last night my mind flashed back to the night before her surgery when I was doing the same thing, praying. However, I was pleading the Lord for her life. As a mom, I have never been more scared. As a child of God, I had never felt God's peace so fully. It truly felt like I was being carried.

And so two years later, when we go back to this amazing hospital that holds a special place in our hearts, we also take Gracious Legacy bags, for families going through the exact same thing that we went through. We pray that it is a piece of Christ's love, graciousness, and peace to the families.

We won't ever forget the Lord's graciousness, and we want to leave it as part of our own legacy.

"For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

Jesus, I will never forget the way your hand felt that day. Praise be to You alone!

The Last Hoorah of Summer

2010-09-13T20:22:00.001-07:00

The weekend before school started we headed to Tulsa. Jason and his dad play in a golf tournament every year raising money for cystic fibrosis, and a little boy in Arkansas, who has it. This year it fell on my birthday weekend. We decided to surprise the girls and take a little out of the way route on the way up there. The surprise stop: Norman, Oklahoma. Here we are about 30 minutes outside of city limits and Ashlyn is reading out loud their surprise. Wanna see how excited they were?
Wanna know why? Because we were going to have lunch with our favorite babysitter on the planet, Lauren. Lauren has watched the girls for the last two summers and they are absolutely in looove with her. Me too! She loves Jesus and my girls so well!

Lauren is an RA at OU and so the girls were uber excited (that means beyond excited for all you grammatically correct people out there) to go see her room!

Just making themselves at home on her bed.

Then we went onto Tulsa to stay at a hotel and see Mimi and Papa D.

That night I was treated to a fancy birthday dinner. Here I am with the love of my life. Not too shabby, is he?

Me and sweet Reesie:

Me and precious Ashlyn Jean (both a little blurry):

Me and giggle-box Laney Hope:

Reese loved the obnoxious birthday hat that Mimi gave me. When you press the purple candle it sings happy birthday to you with a voice that sounds like Alvin from the Chipmunks. She wore and pressed that candle over and over and over again throughout the weekend. I can't wait to pull it out for her birthday.

The Mills clan.

Summer 2010 was a good one!

...And now Reesie's Turn

2010-09-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

Oh. My. Goodness! Can I just tell you how much this little girl melts my heart? And isn't she one of the cutest things you've ever seen in your whole life? This week it was cutie-patootie #3's turn to start back to school.
Seriously, all could be wrong in the world, and this grin would help right things again!

Reese got the amazing Miss Leslie. I am telling you....she's phenomenal. Laney had her a few yers ago and she is one of the most fun, creative, loving teachers I have ever met. Truly gifted by God....I am so excited Reese gets to share some time with her.

My sweet girl and I before I head off to church. We're praying sweet blessings for this school year for all 3 of the girls. And can I just tell you while you're still reading...I am so thankful that my God is present with my daughters even when I can't be. It brings comfort to my soul.

First Day of School

2010-08-27T20:39:00.001-07:00

All of the excitement for school actually began the Wednesday before school started. At 5pm all the class rosters were posted. Here is Laney-bear looking for her name.It really has been so fun seeing Laney's excitement for school. We've spent many hours eating lunches with Ashlyn, being a part of class parties, cheering everyone on at Field Day. And now, for my precious middle child...it is her turn!
Ashlyn and her best friend, Avery, were pleasantly surprised to be in the same class. They were in different classes last year, so it's a fun treat to be back together again!

The whole gang (minus baby Phillips in utero). Arranged marriages look better and better as the years go on. The parents are trying early to get Brady and Reese together...so far it's working! They are so cute together.

The following day we had Meet the Teacher night. Here is Laney in her desk. She has a teacher new to the school, Ms. Brown. We already like her!

And my 3rd grader (WHAT?) sitting in her desk in Mrs. Eicke's classroom.

Finally, the big day arrived. Here is cutie-patootie #1 all ready for her first day of kindergarten (sigh).

And cutie-patootie #2 on the first day of 3rd grade (sigh and another WHAT? 3rd grade?!)

Cutie-pattotie #3 couldn't miss out on the photo op, so here are all 3 precious girls on the First Day of School in 2010!

Laney was a shy giddy about the whole thing so it was a ton of fun to be a part of. I didn't get teary at all...

until Reese and I walked out of the school, just the 2 of us. Then the lump formed in my throat and the tears pooled in the bottom of my eyes. Sometimes, I wish time would slow down a little. Please, Lord Jesus, may I cherish these moments and keep them close in my heart!

We celebrated at the end of the day with a little frozen yogurt action. It's going to be a good year!

A Gampa and His Girls...

2010-08-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

The week leading up to Ashlyn's birthday, my dad came into town. Gampa and his girls packed in about as much as you can in one week's time. They swam, they ate, they saw horses, they shopped, they read books, they made their traditional trek to IHOP for breakfast. I'm just not sure if they love him quite enough...what do you think ?

She's 8!!!

2010-08-09T19:09:00.001-07:00

In so many ways it seems like yesterday I was hugging my mom at 6 in the morning ready to go deliver this precious gift of a daughter. I had no idea that early hour how much my heart could love someone. And now, the girl, my big girl, is 8 years old.

We started off the day with Ashlyn opening up some presents from her MiMi and Papa D and great-grandparents. A cute dress that will be perfect for school. Seriously, how beautiful and grown-up is this girl?
Gampa was in town for the whole week and they had planned early on for a Gampa/granddaughter date full of breakfast at IHOP and shopping! Here is the handsome couple before heading out! I warned him that our sweet girl definitely has her Nana and Mimi in her when it comes to shopping...she likes every minute of it.

FIVE hours later (!!!) they arrived home and we got ready for her party which this year she chose to be a bowling party.

You know those little crane machines that supposedly people win stuffed animals from, but you never see anyone actually win? She won! And not just once, Ashlyn won two different stuffed animals, completely on her own, from 2 different machines. It was a fun treat for the birthday girl.

Here is the birthday party gang.

My precious Ashlyn Jean, You are not just the daughter of our flesh, but the daughter of our hearts. We simply could not have asked for a greater gift from the Lord than you (and your sisters too). I'm so thankful for your selfless heart, for the kindness with which you treat people, for your sensitivity to the Lord and the things that make His heart joyful and also His heart sad. You are a blessing in every sense of the word. We love you, sweet girl!

Reese + mosquitos= not the best combination

2010-07-26T20:14:00.001-07:00

Whenever this sweet girl gets bit by a mosquito the bite swells and usually gets a little hard. So I knew when she got bit right under her eyebrow she was going to be in trouble. This picture is within about 20 minutes of receiving the bite. Can't see it real well? Here isthe cutie a little bit closer up:
The full results came by the next morning. Here eye was completely swollen shut for over a day. Couldn't open it even a slit.

But as you can tell, it didn't bother her a bit! Fun was still to be had!
(Mom felt bad and I also felt like I should explain to everyone around as we ran errands that 1.) No, I didn't slug the precious girl and 2.) I promise she doesn't have pink eye that we are out and about spreading to other customers.

Just as cute and fun as ever! Of course, it's hard not to have fun with Aunt Jen!

A Slice of Heaven..the first couple of days

2010-07-19T19:33:00.000-07:00

Aren't these just the cutest tiny hineys ever? Our first couple

of days out at the lake we had some of our best friends, the Stehrs, join us in the fun! My camera ran out of juice while on the boat but I did manage to get a few good shots in. These sweet girls love each other so!
Meagan and Ashlyn getting in some tubing action:
Even Reesie-boo wanted to tube and loved it!

Laney and Olivia!

Jason, who loves this picture, by the way.

Rusty and Audrey, some of the greatest people you'll ever meet.

One sweet girl all tuckered out!

We saw lots of deer, including some sweet babies like below:

And also rode on the mule and four-wheelers. Side note: I'm pretty sure God is gonna have a four-wheeler of my own ready for me when I get to Heaven.

Seriously, a slice of Heaven on earth.

Slice of Heaven- Part 2

2010-07-16T13:25:00.001-07:00

We spent lots of time at the pool while we were at the lake. It is

a pool you would see at a beautiful resort and is just feet away from the lake.

We swam: We jumped off the "cliff":
We saw beautiful creatures like this & were reminded of God's majesty and creativity:

Jase grilled out poolside:

And we ate there too!

We soaked in the hot tub a bit:

And smiled a lot:

The 3 cutest waterbugs ever!

A Slice of Heaven...Part 3

2010-07-14T13:35:00.001-07:00

(This picture is for later in the post but I can't ever figure how to cut & paste in here).

There is no way I can squeeze our wonderful time at Possum Kingdom Lake into just 1 post so I am going to try to do it in three. Seriously, this place is a slice of heaven for our family. Time out in the country where there is fresh air, animals, water, and stars to see in the sky. Time away from the normal hustle and bustle. It truly is a gift for us.

Thank you so much to the precious Haywood family for allowing us to use their lovely home. I am going to start backwards here, showing pictures of our last night and day. We eat every meal outside on the patio and the last night we surprised the girls and roasted 'smores in the firepit. Who says you can only do this when it's cold outside?

This girl loves anything sweet!

These girls could be professional marshmellow roasters, I'll have you know.
Enjoying their creations:

The big treat was that this time around we planned a time for the girls to go horseback riding. The girls had asked the last time we were there and so this time we set up some time with Cowboy Chad while we were there. You have to be at least 8 to go on trail rides but you can do a horse-riding lesson in the little arena.

I have to post these pictures of Reese getting set to get on the horse because she is so tiny and they are so cute!

She loves horses and I think they are her favorite part of being at the lake so it was fun

to watch her enjoy the moment.

This was taken just a couple of hours before heading back home. All smiles for the fabulous time we had.

Mills Family Reunion

2010-07-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

The day after school got out for Ashlyn we headed down to Salado, TX for a Mills family reunion. Jason's dad, Papa D, got together a good portion of his side of the family. There were many people there that I had never met or only met at my wedding. We had a great time, especially with Jason's cousins...two of whom live in the metroplex and we hadn't gotten together with them. That will change. I have to say that I am embarassed by the lack of pics I took. I am obviously behind on posting this but in my head figured I would have 25 or 30 pictures with lots of different people. Apparently, most of the pictures I remember being taken were not by me.
The sweet big girl.

My precious middle child.

And the melt-your-heart youngest.

Now wait for it....

I was trying to decide whether to post this picture:

The one with Laney's crazy face on...seriously, i am busting out laughing again at this one!

Or....

this one showing off Reese's cute panties.

Finally, a nice on of all the second? cousins...or is it the once-removed cousins? I can't ever remember. Anyways, I am blessed to be a part of this family.

A stone of rememberance

2010-06-20T20:53:00.000-07:00

When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River God had each of the 12 tribes take a large stone out of the middle of the river. Then Joshua helped guide them to place their 12 stones together on the land they crossed over to. Why? To remember. To remember what miraculous thing God had done on this day. To allow their children to hear the story again one day, and so that other unbelieving people could see what this amazing God can do.

I got back a few hours ago from spending a week in Los Angeles on a mission trip with a team of amazing high school students and my co-leader Drew Rosiles. I am bringing back a large stone and I want to share with you what I saw Christ do on the trip. I want to remember.

I want to remember that within a 10x10 block radius in the heart of downtown LA that there is an estimated 20,000 homeless people. I want to remember the precious children at Wyvernwood apartments (one of the many projects in LA) and the joy on their faces. I want to remember feeling scared the first couple of nights back at the church we stayed at. Our cinder block and barbed-wire fence butted right up to the projects in Watts. I want to remember seeing the courage of Christ break through the students to reach out and hold the hands of homeless men and women on the streets while they prayed for them.

I want to remember Jacob's compassion for Michael, a homeless man with obvious mental issues. I want to remember Maggie praying for people to come across his path and physically hug him the way she had. I want to remember the sharpness of Brian, another homeless man. His entire family is encarcerated except him. I want to remember the workers at St. Francis Center and how they worked hard to meet the needs of those on the street every single day.

I want to remember the moms and children who entered Midnight Mission, and how I had to fight with everything in me not to cry as I scooped creamed corn onto their plate, and the way that Madeline P. couldn't help but let the tears fall. I want to remember how desperate I would feel if I had to have my precious girls sleep on a cardboard box alongside me out in the middle of a scary city. I want to remember the way the woman who led the tour at Midnight Mission referred to the homeless as "friends," a term of love and value.

I want to remember the way Taylor looked as he backtracked and ran to give a homeless man in a wheelchair an extra pair of socks he had brought. I want to remember the way that Michael loved and played with the children at Wyvernwood and came back for a second time because God has given him a love for them. I want to remember the way Chad valued a student on our team who needed an extra-measure of friendship, and how he had the boldness to pray for another homeless friend we encountered. I want to remember how Jake swung the precious Hispanic children around and around at the projects, and the way Charlotte laid in the grass playing "dead lion" with the little ones.

I want to remember our host, Billy, and the way he poured into our team. I want to remember the conversation with him where I said "If it wasn't for the Lord putting a call on someones life to be here (like his very own) I don't know why someone would want to live here." And the words he responded with..."It's the people of LA that make this city beautiful." I want to remember Luke commenting about the invisible line between the rich and poor in LA and the way so many people choose not to see how desperate many of the people live. I want to remember not to close my own eyes to the desparateness of people around me.

I want to remember how Rachel served our team one day at lunch getting an extra napkin for all of us sitting at her table, including the gentleman who was going through the addiction recovery program at Midnight Mission and the way she courageously introduced herself, asked his name and shook Byron's hand. I want to remember how the LA Food Bank got started. A chef in the area years and years ago realized he was throwing a lot of food out at the end of each night. He decided to save it and give it to the poor and homeless and invite others to do the same. He started it out of his garage. I want to remember that he chose to give what he had and that what started in his garage is now the second largest foodbank in the nation being housed in 96,000 sq. ft., and giving food to nearly 1/3 of the people in LA. I want to remember to use what God has given me to bless others around me. I want to remember that God can accomplish huge things through what little we have.

I want to remember Madeline M. dancing with girls and boys during worship at VBS and the way Lydia would color with them. I want to remember how most of the children had at least 1 or 2 silver teeth. One because of improper nutrition and also because they can't afford white ones that wouldn't be as noticeable. I want to remember talking to Tanya, one of the high school girls there and hearing about how one of her closest friends had been shot because of gang violence and was in prison at only 18 years old. I want to remember the fact that there wasn't a grocery store within 15 minutes of our housing site or the place we did VBS. Many of the people are highly overweight because the only close place to get food is a fast food restaurant. Billy says the city has banned fast food places building in certain areas over the next 10 years to hopefully provide some healthier options.

I want to remember sitting and having my quiet time in a quiet outside foyer area downtown. Within a couple of minutes I looked up and saw Roberto and made a note to hand him an extra pair of socks and talk with him after I was done reading God's Word. Half-way through he got up and started shuffling away. I put my Bible down and gently put my hand on his shoulder. I asked if he'd like a pair of clean socks. He said yes so I found another student and got a pair for him. When I came back he was sitting on a bench waiting. I passed them over and then started asking him about his life. He shared, with tears streaming down his face, about his wife and 3 children being killed in a car accident. He shared how he hadn't eaten in 2 days because he didn't want to live anymore. I want to remember the brokenness of his heart. I want to remember the way dirt was caked into every wrinkle of his fingers. I am guessing he hadn't showered in weeks. I want to remember the way the Lord allowed me to pray over him and how my heart absolutely loves every ounce of that man. I want to remember the way Drew ran back to the van to get water to give to Roberto. I want to remember that even though I didn't finish my quiet time that day, that I clearly met with Jesus in that moment.

I want to remember that it could be anyone of us living on the streets. I want to remember that it could be me one day. I want to remember to cherish the layers of love and care Jesus has placed around me. I want to remember that there are hurting people everywhere. I want to remember that the poor 10 minutes from me have needs that I can meet, and so do the rich living another 2 minutes from me. I want to remember. I want to tell you. I want to tell my children. I want to remember so that I am moved with the compassion of Christ to do something about it. I want to remember so that I pray for the people I met and even for those I didn't. Will you remember with me?

In Love...

2010-06-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am in love with:

Things of summer...flip flops, being at the pool, getting a bit of a tan, & letting the alarm clock have a 2 1/2 mos. break (woo hoo hoo...only 5 more days, but who's counting?)

Reese's voice, especially when she says "otay" (okay).
How Laney always makes an f sound rather than a t sound on words like try or three...she usually says "fry" or "free" unless corrected...and it's just too adorable to correct her.

Ashlyn being on her hands more than her feet these days. She is constantly doing cartwheels around the entire house. I have to ask her not to when people are around but it truly reminds me of my own childhood.

The ministry of Gracious Legacy (http://www.graciouslegacy.org/).

Being able to take long walks most evenings, sometimes with the fam, and sometimes without. It's wonderful me and God time.

The new outdoor rug we bought for our patio...yes, I'm old and that's lame, but it brightens my day when I look out the back door.

Jason S. Mills! I mean really in love with him. Authenticity is one quality I admire the most so let me just say that anyone who has been married over a year realizes that marriages have seasons. Sometimes I have waited with great anticipation for Jason to get home from work and other days...well, a few days apart sounded awesome (and I know he has felt the same). But I have fallen more in love with the boy than I have ever been over the past 3 months. Love him! Love him!

Reesie taking her big baby everywhere we go. The baby weighs close to her own weight and I mean she takes it everywhere...to school, the grocery store, picking up Ashlyn. But she loves it and it is quite cute.

My Laney-bear saying out of nowhere "Momma, I love you." Over the past few days she has also started wearing those silly band bracelets. Today she sported about 20 all at the same time.

The way Ashlyn's little creative brain works. She is always saying, "What if...." and then the follows it with some wonderful and random thought!

Laney and Reese's new summer haircuts. Both got about 3 inches cut off. I also love that Ashlyn wants to grow hers long for Locks of Love.

Our Memorial Day weekend. Jase and I got to get away for a night (thanks Matt & Haleigh). We ate at our favorite restaurant too. It was nice to not have to do anything all weekend long. We had LifeGroup, got to see great friends in from Abilene, go to the pool and sleep in late. It was marvelous!

Immeasurably Blessed

2010-05-13T20:12:00.001-07:00

I love being their mom more than anything else in the world. Ashlyn, Laney, and Reese...you make my heart sing!

Officially 5...the years of Laney!

2010-05-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Seriously, the girl's smile just lights up an entire room...it always has and I pray it always will! Here she is on her 1st birthday! And here is that same huge grin at 2!
My sweet Laney-bear at 3!

I promise the huge smile would be there even without the birthday money!

My big girl now! Her smile and laugh comes all the way up from her toes!

Sweet Laney Hope, You bring our lives so much joy. Your middle name is so significant to me because at the time of your birth that is exactly the gift from God I needed: hope. And you, precious girl, were hope wrapped up in a huge grin. I love the way you laugh. I love how you sing to yourself throughout the day. It's going to take an act of God to get you to kindergarten on time next year, but I even love the way you dilly dally...okay, most of the time. I love how the Lord is growing your little heart for him. I love how you love your sisters. I love what a snuggle bug you are and how when I need an extra bit of love, you are right there to give it to me. In case you haven't noticed, I love everything about you. I pray that as people are attracted to you, that they catch a glimpse of the Savior and become attracted to Him as well, because of you. You are simply marvelous and a perfect piece in our family. We love you, love you, love you, precious girl! Love, Mommy

Let the Birthday Celebrations Begin...

2010-04-25T20:47:00.001-07:00

Our Laney-lou turns 5 on Tuesday. I really can't believe it. Saturday was celebration number 1 with all of her friends. Her request was a Fancy Nancy Party. The night before Laney and Daddy had some fun time together and outside he drew a special picture just for her! A cool thing we did this year at our Youth leader's Christmas party was have our gift exchange be something meaninful rather than our normal goofy white elephant. Everyone had to bring a gift of themselves. Some people brought artwork, some offered photo shoots, free meals, etc. One gal offered to throw a free kids birthday party. Guess what I chose? After the girls went to be Friday night the gals came over and decorated. Here are some pics of the girls Saturday morning completely surprised. It was better than Christmas!

At the party everything was fancy. There was nail painting!

Getting hair and make-up done (thanks, Aunt Jen)!

Decorating butterfly placemats. Aren't all the girls so cute! We had 14 of them at our house...all so sweet and polite, and especially fancy!

Of course we ate flower-shaped sandwiches, fruit kabobs, cinnamon twists, had cute cupcakes and ice cream in fancy cups to boot!

Here is one of my all-time favorite pics of my big girl! I love it. She is so beautiful inside and out, but oh, she is no longer a baby and part of that makes my heart a little sad.

May all your dreams come true...

What's a party without some dancing?

Lots of fun friends...

Laney with the best party hostesses around. Thank you, thank you, thank you Carrie, Cozette and Lindsey! It was fabulous!

These girls are like sisters...

The fam all dolled up for our special birthday girl!

Happy birthday, sweet girl! You deserve to be celebrated! Love you! Love you!

I'll be back later in the week to celebrate our Laney Hope a little bit more.

Prettiest Flowergirls in the South

2010-04-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we traveled to East Texas for Jason's cousin Lauren's wedding. It was beautiful and had the most beautiful flowergirls I have ever seen in my life. Here are all 4 at the rehearsal. Ashlyn and Reese walked down one aisle together while Laney walked down the other aisle with Lizzie.
Lauren had all of the girls' hair done and the gal did a great job. All of the girls hair was so cute! Notice the toothless grin from our big girl!

Sweet Laney Hope who turns 5 in just a week and a half!

And little britches who has not been in the picture taking mood lately. She wouldn't turn around for me. But this gives you an idea of their hair...she's 2! I wish I had hair like Reesie.

Finally in their dresses!

The beautiful bride...love you Lauren.

The weather was perfect for the outside reception following the wedding. Lauren had a kids table set up with crayons and a paper table cloth.

An old married couple...still very much in love:

Yes, we know...Jason will need to carry a very big stick to keep the boys away!

The girls danced and danced and danced. I finally looked at Jason at 10 and we decided to get them home. Mimi and Reesie doing a jig.

One of my all-time favorite pics:

The bridesmaids were teaching the girls all the right moves. I told Jase that it is so cute right now but if I let my mind flash forward a few years...my throat starts closing in. I have no idea where our 3 got their rhythm, but I'm telling you, they've got moves!

This is about 10 at night. I think once they slowed down the time caught up with them.

Time to call it a night, sweet girl.

Lauren and Colby, we pray your marriage is full of God's blessings big and small, and that your love for the Lord and for each other grows with each passing day. Thank you for letting the girls be a part of your special day!

Easter

2010-04-12T21:22:00.001-07:00

So much was lost that day, and yet everything was won!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life!" (John 3:16) I saw this Eater craft in one of my magazines and so the girls and I decided to try it ourselves. Not too shabby for a 2, 4, and 7 year old.

On to Easter egg decorating...

A little Easter egg hunting action...

Our only family photo of the weekend since I received a good dose of either food poisoning or a stomach bug just in time for Easter morning.

Cousins pic:

Home Does My Heart Good

2010-03-30T20:46:00.001-07:00

This first comment has absolutely nothing to do with my post, but it is on my heart and so I'd like to share. I want to make a difference in the Kingdom. I want my life to be more about the eternal than the temporal things that are all around me and often fight for my allegiance to Christ. I want to leave the world having left Christ's thumbprint rather than my own. I want my life to leave a legacy of His love...for the hurting, the broken, the everyday Joe's and even those who are so successful they don't realize yet that they too need Him. I still don't know what this looks like in my life over the next couple of years or even the remainder of my days, but I really want to love Jesus in a way that makes others want to love Him too. How about you? I've been gone three out of the last 4 weekends. Two were for youth retreats and one was for my favorite nephew, the Drewster's, 2nd birthday. More pics on that later. I have always been a home-body but as I was sharing with a friend over a chai tea latte tonight...I almost feel panicked when I am away from home for very long. We did the normal family things...beautiful Laney Hope went to an amazing princess birthday party of one of her friends. They had a face-painter come...crazy talented was the woman...don't you think?

The weather has been gorgeous lately which has lifted my spirits greatly. We have been spending a lot of time outside. Daddy and the girls worked on the front flower beds together and did a fabulous job!

We had friends over Saturday evening too which is always a favorite among my little hostesses. A precious friend from college, Chelsea, and I have reconnected after years. She is an amazing woman of God. Months ago I had you pray for their family as they lost their precious baby boy in utero at 36 weeks. It has been humbling and so uplifting to see how Chelsea, Mark and their 3 sweet girls have handled their loss. You must check out HisChase.org!!

Anyways, here are all 6 of our girls who are all months a part from one another. They have formed a quick friendship that we look forward to the Lord growing over the years.
So that's it. Home is where the heart is, so they say. And mine is definitely with the precious girls and handsome man God has blessed me with. It was good to be home.

Celebrity Mom

2010-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and very random adventure last week. Over spring break one of the fun activities the girls wanted to do with MiMi was go get their nails painted at a salon. While the three of them were lined up getting their nails done a woman approached and asked if these three cutie-patooties were mine. She then went on to explain she is part of a production company that puts out commercials and they were filming a cookie commercial the following week. She asked us to come down the next day to just have the girls do a quick "try-out."

I went home and checked everything out on-line to make sure they were legit...they were. Then, basically out of curiousity, took them down the next day. We had a lot to do and I knew if it were going to take real long we would just head out. It actually only took 15 minutes. Well, guess what? She called us Monday and asked for all 3 to come be a part of the commercial on Friday.

Here are the budding actresses before we left home: Laney and Reese were filmed playing tea party at a kitchen counter. Bud's Best Cookies out of Birmingham really does have some yummy cookies! All are bite-sized so there were no issues in getting the girls to chow down. In fact, our little sweet-tooth, Reese, kept eating and eating and eating...

Ashlyn had to actually act some. Here she is getting her hair done. She even got some make-up put on that cute face.

Below is her practicing with her actress mom. She had to get really excited and grab the cookies out of the grocery bag that just got brought in and start eating.

It really was a cute and fun experience since it was something we would never seek out ourselves. They did great and were adorable. Bud and his son actually flew in for the commercial shoot and kept commenting on how cute & sweet the girls were. They were extremely nice and the cookies are quite delicious. We got to come home with our own little stash. Hopefully, we'll get a copy once it's done that we can share.

When Ashlyn returned to school her teacher asked where she had been. She said Mrs. Wilkins called her movie star the remainder of the day and all of the kids in her class gathered around real close to her asking questions. She said it truly made her feel like she was a movie star!

Busy is an Understatement

2010-03-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

To say I am busy is an understatement these days. I literally go running from one thing to the next...no really, literally running.

I am wife to this handsome man,
room mom for this precious girl who stole my heart 7 1/2 years ago!

breakfast, lunch & dinner maker, as well as chafeur and maid to

these precious two,

Champion, founder and gopher for this amazing non-profit,

and friends with this precious woman, my best friend from high school, Rach. Okay, I really don't have to do anything for her but I did want to stick in a picture from our quick "Celebration of Friendship" Friday night and Saturday morning.

Last weekend was a youth retreat and this upcoming one is Senior Sneak. I work part-time which includes writing curriculum each week and teaching a class on Wednesday nights. Jason and I have started mentoring a really neat engaged couple from church, and this week we taught at our LifeGroup.

Both Ashlyn and Laney are in gymnastics, and sweet Reesie-boo is potty-training (and doing quite well I might add)! I took a load of bags down to Medical City Dallas Children's Hospital Friday and had a wonderful LifeGroup from church help put together more bags Saturday night, as well as other projects for Gracious Legacy. T hey rocked! I have had to miss 2 baby showers and we were able to squeeze in a birthday party yesterday. Whew!

I am pretty sure I could sleep for a couple days straight, but I am truly enjoying life right now...even if it is full to overflowing.

Good night, my friends! If you think to say a prayer for me, I'll take it. If I accidentally knock you over from my sprint from one task to the next...I am so sorry. If you are bored and would like to come dust my house, feel free!

He loves me

2010-02-18T19:11:00.001-08:00

Let me just say up front that we will not be having a cute Valentine's day post.

No doubt, we have the cutest Valentine's around who we are MADLY IN LOVE with. However, I didn't snap a single picture the entire day which i am sad about. However, if you saw our schedule from Sunday you would understand.

Two weeks ago Jase and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. My amazing friend Jen watched the girls the entire weekend for us. The first night we just swapped houses and Jase and I stayed at Case de Jen. It was quite marvelous.
Here is a picture right before we left. This Jason Mills family began February 6, 1999.
Saturday, after sleeping in late, watching my beloved HGTV that we don't get at home, and eating a laid-back lunch we headed over to Ft. Worth.

I know that raising 3 children is tiring and often tease that I was born tired. However, I don't ever realize how tired I am until I have a break away. My body completely deflates. All we wanted to do was veg out...and since it was up to us, that is exactly what we did. We ate well. Slept well. Got to see a movie. It was greatness.

We went back to our favorite B&B, the Texas White House. This year my Dad & Diane gave us a gift certificate there for Christmas. It was perfect.

I am sure I don't say it enough, but I love the man God has given me. He is patient, hard-working, a partner in every way in our home, an incredible dad, handsome, my very best friend, and the love of my life. I truly can't imagine someone more perfect for me, and I wouldn't want to do life without him. I am so glad he picked me.

Snow Days!

2010-02-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been a fun winter in Texas. Yesteday, the DFW got more snow

in one day than they have in over 110 years. Reesie was the first one to beckon us outside and she loved it.
Cutie-patootie snowbirds!

Our fun snowgirl. I am sure she would have been much better if Daddy had
gotten to stay home and play too, but I don't think she is too bad for having

been made by Mommy and the girls!

Even Buckner enjoyed playing in the snow!

Some snow angels that melt more than just the snow...my heart as well.

We also ate lunch off of heart plates and made cookies.

Of course, the bounce house was blown up inside the living room for hours of

bouncing pleasure...static hair free of charge!

And the views from our warm home this morning...

"Wash me and I will be whiter than snow." Ps. 51:7

Oh, praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!

Gracious Legacy Launch

2010-02-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

My heart is very full. Last week brought many late nights of excited preparation leading up to Gracious Legacy's Launch party on Sunday. The Hawley's opened up their beautiful home for the occassion. Thanks Melissa and Jamie! Above are some of the Gracious Legacy info cards. Thank you Audrey and Jennifer for helping me finish the final ones up late Saturday night.
It was a blessing to be able to share my heart and vision for the ministry. I was surprised at how high my emotions were running as I once again let tears fall. I used to tease my mom for crying at the drop of a hat and now I seem to fill her shoes. They are sweet shoes to fill so I guess it's okay.

It was also fun for my different circles of friendship to collide. There were close to 35 people...some from church, as well as moms of my girls' friends, a friend from college, and even a couple of friends of friends. We had a precious time of prayer and then got down to work!

The smaller, decorative gift bags will be taken to Plano Presby Hospital to precious people who are undergoing treatment for cancer.

Sweet Natale and Grace were wrapping up the rolls of quarters for each bag.

People were so generous in bringing items for the bags...snacks, books, notepads, drinks, notecards, etc.

Here are a few of the bags finished and ready to be given to

some sweet individuals and families.

Today I was so excited and blessed to be able to take the first round of bags down to Dr. Mendeloff's patients undergoing open heart surgery at

Medical City Dallas Children's Hospital. As I was leaving, the

Child Life Specialist told me she was immediately taking a bag down to a family. Once again, I got quite emotional driving away.

I truly feel so honored that God is allowing me to be a part of this.

It just makes my heart incredibly full, and I can't wait to

see how He uses this to show His love to people who simply need it in

the difficult and scary times they find themselves in.

So feel free to check us out at www.graciouslegacy.org. There will still be some graphical changes made, pictures added and even a paypal peice added but it is up and running. I love it. Thanks to Jason Bessonette who is the man making that happen.

"God makes all things work together for good for those who love Him" (Rom. 8:28)...even those things that we thought could only break our hearts.

Life As We Know It

2010-01-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to lately? Well, silly faces and wearing rollers in our hair... Being as pretty at night as we are during the day...
Grinning and laughing in a way that makes Mommy's heart happy...

Loving on each other, even with curly hair...

Having sleepovers, complete only with dress-up party time...

Beginning gymnastics...

And eating popsycles in the bathtub as to not make an utter mess everywhere...

Jason went out of town for four days for work. He is now at a store in Carrollton...we are celebrating the shorter commute and the money we will get to keep rather than paying for gas. I have been busy, busy, busy getting things ready for Gracious Legacy. My friend Jason is working on the website. We have our launch party on Sunday the 31st. The first set of gifts go to Medical City on February 2nd and the following week to Plano Presby. Today I met with a sweet woman who helps run the oncology ward at Plano Presby. I left with tears in my eyes, full of joy, and feeling a closeness to my mom.

Gracious Legacy Foundation

2010-01-11T20:33:00.000-08:00

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

I have to admit that when I lost my mom 7 years ago to cancer, this passage of Scripture seemed hollow. I questioned deeply God's love and His graciousness, and couldn't begin to imagine that He would take something so painful and use it for good. I was only 26, a first-time mom of a 2 mos. old baby girl, and not only lost my incredible mom but my best friend that day.

Fast forward six years, and I am passing off my youngest daughter at only 10 mos. of age to an anesthesiologist to prep her for open heart surgery. By this time, I know that God is good. He is loving. He is gracious. Yet, there was still a piece of my heart that was scared to death that He would once again allow me to lose someone I loved deeply. I will never forget driving away from the hospital six days later with tears of joy and relief streaming down my face, so thankful that our precious Reese was carefully strapped in her car seat and coming home with us.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes on our behalf with groans that words can not express." This verse precedes the one above in Romans 8. I can tell you, with both my mom's battle with cancer and with Reese's heart surgery, that there were many times that I didn't have the words. "Please help" were the only things I could utter to the Lord. Yet the Spirit, in His graciousness, prayed for me. He brought people around me to help me. He gave me comfort in both tangible and intangible ways,

I am sharing all of this with you to tell you the ways God has shaped my life, and why over the past few months, He has prodded my heart to start a non-profit. I am calling it Gracious Legacy Foundation. Gracious is in the name for many reasons. First, because in good and in bad, God is gracious. Secondly, because my mom's name, Jean, means "the graciousness of God." I can't begin to tell you how much she lived up to her name. And thirdly, because God was so gracious in sparing Reese's life just over a year ago. Legacy is also chosen because I want to live out the legacy my mom has left behind. She was compassionate, loving and gracious in every way. And like Nicole Nordeman sings, "I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did i choose to love? Did I point to you enough to leave a mark on things?" I want to take the things God has allowed in my life, both the heartache and the blessings, and use it for good, for His glory, and to honor my mom's life.

With that being said, I am excited to tell you that as of last Thursday, Gracious Legacy is an official non-profit in the state of Texas. Hopefully, in the next few days, we will be receiving our tax exemption from the IRS. The main heartbeat of Gracious Legacy is to show God's love in tangible and intangible ways to individuals or families who are facing cancer treatment or open heart surgery. We will be putting together recyclable gift bags filled with waters, snacks, note cards, decorative note pads, books, small toiletries, etc. We are already set up to take the bags down to Medical City Dallas' Chidlren's Hospital. Dr. Mendeloff, Reese's surgeon, alone does around 40 open heart surgeries on children each month. It also looks like I will be able to work with Plano Presbyterian Hospital's oncology department.

Would you pray about joining us? If you live close and would like to donate any of the items mentioned above or help put together bags that would be wonderful. If you would consider joining us financially and sharing God's love to people walking through crises we would be eternally grateful. Each bag costs around $30. In the next couple of weeks we will be putting together a website for Gracious Legacy (probably graciouslegacy.com). If you give, we would love to post who you are giving in honor or in memory of on the website. We also plan to share pretty openly about Christ on the website, as He is the true source of Comfort, Hope and Life.

Asking for finances is a pretty awkward arena for me. However, I truly believe that God has called me to share His comfort, His graciousness, His love to others in tangible ways. A little can go a long way.

If you would like to share in the mission of showing God's love please make checks payable to Gracious Legacy Foundation. Include who you are giving in honor or memory of. Please e-mail me at mills5fam@verizon.net if you need our home address to mail your gift in to. You will be given a tax deductible receipt.

"To all who grieve...He bestows a crown of beauty for ashes, gladness instead of mourning." Isaiah 61:3

Living out His dream,
Kim

Christmas

2010-01-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Well, it is definitely time to wrap up Christmas. I will try to keep my words to a minimum.

Christmas Eve we were blessed with a beautiful snow...probably about 3 inches. It was fun to go to the Christmas Eve service in the true snow flurry that we had. I felt like it was a special treat from the Lord to us Texans! Sorry a lot of the pictures are dark. I forgot to ask Santa for a new camera. Below is Reesie and Daddy outside sprinkling reindeer food on the snow.

Us after the Christmas Eve service.

Honestly, when all the gifts for everyone are out I get embarassed by how many there are. I mention this out loud probably every year and I always get crazy looks. Please know that we are well aware that God has been so good to us.

The girls opened their one Christmas Eve gift and lo and behold! It was matching Christmas pj's....shocker :0)! As you can tell, we were blessed to have Uncle Andy, Aunt Kelly, and Drew join us for Christmas which made it even more special.

The cookies and notes for Santa:

Look close and read Ashlyn's note to Santa. This came a week after she asked for about the 10th time about Santa's "realness." Let's suffice it to say that tears flowed and the question of why people would lie about such a thing also came. (aka: Mommy & Daddy, you teach me not to lie so why are you doing so to us). Not the fondest parental moment. I think we salvaged why the tradition of St. Nick carries on.

Our big gift to the girls was a dollhouse.

I'm sad to say that i don't have any pictures of my wonderful sister-in-law. Poor Kelly spent Christmas Eve and Christmas morning puking. I didn't think it appropriate to ask someone to hold her hair back while I captured a shot!

Little britches has learned to make silly faces for the camera and will ask you to take a picture of her silly face.

She then asked for us all to make silly faces:

May you be blessed in the New Year!

I will be back soon. God has really been speaking to my heart through His Word lately and I want to share. Plus, today Gracious Legacy Foundation became official! I can't wait to share and recruit your help.

Pre-Christmas Christmas

2009-12-29T19:23:00.001-08:00

The first couple weeks of December I felt like I literally ran from one thing to the next. Apparently, most of Laney's best buddies are born in December. The girl had 4 b-day parties within the two week time frame. Ashlyn also had a friend's birthday party and girl scout Christmas carroling. All 3 had school parties. Whew...fun but tiring.

The weekend before Christmas MiMi and Papa D decided to come in so they could be a part of Reese and Laney's fan club at their school program. Here are 3 of the Fan Club's top members! I wasn't sure how Reesie would do going up on stage and seeing us in the audience, considering the moment I leave a room in our house she asks, "Where's Mommy?" and comes to find me. But the cutie-patootie did just fine!
I am pretty sure the following picture is while the song the 2 year-olds were supposed to be singing was going on. Quite a few had "deer in the headlights" looks. However, unlike the past 4 years we have been a part, not one 2 yr.-old left crying mid-song! To her right is Reese's best friend, Lilly Jeane!

Then entered the Star of Bethlehem, our very own Laney Hope. It took me at least 3 minutes to snap this picture because I was laughing so hard! I had seen the costume but not on her before the show. Just seeing her head and legs sticking out was so cute and had my tickle button going. If she tried any of the hand motions with her class her face would sometimes disappear as the costume adjusted to her body!

She even had to lead the wiseman out into the audience and make it back up on stage in perfect timing...which she did with ease!

My sweet girls after the program. Aren't they beautiful?!

The whole fam.

Oh, and did I mention that we also celebrated Christmas with Mimi and Papa D while they were here? Here are the girls having fun with some of their gifts.

Yes, they got dress-up clothes as every princess needs and a karaoke machine too to add in a little diva to their mix.

Every Soul Needs a Savior

2009-12-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

"Because of God's tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace." Luke 1:78-79

As I was reading my Bible last night I came across these verses. I think because it's in the New Living Translation it stood out to me as if I have never read these verses before. The truth is I have read them more times than I can remember. But oh what a precious gift I felt God lay across my heart last night. These verses come from Zechariah's mouth soon after John the Baptist was born and just months before God incarnate was born in the form of a helpless child.

All day long these words continued to dance across my mind and heart. Because of God's great mercy, we were given a Savior. Not just mercy from one man to another but from God himself. Not just God's mercy but his tender mercy. Because of His tender mercy God gave the most precious gift possible...His Son wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger among cows and horses and whatever other animals found solace in that tiny stable in Bethleham.

Light broke upon us that quiet night. A bright light. A heavenly light. A light that burns for all eternity for all men and women, every boy and girl, for the rich and the poor and everyone in between. A light for the hurting. A light for those who celebrate. A light that triumphs over the darkness in even the darkest of nights and greatest of storms. A light that beckons us to peace, to hope, to life.

You need a Savior. I need a Savior. Every soul needs a Savior. And over two thousand years ago, the Savior we all need chose to come in the form of a baby...to walk as we walk so that we can walk as He walks. Wherever this time in life finds you...on a mountain of inexpressable joy or in a valley of deep sorrow, know that Emmanuel "God with us" has come. Let His light nestle into the very crevice of your heart and bring peace to the deepest part of your soul.

May the greatest Gift ever given be yours this Christmas Eve night. Merry Christmas!

Proud of the Boy!

2009-12-14T19:53:00.001-08:00

There are so many reasons why I love Jase and why I'm proud of him. He is loving and faithful. He is patient and kind. He works hard to provide for our family and is a godly example. And superficially, I think he is amazingly handsome. Yup, I picked me a good one. About 3 years ago he decided he'd like to run a marathon. Since then he has run 3 more. While preparation for him begins months and months before the race, us girls...we prepare a day ahead of time.

Here are the girls working hard on their posters.
Reese was so funny. As you can see, she colored her sign too and was so proud.
This was just 1 of about 6 pictures she had me take holding her sign...in all different poses.

Laney working hard on hers as well.

The finished product of some of the finest cheerers you will ever meet! Don't they look incredible?!!

Sweet Jen helped me navigate through downtown Dallas for the White Rock marathon yesterday. She is so dear to us and I am sooooo thankful she was there to help guide me.

Jason's favorites!

This picture is so funny! We were trying to proudly document his cheering section. I wasn't expecting him yet so had Jen take a picture of me and Reese. Next thing I know there he is! This is about mile 5. I'm so glad he saw us. We got in the car and I asked Jen if we had gotten any pictures of Jason and she replied no. Jason was the one who noticed that he in fact did get captured in the first stop photo shoot! Like the surprised look on my face?

Cutest cheering section out there!

This next picture is taken at around mile 16...lookin' good, isn't he?We saw him at mile 21 and he was still pushing through. He did look white as a sheet though and it scared me. I sent out a prayer request and got people praying. I had us pull over and I just got out at mile 23 to make sure he was okay. Color was back and my heart was at ease.

Can you believe this picture is taken after he has run 26.2 miles!!!? He truly amazes me. I always get so emotional at these things and it feels like my heart could pop from how proud I am of him. In my mind anyone who finishes a marathon is a winnner. However, even if by only 30 seconds, Jase had his personal record. He finished in 3:54:25.

And our last shot...us after Jase had a chance to get food in his stomach after the race. He was absolutely starving. Jason Mills, you have my heart! Love you! Love you!

Sweet Moments in the Craziness

2009-12-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, one of the things I treasure most is authenticity. To that end I have a confession to make...this is no news to my husband, but I've just been grumpy this past week. I don't know why but I am. I am tired. I have felt angry although not at anyone in particular or for any reason I can state. I have had a dull headache for days now. This, of course, does not give to me being a very good wife or mom which then makes me even more frustrated...at myself because I'm not being a very good wife or mommy to three precious little girls who take in everything I say and do. Blah.

That being said I'd like to share my favorite moment from this week so far. I have started reading the Christmas story out of Luke to the girls before bed. We started on Monday night with the angel coming to Mary and telling her that she was to become pregnant with the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. It brought up such a teachable moment as we talked about why this news would have been so scarey for Mary who was probably a young teenager at the time. Then we talked about the fact that sometimes God asks us to do things or endure things that are difficult and yet we should have the same response as Mary two thousand years ago, "May it be to me as you have said." I'm not going to lie. That both calms my heart and scares me.

The sweetest thing was our prayer time after that. Ashlyn prayed "Lord, when the going gets rough (didn't know she knews that expression) help us to be like Mary and say yes to you and trust you." Reese immediately started in with "Jesus, thank you for my family and please help the people, help the people..." (and we helped her finish that sentence). Laney prayed for the children that we took off the angel tree.... that people would take care of them. It was a sweet moment in the midst of these crazy few weeks, and it helped take some of the grumps away.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T21:30:00.001-08:00

Before I begin telling you about our Thanksgiving holiday I have to share a picture of what we woke up to this morning. I know it might be hard to tell but we had snow! Can you believe it? Here in Texas in the beginning of December. It was glorious! Even more glorious was the fact that it was gone as quickly as it came. And might I just add, "Brrrr, was it cold today!"

One more fun announcement. I am typing this post from my bed! on my (oops...excuse me...our) new laptop! with a 17 inch screen! Our old one is about to crater and I'm digging this!

Okay, now for Thanksgiving. The past two years we have been at our home for Thanksgiving and so this year we made the trek to Arkansas to spend time with Jason's parents. We always enjoy our time with them. As you can tell, one of the things the girls enjoy most is getting dressed up fancy.

How precious is Reesie in her tea party hat?

Yes, we had ourselves a good old fashioned tea party. The girls always want us to get fancy. Excuse me if any extra is hanging out from my dress :o). And we all have to wear hats.

Then we move onto celebrating Christmas and the girls decorated gingerbread houses.

Reese ate about half of her candy while sweet Laney Hope put half of it on one side of her roof. Love her!

Cute Ashlyn Jean was in artist mode and made a beautiful home! She puts me to shame she is so talented.

The wonderful couple that gave me my wonderful husband. Seriously, they are some very priceless people that I'm so thankful to have in my life. And, if you can't tell, they are very loved by their granddaughters. By the way you two...Happy 36th Anniversary!

Papa D and Reesie! Happy birthday to you, old man!

Mimi and her girls!

We loved every minute of being together as a family, sleeping in late (okay that's me sleeping in late...I'm sure David and Melody think I always wake up at 9 because I usually do at their house...hey, a girl has to catch up when she can, but thanks!), and much to David's chagrin...playing games late into the night around the fire. Perfection if you ask me!

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-24T19:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Miss Indian Reese in her little headband that she made and wore for her Thanksgiving Feast at school.
Sweet turkey Laney Hope...again in homemade turkey headband.

Ashlyn and her fall fashion items. This picture is really for my dad. After Ashlyn described everything he asked her to take a picture so he could see it from hundreds of miles away. Ashlyn is incredibly creative and the other day decided to make herself a purse. It's made out of paper but she did it completely on her own, and made sure it had a pocket so she could put essentials inside, including a homemade cell phone, camera, nail polish, lipsick, driver's license, etc..

My favorite tradition our little family does each year: we make a thankfulness tree. I take the girls for a walk and we find the perfect sticks to hang our leaves from. The girls love it. And Lindsey...thanks to your suggestion last year... I plan on buying a scrapbook in which to place our leaves of

thanksgiving in year after year.

One of Reese and my leaves. (Reesie- cousin Drew, Aunt Kelly and Uncle Andy;

me- my 3 precious girls!!)
One of Jason's (All of my girls, Mommy too!)

Laney's in her own handwriting (Ashlyn);

one of Ashlyn's (my grandparents).

We are undoubtedly blessed.

And we know that "Every good and gracious gift is from above." (Jms. 1:17)

Lord Jesus, we couldn't have a thankfulness tree big enough to hold all the things You have given us to be thankful for. Thank You. Thank You.

Thank You!

Updates!

2009-11-17T14:55:00.001-08:00

Well, I promised some of my favorite family pictures and here they are for your royal

viewing pleasure.
Let me update you with some exciting new regarding my gift baskets. THANK YOU by the way for all of the great ideas and encouragement you posted or e-mailed me. So very helpful! And a humongous thank you to my friend, Jeni! My wonderful CPA friend is donating her time to set up this little project as a 501(c)3 which means all dontions will be tax deductible! Plus, she is going to help with the accounting end of things. Yay, Jesus! I talked with a local hospital's oncology department today and they are very excited. My heart has been filled with joy today. I'll keep you posted!

Let's see...we'll go in the order they are lined up here. Laney Hope is 4 1/2 now and I love this age. Today I went outside and helped her with her "conection" (a.k.a. collection) of brightly colored leaves and purple flowers. One of the most precious things lately is I'll be playing my Steve Fee CD (yes, once in a blue moon I change out the Toddler Tunes CD) and the song "Lift up your hands" comes on. I'll see her lift up her hands and sing along. I don't think she has seen anyone else do this and it makes my heart swell to see her sweet little heart worship Jesus this way. She continues to have the cutest little crush on a boy named Matthew that goes to our church and her school. Seriously, C-U-T-E!

Reese Ellery is one fun girl. She enjoys singing "Oh Happy Day...You wash my sin away!" She also must do a song at school that has the word hallelujah because she'll do the sweetest little melody of "haleloolah!" She also lies on her back, places her arms crossed behind her head and tells you "I'm just relaxin'!" And she likes to grin real big and tell you "I'm just teasin!" Where does she get this? She has a sensitive heart and if she thinks you're upset with her will burst into tears.

Ashlyn Jean is growing up before my very eyes. She has joined Girl Scouts and after only attending one meeting I am convinced will love it! It's right up her ally with girl friends and craft projects. The other day Jason said there was a lipstick commercial on with a girl wearing bright red lipstick. Ashlyn did a double-take and then told him "Now that's the color lipstick I want to wear!" (oh goodness!) A couple of weeks back I also found a fun message written in lipstick on my bathroom mirror which read, "A dog loves M dog." You know...Ashlyn loves Mommy!

And my man. Well, I love him too. A whole lot. He is training for another marathon in about a month. He ran 17 miles Sunday. In fact, to honor his amazing wife (I know her and she is quite amazing...tee hee), he got up and ran those 2 1/2 HOURS (I know...crazy) by 7:30 am so that he could help me get the girls ready for church. Love him! Love him! Now if he'd only burn some calories for me :0)

A Birthday Getaway

2009-11-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

Our precious Reese Ellery turned two on Saturday! Our kind and generous church friends, the Haywoods, once again blessed us by allowing us to head out to their lake house. You know the one...where we a few months ago had our best family vacation ever! Well, this year she completely got that the birthday thing was all about her! If you'd ask whose birthday was coming up she'd proudly and loudly proclaim "Mine!" Grandparents had sent their gifts early in the week and so for several days she would hand me a present and ask if she could open it. We let her open one big one the day before we left. She is quite pleased with her fancy pink car! And she especially loves it when someone will push her really fast! She just laughs and laughs.

Here is the birthday cake...made with love from Mommy, Ashlyn and Laney.
She usually rushes into her class at school and immediately goes for a baby doll or the vacume cleaner so she got her very own for her birthday. She also got a baby doll that she has been pretty inseparable with.

All three cuties in another gift...
We took the big girls out mudding on the four-wheelers this time and they are absolutely hooked! You could just hear them giggling as we drove through the mud.

Laney Hope

Who doesn't love to get dirty?

Ashlyn and Daddy

Feeding the horses carrots each day was still a highlight.An extra special treat was having my brother, sister-in-law, and cute nephew join us in the fun. We kept prodding them all weekend to be the ones to buy their own lakehouse and horses for the family to use at their disposal. Come on? What do you say?

Cousins and best of friends...
We got some fun family pics out there. I'll probably post more in the near future.

They make my heart sing!!!

And one picture of Reesie and Laney before school on Monday. Andy, Kelly and Drew bought her this outfit for her b-day and I just think she looks adorable in it!

Our sweet Reesie, We couldn't have picked a more perfect fit for our family. You are so much fun and full of so much joy! It is such a reflection of the Father's heart and we feel a little bit closer to Him because of you. We love you sweet girl!

Dreams

2009-11-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

"It is pleasant to see dreams come true"

or another version:

"A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul." Prov. 13:19

I have silly dreams:

~ having my entire house be completely clean and for longer than 10 minutes (hey, while we are dreaming, I'll add to my dream that it is cleaned by someone other than myself who looks like Matthew McConnaughey)

~ weighing 10 lbs less and having super cute hair

~ sleeping in until 10am

~not picking up 12 pairs of OTHER peoples shoes a day (albeit, they are cute OTHER people)

I have dreams I pray constantly:

~ that all 3 of my precious girls love and walk with Jesus

~ that those same 3 sweet girls grow up being best friends as children and as adults

~ that I love the Lord in a way that makes others want to love Him too

~ that my kind husband would hunger and thirst after God's Word

~ that the Lord would graciously protect and provide for our family

And my new dream from just the past 3 months or so (drum roll please):

In honor and in memory of my incredible mom, my dearest friend in the world,

I would like to put together gift baskets full of snacks, water, magazines, books, etc. to take to families who are having a child go through open heart surgery (like our sweet Reesie a year ago) or who are battling cancer like Mom.

I remember the number of people who visited my mom in the hospital and what an encouragement it was to her. I remember what a huge blessing it was at the hospital last year with Reese when her school sent a gift basket full of snacks and water up for our friends and family in the waiting room.

I'd like to place something in the baskets that can be an introduction to Christ, nothing to over the top, but something that might give them a taste of His loving kindness even in the midst of a raging storm in life. I'd like the baskets to be cute. My mom loved decorating and loved making people feel special and I want these to do the same. I'd like to name my little project something having to do with God's Graciousness. First, because of the graciousness He gave me through the life of my mom. Secondly, because of the graciousness He bestowed on us by allowing Reese's heart to be healed medically. Thirdly, because my Mom's name Jean means God's graciousness.

I'd love y'alls feedback. What do you think? Do you have ideas about what to put in the baskets? What would be the best "taste" of Jesus in material form? How is the best way to get things at a reduced price or donated? Would you be willing to donate and help give some of God's graciousness to other families? Just as I am doing it in honor of my mom and our Reese, if I posted on my blog your name and a loved one you are choosing to honor would you want to be a part of this? If God were to have this dream take off in big ways, does anyone know anything about creating a non-profit? Anyone have a creative name for this dream?

Come on...I don't ask often, but will you leave me a note. Even if you are a friend of a friend who checks in every now and then who I've never met... (you know we all do it), I want to hear from you.

"The Lord always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does." Ps. 145:13

Fall Festivities

2009-11-02T15:31:00.001-08:00

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the cooler weather, but am so glad it's not cold. I love the sound of leaves crunching under my feet when we go on walks around the neighborhood. I absolutely love fall decorations more than any other type. I think it's the best to leave the screen door open. And I truly love having a season of thankfulness. It does my heart and soul good. A couple of weeks ago we headed out to a pumpkin patch. The girls always enjoy it, and we ran into unexpected friends from ACU and Laney's class at school. We even saw Cowboys player Jason Whitten and his family.
I'm thinking it would have been nice if the kind woman who offered to take our picture would have told us about the horrible shadows...whatcha gonna do?
Every year at Laney and Reese's MDO they have a hayride and little pumpkin patch where they get to dress up and pick out their own little pumkins. Here are my cutie-patooties.

Laney was a little German schoolgirl. It's an outfit my aunt and uncle came back for me with many moons ago. Sweet Reesie is wearing a clown costume my mom made for my brother when he was little. (Okay, I added the little flower buttons...even back then Andy was all boy). I love that in little ways my precious mom still gets to be a part of things even though she isn't with us any more.

Jason and the girls had their fun converting our pumpkin into a jack-o-latern. Reesie loved squishing her hands in the middle. Ashlyn drew a picture of what she wanted the pumpking to look like, and Laney helped wherever she could.

And here is our girly jack-o-latern, complete with eyelashes, a heart nose, and some

botox-filled lips :0)!

The artists...
On Thursday the girls wear their cute Halloween outfits that MiMi and Papa D sent them. I love the picture because it expresses the love they really do have for one another.

And here is my only decent picture of trick-or-treating. It's become a tradition for us to join our friends the Whittles and trick-or-treat around their neighborhood. This was our third year. I'm so sad that my camera was almost completely out of battery. Maybe I'll be able to snag some from Drew. Ashlyn was a go-go dancer. Laney the German schoolgirls. And in honor of her Uncle Andy's beloved horned frogs...Reese was a TCU cheerleader. She would even say "Go frogs!" It was so sweet to watch her this year. She looooved it! She would walk confidently up to the front door, open her bag, and say "trick o eeet." Then she'd smile and say "thank you"!

I hope to be back soon. I want to share a dream I hope to see come to fruition in the near future...

ACU Homecoming

2009-10-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed to Abilene. It has been over 10 years since I've been back to ACU and felt it was time to make the trek and show my sweet girls the place where I have so many fond memories.

We started out at the carnival they put on every year, meeting up with friends, riding horses, and getting their faces painted. Ashlyn got hers as a puppy. Isn't it cute? Laney had a unicorn painted on her cheek but it's hard to tell in the picture. We stayed the first night at a hotel.

The next morning we went to the Homecoming parade. The girls got a ton of candy, I ran into a few people I haven't seen since graduating, and we met up with some of our favorite Wildcats right now. We have had a lot of students from Bent Tree graduate and go onto ACU. It's so great! We saw a couple of them in the parade because they are pledging and we had Annie and Jessica meet up with us. It was good to see them!

Here are Jess (holding Reese) and Annie (with Ashlyn and Laney).

Maybe I'll have at least one of them become an ACU Wildcat in the future :). Aren't they just so sweet?

I really love this family pic. I'm not

sure what Reese had in her mouth at the time

but it was a beautiful day and I simply love

having down time with my family. This year

we have been more intentional in taking some

family breaks and getting away together. I've

really enjoyed it and hope we make it a habit.

This is part of a memorial area right by a

statue on camus of Jacob's ladder. You have to

stand on a stone that says "one thing" from a

passage of Scripture in order to see this cross.

It is a beautiful area and a wonderful reminder

that the "one thing" most important is Christ.

Saturday we headed over to my friend and old roomate Karen's home. We relaxed, laughed, talked, and talked some more...until 1:30 in the morning. All 6 of our girls are weeks or months apart so we always have a great time together.

Saturday night Jason stayed home with the 2 little ones, Reese and Haven. Houston was out of town...missed you! Then Karen and I took the 4 big girls to the Homecoming Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie. I think they felt so big and grown-up.

Here are Ashlyn, Matalee, Laney and Emery before the musical.

All 6 girlies. Karen called me a couple months ago letting me know that they were surprised and expecting another little one. We've been pregnant at the same time with all of our girls and she keeps trying to talk me into doing it with her one more time... I've got baby fever bad, but I'm not sure we can join in on this one :).

My sweet friend, Karen. Love you and love your friendship. Thanks for letting us crash at your lovely home.

(I'm having spacing issues once again that I can't figure out. Sorry about that.)

Alive in Christ

2009-10-20T20:25:00.001-07:00

"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin." Rom. 4:7-8

The above Scripture is what Ashlyn chose on her own to have read at her baptism. I told her we needed to find a Scripture that was special to her and passed her her bright pink Bible. I turned around to do something real quick in the kitchen and figured I would come back and help her begin in Psalms to find something that stood out to her as special. Within 1 minute she called to me and said that she really liked this verse in Romans. Romans isn't the easiest book to understand but as I read the verses my heart was filled with joy. What a perfect verse to describe the priceless gift of eternal life we are given when we accept Christ as our Savior. There isn't a thing any of us can do to deserve this lavish love and gift. Yet, he makes His gift available to anyone who wants it.

Our Ashlyn Jean is young. However, God has revealed Himself to her in a very real way. She actually accepted Christ as her Savior over two years ago now. She was full of questions and we would talk about how Jesus made a way for us to have a relationship with God the Creator. How out of love for us, He chose to come and die on the cross in order to wipe our sins away, and rose again 3 days later so that we can be made alive in Christ! She got it. We had the discussion many times over and I never suggested that she pray to accept Christ. I just presented her the Truth and the Lord gave her a childlike faith to trust in Him. She asked me if she could pray and so I helped her along.

She has asked quite a few times over the last few months when she could get baptized. We wanted to make sure she understood what it meant first and on Sunday night, October 4th she took the plunge (literally). We don't believe baptism is a necessity to salvation but rather an obedient step to show the world afterwards that you have chosen Jesus and aren't ashamed. I heard an analogy once that baptism is to salvation, like a wedding ring is to marriage. Wearing a wedding ring doesn't make you married, but it does show those around you that you belong to someone. In the same way, baptism doesn't make you a Christian, but it does show those around you that you belong to Him!

Ashlyn chose to get baptized with our high school students which was special for me. The youth were so supportive and encouraging and cheered loudly for her as she followed through in baptism. My friend and the senior high pastor, Dylan, baptized her. Jason and I were given the privilege of being in the water with her as people who help her in her spiritual growth. The baptismal pool is in the center of our church lobby area. She couldn't touch the ground with her feet so we brought in a little stool for her to stand on. After we were done and changing clothes I asked if she heard everyone cheer so loud to her. She looked at me a tad confused and said "no" but grinned when I told her they did. Poor girl was just nervous with everyone looking at her(you can tell by her serious expression in all the pics)...a trait she got from her Daddy who also was nervous about being in front of everyone.

I can't describe the joy you experience when you see one of your children fall more in love with Jesus.

Oh Lord Jesus, thank you for the life and hope you have given us. Thank you for allowing Ashlyn to choose you. May she always walk closely with you and may others around her come to know you too because of her life. Praise You, my Savior and my God!

2009-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

There is a white-bearded Gampa whose girls love him very, very much.

He takes them to favorites like IHOP and reads to them 'til mom says "time to stop."
He swings them real high and cheers while they ride.
He even brings lunch to their school.

He plays lots of games and tells them they're smart.

He is, by their definition, so cool.

A Gampa like you is one to adore.

Please visit us more all the girls do implore!

I wish I could tell you Ashlyn was studying poems at school and so I decided to join in her efforts just now. But no...just decided to do something different. My dad will enjoy it though. Hopefully, he won't send me any editing back on my post however...right Dad?!

As you can tell Gampa came to visit us a little over a week ago. He took Ashlyn lunch and ate with her at school a couple of times, read more books than you can count, and treated us to Mexican food a couple of times. Poor guy can't get Mexican food up in Pennsylvania. There are quite a few reasons why PA isn't where I'd want to live (sorry, but true) and that's got to be up there on my list. I'm amazed he hasn't whittled away since moving up there a few years ago. What am I saying? The man will eat anything. In fact, while he was down in Texas he ate livers and onions twice. Thankfully, not in my presence. Because, well, to term a four year old..."Eeeew!"

He started a tradition when Ashlyn was itty bitty of taking her on dates Saturday morning to IHOP. She loved it and looks forward to it every time they are together. Each granddaughter has been added to the venture and it's a special time for all of them now. Yes, the old man managed to take all three of them by himself!

Reese over the past week has said to me several times "I want Gampa." I know how she feels...I stood on the corner and cried after he drove away. We love you Dad! So glad you came!