Baseball Fever...

Jackson is playing on a T-ball team this year and he's definitely got baseball fever - BAD! Our whole family is a bunch of sports junkies so it is no surprise that even at age four - Jackson takes it very seriously. You probably read in my previous post that he even gets upset when practice is cancelled. Last year, we painted a football field in the back yard in addition to a baseball diamond. The football field has not been striped off yet (this is the off season you know) but the baseball field has made its first appearance. And as we tend to do where sports are concerned, we have taken it this year to a "whole notha' level" (as Ed would say). Eric (with a little Jackson help) painted the team mascot in our backyard and it is hard to say which one of them is more proud!
(Just click on the pictures for a closer look)



The Painters..... The field..... Up close.....

Here's a few more pictures from one of his first games...



"Mommy, I'm #3 - Just like Babe Ruth!"



"First Base is my favorite"


"Good game...Gooooo CARDINALS!"

Rejoice with those who rejoice...

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15

Why is it that part of this verse is so much easier for me to do than the other part? God put this verse on my heart lately and I have really been struggling with it. Far more than one should struggle with such a simple and straightforward task. It isn't as if I wish ill will on anyone or desire for others not to receive blessings, and it is not as if I have not been blessed and blessed abundantly myself. Why then is it so much easier to console than it is to champion someone? What I have been convicted of personally is that the verse doesn't at all "qualify" the rejoicing. It doesn't say to only do it when the person is rejoicing humbly, for the right reasons, or giving God the glory for their success. It also doesn't say to do it when it is a person you like, or to rejoice just when you feel like it. It simply says to do it...no ifs, ands or buts (qualifications which my personal translation of the Bible always wants to add). Since I seem to struggle with this as it relates to certain people and instances, one might get the impression that I don't have a good example of what it truly means to rejoice with those who rejoice. In fact, the opposite it true - I have such a great example that it is the person whom I go to when I want someone to rejoice with me - my mom! She always exhibits just the right amount of enthusiasm about whatever ridiculously small thing is making my happy. She is positive, upbeat, and even if it is something that doesn't at all peak her interest, she still manages to seem engaged in my explanation of all the nitty gritty details. This won't be the first (nor the last) time in my life I say this - but I really pray that I can start being more like my mom in this area. So feel free to call, email, or post a comment with whatever you are excited about today so that I can practice my ability to rejoice with those who rejoice!!

Below is a GREAT email that I just got from my sister. Some of those I really needed to hear today. What about you??

I believe - A birth certificate shows that we were born; a death certificate shows that we died; pictures show that we lived!

I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel

I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I believe - The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything hey have.

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

Dealing with disappointment...

We have a HUGE project going on at work right now and the deadline for it is this Friday with a preliminary deadline on Wednesday. Everyone has been working really hard and we are all trying to do our part to get everything done. I had to leave "early" (I left at 5:00pm and had been there since about 5:45 am) to make sure I could pick the boys up from their school in time to make it to Jackson's 6:00 baseball practice. We pulled up and I only saw a soccer practice going on in the open field next to the backstop and I got that sinking feeling that we were about to be dealing with some serious disappointment. A quick call to Eric who checked our home email confirmed that practice had been cancelled. I was mad for having to be in "hustle" mode just to get there and Jackson of course was beyond sad as he sat in the car seat with his hat on and little cleats and baseball bag in hand and didn't understand why he didn't get to practice. He suggested that his tears could be dried by a drink from the Sonic across the street and feeling sad for him (and really who needs that big of an excuse for Sonic ice) I obliged. Of course by the time we were over in the parking lot, he had decided that his sadness was so great that it would require some chicken and tater tots too. What's a mom to do?!

A weekend come and gone...

Eric took Friday off and was home with the kids while I had to come into work. We didn't have anything "major" going on this weekend just the usual baseball game, birthday party, yard work, grocery store, Eric working, me working, car washing, laundry, doctor appointment, church, and so on and so on and so on. I sometimes feel like I am in the middle of it all just standing still and watching it go by, saying things like "oh wait".... "I was going to....", and "did I forget...". Since Jackson went "sans nap" on Friday, it was an early bedtime so we did have a chance to watch a movie (a rare treat for us) and we saw "Michael Clayton" through Video on Demand. As "with it" as I think I am about technology, this was the first time we had done that and I found myself wondering why we don't do it more!? I love movies and haven't been to the movie theater in forever. There is something great about watching a movie in your PJ's and being able to pause for potty breaks. Oh and the not paying $10 a piece for tickets and $40 for a babysitter yeah that's pretty good too!

Another thing that I really enjoyed this weekend was the message at church. It was another one of those times when I felt like I was being spoken to directly. It was a speaker I had never heard before named "PT Lee" who works in a coordination/behind the scenes roll with the youth ministry and he was really good. I was going to include a link to his message but for some reason they haven't posted it on the website yet....I will keep checking. I hadn't brought anything to take notes with and I almost feel like I need to listen to the message again just to get everything that he was saying. He touched on a lot of things I needed to hear and with a message entitled "The Least of These" - I wasn't at all expecting to get out of it what I did. Among many many other things, it was a huge reminder that I need to focus on really one thing and everything else will fall into place. Why is it that this one simple fact is something I can (or rather need) to hear over and over again!?! I am going to try to focus my time management skills this week and make my time usage match my priorities. That's a huge job in and of itself but the effort is worth the goal. We will see how I do and maybe next Monday it won't feel like another weekend has just come and gone!

A few more pics I managed to upload over the weekend...

Like Brother...like brother

"My Boys"

Putting my money where my mouth is...

Not so much a "real" post right now...just testing to see if I can upload pictures successfully. You know, we give my mom such a hard time about being "Ms. Techno" (an endearing nickname for the person who just saved her own outgoing phone message for the first time) but let's see if I can put my money where my mouth is....

Jackson and Gavin (Feb. 2007)

This is one of my FAVORITE pictures....shows just how much Gavin loves his big brother!

There go my pants....

I'm feeling a little bit of pressure about this - my first blog EVER! I feel like I should say something witty or profound or better yet something very technologically savvy or hip. And instead I'm just rambling...which might be an appropriate sign of things to come if you know my tendency towards wordiness. For some, blogging may be second nature like talking on the phone to a friend or emailing - for me? Not so much. Since I have never done it before, I still don't know exactly what purpose this blog will serve. Updating my family and friends on my life? Sure - that seems like a good reason. Sharing funny stories and pictures of my two crazy kids and wonderful husband? That's a given. A chance to organize my thoughts in what sometimes can only be described as my tornado of a life? Yes that too! So how about we just agree to make it up as we go along...(do you like how I use "we" like I have any IDEA who I am talking to - yet another punch on my Funny Farm frequent visitor card). So that's it - I guess I will just be "a fly by seat of my pants kinda girl - moment to moment - yeah that's me" (name the movie - anyone?). Sounds like as good of a plan as any - so with one quick spell check (just for you Andy) and there go my pants....flying.