You Never Know What He'll Say

Over the past couple of days, Tristan has kept things interesting with his comments. I'll give you a couple of examples:

On Monday, we were at the office and one of his very favorite patients was in. She is a retired woman without children who basically spoils mine rotten. On this particular day, she came in and brought a married couple with her. The husband was getting examined by Channing, and his wife and Tristan's favorite patient were sitting in front of my desk in the waiting area. That's when Tristan started his colorful conversation (I'll call our patient 'Mary' and her friend 'Evelyn'):

Tristan: Hey, you know what? I'm wearing underwear.
Mary: Great. So am I.
Tristan: My mommy doesn't wear underwear.
At this point, I'm waiting for him to finish. He doesn't...
Mary: Well, that's ok.
I'm still waiting...nothing! The ladies are laughing.
Me: Um, Tristan, what does mommy wear?
Tristan: My mommy wears panties.
At this point I was able to breathe again. I was still embarrassed, but could breathe.
Mary: Annie, Tristan's telling all your secrets!

Now that's how you make a good first impression with new patients!

Today, I was driving Tristan to school, and we came to a light. There was a car in front of me who, in my opinion, had more than enough time to turn but stopped at the green light. So I said:

Go, PaPa!
Tristan: Mommy, did you just say 'PaPa'?
Me: Yes, buddy. I was just...
Tristan: Is PaPa up there?
Me: No, I just said that. PaPa isn't really here. I'm sorry.
After about 30 seconds, and we're still waiting at the light...
Tristan: MOVE IT, MIMI!!!
I couldn't help it. I just completely lost it and busted out laughing. I know, I know...not the best example, but it was SO hilarious!
Tristan: What are you laughing at, Mommy?
Me: You, baby. You're just funny.

I know. I shouldn't say stuff like that while driving. I'm working on it...I promise!

Tristan's Keen Fashion Sense

During our lunch break today, Tristan came up with a great summer outfit...all by himself. Although I told him it was a little hot for a scarf and hat, he wanted to wear it anyway. Fashionista, what do you think? Is there hope?

More About Ash

One of Asher's favorite things to do these days is to climb the stairs. On more than one occasion, we've found him halfway to the top. We have quickly learned that we can't leave him unattended for more than 20 seconds! Here is a picture of him 1/4 of the way up...before we put a barrier at the bottom...Do you see how proud he was of himself? He is such a sneakster!

In the picture below, you can see that it is official...I'm going to have two curly-headed little boys! Long before Asher was born, I predicted that I would have a brown-eyed boy who looked like me (because Tristan is blue-eyed but looks exactly like his daddy! Channing has brown eyes, and that is the only difference between those two). I was right about the brown eyes, and a lot of people tell me that Asher looks like me; however, I was wrong about the hair. I predicted straight hair. He is definitely getting curls...waaaay earlier than Tristan did. This picture isn't the best, but it shows some curls:

More Birthday Fun

Here is Tristan and his favorite cousin, MRK. I was able to catch them during a break last Saturday. They had a great time playing soccer, football, and t-ball at Asher's birthday party.
Thank goodness Asher had Tristan and MRK to help him open his presents! =D

Asher's Big Day!

Last Saturday was Asher's big day...HIS FIRST BIRTHDAY!!! Honestly, I find it so hard to believe it's been a whole year. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday I was stressing out over having to be induced. I was filled with fear yet an enormous amount of excitement about meeting my new little mystery baby (we didn't find out what we were having).
After many hours of labor, my sweet baby boy decided to make his entrance into the world.

Here he is on Saturday just as he was waking up. I would have loved to have gotten a better picture, but he was a bit grumpy. He had a late night the night before (he was waiting up for his NaNa, PaPa, and Aunt Tay).
Here he is an hour later. Feeling much better and sporting his new birthday shirt. We made it the day before. The outfit we bought for his birthday ended up being too big (we bought it during the winter in Highlands, NC). We guessed what size to get him based on Tristan's size at that age. I guess we forgot that Asher is our little peanut. He isn't nearly as big as Tristan was at that same age. Anyway, we had fun making his special shirt.Here are Asher's birthday cakes. We went with Baby Einstein because #1 he likes Baby Einstein, and #2 we wanted to go with a Publix cake, and this was what I liked best.Checking out the cake. He wasn't quite sure what to think.First taste...likin' it, likin' it...YUM, the black looks pretty tasty!Once he started digging in, there was no stopping him. He LOVED it! It was so neat to see because Tristan didn't mess up his cake at all on his first birthday. He was completely uninterested. I knew Asher would be different. He is definitely the eater in the family. I think he gets that from my side. ;)
Delish!Look at those fingers!All that cake makes a boy thirsty!Here is what his sippy looked like post-cake. My mom thought I should just throw it away. I, being the penny pincher that I am, refused.
Here is the cake once he finished. I must say, he put a sizable dent in it!
Here, Mommy, try it!!!After he was all clean and wound up on sugar, he was happy as can be. Here he is sitting with his PaPa.Asher's birthday was so much fun! It has been a super fast year, but a year full of blessing. I don't know what we ever did without our little Ash-Bedash...our little peanut. He is a joy and a daily reminder of Christ's love for us.

I was so busy Saturday that I didn't have time to reflect on the fact that my baby had indeed turned 1 year old. That night, however, it all hit me like a ton of bricks. I watched "The Kite Runner" with my mom (GREAT movie, I only wish I had gotten around to reading the book first. I still will, though). Due to the sad things in the movie, I started reflecting on things in my own life, one of those things being my baby turned a year old. That made the rest of my Saturday night kind of sad and most of Sunday. I did get over it, though.

We had a great year with Asher, and I anticipate even greater years to come. I am so thankful for all three of my boys and all that God has taught me through them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASHER!!!

My sweet sweet little Asher is officially ONE YEAR OLD today!!! I don't know where the time has gone, but I am SO blessed to have my beautiful little man. He is such a ray of sunshine.
So far, he has had a wonderful birthday. He thoroughly enjoyed his cake...thoroughly! I'll write more tomorrow or Monday and share pictures from his special day. Today is keeping us pretty busy!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ASHER! You are SUCH A BLESSING!!!

She named him Asher for she said, "What joy is mine! The other women will think me blessed indeed!"
Genesis 30:13

Master of the Skies

Tristan just said the funniest thing, so I had to share (mind you, it probably will not be nearly as cute in print as it was out of his mouth, but here goes):

After Tristan's show, The Backyardigans, went off, he came to me and said:

T: Mommy, you are the master of the skies.
M: No, Tristan, God is the Master of the Skies.
At this point, he kind of looks at me crazy and says, "Well then, there are two Masters of the Skies because you are too."
M: Tristan, where did you hear that?
T: Pablo. He is master of the skies.
M: OOOOHHHH, master of disguise? Pablo is the master of disguise? He can disguise himself???
T: Yes, Mommy, master of d' skies. He can be a clown, a pirate, ...

I guess this just goes to show that a little interpretation goes a looong way!

Reason #101 Not to Bring Your Kids to Work

To all those who tell me how lucky I am to have my kiddos at work, check out my daily mess from Asher. I get to clean up messes like this SEVERAL times a day. Yep, lucky me! :)

Oh, and SORRY for the page of women's bras on the picture. I didn't even notice that until I posted the shots. Among the many things Asher got into was my coupon insert from Sunday's paper. Apparently bras were included in that. Lovely, right?

Tag, I'm It!

Thanks to my sweet friend Brandy, I have been tagged. Which means I will answer some questions about myself and hopefully you will enjoy getting to know me a little better! Then, I tag 5 people to do the same!
Here goes......

What was I doing 10 years ago......
I was at Troy State enjoying college life...a little (ok, A LOT) too much. At that point, I still didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew was that I loved college (when I didn't have class ;D), and I was developing friendships with some of the most wonderful girls in the world. I was an Alpha Gam and was so proud to be a part of such a great sorority.
I learned a lot during college. I did things that helped me grow, and I did a lot of things I wish I hadn't. All in all, it was a huge learning and growth experience for me. I learned a lot that I hope will help me to raise my boys with purpose so that they won't make the same mistakes I made. :)

5 Things on my to-do list today......
I'm going to change this to TOMORROW since it's so late.
1.Continue to work on getting my house in order. I feel like the harder I work, the worse it gets!
2.Order Asher's birthday cake. Nothing like waiting 'til the last minute. His birthday is Saturday!
3.Get all my laundry put away.
4.Get the office cleaned. Fun, huh?
5.Drink my hot water with lemon. Cleansing the liver never tasted so good!

5 Snacks I enjoy......
1.Blue Bell ice cream....YUMMY!!!
2.Cheese Dip
3.Cucumbers
4.Strawberry/Lime slush from Sonic
5.Candy

5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire.....
1.Give money to the greatest church in the world...Church of the Highlands. I know it would be put to good use.
2.Give to every ministry that I've ever wanted to give to.
3.Pay off all our debt, including our home.
4.Pay off the homes of both mine and Channing's parents and buy our kids' first homes (can all this count as 1 thing?).
5.INVEST!!! I would want to leave money for the generations to come.

5 Bad habits.......
1.Procrastination! (Brandy, I'm with you here)
2.Not returning calls. I am HORRIBLE at this. If I haven't returned your call...please forgive me!!! I am trying to get better.
3.Not putting things away when I'm done using them. (It just creates mess for me later).
4.Eating candy (I will conquer this!!! "From Belly Fat to Belly Flat" is going to help me!).
5.Saying, "You're driving me bananas!" to my boys (I HAVE GOT TO stop saying that!).

5 Places I've lived......
1.Ozark, AL
2.Troy, AL
3.Marietta, GA
4.Birmingham, AL (actually a suburb of B'ham)
5.That's pretty much it. Channing and I spend a good bit of time at Lake Martin in Alexander City. Does that count?

5 Jobs I've had......
1.I worked at a concession stand in HS. I worked during the baseball games and ate LOTS of candy!
2.In college, I worked for and helped coordinate schedules for intramural sports. It was lots of fun and kept me busy. I miss that job sometimes.
3.I taught kindergarten in Troy for a teacher who was on maternity leave. I LOVED it!!! I love the little bitties! I would love to teach again if I could teach the little bitties.
4.Substitute teacher (I was groped by a third grader...I'm not kidding).
5.Third Grade teacher (lots of work, but I miss my kiddos. I hate we live so far away. I would love to have them come back to my class to visit me. :( )
I'll add my next two jobs too:
6. Office manager in Channing's chiropractic office. It's been keeping me busy on and off for 4 1/2 years.
7. MOMMY. By far the greatest job EVER! It has its challenges, but the rewards far exceed any challenge I may face. Through being a mommy, God has shown me how much He must love me. And I know He must love me even more than I love my boys. It's a hard concept to grasp.

TAG!Now YOU are it......
1.Rachael Montgomery
2.Leisha Hairston
3.Morningsong
4.Hillary Dunham
5.Donna Ayers

Asher's Got the Blues

So tonight I decided I would like to take a relaxing bath...with no distractions. I asked Channing if he minded keeping the boys out for a little while, and he agreed. The first five minutes were bliss...
Then, of course, life happens. The boys realize they are in the living room...gasp...without mommy! "Where's Mommy?!"

Channing decided to come in and chat with me for a minute, at which point Asher comes crawling in...crying (just seconds before, I heard him shrieking from the living room). Channing looks down and says, "What's on his head?" I, not paying any attention (still trying to enjoy my bath), brush it off and continue to indulge myself in my Parents magazine. Channing says again, "What's that on his head. Seriously, something is in his hair." Still trying to enjoy my hot bath, I don't budge but say, "Oh, Tristan probably put some crumbs in his hair. He likes to do that sometimes." Channing follows with, "It's not crumbs. Look." Finally I lean up, look over the tub and see dark blue scribbles all over his head. That's right...blue scribbles!

I'm sure you probably guessed it...Tristan scribbled all over his head; not just on his forehead, but all in his hair!
When I called Tristan in to ask him about it, he first attempted to pretend he didn't know what was going on (although the guilt was written all over his face).

Me: Tristan, what happened to Asher's head?
Tristan: Mmm oh.
Me: Did you write on his head?
Tristan (looking at the ground and mumbling): No
Me: Tell me the truth. What happened to Asher's head?
Tristan: Someone scribbled on his head and made him cry.
Me: Who did that?
Tristan (still looking at the ground and mumbling): Tristan

At this point, I am trying my hardest to keep a straight face. I managed to sternly talk to him about the error of his ways when I see Channing with a huge grin on his face. Then I kind of lost it and started laughing. Of course that makes Tristan think that what he did was ok. Once I gained my composure, I again had to explain why what he did was unacceptable.

Tristan is now unable to play with any art supplies for a while, Asher is in bed with blue marker on his head, and I'm left without a camera (mine is at work) and with a dead camcorder. Just a typical day in our household.

A Little Encouragement

For those of you who may be struggling with something that seems like an impossible situation, I came across this today, and it brought me so much hope. Check it out:

Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him, we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us,
as you help us by your prayers...
2 Corinthians 1:9-11

If you're struggling with something, don't give up. God may just be showing you that He wants you to completely rely on Him. As tough as it may be to let go, that is what you need to do. I know it's what I need to do.
Thanks, Lord, for this powerful reminder and for the hope you give me. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sharks

Every summer, Tristan eagerly anticipates our trips to the lake. He loves being there. He enjoys throwing rocks into the water, riding the boat, and most especially...swimming in the pool at the Willow Point Club. The pool is the highlight of each of his lake trips. So, imagine my surprise when he starts telling me he doesn't want to swim in the pool this year. He has been adamant about it. He will not swim in that pool. I asked him why not, and he never would give me a straight answer.

During our Disney Trip, the truth was revealed. While looking out at the hotel pool, he told Channing and me that he did not want to swim in the hotel pool, even though his favorite cousin, MRK, was going to go swimming. Then he said, "Mommy, there are sharks in the pool." I said, "What?" He then repeated himself, "Mommy, there are sharks in the pool." I said, "Tristan! Who told you that?" (I will not be using the real name here). He said, "Andy told me there are sharks in the pool." "Andy" is a child in Tristan's class at school.

Channing and I spent the next 10 minutes (and have spent lots of time since then) attempting to convince Tristan that there are absolutely no sharks in the pool. I promised him that we would never allow him to be in any situation that we knew was dangerous, and that we would never allow him to swim in a pool if there were sharks in it. We tried to explain that sharks are only able to live in special salt water, and that the pools we swim in don't have that.

If you were to ask him today, he would tell you that there are no sharks in the pool. However, I'm still not sure that he is convinced. I guess the true test will be when we go back down to the lake.

Dealing with this situation taught me a huge lesson. I was reminded that Satan, "the father of lies", does the same thing to us that "Andy" did to Tristan (ok, let me stop for a minute here. I am, in no way, comparing "Andy" to Satan. I am just using the lie itself as a comparison. "Andy" is a precious little boy!). We are happily doing our thing when he (Satan) shows up and bombards us with his lies. He puts lies in our ears and fear in our hearts. We soon forget that our Heavenly Father has us in His hand, and we start to live by fear rather than by faith.

While I was explaining the whole shark thing to Tristan, I felt like God was telling me, "I'm trying to tell you the same thing. I am protecting you. I will take care of you. You can trust Me. Don't believe the lies. My promises are true." I feel like He must sometimes look down at me, just as I was looking at Tristan, with love but a tiny bit of frustration (not really the word I'm looking for). I feel like He kind of wants to shake me and convince me that despite what I may hear with my ears or see with my eyes, that isn't necessarily the truth. He knows the truth. He shares the truth in His Word. I feel like, through this lesson, He wanted to say, "Do you see? You know there aren't sharks in the pool. You think it's actually kind of silly that he would even believe that. You know that if Tristan continues to believe that, he'll miss out on something that brings him so much joy. Well you do the same thing. You miss out on blessings because of fear and lack of faith. I am in control. Believe My Word...all the time, despite your circumstances."

Although I wish Tristan didn't have this fear of sharks in the pool, I am so thankful for the lesson that God has taught me through this struggle. Today I was reading out of 2 Corinthians, and I came across this:

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through Him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership upon us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1:9-11

This has been a great lesson for me. I hope it helps someone out there reading too. Blessings to you!

More From "Breaking Intimidation"

I have just completed the third chapter of "Breaking Intimidation" by John Bevere. I can't say enough great things about this book. It is fantastic! Although I'm still early into the book, I have already learned so much. If you struggle with intimidation at all, I highly recommend this read. Bevere brings so much wisdom to the subject.

I thought I would share some of the nuggets I pulled from what I read tonight. I really don't know where to start because it is all so good, so I'll just list a few of his stand-out quotes.

Satan seeks to displace us in order to regain the authority Jesus stripped from him.

When Satan knocks the keeper of the house out of his position, all those under his care are vulnerable.

James 3:1 explains that those who teach will be "judged more strictly". The reason teachers (pastors) are judged more strictly is because of the great impact of their disobedience. They hurt not only themselves but also all those placed under their guardianship as well. God forgives them just as He did David. However, they will still reap what they sow. The enemy is given place!

Revelation is of no value without the wisdom and character to live it out.

Two extremes that God showed Bevere that would throw a believer's life out of balance: The first extreme is pursuing power; the second is false humility.

When we are intimate with God, we will reproduce the way He intends: "The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits" (Dan. 11:32).

Paul measured Timothy's virtues by the purity of his heart and the faithfulness of his service. We must also set this standard before us and allow the Holy Spirity to accurately weigh us.

It is more important that we pursue a right relationship with God than a formula to move in His power.

There is peace in the kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17). However, this peace does not come by the absence of confrontation.

We need to wake up and realize that what we do not confront will not change!

We are not to back down from evil, but we are to overcome it with good by God's grace (Rom. 12:21).

Fear of confrontation makes you easy prey for intimidation.

God wants you liberated to do and be whatever He asks of you. When you are intimidated, there is no joy. And without joy there is no strength. When there is fear, there is no peace. But as you break out of what has held you back, you'll find joy and peace in abundance!

Again, if you struggle at all with intimidation, GET THIS BOOK!!! I am lovin' it!

Tristan's Dino-Mite Party!

Ok, so Tristan's party was a week and a half ago, but I'm finally getting a second to post about it. With all the preparation for Disney, I never got around to posting the pictures. In all honesty, I never spent much time posting about his actual birthday since he shared the big day with Jesus and His resurrection. :) How terrible is that?!

As you probably already know, my baby....my first baby turned four on Easter Sunday. By far, this was the most difficult birthday yet. My baby is now a little boy! He talks more grown up, he acts more grown up, he is more grown up. It breaks my heart. While I am enjoying each stage, it is still difficult to watch him grow up. Every day that passes reminds me that he will one day leave my home and seek his place in this world. I know I have time, but I also know that time passes in the blink of an eye. Anyway, let's talk party.

For months, Tristan informed me that he would like a dinosaur party. Since we already had a Disney trip planned, Channing and I knew we needed to keep the party small. In keeping it small, we decided to a park party. Although I was worried about the potential for bad weather (in March, you could be dealing with snow, tornadoes, or rain...you just never know), we forged ahead with the park party. I am so glad we did! We had fabulous weather!

With the party, I decided to save money by making my own super cute cupcakes. I found a great recipe on Southern Mama's blog and gave it a go. Here is a picture of what her cupcakes looked like:Here is a picture of mine:Ok, so I clearly need to work on my culinary skills. This was my first time making my own icing and ever using a frosting bag. All in all, I don't think the kids noticed. Clearly there is a difference, though. ;)

Channing's dad had a FANTASTIC banner made for the party. Tristan was SO proud of it. I was pretty proud of it too. It was really cool!With Easter having just passed, I was able to get all kinds of Easter dinosaur goodies to use as goody bags for the kids. Gotta love those after holiday sales! Here are what the goody bags looked like:
The boys:
The girls:On Southern Mama's blog, I also found a link to Tristan's cool birthday shirt. He was really proud of his "Tristanosaurus Rex" t-shirt. He had a great time showing it off to his friends.Then he had to act like a Tristanosaurus Rex. I love it! He is definitely my little dinosaur!
Tristan gave me his list of his best buddies that he wanted to invite to the party. The awesome thing was that most could make it. That made it extra special! There were a handful who couldn't be there, and we missed them, but there was still a great turnout.One big surprise of the day was the gift that JB and HC sent to the party with Mrs. Rachael. Check it out. Tristan was beside himself with excitement...as were the other kiddos. Look at his face...priceless!This is/was Fishy Boy. Tristan named him on the way home. He was SO excited to have his very own fish!!! Thanks, Morningsong!!! On a sad note (and a tangent), Fishy Boy passed away last Wednesday morning. I was SO sad. I tried really hard with him. I don't know what I did wrong, but I must figure it out. Tristan wants a replacement! I'm sure we'll be fish-shopping this week. It's going to be hard finding a Beta as beautiful as he was. He was the most beautiful shade of blue. I really feel terrible about his passing. I know he was just a fish, but he was a fish entrusted to our family, and I feel like I let him down. :( RIP, Fishy Boy!

Here are some more pics from the party.
Check out these precious boys: Sam and Eli. Are they beautiful or what?! Sam just turned four this past Saturday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAM!!! Here are Tristan and Josiah playing dinosaur. They had so much fun!
Tristan had a great birthday party. He was surrounded by great friends and super fabulous cupcakes (HA!). He officially got to celebrate his big birthday with many who are so special to him and to Channing and me. Many thanks to our wonderful friends for making Tristan's fourth birthday a time to remember. We love you all!

To Tristan, you are so so special. Each and every day, you find a way to make my heart melt. I don't know what I ever did without you in my life. You are a true blessing from God, and I am so thankful. Daddy and I are more proud of you than you'll ever know.

Provoking Our Children to Anger

Hey everyone! The boys and I just got in from Disney World last night (I'll tell you all about that later. Right now, I'm just too exhausted). Anyway, I read a great post today and had to share! Delta Kelly and I both graduated HS the same year and entered Troy State at the same time. She is an inspiration to so many, and I always enjoy catching up with her family. She and her husband are leaders in a ministry in Montgomery, Al, and the Lord is really doing some amazing things through them in impoverished communities.
Check out this post from Delta about dealing with anger in our children. She shares a list of "25 Ways that Parents Provoke Their Children to Anger" that she learned about in the book "The Heart of Anger" by Lou Priolo. This post really challenged me and convicted me too. I learned ways that I am provoking Tristan to anger without even realizing it. I definitely plan to get this book so that I can learn practical ways to apply the Biblical wisdom that applies to anger and exasperating our children.
Read her great post and check out her family's ministry. I'm sure she will be an inspiration to you just like she is to so many others of us.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E...MICKEY MOUSE!

Today is the day our family has been waiting for. It's time for our big family trip to DISNEY WORLD!!! Tristan can hardly wait. Each morning over the past week, he's woken up only to be disappointed to find out that it was not the day for Disney. This morning was different, though. This morning was THE morning!!! Tristan woke up KNOWING that today is the day that we're flying to DW with one of his most favorite people in the world, his cousin, MRK.
This will be his second trip. Channing's parents are taking us this year, but they also took us last year. Last year's trip, however, did not have the added excitement of having MRK along. That makes this year's trip extra special. All in all, there are 15 of us going on this trip. Yep, that's what I said...15!!! I'm sure the vacation will include its fair share of chaos, but I know it will be a blast.
If you think about it, please say a prayer for our trip. This is Asher's first plane trip, and I'm a little nervous about how he'll behave on the plane (he's usually pretty mellow, but you never know). I'm also slightly uncertain about the behavior of all the little ones (There are 6 kids ages 5 and under flying together).