Tickle Me Tuesday

A random assortment of moments that made me laugh...

Jonah was really worried about his dad last week when he realized that there won't be any toothaches in heaven. He is pretty sure Joey will be out of a job in heaven.

I avoided Wal-Mart for at least a week. I inadvertently stole a bottle of top coat nail polish. (It's a long story.) Anyway, I set things right and paid for it when I finally went back a week later, but I was pretty sure for about a week that the next time I walked into Wal-Mart, the sirens were going to go off and I would be taken to jail for something I really didn't know I did. Joey teased me all week making it very clear that he was well aware he was married to a thief and saying things like, "well, we'll just see if you make it into heaven now..." I will.

Both our kids learned to ride bikes without training wheels with little help from Joey or myself. I thought it was a fluke with Jonah when he just took off riding without training wheels a few years ago. But last week, Hannah did the same thing. She told us she was ready to ride without training wheels so we took them off. Then she took off. I seem to remember learning how to ride a bike being a bigger deal than that. Not to mention the scraped knees and bruised elbows back in my day. Not my kids. But I can't get too proud or puffed up about it because their skills seem to be limited to bike riding alone. We took them roller skating last weekend and (I might be exaggerating, but) they are the worst roller skaters on the planet. Seriously, they can hardly stand without falling down. It's hilarious and sad at the same time.

I fear my kids inherited my complete non-athleticism. We took them to play tennis as a family the other night and I heard Jonah telling Hannah that she needed to hit the ball with her "tennis bat." *sigh*

There is hope. Jonah started soccer this year and had his first game last weekend. His team won. Maybe the boy got some of his dad's sports genes after all. Go team!

Jonah looks so adorable and cute in his little shin guards and soccer cleats.

Joey and I made a quick little getaway to Minnesota a couple weekends ago. Joey surprised me with this trip for my birthday. It's been an unusually cold and snowy winter in Oklahoma, so naturally Minnesota was a refreshingly warm getaway spot. (Hahaha! Just kidding! But I do think the cold played a factor in the ridiculously good deal he got on our tickets.) We didn't take the kids and for a few seconds we felt really bad about it because we spent most our time at the Mall of America where there is a super fun indoor amusement park that the kids would have loved. However, they would not have loved the two to three hours we spent in Urban Outfitters which just might be the coolest store in that entire mall. When we got home, Hannah found the map of the Mall of America and studied it for a few days. She kept saying, "I found this map, but I'm just not sure what it means yet." We didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. Below is a picture I took of part of the indoor park.

Minnesota is full of really nice people, don't cha know. Some of them (particularly the ones that work at Teavana) are so nice that they make a girl feel super cool if she compliments their free tea samples. Even cooler if she expresses interest in buying some of their fancy loose leaf teas as a gift for her sweet mothers. They sure made me feel like I was the bomb-diggity when I actually picked out some teas to buy. Then they mixed up my teas and told me the price. I died, but they were still acting uber cool about it. So I left Minnesota with my extremely overpriced but super yummy tea all neatly mixed up in a tin and packed in my suitcase. Would you believe I arrived in Oklahoma with that extremely overpriced super yummy tea ALL OVER my dirty laundry and shoes stuffed in my suitcase? Stupid tin. Blerg. Joey decided to try to salvage it. He kept saying it was fine because half the teas in that store had labels on them that stated that tea was "monkey picked" (whatever that means) so it really wasn't that much worse that our tea touched my dirty socks. *sigh* (The gift teas for our mothers did not spill, by the way.)

One of my new year resolutions was to learn to wear, walk and enjoy heels. I think I've succeeded because I actually prefer heels with my jeans now days. ....but... ummm... my feet hurt.

Hannah has always had an advanced palette when it comes to food. She tells me her favorite food right now is fish. Then she tries to lord it over Jonah and tell him that she is smarter than him because she loves fish and fish is "brain food." It's just too bad McDonald's doesn't offer their filet-o-fish as part of a happy meal. She is more than willing to forgo the toy in order to get her fish. It's rather unlike a five year old. Another favorite food (of our whole family) is edamame sprinkled with a little sea salt. The first time I had edamame, I actually tried to eat the pod it came in. Silly me. Don't cha know, that's not how you eat it.

fin~

Pancakes anyone?

Jonah burst into our bedroom this morning exclaiming that he needed a skillet so he could make pancakes for Hannah. Apparently, Hannah informed him that she was starving and needed pancakes for breakfast, so he decided to take it on himself to make them for her. What a sweet brother, right?

Joey shut the idea down and told Jonah he needed to get dressed for school instead. A little while later, I found myself in the kitchen looking at this:

The boy got out everything he thought he needed for pancakes. The line-up: milk, sugar, one egg, Bisquick, flour (which is actually fish batter mix that he thought was flour), and a pot. I can see why he ran into the room asking for a skillet. He must have realized that pot wasn't going to cut it. I just love how he lined them up on the counter, don't you? Ha! I also love how he is desperately trying to read the instructions in this photo. Very determined, that boy.

Anyway, I navigated around this one by promising that I would let him help me make a yummy breakfast for dinner tonight.

P.S. - Note to self: Teach Jonah how to properly make pancakes without using fish batter.

P.S.S. - Another note to self: Clean the footprints off the counter top (I just realized the only way a four foot tall boy can reach the Bisquick in our house is by standing on the counter top.)

P.S.S.S. - Final note to self: Give Jonah an extra hug today. He deserves it after that sweet "tickle" moment. Love you, son.

Peace like a pond

Sometimes I let the kids take their baths in our big jet tub. They get so excited about turning on the "bubbles." But often, when the time comes to turn on the jet tub bubbles, they chicken out and decide they don't really want those bubbles after all. They seem to have a love/hate relationship with the jet tub bubbles.

For example, this morning Hannah took her bath in the jet tub. She begged me to turn on the bubbles, but the water level has to reach a certain point before the jets will work so she had to wait. Her excitement built as she waited for the tub to fill up. Finally, the water was high enough, so I reached over to turn on the jets. She freaked out. She stood up on the edge of the tub to wait and watch first, but then just as I was about to turn them on she shouted "No! No! No! I don't really want the bubbles today!" So she swam around in the calm water of her bath for a long time and finally exited the tub without ever experiencing the jet bubbles. She missed out. She knew she missed out too, but she opted for the safe calm of a serene bath rather than the fun bubbly bath that a jet tub has to offer.

As I observed her this morning, I was reminded of something I learned last week in my Bible study. We were talking about peace and the passage that says "If you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." (Isaiah 48:18) The study pointed out that God didn't say that he would give us peace like a pond (which is completely still and serene without bumps), but rather peace like a river (which is constantly moving, sometimes even around large boulders). In other words, when God's peace comes into our lives, it doesn't mean that all our trials and "bumps" go away, but rather than we are able to navigate those trials in such a way that we pass through those "bumps" all the while moving along in the clear refreshing waters of His peace.

Sometimes, like Hannah, I wish for the calm that a pond or jet-free bathtub has to offer. I wonder why I have to deal with all these "bubbles" and "bumps" that seem to jostle my life. I want peace like a pond. No bumps. No worries. No problems. But God is bigger than a pond, isn't He? He takes me by the hand and says "let's go for a ride! I'll take care of you. Hold on to me and you will experience my peace as we ride this river together!" So I'll take His hand, hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

P.S. - Joey and I agreed to be youth sponsors for the youth mission trip this summer. Part of the trip is a day spent white water rafting. Even as recent as last night, I informed my small group girls that I was NOT in any way interested in that part of the trip. I'll sit that one out, thankyouverymuch. I sure hope it is not God's idea of a funny joke to give me a good object lesson by forcing me to go white water rafting on the trip this summer. Eeek!

Give us one pure and holy passion

I listened to this beautiful song this morning and made it my prayer for myself, Joey and each of the kids.

Lord, for me...

Give me one pure and holy passion

Give me one magnificent obsession

Give me one glorious ambition for my life

To know and follow hard after You

And for Joey and Jonah...

Give him one pure and holy passion

Give him one magnificent obsession

Give him one glorious ambition for his life

To know and follow hard after You

And for Hannah...

Give her one pure and holy passion

Give her one magnificent obsession

Give her one glorious ambition for her life

To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you

To grow as your dicsiples in your truth

This world is empty, pale, and poor

Compared to knowing you, our Lord

Lead us on and we will run after you

Lead us on and we will run after you

You can sample and purchase this song by Candi Pearson from the OneDay Live Passion CD by clicking HERE

A plastic birthday cake

Mrs. Huber had a little plastic white cake that she would keep hidden in our preschool Sunday school classroom. She would always get it out when one of us kids had a birthday. It had places where she could put real candles in it. I remember looking forward to her class for the sole reason that if, perchance, someone in our class had an impending birthday, we would get to see the plastic cake. I'm sure Mrs. Huber taught us some great lessons from the Bible, but her smiling face and that amazing plastic cake might be some of the few memories I have of my early Sunday school years. I don't remember the toys. I don't remember the lessons. I don't remember the other kids in my class.

There was however, a little boy in my class who somehow remembers me. To this day, he talks about a little girl with reddish hair and freckles who always squinted her eyes when she smiled. He also remembers going home from Mrs. Huber's Sunday school class and telling his mom that he's "gonna marry that Kelly Jones girl."

Bless my soul, he did.

This birthday, I may not get to blow out candles on a little plastic white cake, but I do get to spend my life with the boy who fell in love with my smiling face from across the cake.

Love you, honey.

:)

Dirty Hands, Clean Hearts

Sometimes my kids cause me well up with pride. It could be when they do something especially nice for someone or when they remember to make their bed without being told. It could be a dinner where they clean their plates, all the while complimenting my choice of vegetables for a meal. When I hear a good report from a teacher or see an awesome score on a spelling test, I think that's my kid. Sometimes one of them will say something clever or poignant or hilarious. These are the moments that I like to blog about. These are the true TEACH moments and the golden TICKLE moments. When they happen, it's like something kicks on in my brain and I make a little mental note - blogworthy material, take notes, don't forget.

I'm not so vain to believe that the twelve people who read this blog hang on every aspect of my children's lives, but I do like to record these things for posterity sake. I want to remember them. I want the kids to remember them. So, I blog about them.

Funny thing though. Life is not just made up of moments when my kids make me proud. In fact, sometimes my kids make me downright ashamed. Like when Jonah somehow forgets basic hygiene techniques and can't seem to remember how to wash his hands. (Seriously, you can almost see the dirt and germs having a party on his hands these days.) Or when either of the kids spend a good 30 solid minutes sitting in public picking their nose. Or when I have to tell the kids for the fourth time NOT to crawl under the table during dinner. And let's not forget about the dreaded "Hannah tantrum" over silly things like what to wear in the morning. Then you don't want to get me started on all the short bus things my kids have done. (I seriously worry that Jonah's IQ dropped by at least 20 points when he lost his two front teeth. Short bus. That's all I have to say. Please let his teeth grow in quickly.) These are the moments that I do NOT want to blog about. The times when I feel like a failure and wish I didn't have to do this hard work we call parenting.

But the simple truth is this: God uses those difficult moments to TEACH or TICKLE me too. He doesn't just use the "blogworthy" moments. In fact, sometimes the best (albeit, hardest) lessons come when I am humbled by my outstanding imperfections. These are the times that I am more apt to turn to God instead of myself. These are the times that I do more of what I am supposed to do all the time - I pray. I bathe those tantrum throwing, nose picking, dirty handed kids in fervent prayer. It's usually around this time that I realize that I very well might fail my kids in teaching them the basics of personal hygiene (heaven forbid!), but I will NOT fail my kids by forgetting to pray for them. In the end, cleaning dirty hands takes a back seat to praying for clean hearts.

Locked up

Yesterday morning, I heard the kids giggling outside my bathroom door. When I opened the door, I found this:

Two cute kids? Yes.

A couple of clever sneaky little monkeys? Yes.

They had obviously found my junk drawer. Do you see that lock across my door meant to keep me in? Those clever kids took some electrical tape, scotch tape and a padlock and they attempted to rig up a make-shift lock across my door.

I played along. "Oh no!!! I'm stuck! I can't get out!"

They thought they had me. For them, this meant they had free reign of the house, the television and (most importantly) the candy dish. But in reality, I could have easily bust through that "padlocked" door. But I didn't. I played their game.

Clever sneaky little monkeys.

Then I realized that I sometimes play the part of the clever sneaky little monkey. I compartmentalized my life and "padlock" God into just a small part of it so that I can have free reign of the rest of my "house." He knows the game. He sighs at me when I try to play it.

Then He sends my kids in the room to do the same to me so I learn my lesson.

Consider me taught.

Scatterbrained Scribble Scrabble

I am a scatterbrain. I scribble notes on all sorts of random papers around my house. There are certain things that you just need to write down so that you don't forget them. Why should a blog be any different? In recent weeks, I've come across a few random things that I want to remember to someday TEACH my kids. Cleaning or cooking tips, life lessons or silly ramblings - someday my scatterbrained mind might forget to tell them these things if I don't jot them down. So I began to make a list. I'll post them when I get 4-5 worth sharing. Nothing life changing. Just my very own...

Scatterbrained Scribble Scrabble

• Always vacuum barefoot. Instead of vacuuming yourself OUT of a room (like all the pros say), vacuum in front of your footsteps and walk right on top of what you just vacuumed. Try it. It's awesome. The warm clean carpet feels so nice on your feet that you will forget that vacuuming is a chore...almost. And who really cares about the footprints?
• There is no substitute for real butter. Go for the real stuff every time. Pure "salted sweet cream butter" tastes good on everything. Don't listen to the nay-sayers who want to tell you it is bad for you. Phooey on them. ALSO - salted butter does NOT have to be refrigerated. This is a surprise to most people. Google it. I promise butter will last on the counter for at least a week (if it is salted). That pretty much gets rid of the unspreadable argument right there. Get a good butter dish and keep a stick of butter next to the bread box at all times. You will not regret it. (Your waistline might, but you won't.)
• All drinks taste better in a styrofoam cup. Especially Dr. Pepper, sweet tea and ice water. It's true. Forget the styrofoam is bad for the environment nay-sayers, just trust me on this one. Styrofoam makes it better.
• (this is Joey's tip) Eat your food so that it all comes out even. For example, don't eat one item on your plate until it is all gone and then move on to the next. Eat a little bit of each food item and aim to finish all of them at the same time.
• Never leave a bottle of super glue within hands reach of children under the age of 10. Hannah found super glue this week and squirted glue onto her fingers, her legs and my bedspread. The bad news - it took nearly 24 hours before we got it all off her fingers. The good news - I got to buy a new bedspread. My advice: don't leave super glue laying around unless you need a new bedspread. :)

That's all for now.

One street ends and a new one begins

You know those best friend necklaces we thought were SO cool in elementary school? The ones like the picture above where one half says "Be Fri" and the other half says "st ends?" I had one of those. Katie and I were bff and we wanted the world to know it. She wore the "Be Fri" side and I wore the "st ends" side. It was awesome.

Then she dropped a bomb on me and moved away to Arkansas. My world was rocked.

Then junior high happened. Ashley and I spent so much of our 7th and 8th grade years writing notes back and forth that it is a wonder we learned anything during those years. Then 9 weeks before the completion of 8th grade, the school closed and we all had to switch schools. She went to a new private school and I started attending public schools. She got to be with a bunch of our old friends and some really awesome new friends and I got to go to a new school and come home and cry every day.

Church friends can always be counted on to be around forever, right? Erin was my best church friend and we had a blast together in the youth group. Then her family decided to move to Texas in the middle of our ninth grade year. Later, all my other church friends left the church when an ugly church split caused divisions.

One of my best friends in high school was Deena. It was my honor to help lead her to the Lord and watch her grow for a few years. But low and behold, her family also decided to move away... just before our senior year.

I was where the street ended, it seemed. Just like my part of the necklace, "st ends" = me There were times Satan tempted me to believe that I was a dead end friend. That it was my fault and I tended to drive people away. Never the case, but nevertheless, Satan tried that one a few times. I stuck my tongue out at him and moved on with the Lord's help. (It also helped that the constant "best friend" that I had during most of those years was my future husband. That street will never end :) thankfully)

Funny how our lives sometimes have a repeat button.

Nearly 8 years ago, my brother married Vanessa. Vanessa was not only the perfect life mate for Kyle, but the perfect friend for me. She has about a gazillion other super friends, but the past five years, she's been best friend to me. Likewise, Kyle has become Joey's best friend as well.

Today, Vanessa, Kyle and my three nephews boarded a plane for Kenya. They'll spend the next two years there. Joey and I are mourning the loss of not just part of our family, but also our best friends. However, I can honestly say that I'm rooting for them. I'm proud of them. I'm impressed by them. And most of all, I'm excited for them.

The following is part of what I wrote to them in a goodbye card. I wanted to emphasize the excitement I feel for them as this "st ends" and a new one begins. I titled it

I’m excited...

I’m excited that you will be able to be directly used by God to do HIS work in a much needed place. Most of us can just hope that what we are doing is what He wants us to do. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are exactly where He wants you to be, doing exactly what He wants you to do. How cool is that!

I’m excited that you will rarely be more than a few steps away from a beautiful scenery that will WOW you and cause you to live in even more AWE of God and his creation.

I’m excited that Kyle will be able to use his many skills to heal people - not just physically, but spiritually. He is so good at both of those.

I’m excited that Vanessa will get to use her many talents not just in the home with the boys, but with the countless women she will meet. Vanessa has the best relationship skills of anyone I know. She truly loves people and that will multiply her ministry in so many ways.

I’m excited that your marriage will grow even stronger as you adjust and learn how to go through this experience of a lifetime together. You will depend on each other more than ever and you will hold each other up better than ever.

I’m excited that your family will get to spend more time together as a family without all the distractions and events that kept you so busy in the States. (Feel free to say no to things in Kenya if necessary. Things could get hectic there too. Never take your family time for granted.)

I’m excited that your boys will grow bold, strong and confident.

I’m excited that Hudson (who is the most caring four year old I know already) will be able to minister to people in his own special way. His heart will be stirred for missions and his life will be forever changed.

I’m excited that Jude will experience his “terrific” twos while surrounded by people who exemplify true unselfishness in the way they serve others. This will rub off on him and the normal selfishness that comes during the terrible two years will be replaced by unselfishness and a desire to serve alongside his parents. His terrible twos will be terrific twos, I am sure of it.

I’m excited that Isaac will not become accustomed to the pampered life that so many babies get from day one here in the States. He will know and experience a simple life with simple pleasures that will make a huge impact on him as he grows. Even if he doesn't remember much about these first few years, this lesson will last.

I’m excited that your kids lives will be forever changed. Their love for the Lord will grow, their concept of the world around them will be enlarged and their tenderness to the things of the Spirit will be astounding.

I’m excited that you will be free to dance in church and worship God without shame. I’m excited that you will get to see and help people come to the Lord regularly.

I’m excited that you will not just hear about miracles and answers to prayer, but you will witness them firsthand. In fact, just your obedience to follow God’s call to go to Kenya is an answer to prayer and in itself a miracle of God’s providence in both your lives and the lives of those people in Kenya who have fervently prayed for a doctor and his family to come serve them.

Kyle and Vanessa - 2 years and 2000+ miles won't change our love for you and our friendship with you. May the Lord bless your ministry and make two years go by super fast!

Hudson and Hannah

Doesn't Hudson (age 4) look like he is excited but slightly terrified? He is adorable and so sweet. He really felt the sorrow of leaving all his cousins this morning. Keep him in your prayers.

Jude (age 2) is a little firecracker. He looks a little like he has plans that may or may not be mischievous in nature.

Isaac (6 months) looks like he is ready to take on the world.

Every Girl Dreams About Her Wedding Day...

Every girl dreams about her wedding day. I just didn't know they started so early. Hannah is five years old and the following is the conversation I had with her today.

(Talk about a "tickle" moment.)

Hannah: Mommy, will you be there when I get married?

Mommy: Yes, of course. I will do everything I can to be there.

Hannah: Good. Then I will do my very best to pick out the most beautiful wedding dress ever.

Mommy: That's nice.

Hannah: Because, you know, I have a lot of practice in that area now days.

Mommy: Yeah.

Hannah: Grammy showed me pictures of her wedding and did you know that Papa didn't look like Papa looks at all. That's funny. She also told me that she MADE all the dresses for her wedding.

Mommy: Yes. Grammy is amazing like that.

Hannah: And did you know that Grammy and Papa wore their wedding clothes last Halloween to Aunt April's house? (She was referring to THIS.)

Mommy: Yes. Actually, they wore the clothes that they wore to leave for their honeymoon, not their wedding clothes.

Hannah: Ooooooh! What's a "honeymoon?"

Mommy: It's like a vacation you take after you get married.

Hannah: OH! I know EXACTLY where I will go for my honeymoon! NEW LIFE RANCH!

Mommy: That's nice.

Hannah: Will Abigail be at my wedding?

Mommy: If you invite her. She could even be one of your bridesmaids if you want her to.

Hannah: Oh yes! That would be great!

Hannah is all about weddings and wedding dresses right now. The one thing that she really wanted for Christmas was a wedding dress with a veil. Thank heavens for resale shops. I found one for $16! She loves dressing up in it.