Christmas party

Some fun candy train making at AJ's Christmas party!

What do I have?

God Does Big Things with Small Deeds 
by Max Lucado
"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin" (Zech. 4:10 NLT).

Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane.
On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded.
Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive charge. They were clean and harmless and with one exception, empty. The exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it a message had been scrawled in the Czech language. Translated, the note read: "This is all we can do for you now."
A courageous assembly-line worker was disarming bombs and scribbled the note. He couldn't end the war, but he could save one plane. He couldn't do everything, but he could do something. So he did it.
God does big things with small deeds.
Against a towering giant, a brook pebble seems futile. But God used it to topple Goliath. Compared to the tithes of the wealthy, a widow's coins seem puny. But Jesus used them to inspire us. And in contrast with sophisticated priests and powerful Roman rulers, a cross-suspended carpenter seemed nothing but a waste of life. Few Jewish leaders mourned his death. Only a handful of friends buried his body. The people turned their attention back to the temple. Why not?
What power does a buried rabbi have? We know the answer. Mustard-seed and leaven-lump power. Power to tear away death rags and push away death rocks. Power to change history. In the hands of God, small seeds grow into sheltering trees. Tiny leaven expands into nourishing loaves.
Small deeds can change the world. Sow the mustard seed. Bury the leaven lump. Make the call. Write the check. Organize the committee.
Moses had a staff.
David had a sling.
Samson had a jawbone.
Rahab had a string.
Mary had some ointment.
Aaron had a rod.
Dorcas had a needle.
All were used by God.
What do you have?
God inhabits the tiny seed, empowers the tiny deed. He cures the common life by giving no common life, by offering no common gifts. Don't discount the smallness of your deeds.
From Cure for the Common Life
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2006) Max Lucado

My Tomato

A tomato picked the day after Thanksgiving?! And it looks like this?! I'm impressed!

4 years old - really?!

Wow! What a weekend full of birthday fun for the twynns. To start it off, we went to the Gwinnett Gladiators hockey game. I always enjoy a puck flying, wall checking, punch throwing evening. I even love hockey, too. Ba dum bum!

The girls earned the tickets through a reading program in school. So we met some friends up there, taking up 21 seats. What fun!

Then birthday lunch consisted of mac & cheese (Jenna) and corn dogs (Adam).

It takes a professional to put a candle in mac & cheese!

Then we had a mad game of glow in the dark putt putt. 

The kids had fun and that is what counts!!!

(Note to my Georgia friends: save your money and don't go to the new place on Peachtree Ind'l & Suwanee Dam! Not worth it!)

 

Then we came home to some cake and ice cream. Adam requested a baseball cake and Jenna wanted a blue heart cake. Why blue? She said because it was Adam's favorite color and he would like that. :) What a sweet thing!

 

And, boy, did they enjoy some unwrapping of gifts! 

Adam is using his Sword of the Spirit in one hand and a Batman and Robin in the other. Chris is teaching him how to use his Shield of Faith so he can whack people properly... we may have to go over the Armor of God again. A fun Pooh bath towel goes perfectly with some bath toys!

Jenna is now attached to Lulu (it is actually Lulu the 2nd. The 1st had to be returned because she kept loosing her ear. Darn it when that happens!) and some cuddly soft sheep. I have come to the conclusion that she is a stuffed animal lover. And she keeps asking when it is bath time because she wants to use her new bath goodies.

I just can't believe that they are 4 now. What I keep thinking about is that on Hannah's 4th birthday, there were 2 younger ones in the house and I was pregnant with these guys. What an amazing thing. We have survived those first few years. I can't say the craziness is over, because it is so NOT. But life has gotten a bit easier. We don't have to have naps if we have something better to do. No diapers. No more sippy cups now. Game nights now involve games that Chris and I actually want to play. They can go play without me being right there. And as much as these changes make for a fun and exciting time, it just makes me realize how little time I have with them. I just pray that we can make the most of this precious small amount of time. Thank you, God, for cameras to record their little lives.

41 years young

German chocolate cake, chicken spaghetti, lots of presents, a wife who puts up with him, the adoration of his kids...

What more could an old man ask for?!

Happy Birthday, Babe!

Halloween Fun

My little butterfly...

My super hero Spiderman

the cutest Tink ever...

Batgirl is here to save the day...

the obstetrician is ready...

the fortune telling gypsy is ready to follow the candy queens and king...

(people thought I had a wig on!)

1st Place Champion

Today, Hannah and her TarHeels won 1st place in their post season tournament. To get to today's game, they had to play last week. The team we beat then had beaten us twice. One game by 10 points and the other by 11 points. But that day, the girls earned the right to play today. They put on a fierce fight then and continued it today. Hannah pitched the 1st inning and played 1st base the rest of the time. She did great! She even made the game ending out!

Congratulations, TarHeels!

Top Rack Only

I often wondered what would happen if you put something on the bottom rack in the dishwasher when it says 'top rack only'. Now, I wonder no more. The glass on the right is the original shape. The glass on the left was on the bottom rack...

Sunrise

Yesterday morning, the girls went outside to wait for the bus to come. All of a sudden, they come running in and telling me I have to come outside and look. I went out there and saw a beautiful sunrise. The kids were talking about how God sure makes a pretty picture. Then Abby says, "Mama, it's like I can feel God making that!"

Paige is getting so big!

I can't believe it! Paige lost her first tooth. Is she really big enough for that? She has been waiting for a long time for this. She is so excited! So when I went to bed, this is what she looked like:

And I was woken up the next morning with this:

She lost TWO back to back! So she had a Tooth Fairy visit 2 nights in a row. But the second night, something happened that I figured would happen. Abby had a tooth waiting for the fairy, too! That fairy sure was busy!

The addiction of gross things

Power washing... enough said.

Halloween Prep

I began pulling out some fall and Halloween decorations. One of the things I bought years ago but never used were bags in the shape of a ghost and jack 'o lantern. You're supposed to fill them with leaves and viola': instant decor. But when I bought them we lived in Texas and didn't have leaves on the ground from a change of season.

But here we do!

Last Weekend

Last weekend was fun!

Hannah pitched for the first time...

She did a great job. She had an unassisted double play, another double play, multiple outs at 1st, on base every time, lots of RBIs. She is just rockin' that field!!! I'm so proud of her. Not just because of how well she is doing (although that is good for the ego), but because she is plain having fun! She got MVP and received the game ball.

Abby also had her Cheer Off. Apparently, this is what cheer leaders work for all season.

Out of 5 or 6 squads of their size, they placed 2nd!!! When they called their name and they all came running up to the trophy, Abby was hanging out on the outside of the huddle just looking around. I knew then she had no idea what was going on. So when we met up with her a while later, I asked her if she knew what just happened. She said no. I told her they were in a competition and they got 2nd place and she just said "oh, ok". That's my AJ!

Couple of pictures

Just some quick pictures of the last couple of days...

Me and Jenna Bug at Addison's skate birthday party. It was so much fun! She did great out there. Was going around the whole thing all by herself!

Paige and her sweet friend, Allie, at the Haas's house...

Today's 5K with my friend, Erika...

and finishing at 23:29...

School takes over all thoughts

While Paige and I were saying prayers, she "God blessed" many loved ones, including the Artzes, and the Artzes, and the Artzes. When we were done, she asked how many Artzes there were. So we counted each Artze family: 4. Then we counted each individual Artze: 9. Then she said, "Maybe we could sort them."

I just found this. Abby wrote it this summer.

Just in case you can't read 7 year old-ese:

"My life is great! I love my mom and my dad. My sisters are a little mean sometimes. I love my sisters and cousins. To my sisters and my cousins"

Hannah's ankles

Hannah has been complaining that her ankle/foot/achilles hurt off and on for a while. But I didn't pay that much attention because she would jump rope, run, and everything else that she wanted to do. We iced it down spasmodically, but that was pretty much it. So, Friday she came home from school and asked if I had made her an appointment. Of course I hadn't. So I decided to call them up expecting an appointment on Monday. But we got one Sat morning. I didn't realize that they had sick visit openings at that time - good to know!

Anyhow, Chris took her in and he came back with the diagnosis of Sever's Disease. This is a fancy way to say 'growing pains'. Basically, it's common in kids between 10 and 14 that is cause by increased shearing forces on the growth plate. And of course, sports will worsen symptoms. This is all due to rapid growth. So the doctor said she needs a good pair of tennis shoes and isn't supposed to wear flip flops for the time being. Ok, I will go buy new shoes (because apparently her Converse won't cut it for her only shoes), but I will have to be honest and confess I am not making her put up the flops. That seems like cruel and unusual punishment. But here is the thing that makes me go hhhmmm: I have to buy her good shoes (I believe that means not Payless or Target) so she can have the support she needs. But I have to do this because she is having a massive growth spurt?! So what will happen? I'll buy the shoes and they'll fit her for a month. Greeeeeeat.

Quick 1st Day Update

The kids' bus finally pulled up the street about 3:45 or so. They all got off the bus with smiles and hugs for me. Adam ran up to Paige and said "Paigey!" and hugged her tight. Over and over he did that. Hannah finally looked at him and said, "Hey! What about me?!"

We had M&M ice cream sandwiches and talked a little about school. Paige was excited to have played with her neighborhood friend, Riley, at recess. She was a "chatty kathy" all afternoon. We had dinner and began the 3 Bs (baths, books, & bed) about 7:20. By about 7:35 they were all down. Hannah had a little trouble settling down, but was asleep by about 8. Abby and Paige, however, were sawing logs within 5 minutes. I think they had a full day!

1st day of school

Oh my goodness! It's the first day of school and I have 3 who have flown from my nest. Paige is now a kindergardener. She was ready to go. I asked her last night if she was excited. She said, "Mama, I am more than excited!" Hannah and Abby were excited that they were getting back to school. But I think there was a little nervousness for Hannah. Abby was just mad that I was making her use the same backpack as before!

They will take care of each other...

Here we go...

And, yes, I cried.

Playing Catch Up

Here are some of the things that have happened in the last few months...

Some lovin' on DaddyWayne...

Hannah's class party...

Paige graduated from preschool