In the toilet

Fortunately for you, there is no picture of this one...today with 32 children at Castle Park in tow... We had just arrived after waiting one hour outside the park. I had to pee, but of course I waited until 32 of our children used the bathroom first(that had only TWO stalls). I quickly get in the bathroom, roster of all the children in my mouth, walkie talkie in the left pocket and cell phone in the right, I need to hurry because all the children are waiting for me. My cell phone is crucial... along with tons of snapshots of Presley and videos of her babbling, the bus company numbers in case they are late, school security to inform of trespassing skateboarders, bosses numbers are all in my cell.

I quickly finish peeing, flush with the foot, turn around, pull up my pants and....OUT GOES MY CELL PHONE RIGHT INTO THE FLUSHING TOILET!!! Before I could even dig my hands in the toilet to retrieve it (I actually tried by the way) it was gone. The suction of that toilet was like an airplane toilet. In two seconds my phone was gone.

I would like to think that God was protecting me from some tragic accident the phone would be the cause of....but Terry isn't buying it.

Presley at 10 months...

I just love her...

My Mirror

Those of you who check this blog for updates and pictures...this will bore you-consider yourself warned.

She is watching me: So we switched her seat around so that now she is facing front. I realized after a couple days she just sits there and stares at me. I could see her in my rear view mirror...just staring at me, mouth open. I would turn around and she would be just tickled. She probably is just awed that "this is what mom's been doing all my life when we are driving somewhere". But it hit me one day...that my daughter is watching me. Forget the things I will tell her. Who cares about the lessons I want her to learn...or the mistakes I don't want her to make that I did...or the bad things about me I don't want her to inherit.

She will learn the most by my example.

My most deepest desire above all for my daughter (that bleeds into EVERY area of her life) is that she will see Christ as the center of her life. That when she goes through hard times-and she will- that nothing will separate her from the love God has for her. That she will turn to Him when she is sad, scared, lonely, hurt-but also when she is in happy times of her life too.

I can take her to church. Our family can builds deep friendships with those who feel how I do. I can pray for her all her life morning and night. I can put bible versus around the home so that she sees them and is reminded. And while all those things are worthy of doing....it will be meaningless if her mother does not live it herself.

Birthday Pictures

Thank-you to Auntie Davese for the AMAAAZZZIING cake for Presley's first! Check out the handprint...precious!

This will break your heart...but very worthy of reading.

http://thelactivist.blogspot.com/2008/05/love-of-mother-even-if-its-someone.html

Happy Birthday Presley-May 21st

It was August. Hot. Termites were swarming in our condo. When my mom called, I sobbed uncontrollably about the termites and how the association was not going to take care of them. She asked if I was pregnant, and I laughed at her. I had wanted to see the plus sign on the pregnancy test for the past six months...and I was not about to struggle with God another month. It would happen if and when He wanted it to happen...besides I had no right to feel sorry for myself when it had only been six months and tons of other women had been in agony for years over infertility. It was August. I was bloated, more than usual, couldn't stand the taste of my favorite casserole. I wouldn't let myself dare to hope. I took a test, trying to contain the hope that was spilling out of me...staring at the little window. Nothing... "see, I told you, you weren't preg-...wait, is that a line??? I believe it is!" And there it was the little cross I had been waiting to see for so long, even before we started trying. The little two lines I prayed for...even cried to God late at night when I couldn't sleep.

I began to jump up and down talking to my self, laughing then crying saying things like"Thank-you God!" then the next was "this is impossible, maybe its incorrect". I got myself together and began to pray for the child that no other human being on the planet knew I was carrying.

Here we are, about two years later and I just celebrated my baby girl's first birthday. At the end of the day when she was exhausted I held her close and sang to her. I watched her drift off to sleep...and thought of the past years. My upbringing, what has contributed to who I am today, our marriage, the decision to try for a baby, the ups and downs, Christ's faithfulness and though not without pain or heartache, the desires of my heart fulfilled...

Happy birthday Presley. Happy birthday my sweet baby girl.

Just so CUTE!