Where Two or Three are Gathered...

Now, that Cole....  


He's a six-year-old.  Well, okay....six-and-three-quarters-year-old.  And THEN some.  And so many times he acts like a true six-year-old would act.  And should act.  But then there are times like tonight.


As I was tucking Cole in, we were talking about...well, I don't even remember.  I was tired and just ready to get in bed.  Then he started talking.  Initially, very nonchalantly.  About at school one day how he "helped Carlos Alexander Torres pray to ask Jesus into his heart."  (That part woke me up).  Cole started smiling and getting excited.  I was asking open-ended questions, not wanting to encourage him to exaggerate the facts.  He shared with me the words he prayed...


Cole:  "Then Carlos followed me."


Me:     "Like, repeated you?"


Cole:   "Yes!!"  (cool snicker).
           "Like, 'Dear Jesus...thank You for this day.  Please help me to become a Christian.  Please keep    
            everybody safe.  Please come into my heart.'  Then I said, 'You're a Christian!!'  And he was  
            really excited.  (cool snicker)  He probably told his mom and dad."


Me:    (heart melting)


Only God knows what happened on that playground.  But I can only hope and pray for Carlos Alexander Torres and his family.  That maybe...just maybe...if nothing else, that there was a seed planted in that little boy's heart.


"For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20

It is not happy people who are thankful; It is thankful people who are happy.

Sadly, I think I was in my thirties before I learned what it really means to be thankful.  Really thankful.  And I honestly feel that I still have a lot to learn about being thankful.  But I do know that there is One whom we are to be thankful to.  Even though sometimes it is hard to see, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.  The thing that gets me, is scripture says that we are to be thankful in all circumstances.  All???  All.  I don't have to like a circumstance or be happy about it, or agree with it, but I know that I can be thankful for it, because although I may not know at the time (or ever), God has a purpose for this, and He will see that something good comes out of it. (Romans 8:28).


The boys and I made a thankful tree.  Every day, or however often we feel led, our family thinks about what/who we are thankful for.  We then pray, thanking God for what it is on our hearts.  I love this idea, and it is my prayer that thankfulness, in any situation, will become second nature to all of us.


After the fall, we plan to use snowflakes to hang on the tree.  Then hearts (Valentine's Day)...then shamrocks...then raindrops...then....  (you get it....giving thanks is not limited to Thanksgiving time.)  When I collect the cards off the tree, I'm going to date and store them.  :)

"Be joyful always; pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes 5:16-18.

A Day to Remember!!!

This is a pic from my first 5k EVER!!  Been running with Dana Tollison and Cessily Azbill for five weeks, and April Wade invited us to try this run with her.  It was a GREAT day for a "race."  I'm still a pretty slow runner at 11:12 min./mile, but I never walked, and I felt great the whole time, so I'm pretty proud.  It was 40 degrees.  Took my jacket off about 2.5 miles.  (I'm merely adding the weather for later when I am out of my running habit and I can remember that there was a time that I didn't care about the cold) :0)   Then after my run, I went straight to Cole's football game....


And WHAT A GAME!!!  We played Tuttle for the second time this season, but at BC today.  Our boys did GREAT!!!!  Cole was QB on offense all game and safety on D all game.  He made three 2-point conversions, and picked up a kick-off and ran it for a 50-yard touchdown.  SO SO SO SO proud of him!!!!  Tuttle got us though at 38-42.  Next week we play at Lindsay.


We stayed and watch Cole's (well, all of our's) buddies play the 8&U game.  After that, the boys and I came home and took a THREE AND A HALF HR. nap!!  It was HEAVENLY!!!


A wonderful, beautiful day all around.  So, so, so, so blessed!!


"...Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us."  Hebrews 12:1.

Mommy's Baby Boy...

"I love my Mommy thiiiiiiiiiiiiisssss much!!!!!"

Confessions of a Rodeo mom

I'm not one to care about what others think about me, or the decisions I make as a parent.  Now, of course, I LOVE people, and I'm careful to show respect and grace and patience, and all those things.  But at the end of the day, I only have One person to please, and He is sure to show me loud and clear when I've done something outside His will.

All that to say...I still can't help but notice the look (or comments) I get when it sinks in with some folks that my six-year-old is a bull rider.  They're mainly looks of astonishment.  Shock.  Interest.  Curiosity.  Now, I'm human, and I'm halfway intelligent, and I've seen 8 Seconds (hehe), and I've seen major injuries occur right in front of me.  I know what can happen.

When Cole was two years old and told me he wanted to ride bulls when he grows up, I just brushed it off.  When he was four, he wanted to ride a sheep in the Tuttle rodeo, so we let him.  It was fun to him, but it shook his world a little, and the next night we went, he backed out in the chute.  The whole next year, he couldn't wait until that next rodeo, to get back up there and not back out.  So when he was five, he cowboy'ed up and went and won himself a belt buckle.  1st place at Tuttle rodeo, 2010....

....and he was HOOKED.

Since then, he's ridden sheep, calves, and mini bulls.  As a mom, it's still pretty easy to watch him because the stock for his age group aren't that rank yet.  And when I think about how crazy those animals can be down the road, I have to let it go. (Philippians 4:6)  Cole loves everything.  Baseball, basketball, football, music, painting, reading, swimming, exercising...I could go on and on and on.  But there is something different about rodeo.  Shane and I weren't in the rodeo and didn't even grow up around livestock or horses.  It's not something we've forced him into.  Cole knows more about rodeo than we do.  I struggle to explain the happiness I see in him when he knows there's a rodeo tonight...or next week, the happiness I see in him when he's there.

It's important to him to pray about his rides.  So many times we've bowed our heads together right behind the chutes, immediately before his rides.  (Now, you know this mama's praying for protection.)  But one night even the calves seemed like they were a little 'off' to me, and I was feeling a little uneasy about his ride.  Low and behold, I forgot to pray.  I was up in the press box with the video recorder in hand when I saw Cole hit a knee and pray right then and there.  Right around all the other lil cowpokes.  Wasn't quick either.  I've since wondered if in that prayer he was showing God he can count to 100.  :) On the way to a minibull event in Amarillo this past Saturday, we were driving through Elk City and I heard his DSi hit the floorboard and he said, "I'm gonna pray."  Then he proceeded to pray about the ride he would take that evening.

Not that he really has to ask before we tell him, but Cole NEVER fails to ask Shane and me at least a million times "Was that a good ride??"  I tell him every now and then that any ride that he can stand back up unassisted is a great ride in my book.  He didn't make the short-go that night in Amarillo.  But that ride was sacred.  Blessed.  Set apart.  Holy.  For His Glory.  Protected.

I know, at the very core of my existence, that God has wonderful plans for Cole.  And whether rodeo will be for just a few years, or a few decades, if He wants to use the rodeo to help Cole carry out the plans He has...who am I to try and stop Him?

Amarillo, June 25, 2011

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank Him for all he has done.  If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:6, 7.

It's all a POUT...

This is Lane five minutes after I asked him to stop roping my purple fountain grass.  

He was NOT very happy with Mommy.  :)

Born Yesterday...today, a 1st Grader!! (Almost)

I truly remember when Cole was three months old, someone said, "Don't blink...they grow up before you know it."  I had heard that before, but it had never registered until then.  Even at that time I couldn't believe how fast three months had gone by.  Now I'm writing about his kindergarten graduation.  I seriously have to sit and ponder all the memories, just to realize that it actually has been that long.

Cole is my pistol.  He came out of the womb ready to take life by the horns.  (Like that?? ;)  He has NEVER liked to sleep, and it took me until his sleep-loving brother came along for me to realize it wasn't me; it was just Cole's personality.  Another thing I heard way back when was that kids who fight sleep are smarter and feel like they need to be accomplishing something and don't have time to sleep.  Of course I didn't buy it.  Not then; not now.  But there may be more truth there than not.  I'm going somewhere with this....hhhmmmmmm.....(Dori moment....pardon me.....)

First came his first day care.  A home-based center that lasted a couple months with us because they let him leave with Shane without ID-ing him (whom they'd never met before), all because "You can tell it's his dad just by looking at him."  Ummmm....NO.  Then a wonderful child care center that he was at for a few years that we LOVED, but had to move him because it was out of our school district.  Then one more center in our district.  Point is, by the time he started pre-k, I knew a good teacher when I saw her.  And on Meet the Teacher night, I was very pleased and comfortable to leave him for his first day of preK with Mrs Hodges.  The whole school year that year confirmed my impressions of her.  So kindergarten was a BREEZE!!  Now I have two months or so to get used to the fact that I have a first-grader.  One which goes to school all day, no nap, then to football practice for two hours.  (I'm feeling a little nauseous.)

I couldn't be more proud.  Here are a few pics of his big day.

With Randy.

Mrs. Hodges, prek teacher.

Mrs. Carothers, Kindergarten teacher

Papa and Nana

Papa

Daddy

Mom

Sierra

A moment I don't EVER want to forget...

Cole is amazing.  He is growing up so fast.  Shane and I are amazed at the person he is.  I mean, this kid passes up fast food because he "doesn't want to eat anything greasy."  He is a proud Christian.  He mentions ideas that he comes up with for helping/teaching/showing others about Jesus.  Sometimes I am taken back by the things he does, and just thank God for what a great kid He has given us,  and how much Cole has taught us.  He's growing up so fast (oh crap...I already said that).  And he is SO independent and confident.  So this is what this post is all about:

When I was tucking Cole in a couple nights ago, he got my attention, looked me square in the eyes, and said, "Hey!  Will you be my darl'in??"

And all I could do is melt.  :)

COWBOY UP!!!

Cole joined Central Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association this year.  His first rodeos were March 25th and 26th.  He rode a sheep and a calf each night.  I am so very proud of him, I can barely contain it.  It's a scary sport for a mama, but he has told us since he was 2 that he wants to ride bulls.  ;)  We were at an open rodeo when he was four, and he did mutton busting (sheep) and enjoyed it.  The next time he rode he got a gold buckle and the rest is HISTORY.  He's hooked.


Here are some pics from his first rodeos in the association:

This is the first night.  His new buddy was teaching him how to spray his rope.

National Anthem

Ready to ride a sheep.

Cowboy Lane.

SIX!!!!

I know I'm a little behind on this, but I wanted to post some pics of Cole at his birthday party.  :)

Note the cowboy hat. :)

Welcome SPRING!!!!

This is my front flower bed.  Doesn't that look LOVELY!!!  And this is about 30 minutes into the job, when I finally thought about taking a before pic.  Last year we actually planted different kinds of lettuce in this bed, but I'd like it to be pretty, colorful flowers this year.


EVERY single year (for the past three years lol) I get SO excited when the weather starts warming up, I just can NOT wait to get out and start playing in the dirt.  And every year I get in a hurry and start planting in mid March.  Can you guess what happens next?  That's right.  This is Oklahoma, folks.  Snow.  Or ice.  Or even just a good freeze.  In April.  So this year, I've vowed not to start planting outside until it gets warm and STAYS warm.  We'll see how that goes.  Also, every year, I get the flower beds looking pretty good, then get tired of the keep-up by, say, um....first of May.  Another thing I've vowed to myself.  DO NOT GET TIRED OF THE KEEP-UP.


But last Sunday after church and a scrumptious lunch at Carlito's, I dusted off the 'ole gardening gloves and got to work.

I loved it.  It really is fun.  And this flower bed is right outside our two big front windows, so it's pretty nice to look out at a clean flower bed.  And it'll just get prettier as the season goes.

This is one of my hyacinth girls that I thought didn't make it last year.  The cold, hard truth is: I know nothing about gardening.  But I'm learning a little more every year.  :)  Below is an after pic of what I did that evening.  I'll upload more as the season goes.  Shane has also planted (in pots inside for now) LOTS of veggies and flowers.

See why I can't wait to start planting?? :)

Lane, Lane, Bo Bane

Three.  In seven days from now.  Here it comes.  That feeling that I've heard various moms mention.  I know this isn't about me.  Ultimately, I'm ecstatic for the boy you've grown to be.  At the same time, three has hit me.  So this is what "bittersweet" feels like. 

You were born at OU Medical Center.  The hospital has a level 1 trauma center, but in the Women and Newborn Pavilion there's no general nursery for healthy babies.  So you stayed in my hospital room with me.  (I wouldn't have it any other way.  The same with your brother.)  Daddy and Cole were staying at home, so it was just you and I in the hospital room.  Pure bliss.  It was quiet.  I am now a mommy of two and I was savoring every moment I got to spend with you alone.

When you were approximately 12 hours old, I was in my bed on the computer (shocker, I know), and I heard you cough for the first time.  Then you froze.  Then you turned blue.  From head to toe.  That fast. I jumped up faster than I've ever moved before and rushed over to your bassinet.  I will never forget the lips.  I ran you down the hall to the nurses' station, and my nurse unclogged whatever it was constricting your breathing.  Then you automatically were the pretty pink baby I knew.  The nurse took you to peds and had you checked out and everything was fine.  Not having ANY medical training, I'm still not exactly sure what happened.  But mother's intuition trumps all statistics in a situation like this, and I never placed you on your "back to sleep" after that.  Until you could reposition yourself, you were always placed on your side.

You were also jaundiced.  And the hospital "tanning bed" kept malfunctioning and would turn off, so I stayed awake most of the hospital stay to make sure you were getting the light you need.  I don't remember wanting to sleep.  We also had to have bili lights on you for a week after you came home.  It never seemed to bother you.  It was warm.  And I couldn't wait for the timer to go off that I could get you out and hold you.  After you came off the lights, I got horribly sick.  I don't exactly know what it was, but fever, achy, couldn't get out of bed sick.  Funny how God waited until you were healthy before my own body gave in.  He is merciful like that.

You were what I call a sensitive baby.  You were cautious, nervous, and at times seems unsure of this world.  You got startled easy.  You hated car rides.  But you LOVED cuddling with Mommy.  And Daddy.  When you were about five months old, we went to visit Daddy in Woodward. (2008 was a BIG year for the oilfield and Daddy was on location most of that year.  But I was enormously blessed that I was able to stay home with you the first six months.)  On that visit, I remember that even though you weren't around Daddy on a daily basis, you recognized his voice.  And when he held you, you went right to sleep.  

Fast forward almost three years, and, in this family, you didn't stand a chance at being sensitive, nervous, and unsure.  You are a pistol.  (You're the one Daddy says we'll be bailing out of jail some day).  Hopefully not, but you are definitely hard-headed.  And sweet.  And stubborn.  And lovey.  And testing.  And a cuddler.  You're a cowboy.  You're letting go of your cowboy hat some here of late, but you wore it recently for about six months straight.  No kidding.  Even to bed.

We love you, we're proud of you, and we can't wait to celebrate the big THREE with you next Saturday.

Love you more than you'll ever know.

Mommy

"I prayed for this child.  The Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." 1 Sam 1:27

I made a MESS!!!

We have lived in our house three and a half years and it has needed updating ever since.  Well, a couple months ago, I pulled up the puke green carpet.  Yesterday and today I scraped the popcorn off the ceilings. I did the living room, kitchen and dining room.  And I textured the kitchen ceiling.  Shane sprayed the living room down for me after he worked all day yesterday.  Then today he had a rest day.  (We're snowed in...AGAIN).  He works harder than anyone I know, so I was very appreciative of his help.


I put a few things in my room so they wouldn't get messy, and this kept scaring the CRAP out of me every time I walked in my bedroom...

Here is lovely me.  Cole the photographer.  Ha...

Shane spraying for me.  (Makes the job go MUCH faster.)  Thanks honey poo!!! ;)

Lola. :)

Some of the mess.  It will look SO good when it's all complete.  Say, in about, oh, six months??? ;)

It's a lot of fun.  The boys have done great with all the work.  Cole played -- wait for it -- DSi most of the time.  And Lane entertains himself pretty good and likes to watch Dora and Diego.  Gosh, I feel so guilty for all the video games and television, but SOON I'll be blogging about RODEO and BASEBALL and SWIMMING!!!!

"She is energetic and strong, a hard worker." Prov. 31:17

Wii should really figure out something to do besides play Wii, shouldn't Wii???

Well, I admit it.  Cole is OBSESSED with Wii.  He also got a DSi for his birthday, but it is no match for the Wii.  And with the snow storm we had, he's been on it SO much.  We always said we wouldn't be 'those' parents.  The ones that let their kids play video games all day and eat potato chips.  Good thing my fridge is usually stocked full of strawberries and blueberries.  Come spring, we'll be outside all day working in the flower beds and playing BASEBALL!!!  Until then, I'll just keep saying, "You know come spring we'll be working in the flower beds and playing baseball." And I'm still trying to convince him (and Shane) that it's not 'quality' family time if you're yelling and getting mad at each other over a freaking game.  One of these times I'm going to record them so they can hear themselves.  


On a brighter note...hahaha....we got some sunshine this weekend!!!  Melted most of the snow, and school is in session for the first time in five days.  Although, I hear there's another wave of it coming this week.  I'm prepared.  Went to Walmart and got my cinnamon vanilla coffee creamer, so I'm good to go.  No, really...today I made homemade chicken noodle soup and spicy bean soup.  Put them in bowls in the freezer for us to pop out when we feel like a good cup o' comfort and viola.  I'm proud.  Come a LONG way from the days I kept forgetting to let the water boil before adding noodles.  


And I tell ya...that Lane.  He is a helper.

He bellied up to the sink for 45 MINUTES tonight 'helping' me wash all those dishes.  Then, even with ten- and five-minute warnings, when I pulled him down, oh, my gracious.  Full.  Blown.  Fit.  But he got over it very quickly.  When I sit on the couch and tell him I want to hold him, he's there.  Most every time. He's just my little lover bear like that.  What's really funny about that picture is if you look close enough, it appears I'm growing onions in my glass trivet bowl. Oh geez...and after all that time in the kitchen today.


That same lover bear is going to throw one of those full-blown fits in the morning at daycare after being with me for so many days in a row.  And I'll spend half the day mad at my job.  And the world.  And the frigg'in lady that beat me to the bicep machine at the Y.  Oh...let's not go there yet.  I've had one too many fat pajama pants days to talk about working out.  (I typically don't mention the Y to anyone unless I've actually been there consecutively for a long time.  Like a good two days in a row.)


"She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes." Prov. 31:21

Welcome to our first blog EVER.

We have been in a huge snow storm for the past few days, so I'm avoiding all other responsibilities and I'm up at 12:13 a.m. putting together a blog.  It has always looked fun, I like to talk about my family, and this will perhaps be a way to keep track of our lives forever more.


I'll start by saying that I am ONE blessed gal.  I'm a Jesus girl, and I am learning more every single day that God has and will provide everything I need.  This gives me more peace than I can even describe.  As a result of this blessed life, I am married to the love of my life, have two strapp'in, good looking boys, the best parents a girl could ask for, and a hyper, loyal, live-to-please chocolate lab named Lola.  I am a very selfish person at heart, but God has transformed my thinking, and I can honestly say that I can NOT ask for anything more.  I truly believe that I have it all.  I know Shane feels the same, and we both pray that EVERYone could experience such contentment.


Shane is the leader of our household.  God has done such A-MAZE-ING things in mine and Shane's life that it leaves us jaw-dropped and ready for more.  Cole just turned six Jan. 19th and Lane will be three on Feb. 19th.  They are our lives.  We blame no-date-nights on our work schedule, but I sometimes wonder if that's just our excuse to each other.  Our boys are our life.  It's loud.  It's rowdy.  It's disorganized.  It's messy.   ...It's something I will some day want back.