Cross Family

Just for fun...

2012-02-06T21:43:00.000-06:00

Karsyn in the bathtub. She is so stinkin' cute!

I came across this old picture of me and I think that Karsyn is going to look a little bit like me.

February already!

2012-01-27T10:51:00.001-06:00

Karsyn likes to stand by herself, but no steps yet! I am expecting that any day. The girl is almost 10 months old, so of course she thinks she needs to start walking.

She loves to eat. Beans and cornbread was a hit the other night, meatloaf, chicken nuggets, and even pizza at school are some of the foods she is enjoying right now. The silly girl would never eat a bite of baby food, she wanted the good stuff.

Karsyn loves bathtime! What 10 month old doesn't love to splash in the tub!

Cooper is still enjoying kindergarten. He is learning to read and his writing skills are rapidly improving. He especially loves to write words about superheros, legos, ninja turtles, battles, and other boy stuff. Somehow he writes those words twice as fast as regular words, hmmmmm.

Where these two tall skinny blonds came from I am not sure. These two girls keep my life fun. They are both learning to help me around the house, and they love it. They both are always wanting to do hair, paint nails, dress up, and then two seconds later they are ready to wrestle and sword fight with their brother. Lately they have been very interested in who they will marry and they both have boys at school lined up. LOL! I tell them that the most important thing about who they marry is if the person loves God. Hopefully that will be the thing that sticks in their head.

I really struggle with trying to raise these girls in the right way. I never thought that God would allow me to raise girls, since I never had a sister and I struggled with my relationship with my own mother. What in the world does He have in mind? The only good thing I can think of is that these girls force me to daily pray for guidance and wisdom, because I need loads of it to deal with these beautiful, independent, strong, stubborn, tough, smart girls.

It is amazing how time flies by. I seem to be a bystander watching my life rushing by like a train at top speed. This year, if the Lord wills it, my baby will turn 1, my husband and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage, my son will be 6 and go to first grade and my tall blondes will turn 4 and 5 on their birthdays, I will finish my coursework for my PhD and begin to research and write my dissertation.

I re-read the last paragraph and I feel it is very me centered, it is kind of annoying. The longer I am on this earth, the more I realize how I have a deep yearning in my heart to help those who cannot help themselves. Service and missions become increasingly important. May God give me the eyes to see the ones around me needing His help and a voice to speak for those who are burdened and persecuted.

Anyway, random thoughts on a day that I get to stay at home and be a mommy. Blogging is getting more difficult because of my job and school. I will try to keep up a little, but don't be surprised if I kind of lay off for a couple of weeks at a time.

5 minutes

2012-01-13T09:06:00.001-06:00

In my house 5 minutes is a big deal. Some days my to-do list is so long that I really do not have even 5 minutes to sit down and look at Facebook. Some days 10 pm rolls around and I sit on the edge of my bed and realize it is literally the first time I have sat down that day. Many young mothers I know experience the same thing. In fact there are few of us that can say our lives are not busy all the time. It takes me 5 minutes to unload the dishwasher, 5 minutes to load the dishwasher, 5 minutes to fold a load of towels, 5 minutes to take out the trash, 5 minutes to get lunch ready, get a kid dressed, give the baby a bath, vacuum the living room, sweep the kitchen, pick up a spilled box of Legos, 5 minutes to clean up an overflowed toilet, and 5 minutes to get some chicken out of the freezer to thaw for dinner. If each of those items only take me 5 minutes then that was a quick and busy hour. 5 minutes is precious to me. So here is the issue.... I have a terrible problem of just getting overwhelmed with everything that MUST get done. Some days around 4 o'clock I look around at my 4 kids who are all needing something, the dinner that is half cooked, the messy living room, the unfolded laundry on the couch, the overflowing trash, and the toothpaste on the counter in the bathroom and I think, there is no way humanly possible to deal with all of this. I am completely and utterly overwhelmed. And it got me to thinking, if I can get a task accomplished in 5 minutes, what can God do with 5 minutes of my time? So I started an experiment. In the morning, I will get up 5 minutes earlier, pour a cup of coffee and sit and read my Bible. Just for 5 minutes. I would just pick a a couple of verses that I love and read them several times over, I would say a short prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide me and help me live what I read. You would not even believe the difference in my day. Not only did the feeling of being overwhelmed disappear, in fact I feel empowered to be able to handle any craziness that happens (which is 80 % of the time when you have 4 kids). In fact a feeling of peace and strength accompanies me throughout the all of my daily activities. It is crazy, God took my 5 minutes with Him and blessed me every minute of the rest of the day! Incredible. And it gets even better, I am actually able to accomplish more because I am confident that God is by my side helping me with each task. A task that may take me normally 10 minutes, only takes me 5 minutes! I know some people will be skeptical, but honestly our minds are so powerful and if you give God 5 minutes to prepare your mind for the day ahead, He will bless you in unbelievable ways. There is a flip side to this, yesterday I did not give my 5 minutes to God, and yesterday was horrible, I am not saying that God wasn't with me, but my mind was not with God. I was overwhelmed, grouchy, rushed, unable to do my best, and I felt so wrong. Those 5 minutes in the morning are vital for me. It is almost the same feeling you get when you need a drink of water, nothing satisfies that unique feeling of thirst like clean, cold, pure water. 5 minutes with God, anyone can do 5 minutes. 5 minutes to be with the person who watched His only child be tortured and killed because of my poor choices in life. 5 minutes to be with the One who wants us in His arms forever. 5 minutes with the One who has given you everything you see from the blood in your veins to the grass in your front yard. Try it and let me know what happens.

Practice with the new camera

2012-01-04T10:58:00.001-06:00

While we were in Kansas, our camera quit working, so we had to get a new camera, this required us to try it out a lot! :) Here are some of my favorite pictures....

Quick Christmas Pics

2012-01-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

Clayton digging into her stocking.

Kenndall with her stocking

Cooper checking out some star wars figures from his stocking.

Karsyn in her Christmas dress.

The kiddos with the tree

Karsyn in another cute Christmas outfit.

I love this picture because of the precious smile from Karsyn, and the crazy smashed face on Clayton. Silly girls.

Ready for church on Christmas morning with the Cates cousins. We had so much fun with them in Kansas, what a great group of kids!

Karsyn and Quintyn, they love chewing on everything!

The three muskateers. Kenndall, Mya and Clayton.

These girls play 100 miles a minute. :)

They are precious!

Christmas in Kansas was great. Christmas in Lubbock was great. Christmas with our little family was great. However, I am glad it is over and we can begin to get back into routine. My frazzled brain is full of a never ending list to things I need to get done. I am so excited to see what 2012 brings. I feel that God has done incredible things for me, spiritually this year and I know the coming year will bring more growth and I am excited to experience that. I haven't had much time to blog this past semester, and I won't have time to blog in the coming semester, but I will try to at least post special events and when I need it, some processing of my crazy thoughts.

A Mid-Afternoon Snack for my Soul

2011-12-07T15:27:00.001-06:00

Today I kind of needed a minute to reflect and recenter myself on what is really important in my life. I have been stressed this week. I went immediately to a passage that I love on how to be a good wife to my husband and a good mama to my sweet kids (who I have been incredibly grouchy with lately). Proverbs 31. The message is my favorite version of this passage and I have included it in this blog for my future reference.

Here is my own prayer for today:

Incredible Father, Provider and Savior,

Thank you for the abundance of wealth I live in, thank you for never letting me be hungry, cold, or desperate. Let me be an encouraging helper to my husband, so that he will trust me. Help me to respect him in all I do, and in doing so reflect my respect for my Jesus. Help me to be a good steward of my time, my money, and my household. Help me to be able to get up before my family to pray and meditate and prepare myself spiritually for the day ahead. Help me to be organized and able to make my husband's and children's day productive. Help me to be eager to get started and in no hurry to stop my work for my household. Keep my eyes open for those who need anything around me and allow me to be able to help them in some way. Give me confidence in my ability to care for my family and in my work I do work around my house. When I open my mouth, please let me think carefully about what I say and how I say it. Help me to always say something kindly and worthwhile. May I be able to see and bless my children in their teachable moments throughout the day. And may I always keep in mind my love for God and let that be my motivation as I do these things in Your Amazing Name, Jesus.

Amen

A good woman is hard to find,
   and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,
   and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously
   all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons,
   and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places
   and brings back exotic surprises.
She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast
   for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it,
   then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work,
   rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work,
   is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth,
   diligent in homemaking.
She's quick to assist anyone in need,
   reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn't worry about her family when it snows;
   their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing,
   and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected
   when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them,
   brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant,
   and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say,
   and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household,
   and keeps them all busy and productive
Her children respect and bless her;
   her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things,
   but you've outclassed them all!"
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
   The woman to be admired and praised
   is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves!
   Festoon her life with praises!

In Proverbs 31, this version is from The Message.

Clayton Kass

2011-11-29T22:24:00.002-06:00

My beautiful mischevious precious 3 year old. Thanks Matt and Wendy!!

Clayton's 3rd Birthday

2011-11-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

So, these pictures are NOT in order. But oh well. We had a great birthday for my sweet 3 year old. This is her daddy reading her a card from her Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas.
Clayton in her precious birthday shirt from Aunt Wendy!

I think the girl got enough presents.

Clayton and her Barbie cake!

The most independent 3 year old ever!!! :) I love my Clayton Kass!

Halloween and Karsyn Milestones

2011-11-04T12:28:00.005-05:00

Cooper and the Beck boys at Trunk or Treat. He had such a great time playing with them!!
Batgirl, Spidergirl, and Supergirl. AKA Kenndall, Afton, and Clayton. Who knew superheroes were so into pink???

Batgirl, Supergirl, Superman, and Wonder Woman! The Justice League. I am thinking next year we will go for the Avengers! (All you comic book nerds should appreciate this.)
The princesses that I get to eat lunch with every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Lucky me!! I don't know very many people that get to be around two princesses as much as I do!
Brian reading the Bible to the kids, we have started doing this every night before bed. The kids love it!

The kids had fun on Halloween, we went to our church trunk or treat, as usual, lots of friends were there and we had a great time. But I was so glad when it was over. Halloween is fun and all if you only have yourself to dress, but 4 kids in 4 costume with multiple accessories, not fun. Thank goodness for Molly, who was a fantastic help for me!! She got all of my kids ready while I was working. I don't know what I would do without her.

Coop is enjoying kindergarten, he has homework every night, but he loves doing it, and the girls have decided they need homework too. It makes me laugh.

The girls love Superkids, of course. They love their teachers and their friends.

My semester will wrap up in about 3 weeks. I am glad, it has been a whirlwind.

Karsyn's excercises that she does every day, she pulls up and down.
HOlding her own bottle!!
SHe is not crawling in this picture, but she is so stinkin' cute!!
Chowing down on some yummy bread.
She did it!! About 2 seconds after I took this, Karsyn fell down.

This is a super quick post mainly to document some things I don't want to forget. It seems like Karsyn has reached 10 different milestones in the past couple of weeks. She can say ma-ma, she can sit up, she can eat real food, she hates baby food, she can hold her own bottle, and she can crawl!!! Wow. My little high maintenance baby is now mobile and still high maintenance. She is a precious little girl and I love every minute of her baby time, just because she is my last. The time goes by way too fast.

My beautiful girls

2011-10-11T13:26:00.003-05:00

Matt and Wendy took the girls pictures yesterday. They turned out great as usual. Kenndall looks so big, Clayton looks stressed (but she really did not feel good, she has been sick for several days). And Karsyn, well she wouldn't cooperate very well. But, in spite of all this, I have some beautiful pictures of my beautiful girls. Thanks Matt and Wendy!!

Whew, that was a hectic few weeks

2011-10-09T16:13:00.004-05:00

Karsyn sitting in the high chair like a big girl
Cooper, Kenndall and Clayton riding the lady bug ride at the fair.
Cooper holding a chick at the fair. It was very hot in there, that is why his face is so red.
My girls, it looks like Kenndall is choking Karsyn.
Karsyn's preferred method of transportation, scooting on the top of her head.

This is Karsyn's first try of baby food. It is applesauce. I don't think she is a fan. However, she loves Puffs, so she may go the route of her sister and eat very little baby food. Clayton only ate baby food for about 3 months, and she decided she much preferred what we were eating.

Back to Karsyn. She is sitting up, has two teeth and can say mama!! She is 6 months old and is so interested in grabbing everything and scooting, rolling around on the floor. She is over her tummy issues finally. Although there are days she still toots like a little train. (She will love that when she is 20.) lol. I love this girl. She looks like Cooper, and acts like Clayton. I cannot wait to see her personality come out even more.

Cooper is enjoying kindergarten. Every night he prays he gets to go back. (Like I am going to make him stay home.) It makes me laugh. He has gotten mostly good grades, and has lots of friends.

Kenndall and Clayton are loving Superkids and are 2 peas in a pod. They play so well together and do pretty much everything together. Clayton's birthday is around the corner and she wants everything Kenndall got for her birthday. I kind of think that will be the trend around here for a few years.

I know that is not much, but all I have time for right now. I promise more this next week. The girls are getting their pictures taken on Monday!! Woohoo!

Kenndall's 4th Birthday

2011-09-17T17:46:00.004-05:00

Kenndall and her presents

Kenndall's Tangled Cake

Supergirl
The kids
Kenndall and her Rapunzel baby.

Kenndall's outfit from Aunt Tracy
Kenndall and her presents from Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas.

Laugh Out Loud

2011-09-14T12:10:00.002-05:00

Kenndall came screaming into my room, crying and saying something unintelligible because she was so upset. Tears streaming down her face, I finally heard, "there is something in Clayton's crib-sink". Clayton has a little doll crib with a sink on the side. So I went to check it out.

You can see a little pink tinged lizard in the sink. It was unbelievably tiny and frail. Yet Kenndall, who turns 4 today, was so upset, she cried for 10 minutes straight. LOL !

Clayton was faking being scared and she wanted me to take her picture too.

This girl is not scared of lizards, but she puts on a good show. LOL

First Day of Superkids!!

2011-09-06T09:25:00.002-05:00

Karsyn is ready for her first day of school at Superkids!! Her teachers are Miss Rosa and Miss Stephanie.
Kenndall wanted to wear her tennis shoes that Aunt Becky gave her, so she could run really fast today. Her teacher this year is Miss Tracy.
Clayton and her 100% cheese. This child gives 100% of herself to everything she does. I know she will have a great time. Her teacher this year is Miss Lara.
The girls couldn't love their little sister more.

Today is the first day of Superkids! I am truly thankful that the girls get to experience such a fantastic Christian environment. Each girl has an excellent teacher, and I cannot wait to see what the year brings for all of them.

This is what happens when a 2 and 3 year old play with your camera

2011-09-02T08:19:00.003-05:00

These two little girls are trouble with a capital T!!!

First Day of School and other goings on....

2011-08-23T08:58:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Cooper's first day of Kindergarten!! He said his favorite things were playing vampires and superheros with his new friends, playing games in PE, and shaking his booty in singing class. LOL! He said that he got chocolate milk for a snack and something that wasn't his favorite so he gave it to someone else (he didn't know what it was.) He said he liked his class and he was ready to go back this morning. So, I think we are off to a great start.

Poor Karsyn has been sick for several days. 102 fever, no sleeping, and she is so sad. The only thing that would comfort her was me rocking her, unfortunately that is the only way she would sleep too, so Karsyn and I have spent 3 nights in the recliner. However, this morning, I think her fever is better, and hopefully she will get back to her old self!
I took Karsyn to the dr. yesterday. She weighs 13 lbs and is 25 inches long. She is growing like she should! She is rolling all over the place, I think she is already wanting to keep up with her brother and sisters. :)
Brian teaching Kenndall to fire a mini crossbow.
Clayton firing the crossbow.
And Cooper, he loved it.

I am glad summer is over. I love that the days aren't unbearably hot, but that we can still hop in the pool. We can sit on the patio and enjoy the evening together as a family. My new job starts next week. I will be an adjunct professor at LCU! I am so excited to be teaching. This is my first higher education teaching opportunity, and I am thrilled to be able to do what I love. My TTU classes start this week, too. I am taking 9 hours this semester. My qualitative research class is going to be so great, the teacher is fantastic and I am so excited to be taking that. The other two classes, I really am not that interested in, but they are merely steps in the process.

I am so thankful for my sweet family and most of all my husband. Sometimes I wonder why God has given him to me. He supports me 100% in my school and my work. He is the best dad to my kids. Last night I was so tired and frustrated (from taking care of Karsyn) and he knew the exact words I needed to hear, he made me laugh, and helped me to realize that everything was ok. On August 3rd, we had our 9th anniversary. WOW! It is amazing that God has created something so wonderful and so good from two completely clueless selfish individuals. It blows me away to look back on the last 9 years and see how far we have come. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the next 9 years. More growing I am sure, but with the growing comes such a deeper knowledge of what real love is.

Wow. I am kind of emotional today. I will blame it on lack of sleep. :)

My to do list today is about 3 pages long.......adios.

The Princess and the 7 Staples

2011-08-17T16:44:00.003-05:00

Poor Kenndall took a trip to the ER today. She had on her princess dress and was spinning like a princess in the living room, when she fell over and busted the back her head on the fireplace. Poor baby. So, a trip to the ER, 7 staples, and a popsicle later. She is fine.

4 months and some fun with Joyner family

2011-08-16T19:16:00.002-05:00

Karsyn meeting her Aunt Brittany!

All the cousins eating homemade ice cream made by great Grandma and Grandpa. I think they had 2 or 3 cones a peice!!
All the girl cousins.
Sweet Karsyn is 4 months old!! Wow, I don't think the days could go by any faster.
I have been trying to get her to sit up a little. She is not interested and ends up doing the lean. :) She is much more interested in standing up!

This last weekend I got to see Stephen and Matt and their wives. It was good to see them. We had fun swimming, eating, and just hanging out.

It was kind of like one last vacation before school starts. Monday is the big day around here! Cooper will start Kindergarten! Tomorrow night is open house. I am excited for him. What a fantastic new adventure in his little life. We have had fun picking out backpacks, shoes, going shopping for supplies, going shopping with Papa and Gammy for school clothes, talking about school, and just anticipating the newness of it all. I love it. And of course I will write about his first day and open house and etc. Later. :)

Tanganyika Wildlife Park

2011-08-12T15:26:00.002-05:00

Kenndall petting the baby porcupine

Mya, and the kids!
The albino alligator.
Cooper and the lemurs
Coop and the lemurs
One more, the lemurs loved this boy. I think because he is so calm and laid back, they didn't like the girls as much. Plus, the girls were scared a little.
Becky, Mya, Kenndall and Cooper on the camel.
Brian and Clayton with the porcupine
Mya and Kenndall petting the kangaroo.
Feeding the giraffe
Tanganyika is an interactive wildlife park in Goddard, KS. It is so neat. I will be excited to go back when it is cooler than the 112 heat we endured the day we were there. The kids had a great time.

Karsyn 3 months

2011-08-04T23:01:00.002-05:00

Matt and Wendy took these great pics of Karsyn before our trip. I haven't gotten them up yet. I love them.

Snapshot in Kansas

2011-07-28T22:44:00.003-05:00

Grandma and Grandpa's new swings! The kids love them.

Quintyn and Karsyn, precious babies.
I can't get enough pictures of these two together. Too cute!
The kids. I don't think that the girls could have any more fun. They love each other

Brian showing the kids how to make smores. Love it!

I love Kansas in the summer!! Besides the heat, there is nothing I would change. The hummingbirds whizzing around the porch, the horses snorting and stomping in the field, the dogs running and barking, the cicadas, frogs, and crickets chorus in the sweltering sunset. The smell of the grass, whiffs of horse manure, and the heavy moss and fish smell of the pond. The kids asking for poptarts every morning for breakfast, Brian's mom's cooking, trips to Wichita for this and that. I love it.

My baby

2011-07-22T08:26:00.002-05:00

Sweet Karsyn.

We are heading to Kansas for a week. I had to put up this beautiful picture of my sweet baby! Thanks Matt and Wendy for taking her pictures.

3 months already!!

2011-07-10T22:43:00.003-05:00

Practicing sitting in the boppy.
Very serious.
In her little floaty in the swimming pool. Her first time to swim. She was thrilled.
She is a little too small for this huge floaty thing.
Karsyn smiling for dad in her cute little swimming suit.

Karsyn is the only baby that I have had that I am a little sad to see her get bigger and act older. I was teary eyed putting away her newborn clothes that are too small. How could 3 months have gone by so fast. And my newborn baby is now an infant who wants to stand up, try to sit up, be carried around, laugh, talk, and play. My last baby is growing so quickly out of the baby stage. But I am enjoying every last minute of her. Maybe that is why youngest kids are so spoiled, because by the time they come around, their parents are experienced enough to just enjoy their child. I don't know. I am NOT going to spoil this child, but a few extra hugs and kisses never harmed any baby!

Anyway, the rest is just for me:

Karsyn loves to stand in her little walker thing and watch the kids run around. They all love on her so much it scares me a little. She loves to talk to mama and daddy. Brian is already trying to get her to say dada, she better not say that first!! She tries to sit up all the time, even while laying down, crazy! She loves her blanket and little silky frog in her hands when she goes to sleep, and of course her paci. She has the biggest smiles when I get her from her crib. They make my day, everytime! She toots all the time and still is fussy, but I think she is getting a little better about crying. She loves for me to carry her around, poor baby, she gets squeezed and jostled and hauled around like a bag of potatoes. Her dark hair is falling out and is coming in blond, of course. I would have never imagined me and Brian having 3 blond haired blue eyed little girls. God has a sense of humor that is for sure. She is wearing size 1-2 diapers and is in 3 months outfits, and 3-6 month pJ's. So sad. Her favorite thing to do is stand up with her hands in mind. She just coos and squeals and talks like she is just as big as everyone else. What did I do to deserve such a beautiful and precious girl, actually 3 girls and 1 boy. God is so good, may I be able to share with my children how good He is.

Is it really Independence Day without fireworks?

2011-07-06T16:35:00.003-05:00

We went over to dad and Janet's for the 4th of July. It was fun. Dad cooked out, we had some fun family time. All of Dad and Janet's grandkids were there except for Colby. 9 kids total, ages 5 and under. It was pretty much a circus. Between the two kiddie pools, the swings, the food and the ice cream, it was wild. Fun, but wild. If you don't like little kids (Nat, jk) it was not for you. Or if you are not used to screaming, crying, splashing, peeing, or nakedness. That is my disclaimer. It was really hilarious actually. Britten was the ring leader since she was the oldest. Taylor, Abriella, Kenndall and Cooper kind of followed her lead. Ryan, Clayton and Ellie weren't quite so sure about the bigger kids, so they kind of did their own things. It was so fun to see everyone play together. And to top it off, all the kids got 3 ice cream cones for dinner...and that was it. I think Ryan, Clayton, and Ellie were the only ones who actually ate real food for dinner. It makes me laugh, "Gammy, Papaw, I need another ice cream cone" was probably said at least 20 times. LOL.

But no fireworks. Not a single sparkler, popper, blackcat, snake, tank, whizzer, bottle rocket, NOTHING. It was pretty sad. There is just something about watching fireworks that helps me think about how lives were lost to give us the freedom that we have today. Oh well. Two years in a row with no fireworks for my kids. So next year they will really love it.

Swimming at Papaw and Gammy's

Papaw and Gammy with all the kids except Ryan (he was crying) and Colby (with his mom and dad in Belton).
My kids in their patriotic outfits provided by Gammy!
Swimming!

And it kind of rained the other day, so the girls put on their raincoats and went out to play in the rain, I think it stopped after about 2 minutes, but they had fun!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

What do we do all day?

2011-06-30T11:26:00.003-05:00

What do we do on a lazy summer day at my house?

Well we start the day by watching a few cartoons. Clayton and Kenndall love to cuddle with mama on on the couch.

Then we have play time. Clayton usually loves to play with her babies, she is a great mommy!

Then it is time for lunch. Here are the kids in our new little corner table. We love it!

Then it is time to swim. The girls are getting better and better everyday. And Cooper is pretty much a fish.

And this is Karsyn's newest fun thing to do. She loves to stand up and play with her little toys. She thinks she is big.

Of course, no one ever fights or throws fits. I never want to pull my hair out. Karsyn never cries, we are all happy and sing songs and talk about rainbows and butterflies. We eat super nutritious meals and have exercise time as a family. We are a perfect little family.

LOLOLOL! nothing could be farther from the truth. Our house is a circus. Fighting, crying, peeing on the floor, spilling drinks, too much TV, messes everywhere, dishes in the sink, laundry piled high, hotdogs and peanut butter crackers for supper, ketchup in the hair, ketchup in Karsyn's hair, sand in the carpet, burned bacon, pullups in the washing machine, pages torn from books, and everyone always needs mama to do something!!

Yes, our life is a little crazy and far far far from perfect. But I am so glad. I am happy the way we are, and I know I am doing the best I can. So many mamas feel pressure to do everything in a way that makes them look good in the eyes of others. One of the most important things about being a mama is that your kids know that you love them, messes, nutrition, exercise, etc.. all will fall into place if you are content with finding what works for you and your kiddos. Don't be pressured! Just enjoy life and teach your kids to enjoy life.

111 Degree soapbox

2011-06-26T17:18:00.004-05:00

First, a few pics of the kids.Karsyn in her little walker, she loves it because she can stand up.
Speaking of standing up, this is her favorite game.
Pretty in pink.
Mya and the kids in the little pool.

Karsyn is going to be a big fan of the Cowboys. :) Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Cross.

As I sit to write this, I am sweating in my nicely air conditioned home. I wonder what is going on? The thermostat reads 80, it is set for 74, the air conditioner cannot keep our home cool because it is 111 degrees outside! In my 25 years in Lubbock, TX I have never experienced this type of wind, heat, and lack of rain. It has been slightly amazing, actually. I never thought I would actually crave rain, not just the clear succulent drops falling from the sky, but the fresh smell, the coolness of the breeze, and the sound of the world being washed clean. The unrelenting heat of the sun and the persistent blow dryer of wind have created a void that can only be filled by one thing. If you have never craved something so bad that you would do crazy things to get it, you have been way too sheltered. People that don't even believe in God have been praying for rain and telling others to pray for rain. There are gatherings to specifically petition God to break the drought, some people even think that the drought is caused by sin. It is all a little petty in my opinion. Yes, the heat is the oppressive, and the drought is absolutely ridiculous. But, it takes a drought to make us appreciate the rain, just like it takes a life of misery and pain to appreciate the happiness and peace in our lives when God works in us. I have a friend who was not raised in the church and she often inspires me with her matter of fact attitude and simple desire to do what God wants her to do. Sometimes I am even a little jealous of her perspective. She is not burdened by years of overwhelming abundance, the drought in her life has made her appreciate the rain in a way that I wonder if I will ever experience that simple faith. It makes me crave a deeper relationship with God, it makes me want to smell the essence of my Father in the same room with me, it makes me want to see through the eyes of His Spirit into the souls of others, it makes me want to feel the brush of my Savior's hand on my shoulder. Just like I crave the rain. It takes a drought to appreciate the rain. Maybe instead of praying for rain, we should pray for strength and ability to see the beauty and power of the drought. Interesting thought. God is good, and He sends the rain to everyone.

Just for me- Uncle Paul's memory

2011-06-21T14:47:00.003-05:00

July 2005, Stephen, Paul, John, and Lou Eckstein

My great uncle, Paul Eckstein died yesterday. This blog is simply catharsis for myself. I am in a funk today. I guess death kind of does that to you. He took his last breath in a deep sleep with his daughter and daughter-in-law by his side. I know the feeling to watch someone take their last breath, so I guess that is why I am just not myself today. So to cleanse and bandage the wound I will write what I loved and what I want to remember.

My Uncle Paul, this man had a smile that I will never forget. His hugs, his smile, his always positive voice and words will stay with me forever. His idea of friendship sharing I never really understood, until recently. He was all about relationships, he loved people, all people and would always be willing to sit and talk about his relationship with his Savior and how that relationship was available to everyone who wanted it. He was a widow, he lost Marilyn to cancer when I was around 14 years old, one time when I was at their house, she gave me some little ceramic rabbits to take home. I still have them, they are in my garden, every time I look at them it makes me smile. Uncle Paul was in WWII. Last time he was here, he was showing Cooper how to salute. Even in his 80's Uncle Paul had a perfect salute. Small in stature, a soft voice, soft hands and a gentle touch, Paul was a fierce warrior of God. He ministered to anyone that needed help with anything, providing a spiritual blessing to people that were hurting and lost. His soft brown eyes carried a wisdom and peace that only comes from suffering, hardship, and victory over them.

Uncle Paul had so much energy, like an energizer bunny, he always was going somewhere, or doing something. He loved to tinker and had a knack for repairing small electronics. My grandpa would save all the various little broken items for when Uncle Paul would come always saying, "I bet Paul could fix this." Paul never thought it was a burden, but would usually be able to fix whatever it was.

My heart hurts for my Grandpa, Paul was closest to him in age. All my life I heard stories of my Grandpa, Paul and John aka Bub, Tiny and Wee Tiny and their adventures as boys in Dallas of the 1930's. Games in the dirt, makeshift bases in a field with baselines drawn with a stick, collecting different colored tickets of the streetcar, which 1 cent candy from the store could win another if the center was the right color, playing church with Paul the preacher repeating the 3 words he knew, "and God said." Story after story, memory after memory, visualized by my Grandpa's weaving of the words. Three poor half Jewish brothers who were thrown into adulthood as they were all drafted into the military. They crossed the Atlantic to fight against the evil that threatened the freedom their Latvian father crossed the same ocean to find. Wounded, missing in action, and combat created an experience that left them scarred but not weakened. All three made it back to the U.S. only by the Grace of God, and the fervent prayers of their mother, father, sister and little brother. This family, my family, is so much of where I came from. I love the story. I wish I could share not only the facts, but the emotions that go along with it. Paul was a vital part of it. John was too, but his mind is clouded these days. My Grandpa and my Uncle Lou are the only ones that really are left of the Eckstein family who made their home in Dallas in the 1930's and later Kansas City. It makes me sad that the end of their stories is at hand, and that so many stories were lost in the passing of Paul.

I have been in a funk today, call it what you will, sadness, grief, mourning. My expression of this has been a general grouchiness to my poor family and my writing.

Fun this week!

2011-06-13T10:09:00.005-05:00

Kenndall and Karsyn.

Grandma Cross is here from Kansas, Karsyn is loving the extra cuddle time.

Mya is here too! She calls Karsyn brother (lol!) and she loves to share stuffed animals with her.

Karsyn has grown out of her newborn outfits! This is 3 month. She is getting so big!

Cooper's lego creation. He could do lego all day.
Karsyn can sit in her bumbo for about 30 minutes and she loves it.

Swimming with the cousins!

I love my sweet family!

misc i phone pics

2011-06-08T16:27:00.003-05:00

Here are some cute pics that I had on my phone. That is why they are not the greatest quality.

Kenndall by the pool, she doesn't get in the pool, just likes to sit by the pool.
Clayton loves the pool of course.
Cooper swimming with floaties.
This was actually taken in church. But the smile was so cute I couldn't resist.

The milk induced coma. :)

Karsyn 8 weeks, a snapshot of a day

2011-06-04T20:16:00.005-05:00

This is Karsyn 59% of the hours in a day. Sleeping. She sleeps very well, so I really cannot complain. And she sleeps from about 11 at night to 7 in the morning.

About 20 % of the time Karsyn has a grimace/smile. She is really sad, but can almost for a second decide she might think about giving a smile to mama.

This is another 20% of the time. Crying. That pretty much is self explanatory.

This is Karsyn's happy face, yes I know her poor face is broken out. Brian says that is why she is sad. Maybe so. I can get her to smile about 2 seconds out of a 24 hour period. So we will say she smiles 1% of the time.

I love my baby Karsyn.

Pictures and Stuff

2011-05-24T10:43:00.004-05:00

I got out all of the baby toys and the kids had the best time giving them to Karsyn and trying to play with her. Here is the sweet girl in her boppy with all the toys.
Princess Clayton and her baby. This is usually the game she plays. She loves being the mama, and of course she does it with the classy princess dress.
Cooper loves putting together Legos with his daddy, they can spend hours doing this. Two peas in a pod.
Kenndall after Bible class on Sunday. She always can tell me exactly what Bible class was about.
This is Clayton's favorite thing to do, hold baby Karsyn.
Poor baby!
My beautiful baby.
My girls.
A rare smile.

5 years old!

2011-05-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of my 5 year old. Thanks Matt and Wendy!!

Cooper's 5th birthday

2011-05-11T08:32:00.005-05:00

Cooper turned 5 on May 8th! We had his party on Saturday. He wanted an Optimus Prime cake. He talked about having this cake since his last birthday, this boy when he knows what he wants he doesn't forget about it.

Th kids eating cake. Everyone had blue lips and blue teeth.

Clayton with her blue mole.

Cooper got a Thor helment and hammer from Uncle Matt and Aunt Wendy.

Legos from Uncle Nat
More legos from Mom and Dad. Cooper loves Legos!!
Cooper and Lego Batman PJ's from Uncle Cameron and Aunt Kim.

A Connect the dots book and shorts from Great Grandma and Grandpa Eckstein. Cooper loves connect the dots books!

Cooper opening his card from Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas. He was so excited!

We went to the Dr. yesterday for his well check. He weighed 34 lbs, 10th percentile, and was 40 inches tall, 25th percentile. I know no one really cares about this but me, but I wanted to remember for later. The dr. said he was a very healthy boy.

A couple of other things I want to remember about Coop at 5.

He loves putting legos together with his Daddy. They can do this for hours.

He has to finish what he starts, which is great. Unless we are trying to go somewhere and he has to pick up every single little tiny lego before we go. He is like his daddy.

He loves to play pretend. He has a fantastic imagination. His favorite games are superhero, lego superhero, star wars lego, harry potter lego, batman lego.

He doesn't really play Ben 10 anymore. (I am kind of glad)

He really wants to do Karate, so I think we are going to let him do that for awhile and see how he likes it.

He loves his baby sister. He is so gentle and soft when he touches her, and so affectionate, he kisses her all the time and talks about how much he loves her.

He butts heads with Clayton, Clayton drives him crazy because she likes to take his stuff and run away.

He and Kenndall are best friends and can play all day. Right now they love to play Ironman and Princess. Sometimes they play Ironman and Black Widow.

He can quote almost every line from Tangled. And his smolder makes me laugh everytime.

He loves to sing, and can remember lines from songs and the tune of songs after hearing them only once. He heard Lady Antebellum sing on American Idol and he was singing the song after the show, even though he only heard it once.

Okay. That is all for now. Just some things I know I will forget.

Karsyn is One Month

2011-05-06T15:25:00.003-05:00

Karsyn 1 month
This captures how Clayton feels about Karsyn and how Karsyn feels about Clayton.
Karsyn in the bumbo.

Almost a smile.

Karsyn was one month old yesterday. She is such a sweet baby. She has just started really smiling at us, she can hold her head up like a champ, cries when you put her down, loves to be held and loves to look around. She cries a little more than my other kiddos, her tummy bothers her a little bit, but not too much. She is a great sleeper, and only wakes up 1 or 2 times a night to eat.

We are all slowly getting used to having a baby and having 4 kids in this house. The kids love her so much it drives me crazy, I have to continually watch them because they love to give her bear hugs, touch her all over, see what is in her mouth, give her toys, blankets and they all love love love to stuff her pacifier in her mouth. :)

I have been adjusting to life with little sleep. Lots of caffiene has been giving me the extra get up and go I need. And for some reason, I have developed a sugar craving, which is not great. I think I have actually gained weight since I had her. And as the other kids know, my patience is very thin these days, and sometimes I am just a little grouchy. :)

Today I finished my last assignment for the semester. YES! I am so glad, because it has been weighing on my mind. When you work on a paper for an entire semester it kind of becomes a living thing in your mind and it is so hard for me to focus well these days. Poor Brian, I know he is ready for my mind to be a little more clear. He has been so helpful with Karsyn and the other kids. I told him the other day that I didn't remember him helping me so much with the others, he said it was my memory. :)

That is all I can type right now, I will fall asleep if I sit still much longer. I have to get this house cleaned up a little bit, it has suffered this week.

We are having Cooper's birthday party tomorrow. My little boy will be 5 years old! It is so good to see our children grow. I think often about the fact that God looks at me the way I look at my children. I really try to look at others like He would look at them. A beautiful creation, that no matter what, He loves and will always love. Our world would be so good if we could only treat each other in love. Loving our enemies, praying for the people that make our lives cruddy, giving to people we know will not ever pay us back, being friends with people who drive us nuts! :)

Flashback

2011-04-29T09:45:00.003-05:00

These kids have been in the same class at Superkids since they were babies. 5 years went by way too fast.

Superkids Program

2011-04-29T08:53:00.004-05:00

Superkids Program 2011, The Nifty Fifties

The kids before the program.

Cooper's class led the audience in saying the pledge of allegiance and Texas pledge.

Clayton's class sang first. She did a great job with all the motions and singing. You could tell she loved performing.

Clayton doing one of her moves for their song. Her class sang, "If your happy and you know it" and "I love the 50's".

Next was Kenndall's class. Kenndall did a great job of singing and doing her moves too. Her class sang "My God is so Big" and "Rock, Rock, Rock and Roll"

Then Cooper's class got up and sang "Fuzzy Caterpillar" and "Rock around the Clock".

Cooper graduating from pre-school, he is getting his diploma from his teacher, Miss Amy.

Cooper's graduating class. Lots of good friends.

I love this picture because Cooper is looking around through his diploma. This really captures the personality of my son. I love it.

Finally, just because I want to remember, Karsyn at 3 weeks. :) I love my baby.

Quick Pics, Karsyn 2 weeks, Easter

2011-04-25T16:52:00.002-05:00

If you have seen Tangled, there is a scene where the hero does a face he calls the smolder. This is Cooper's smolder, which he loves to show people. It makes me laugh every time, but if you haven't seen Tangled then it makes no sense. And yes, the boy has something on his face. LOL!
The kiddos on Easter Sunday. I wanted the girls to match, so I made these easy pillowcase dresses for them. They looked cute.
The kids and their cousins on Easter Sunday. It was so great to have all of the Cross cousins together for Easter! What a great day. I love these kids!!
Karsyn is now 2 weeks old, actually today she is 2 weeks and 4 days today. I love this baby!
Here is a funny picture of Clayton, and the other two. we had a great time with Brian's family this weekend, I will post more pics later.

Karsyn

2011-04-10T08:45:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics of our sweet girl.

She sometimes sleeps with her tongue out. It makes me laugh.

Her dress we brought her home in.

This picture makes me laugh because it captures so much of the emotion going on at the time. Clayton was a little stunned and overwhelmed. Cooper was happy. Kenndall was excited, happy, overwhelmed and sad because she didn't get to hold Karsyn in the picture.
Sweet baby with her little hat in the hospital, and her first little pink bow.

Me, Brian, and Karsyn right after she was born.

Tomorrow

2011-04-06T15:11:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day!! I cannot wait to see my sweet baby's face! So say a prayer for this family tomorrow, especially Aunt Wendy who will have the 3 other kids! :) I will try to post a pic or two soon after she gets here! :)

April 7th??

2011-03-29T15:39:00.003-05:00

April 7th will be the day for Karsyn Celena to meet her crazy family. Unless I go into labor before then. We will see, I am really not expecting much since I don't have my babies early. Life is crazy around here. I am working hard on school and trying to keep this house relatively clean before the baby gets here. Everything is ready, my bag is packed, the carseat is by the back door. My poor mind has been functioning at a lower level lately. For instance, I was making a PB and J for Kenndall, I looked down and realized I had put peanut butter on both sides of the bread. Sigh. Things like that. My poor kids. Unfortunately I think the lack of sleep after the baby is born will only makes things get worse before they get better. :)

Cooper has Kindergarten orientation next week, on April 6th. I am excited for him, he is going to love KG! He will probably get in trouble for wanting to play superhero with all the boys in his class, he will love having some friends that are boys! I am a little sad that he is so big already, but I am also very excited to see him grow and learn.

Kenndall and Clayton have been the wild ones lately. They are growing so close as sisters, I love it, they can play together all day long. Their games range from superheros (Batgirl is their favorite), princesses, babies, dress up, hide and seek, singing songs, dancing, playing in their kitchen. They are becoming inseparable. I am trying to teach them how to do things around the house with me like fold laundry, dust, unload the dishwasher, etc. They love helping me! Almost a little too much. I think they will smother little Karsyn with their good intentions. They make me laugh because they both like to talk and sometimes my day is full of conversations about everything from body parts to Jesus to insects to feelings.

Enough rambling, I am ready to lay in my bed and zone out for awhile. Oh, I forgot.....

Here are some newborn pics of the the other kids. I just wonder who Karsyn will look like?

Clayton with her mowhawk. She was due 11-5 and I went into labor with her on 11-2. No pain meds, NOT doing that this time around. I remember I went into labor around 2 in the afternoon and she was born after 11 pm. 9 hours of natural labor, not worth repeating.
Kenndall, sadly I don't remember when I was due, but when I hit 38 weeks, Dr. Owen asked me if I wanted to be induced and I said yes. So I must have been due sometime at the end of September. Best birth experience, 6 hours of labor, epidural worked great.

Cooper, 42 weeks, induced. 10 hours of labor, found out the hard way that pitocin creates the worst pain imaginable, demerol, and epidural, pushed 2 hours. Not a good experience. But, it obviously didn't stop me from having more kids. LOL!

March Musings

2011-03-17T15:32:00.005-05:00

March 17th, I am a little in shock that time has flown by so quickly. I feel like my kids are growing up right in front of me. Truthfully, I was not really looking forward to Spring Break, because I have to find daily entertainment for the kids. Thankfully the weather has been nice, so outside time has been great. Today was wash the car day. Cooper and Kenndall are old pros, but Clayton couldn't really remember how from last summer. In fact, she was a little unsure of the whole water hose thing, which made me laugh. Off and on her face would get a little bit sad as she looked at her dripping wet clothes, then she would see Cooper and Kenndall running and laughing and she would join in. I cannot wait for this summer! I bet we fit in swimming a little bit every day!

Disclaimer about these pictures: I let my kids chose their outfits today. :)

Cooper washing the suds off.

Clayton scrubbing the dirt.

Kenndall scrubbing the dirt.

The helpers after the car is washed, all of the are sopping wet.

Kenndall playing with the hose.

Cooper enjoying the sun on drive way.

Clayton telling me that Kenndall got water on her.

Cooper running down the sidewalk leaving footprints.

Kenndall running down the sidewalk leaving footprints.

Clayton just took a drink from the water hose and this was the look on her face.

Clayton and Kenndall riding the rocking horse together. Completely unsafe, I had to put an end to this fun. But they are so cute.

Clayton combing Kenndall's hair.

Kenndall combing Clayton's hair. I love these girls!

It is almost time for this baby to be here, and I am glad. It is getting impossible for me to efficiently do what needs to be done to keep this house in order. Even making the bed seems like running a marathon. LOL! I will be 37 weeks on Saturday. So, after that, I will be ready for the baby to come any day. I can't wait to see her little face. This poor child, I haven't bought her a single thing till a couple of days ago. I bought her a bow and headband to go with a precious little dress from Janet.

So this spring break I have been trying to get the kids summer and winter clothes sorted, put up and washed. That is an ordeal, thank goodness it is only twice a year. That is one thing I have to get done before Karsyn gets here, or it will never get done and my kids will be wearing long sleeve shirts in July. I am almost done, Coop is the only one left, and I think I will attempt that tomorrow. I also need to do some homework, transcribing, reading articles, researching a few ideas, but with the kids home, there is no way that is happening.

Today I have been thinking on realness. If that is the word to describe it. Real people. People that know that my house is sometimes a huge mess, people that don't care if I didn't get a shower that day, people that can just come over anytime, people that I know will be honest with me and not beat around the bush, people that I can express myself freely in front of, people that will not judge me for anything, ever. I have a few friends and a few family members like this in my life and I am so thankful for them. If this type of friendship is practiced, then the practice can be applied to our relationship with Jesus. If you can practice this type of friendship, you know how Jesus feels for you. He knows me in and out, and loves me, and that is definitely a deep, real relationship. It is so important for us to be real with our friends, and our family, and our God. Be who you are, embrace your past, embrace your struggles, let them be a part of you, let your friends know, be open to your friends struggles, be open to sharing a real, honest life.

My youngest daughter just walked into my room buck naked wearing my flip-flops. LOL! If that isn't real, I don't know what is. :)

March already!!

2011-03-04T10:08:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe that it is March! Where did February go? So, 4 weeks till baby is here!! I am so so so glad, having 3 kiddos 4 and under and big belly to get in the way of everything, is a slight inconvenience to me getting anything done. And I simply cannot move quickly, which is a huge problem, when a little 2 year old girl is overflowing a sink or choking on a frosted miniwheat. I cannot help but laugh at the craziness of our life lately.

We have been so busy lately. It seems almost every night of the week we have something to do. This weekend is especially crazy. Ladies Retreat tonight at church, tomorrow birthday party, Sunday is a baby shower, Monday night is my class at Tech.

I really need to get the clothes washed and put away for baby Karsyn. A month is not a long time when it comes to getting things ready for a baby. I also need to go through the other kids clothes and put up winter stuff and get out spring/summer stuff. I am officially done with winter. :) I have been spring cleaning and nesting all at the same time. I love spring, it is one of my favorite seasons.

A couple of things that I want to remember...

Kenndall wears a dress everyday. She doesn't want to wear pants at all. She also likes to have her hair down (and usually asks me to curl it with the curling iron) or in a "Belle" braid. She is such a sweet little helper for me, and is the one that gets along best with her brother and sister. 99% of the time she is an angel. But the 1% of the time, she is super super naughty.

Cooper has decided that all of his PJ's are costumes, and keeps his pajama drawer empty all day. He changes PJ's probably 10 times a day, each one of them is a different superhero. He has fallen in love with Lego Batman, because we got the PS3 game, and watches his dad play it like it is a movie. He will change his PJ's and pretend that he is in the game fighting bad guys. It is pretty funny. The downside is that he doesn't like wearing real clothes and it is an inevitable argument with him when we go places.

Clayton is her regular mischevious self. She is such a helper to me and tries her hardest to help Kenndall and Cooper and usually just makes them mad. She hates going to bed at night and every night is the WWIII at bedtime. It is awful, she will not stay in her bed, sometimes whether I spank her or not it takes an hour or hour and a half to get her to stay in her bed and go to sleep. Some nights I just want to cry. But, I know it is just a stage. She loves to try to be like her mama, the girl helps me unload the dishwasher every time and knows where everything goes in the kitchen, it is so funny. She also loves to help me put up laundry. She loves playing with babies, feeding them, rocking them, putting them in her stroller, giving them their bottles, it is so precious.

I cannot wait to see baby Karsyn, on her sonograms she has chubby little cheeks and a nose like mine and Cooper's. She will be such a precious addition to our family. God is so good.

Valentines and Round 2 of the Flu

2011-02-17T16:17:00.003-06:00

My poor babies! Let's just say next year we are all getting flu shots. I didn't think it was even possible to get the same flu 2 times. But it is. So we have been stuck at home this week again. I just feel so bad when my sweet kids are so sick. But God is good, and we are better today!

Kenndall laying on the couch with the flu.
Clayton passed out on the chair with the flu.

Valentines Day. Brian was sick in bed with the flu all day. But he managed to help me out with the kiddos valentines. Clayton got a dog purse (it is kind of dumb, but her and Kenndall love them!) a pink monkey and some yummy candy. Clayton is really not a fan of Candy, so she only ate like 2 pieces. So I got to eat the rest. Mmmmmm! Hershey's kisses with Carmel are the best.
Cooper got a couple of lego Ben-10 characters. He LOVES them. This kid can sit and do Lego for hours. He watched Brian put them together once and now he can do it all by himself. He even makes up new characters and figures out how to put them together. It is really impressive. This kid loves Lego.
Sweet Kenndall got a dog purse and a pink hippo and of course candy. She loved hers too.
I am not really a fan of Valentines. I would rather Brian spend the money on the kids than me. And I do not want to go wait in line for 2 hours to eat at a restaurant, that is not romance. I don't want to spend hard earned money on roses that will die, or on chocolate that will be eaten, or a card that will get thrown away. To me romance is to see my husband play with his kids every night when he gets home, when he feeds and waters the dog, stays home with the kids so I can go to class, prays over our sweet family every morning, works so hard so that I can stay home with our kids, makes sure we have a beautiful lawn in the summer for the kids to play in, acts interested when I talk to him for 30 minutes straight about education, plays words with friends every night with me when we go to bed, puts in Twilight movies because he knows I like them, and tells me I am the hottest pregnant chick he has ever seen. LOL!

The most important thing in my marriage is everyday, unconditional love, treating each other with respect, and a continuous choice of deliberate commitment.

Anyway. I have been a little emotional lately. I am going to blame it on the fact that I am 32 weeks pregnant. :)

Soap Box

2011-02-11T19:58:00.003-06:00

Recently I have pretty much decided that organized religion is the pits. Yes, I will still go to church and raise my kids around "church" people, but I am going to quit putting up with the people who are so quick to profess and attend and then do nothing to help others. Jesus himself said the greatest command was, "love your neighbor as yourself". Your neighbor is anyone you encounter that has a need. Someone you know at church who is having problems financially, the lady at the grocery store with a cast on her arm, the guy at the intersection of Frankford and Spur 327 with one leg, holding a sign. These people are my neighbors and the neighbors of these people that I go to church with. HOWEVER, some people that attend church every time the doors are open have forgotten that Jesus calls us to love and help those who are in need. Honestly, it disgusts me to hear of people in the church who complain about church service and bible classes and fail to even attempt to help other even when an opportunity is consistently presented. Since when did helping others out become so unnecessary. I am not talking about money, yes, money is a great way to help, but there are many other opportunities to help, the most valuable asset anyone is given is their time. For example, a teacher that takes extra time to talk to a student who is upset, a nurse who hugs a family member worried about their loved one, a landscaper who talks to an upset client about his recent divorce, a stay at home mama who chats with the grocery clerk who is obviously having a rough day. Opportunities will be given to each of us, an elderly lady who takes a meal to a friend who has just gotten out of the hospital. Unless you never leave your home, and you never talk to anyone. I guarantee that you know someone that could use a call, a meal, a card, a visit, or some cash. And unless you are absolutely devoid of all social skills (which some people are), you can tell when something is wrong with someone, or they need help. I am not trying to make anyone feel bad about themselves, but if you are not using what God has given you, you are in serious trouble with God. In His words,

"I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.' Mt. 25

This passage outlines such simple ways of serving and helping others. Why not do them? In fact, to chose not to do these things is deliberating choosing to act in an ungodly way. In fact, to know the right thing to do and not do it, is far, far, far worse than many of the "sins" so preached against from the pulpit. How many times have you passed someone on the side of the road with a flat tire and said, "oh I can't stop and help them, I will be late to church." Somehow I can just see Jesus shaking his head in despair.

Okay, that is my soap box for today.

Snow Day!

2011-02-01T13:52:00.003-06:00

Here are a few pictures of our fun in the snow today. Unfortunately is was soooooo cold we couldn't stay out long, but the kids had fun.

Clayton making a snow angel. It was torture for her, mainly because of the blowing snow and bright bright sun in her eyes, but she did it anyway.

This was her face everytime she laid down in the snow, pure misery.

Kenndall had a blast making snow angels, and snowballs and of course eating snow.
This was Cooper's main activity. He didn't want to make a snow angel because it was too cold, but he ate tons of snow.

Kenndall making a snowball.

And then on another note, this is our new bed for the girls. It is a twin over full bunkbed. They love love love it! And I do too. Kenndall likes the top bunk and sleeps in it most of the time, some times she sleeps by Clayton on the bottom. It is VERY sturdy and will last us for years and years! I love it. So, now we are officially ready for the baby.

Misc pics, and deep thoughts...

2011-01-12T09:42:00.005-06:00

Clayton doesn't really like bubbles on her face.
Sweet smile from Kenndall.
Clayton and Kenndall love bathtime. Most of the time I spend telling them not to splash and to calm down. :)
Dr. Cooper giving Clayton some medicine.
Cooper learned about Dr.'s at superkids last week and has really been enjoying being the dr. of the house.

Kenndall asleep with her favorite Christmas presents, Jesse and Woody.

Bring on 2011! This will be a year full of blessings. I am excited to see what God has in store for my precious family. Baby Karsyn will be here in April, Cooper will start Kindergarten in the Fall, and I will start on my last year of course work for my PhD! Wow!

Classes start today at Tech, and I am ready to begin. I am going to try to get most of my work done before the baby gets here, so I am really going to have to bust my butt. It is really hard to get school work done with a new baby.

The kids and Brian have had the flu this past week. It really started Friday. Fever, chills, aches, shakes, coughing. At first I just thought it was a nasty virus. Then, Monday when everyone started on day 4 of fever, I thought it was something that I should definitely take the kids to the dr. for. Anyway, the flu test came back positive. So we have been stuck at home, but tomorrow we are ready to get out and get back to schedule. I am so glad. It is rough being stuck at home with 3 very sick and very emotional kids, and a husband who is so sick he can't get out of bed. But, God is good. By a miracle, I have been unaffected by the flu. It is really crazy to think about it. I have been kissed, coughed on, wiped boogers, and of course all the other things that come with just being a mom. So, it is not that I have been exposed. It is just a miracle, and one that I am so thankful for. I don't think that I could have handled this past week if I had been sick as well. God never allows a situation to be more than we can handle, with His help of course. Anyway, enough on that.

I am so ready to get things ready for this baby. We are going to order a nice bunkbed for the girls, and I am ready to get that and get bedding and their room all set up. We are going to put the baby in Cooper's room till she can be in a big girl bed. I am so ready to not have a crib in my house!! I am ready to rearrange, do Karsyn's little laundry, get bottles washed, get my house ready for our newest sweet girl. At Christmas, Janet got Karsyn a beautiful little newborn dress. I need to take a picture of it, it is so beautiful. But, it got me to thinking how incredible it is that I will have 3 girls. When I was growing up, I always wanted a sister, and my relationship with my mother was kind of weird. She didn't teach me very much "girl" stuff, and we didn't do "girl" things together. We didn't talk about things that are important for a girl to know, and the right way for a girl to act in varied situations. She wasn't big on showing me affection. I am not going to dwell on the negative aspects of that, but only to say, that I have been given such an incredible opportunity to take all the negative that I experienced in my childhood and turn it around to make sure my girls have a positive, open, and strong relationship with me, as their mother. My desire to be the best mother I can be to my girls will be a passion driving my actions. It is so easy to have a good relationship with my son. Boys are just different. It is natural for me to be a good mother to him. The girls, however are a complete challenge and one that I am going to have to work on myself all the time to meet their needs. Only through God's help will I be able to accomplish this, and by His grace I will. Well that is my heart today.

Some people do not think that blogs should be a place to share feelings, experiences, and what is truly inside you. But, I feel that it is an incredible opportunity to share a little bit of what the Spirit puts on my heart. Writing a blog is a choice, and reading a blog is a choice.

Kansas Christmas

2011-01-05T12:42:00.004-06:00

The kids playing outside. It was soooo cold while we were there, we didn't get out much. The kids loved looking at Grandma and Grandpa's new puppies and of course the horses. Cooper helped Keith and Brian do some outside jobs and he had a blast doing that.
Kenndall, Clayton and Mya eating lunch. Mya got to spend the night one night and the girls had a blast playing with her.
The terrible twosome. These two 2 year olds could ALWAYS find something to do that was a little naughty. :) But they are both so stinkin' cute!
Clayton got a little pink computer from Garret for Christmas, she loves it! She is showing Uncle Cameron how cool it is.

Grandma and Grandpa got each of the kids these little horses that snore and whinny like they are sleeping. They are cute, the girls have slept with theirs at night, every so often I will hear a snore from their room that sounds very horsey. :)
Cooper and one of his favorite presents, his Ben 10 car. He played with it non-stop while we were in Kansas.
The girls being silly.
Clayton on Christmas morning.
Kenndall, on Christmas morning eating a poptart at the bar.
Cooper eating his poptart. The kids love sitting at the bar eating poptarts every morning. They only get them at Grandma and Grandpa's house, so it is a treat!

We had a great time in Kansas. A week went by fast. Brian has such a great family. I wish I could steal his mama and bring her home with me!

Kansas Bound

2010-12-24T11:44:00.002-06:00

Today we head to Kansas! I cannot wait to drive up Brian's parent's driveway and see the Christmas lights, walk in to a warm and cozy house smelling of baking cookies. Seeing Brian's sweet family and being overwhelmed with hugs and smiles! I love Christmas in Kansas! Brian's mom knows how to make that house twinkle with Christmas joy on the inside and out!

So I won't be blogging for awhile, but when I do it will be an overload of Christmas pictures!

Today is my favorite step-mom's birthday, Happy Birthday Janet!! Love you!

It's Snowing! Is It Christmas?

2010-12-17T10:23:00.001-06:00

The kids were so excited to see the little flurry of snow this morning. They all were sure that the snow meant it was Christmas!

21 weeks, kid updates, and Christmas lights

2010-12-08T15:07:00.004-06:00

Here is our sweet baby's little face. Brian's first question was, does she have claws for arms? Well that is what it looks like, but her arms were up by her face, so the ultrasound kind of cut them off so we could see her face. It made me laugh. She reminds me of Cooper.

So, her name is Carson Ray. But as far as the spelling is concerned, we are not for sure. There are only a million ways to spell Carson.

Carson, Carsen, Karsen, Carsin, Karsin, Carsyn, Karsyn, Karson.

The Ray comes from a family name, my great grandparent's last name was Ray. Also, Brian and I liked the way it sounds with Carson.

Anyway. She is doing good. Everything normal and healthy, praise God.

Kenndall and Clayton are excited about having a new sister. Cooper has said many times, he already has sisters and he wants a brother. Tough luck buster. God has other plans. :)

In other household news. Clayton got rid of her paci and is pretty much potty trained. All of this happened with a week's time. Crazy! One night Clayton lost her paci behind her bed, and I couldn't find it, so I just told her that it was lost and she hasn't asked for it since! Wow! I was totally dreading taking it away, but it has been really not that bad. The only bad thing has been bedtime and if she wakes up at night. She has been getting out of bed a lot! But, honestly she had started that before the paci went bye bye. So, who knows, Kenndall went through the same thing at that age. The whole potty training thing was pretty much a fluke. I had been keeping her in panties at home because she kept taking off her diaper. But, she wouldn't go potty in the potty for me, she would just go in her panties. Then all of the sudden one day she just got it, and has been doing great ever since. I don't even put her in a pullup at naptime. So I am super excited about that!! No more diapers till April!!!!! This is the first time in 4 1/2 years that I have not had a child in diapers, it is great! So I am pretty proud of my big 2 year old!

Kenndall has been super sweet lately. The only time she gets naughty is if she doesn't get a nap. She has been really great, so I am kind of wondering when this great stage will end and a naughty stage will begin. She has been learning tons of letters and likes spelling words she sees everywhere.

Cooper has been a royal toot lately. I think the boy has inherited an incredibly argumentative nature from the Joyner side of the family tree. Lately, obeying without arguing has been a daily, even hourly struggle. Sigh. So anyone who knows how to help cure this behavior, please let me know. Here is a typical conversation,

Me: Cooper take this toy to your room, please.

Cooper: But, I was having a battle (he is not playing with any toys, it is just him, in his undies in the living room).

Me: I understand, but you can take a break from your battle to take this toy to your room. Cooper: But, I was just having a battle.

Me: Cooper, if I have to ask you again you are going to get a swat on your hiney, take this toy to your room and stop arguing.

Cooper: But, I am not arguing.

Me (with a swat to his stubborn hind end): You must obey your mama. Do not argue or talk back, just do what I ask.

Cooper (always having to get the last word in): But, I am not arguing or talking back.

Me: Cooper, close your mouth until you can think of something happy to talk about.

Anyway. That happens at least 20 times per day. Needless to say, all of my patience is completely used up by about 9 AM because of this child. So I just say a prayer for guidance and patience and do the best I can. I would however, appreciate any advice that anyone could give.

My classes are over for the semester and I am really excited about Christmas in Kansas. We will head up there there on Christmas Eve. I am hoping it snows while we are there. Here is a picture of our beautiful Christmas lights, with a big thanks to my sweet husband and Heatwole technologies!! :)

Decorating the Christmas Tree

2010-11-29T21:23:00.003-06:00

Cooper carefully hanging an ornament.
Clayton especially likes the jingle bells.
Unfortunately this is the best picture of all three with the tree. They were not cooperating.
A Sweet smile from Kenndall.
A sweet smile from Clayton
Clayton put two ornaments on the tree and was more interested in other things.
Kenndall loved hanging up the ornaments.
Dad handing out the ornaments to the helpers.
The girls were playing ballerina this morning and just looked so cute dancing around in their tutus!
Brian has been reading to Cooper out of his Ben 10 book every night. It is Cooper's favorite thing EVER!!

Clayton's 2 Year Pictures

2010-11-13T19:37:00.003-06:00

Here are some of Clayton's 2 year pictures. Of course our personal photographer, Matt Killough and his photo editor Wendy Killough rocked it, as usual. They did a fantastic job and I love my pictures of my big little 2 year old!!

Clayton's Birthday

2010-11-06T19:02:00.004-05:00

Clayton with her Little Einstein's cake, that Brian did. :)

Blowing out the candles.

Clayton says she is two and works very hard to hold up two red fingers.

Red icing, red fingers, and red, red, red lips.

Clayton with her cute outfit from Aunt Kim and Uncle Cameron.

Clayton opening her favorite gift of the day, her new baby doll

Clayton modeling her new outfit.

Clayton modeling her new dress from Grandma and Grandpa Cross.

Clayton loves, loves, loves her new baby doll!!

The Kiss

2010-11-04T16:10:00.003-05:00

Hug

Kiss

Butterfly Kiss

Wink the right eye

Wink the left eye

Blink

Eskimo kiss

high five

fist bump

finger high five

head bump

beard scratch

Every night at bedtime this is the routine, every time we go to Superkids this is what we do, sometimes just for fun, this is his game. My sweet boy. This is for me to look at when he is 20 and cry my eyes out. :) Thank you God for Cooper!

Carving Pumpkins

2010-10-30T12:13:00.002-05:00

Kenndall posing next to Daddy's pumpkin.
Ben 10 (Cooper) helping his daddy.
Clayton posing next to my pumpkin.
My pumpkin.
Brian's pumpkin.

Last night our little family carved pumpkins. It was fun. My pumpkin was very simple due to my lack of carving skills and artistic talent. However, Brian's pumpkin was totally scary and artistic. Anyway, the kids kind of were interested, but not to the point where they really enjoyed it, it just takes a little too long for their short attention span. LOL! It was fun anyway.

The Beginning of Halloween

2010-10-28T11:40:00.004-05:00

Halloween began for us today with a carnival at Superkids. The kids were so excited to wear their costume and get candy. I helped out with one of the games and all the kids had fun except for 1 or 2 little toots. (I know every child can have a bad day, but seriously, when my kids are naughty there are consequences that will prevent them from acting that way.) ANYWAY. Enough of the naughtiness!!! Okay, where was I......ahh Halloween.

Here are some of the festivities around our house.

So, my pictures are totally out of order, but I am not a computer genius and I don't know how to rearrange them.

Clayton in one of her halloween outfits, she is saying cheese.
The girls, last Sunday when Brian was in Kansas, I just took a couple of pictures because they looked so cute and it was a beautiful day.
Clayton picking the moss roses.
Kenndall.
Kenndall eating her Halloween cookie.

We made Halloween cookies (okay, actually pillsbury made them and we put them on the pan.) :)

Clayton and her ghost cookie.
Cooper showing off his ghost cookie.
Clayton today in her ladybug costume.
Kenndall as a precious Dorothy Gail.
Cooper is Ben 10! For those of you who do not know who Ben 10 is, he is a cartoon character (Cooper likes to call him an "ordinary kid"), who turns into 10 different aliens. The outfit Coop has on is exactly like the one the character wears in the cartoon. Sigh... I am ready for the Ben 10 fascination to be over.

We plan to carve pumpkins Friday night and then do Trunk or Treat on Sunday night. So lots of Halloween fun ahead.

Warning: Reflections ahead!!

2010-10-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

I had to put this picture up here because I love it. Kenndall loves to dress up and right now this is her favorite outfit to dress up in. Sweet silly girl.

This semester I am taking a qualitative studies course at Tech. It has been my favorite course to date. This course has had such a great effect on my thinking skills as a researcher, teacher, and as a person. What is so fascinating about it, is that it brings out the beauty of your personal thoughts and observations. I think so many of us are trained from a young age to fit into a box, to write a certain way, to act a certain way, to speak a certain way, and we start to lose our own sense of individuality. God has given each of us a completely unique brain, thought process, and skill set. In His idea of a church, we bring all of those great individual personality traits to the table and see where we can serve best. However, unless we spend time in personal reflection and meditation, we may not even know what our God given abilities are, or we have been tricked into thinking we are good at something we are not. I am still discovering what talents God has given me, it's not like you know overnight, it comes with trying new things, failure, success, and just toughing things out. However, God did not create any of us without a skill or talent, each of us has been blessed in some great and unique way. The double edged side to this theory, is that with this great blessing, comes a responsibility to share it. So, if your talent is teaching, you teach, if your talent is cooking, you cook, if your talent is organizing, then get to organizing. There is always a place for each unique talent within the church. By doing what you were created to do, there is a huge satisfaction that you are serving God to the best of your ability. And on the reverse of that, if you are not doing what you are created to do, there will be an emptiness in your life that cannot be filled. I love how God speaks to Paul in his conversion story, Paul blinded and on his knees and God says to him, "Why do you insist on going against the grain?" God is talking about the natural instincts He creates within us, even Paul knew that what he was doing was not what God had created him for! But, he had no idea how to find what he was supposed to be doing or how to get out of what he was doing. So many of us are like that, everyday, we go against the grain of our natural tendencies. We don't know how to stop or how to find what we are supposed to be doing.

Before this qualitative methods class, I felt that, I knew that I was confused about my God given skills. I didn't know how to express that, and I didn't know why I felt a little bit empty. This class has helped me learn to reflect in a way that opens doors and helps me "stop going against the grain".

Ok, so that is done. My reflection for the day.

Quick Catch Up

2010-10-18T16:02:00.003-05:00

Clayton laying down in her chair watching TV.
Clayton reading to her baby. This baby gets carried around all day everyday. It gets fed, bathed, and spanked. Her name is Corley.
My girls!
Clayton loves to get "piddy" pretty by putting on all kinds of accessories.

I have not been good about taking pictures of the kids lately. So, shame on me. Anyway, here are a few that have made me laugh.

We will be busy in the coming weeks. Here is what will be going on. This weekend, Brian is going on a fishing trip to Kansas, the next weekend is Halloween, the next weekend is Clayton's birthday, and that same week we find out if baby # 4 is a boy or girl. Yeah! Anyway, so there will be lots of pictures coming up!

Way Beyond Myself

2010-10-12T13:44:00.002-05:00

Way Beyond Myself

I've been thinking it's about time
To win the war that fights against all the lies invading my mind
You have brought me to my senses
Even though You built this world to shake
You still love me in a personal way
So I think it's time to leave my doubt behind

There's so much more than meets the eye
Or what's going on inside
I believe in something way beyond myself
Like the wind that moves the leaves
Lord, You move me to my knees
I believe in something way beyond myself

Oh the way we build our empires hoping to impress our friends
We've forgotten how to inspire those who fall to rise again
Oh my God, You've built this world to shake
You still love me in a personal way

So I think it's time to leave my doubt behind

Storms are gonna come my way, I know
Some things are out of our control but there's a hope beyond myself
It's You and You will never let me go
Now I want my life to show You got me thinking beyond myself
Way beyond myself

There's so much more than meets the eye
Or what's going on inside
I believe in something way beyond myself
Like the wind that moves the leaves
Lord, You move me to my knees
I believe in something way beyond myself

I love this song right now. So many times God is so abstract to us. We go through the motions, we say our prayers, go to church, teach our kids, but God doesn't seem real. Look outside at the wind moving through the trees, that is how God breathes His Spirit on us everyday. If you can feel that wind with your skin, you can feel the breath of God with your heart. Let God be real to you!

Routine

2010-09-27T09:43:00.004-05:00

Cooper and Kenndall were sick this day, so we all laid in my bed and watched cartoons.
Cooper went a little crazy with a stamp.
Clayton eating a powder sugar donut. Those are my favorite thing to eat right now! :(
Clayton was running around with a Cheerio stuck to her head, I laughed and laughed.

I love routine, I love having a schedule and a plan for everyday of the week. It gives me a sense of organization of life. Anyway, we have been settling in to our busy routine mainly consisting of school and bible class. It is nice. Yesterday I cooked Sunday lunch for the first time in 2 months! Brian said it was his first home cooked meal in awhile and unfortunately he is right. I have been so stinkin nauseous with this pregnancy for 2 months I could not hardly cook, clean or function like I should. Very frustrating! It is really hard to keep house and take care of 3 kids while feeling absolutely awful, and as far as cooking goes, I pretty much gave up for 2 months. Anyway, I am finally back to almost normal, still a little nauseous, but getting my energy back, so that is a big plus.

We are all doing good. The kids are getting so big and so smart, Cooper is learning to draw and write like a big kid. Kenndall is learning her letters. Clayton is just full of personality and sings and plays all day long. I love my sweet kids. Yes, they are a handful and everyone get's their share of spankings and time outs, but they are learning everyday how to do what is right. (Hopefully).

My school is going well. I have one great class and one not great class. So, it evens itself out. I am really enjoying my school this semester, since I am not working, I actually have time to do a good and thorough job on my school work. I need to start getting a dissertation proposal ready, but I want to make sure that I choose a topic that I will love researching. If I don't enjoy doing something, my motivation goes down hill, so I need something that I will love writing about. Anyway, the thoughts are slowly coming together in my head.

Brian and I are doing good, we are planning a camping trip for just us two in October. I am really excited about getting to spend time away from the kids and together. We always have so much fun camping, so I am super excited. We are going to fish, shoot, golf and maybe do a little motorcycle riding. Yeah!! Oh yeah, Brian got a motorcycle. I am excited for him, as soon as I have this baby, I am learning to ride it.

Well, that is really about all, boring, routine, busy, and wonderful. I have been thinking lately on being content. I think that true contentment comes from a realization that God will take care of your needs, no matter how great or how small. Thank you God for what I have been given!

The little bean

2010-09-20T16:20:00.002-05:00

Well, I got tired of looking at Satan's picture on my blog, so I decided to put up my favorite picture right now. This is the little bean. Baby # 4. And if you think I am a little crazy, you are totally wrong, I am a lot of crazy. :) God is good.

Dear Satan,

2010-09-16T13:41:00.002-05:00

Dear Satan,

First, I just want to say that I am sick of you. I can't think for 5 minutes on something without your creepy crawly throughts eeking their way in. I have quite a list of things that I need to address with you, but here are some thing that are really ticking me off.

1. Stop with the guilt trip. I see so many beautiful wonderful people, including myself that are plagued with this freakish thought that they somehow aren't good enough or don't do a good enough job at whatever they think they could do better. GIVE IT UP! God created each of us in perfect way and gave us a grace that doesn't require a certian standard of "good" behavior. I don't have to be perfect, I don't have to go to church all the time, I don't have to say a quick prayer of repentence if I let a cussword slip, I don't have to give extra at church if I know I spent too much money on beer this week. Grace doesn't work like that. Grace is free and unlimited, so quit making me feel guilty for things that I am forgiven for.

2. Enough of the keeping up with the Jones's idea. I am also sick of this. I love my car, I love my house, I love my clothes, I love my life the way it is. I am choosing to be content with what I have. So quit making me feel that the grass on the other side of the Jones's fence is greener.

3. Guilt again, ugh, this ugly ugly thing! Quit making me feel guilty about the way I am raising my children. Quit making me feel like they eat too much junk food, they watch too much TV, they play too rough, they have too many toys, they don't write enough letters, they can't read well enough, they don't play outside enough. God has given me the ability to raise my children in a wonderful way. I am doing my best, so leave me alone!

4. This is the last thing I am going to talk about and then I have better things to do. Quit with the whole "I should look like a model" thing. I am pledging to be ok with being a little chubby, having too many freckles, sometimes ratty hair, crooked teeth, and some funny looking toes. God made me this way for a reason and I trust Him! I pledge to keep my body healthy, so I can serve God to the best of my ability, but I will never look like a model, so quit telling me I should loose weight, get a tan, dye my hair, and get braces. I am content with my body the way it is.

So, Satan, leave me alone. I am done dealing with all of your lies.

Chrissy

Kenndall Briann

2010-09-11T08:24:00.002-05:00

My beautiful girl! I can truly say that this child is as beautiful on the inside as she is outside. I cannot believe that my baby will be 3 this week! These awesome pictures were taken by Matt Killough, who did a fantastic job!

Pre-school is in Session!!

2010-09-07T16:35:00.003-05:00

Today was a great day. Superkids started today! The kids had a great time at school and I had a great time doing homework. LOL! It was nice to feel like we are getting back into a routine. The unstructured summer was getting to me a little. :) Here are a few pics of the kids this morning. None of them would cooperate very well, so this is it for the Back to School picture for 2010.!

The almost 3 year old, the 1 year old and the big Pre-K, 4 year old ready for school with their backpacks!
Cooper wouldn't look at me.
Kenndall just made sad faces.
Clayton would look at me, but not smile.

Ramblings....

2010-08-31T15:46:00.003-05:00

The wild girl of the house!

My sweet kiddos.

Reading.

The wild girl.

One day, Kenndall fell asleep while she was eating supper. Poor girl was tired.

Tonight is my first class for the fall semester. I am really excited about it. It is a "Naturalistic Inquiry" class, which means nothing to most of you, but is really quite fascinating to an education nerd like myself. I am also taking a Special Education class online, which has already put me in a bit of a foul mood. The problem with being an educator is when I take classes where the teacher uses poor methods of education, it really makes me have a bad attitude toward the teacher, because I think, PLEASE use research that you obviously know to change your methods of teaching to what is effective!! UGH! It is extremely frustrating. I remember my mom using a phrase, that I actually think is from the Bible, "Physician, heal thyself." Which in normal words is, "Doctor, treat yourself!" This is what I want to tell my Special Education teacher. Sigh..... This is why I MUST make a difference in education, so people are no longer enslaved by poor teachers with absymmally archaic teaching methods. Anyway, stepping down off of my soapbox. I am trying to change my crazy brain over from absentminded mother, to professional educator. It is somewhat humerous to think the transition can even be made. The other night as I was on my hands and knees at 4 am cleaning up throw up off the bathroom floor, I was pretty sure that there was no way, this dull brain of mine could even wrap around the concept of "Naturalistic Inquiry". LOL! But, God is good, and each day is a new day, and somehow, He give me the refreshing that I need and the encouragement I need to keep going.

Life around here has been a little crazy lately. I am ready for the kids to start Superkids. I love my sweet children, but they wear me out. Clayton is somehow a mess magnet. That girl just likes to make messes of everything. She tears books, rips up toilet paper, spills drinks, thinks lotion is fingerpaint, thinks cheerios are supposed to be smashed on the floor, and she puts anything in her mouth. I love her because she has enough personality for 10 kids, she is a good helper, and sweet as pie when she wants to be. But, she is a toot. She likes to drive her sister and brother crazy by randomly pinching them or running away with their toys.

Anyway, I need to go and get these children ready so I can go to class tonight.

Look alike?

2010-08-20T09:55:00.003-05:00

This is a picture of Brian when he is 15 months old. I found it today and I was struck by how much Clayton looks exactly like her daddy!!

Family Reunion and Albuquerque

2010-08-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I am determined to be done with my summer vacation pictures. This is the last bit of them. After our week in Kansas, me, the kids and Matt and Brittany drove from Wichita to Pueblo for our family reunion.
We stayed there 3 days and then headed to Albuquerque for a quick visit to Grandma Joyner. For some reason, these pictures are all blurry. Something is up with the resolution, sorry!!

Cooper's favorite part of visitng Grandma Joyner was the ice cream cones!

Kenndall playing with sidewalk chalk on the front porch.

Clayton running on the porch. Notice that both of her feet leave the ground when she runs. That girl always does everything 110%!

The traditional family picture at Grandma Joyner's house.

Kenndall showing Grandma her coloring.

Clayton playing ball.

Kenndall was a great hitter!

Cooper ringing the bell.

Me, Aunt Cindy, and Nat.

All the girl cousins. Me, Tricia, Holly, Tammy, Cindy, and Jessica.

Zoo

2010-08-13T10:13:00.004-05:00

This is how we felt by the end of the day.

Cooper and Clayton liked this chimp stature, Clayton ended up kissing it.

The kids on the komodo dragon statue.

The kids and the penguins.

Clayton feeding the giraffe.

Becky, Mya, Cooper, Me and Kenndall.

Cooper with a huge bird sitting on the log right behind him.

Kenndall feeding the giraffe.

The kids next to the bronze lion.

Cooper checking out the tigers.

Here are a few pictures of the zoo. We had a great time. Kenndall was a little scared of some of the animals, but Cooper and Clayton loved all of them. Kenndall's favorite was the birds. Cooper's was the Tigers, Gorillas and Snakes. Clayton just liked all of it.

Kansas

2010-08-06T14:09:00.003-05:00

Clayton eating her first s'more!

Kenndall eating her s'more. Her cheeks are red because it was horribly hot that day.

Cooper and Cookie.

Swinging on the porch!

The girls in the tub!

Our trip to Kansas was fun as usual. What a great break from Lubbock, life, and chores! We spent time outside, shopping, at the campfire makes smores, in the pool, etc. It was great. The time flew by! Here are a few pictures of our time there. We also went to the Sedgewick County Zoo, but that will be the next post.

Vacation

2010-07-23T18:10:00.003-05:00

Some people may not think going out of town to my in laws house as a vacation, but I do. I cannot wait to relax by the pond, in the pool or just lay on the couch at Brian's parents house. We always have a great time, and I am so excited to get out of town. I am leaving their house Saturday for my family reunion in Colorado, which will also be fun. Here are a few pictures of our lazy July. My next post will have pictures of our vacation, yeah!

The silly kids.

Clayton eating her oatmeal with a spoon! (And sometimes her fingers.)

A baby bird we found in our yard, we rescued it from the bush and let it fly away.

This is kind of hard to see, but I was planting some flowers and I didn't realize the kids were making artwork with water and sidewalk chalk on our car!! Ahhhhh! It washed right off, but it made me laugh.

Clayton in the Pool

2010-07-14T21:44:00.004-05:00

Clayton loves the pool. She is wild. She also is so loud she hurts my ears, so you may want to turn down the volume. :)

Overwhelmed, Spiderman, and a few pictures.

2010-07-14T09:11:00.004-05:00

Kenndall likes for Clayton to sit on her lap.

Coop wanted a picture with him in it.

Cooper loves ice cream. He would not look at me. He kept his eyes on his ice cream.

Kenndall passed out on the couch. She looks like she is praying.

My girls dressing up as princesses.

Some days I am just overwhelmed by God's goodness. I lack nothing in my life. God has blessed me with a husband that provides for us, is a wonderful father, and loves me unconditionally. My children are all healthy in mind and body. My home is comfortable. My yard is the best on the block (seriously, it is :)). My house is furnished with everything we need, there is food in the refridgerator, and gas in my car. We have fantastic friends and a loving supportive family. This Bible verse is expressive of what I am experiencing in my life.

And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings,
Blessings tumbling out of the skies,
blessings bursting up from the Earth—
blessings of breasts and womb.
Gen. 49:25

God has blessed us in a completely holistic way. Spritually, mentally, physically, emotionally. It is incredible how when you chose to have a real relationship with him, not one area of your being is unblessed by God. God sees you not just as a spiritual being, but he also sees you as a body, a mind, and a heart. I love that! This verse makes that evident.

In the Spiderman movies, one of the characters tells Peter Parker, "with great power, comes great responsibility". Great line. This statement can be transformed to your blessings as well, "with great blessings, comes great responsibility". As my life is filled with blessings, my desire to give back to God in any way that I can is just as overwhelming as the blessings. God blesses us for a purpose. He wants us to use what we have to show His glory. The responsiblity of these blessings is that I must listen for His voice to show me how to use these blessings for His glory and to teach my children the same. Now that is an overwhelming responsibility, but one I am so willing and ready to take.

4th of July

2010-07-05T09:55:00.003-05:00

Notice Cooper's black hands, he liked to smash the snakes. :(

Pa-pa was popular as usual.

Clayton thinks she is a big kid.

Cooper loved the snakes!

And the poppers, Kenndall did not really like any of it. And said, "Can you hold me?" the entire time.

Clayton was wild on the horse.

Cupcakes! I think all the kids just ate the icing.Kenndall eating a roll with Gammy.

We had a fun time last night at Dad and Janet's house. Dad cooked out ribs and sausage, we had all kinds of yummy veggies, green beans, sweet potato fries, asparagus. Dessert was superb, chocolate cake, homemade vanilla ice cream and my favorite, banana pudding.

We ate, did some firecrackers and sparklers in the back yard. It was really fun. I felt kind of robbed because we didn't get to see a big fireworks show. But, we had a great time! There were 6 kids, all 4 years or younger. It was a little wild for Pa-pa and Gammy. We had a great time!

Summer Fun!

2010-06-25T21:16:00.002-05:00

Clayton loves Cooper's big books! She finds the dog that goes "fruff fruff", she finds the "pick" (pig). So cute. Oh and she has started saying, "Here you go", "I found it", "I get it". This girl talks all the time.

Eating ice cream on the porch.

Cooper loves his ice cream!

Cute as a button.

We have been busy busy! Lots of swimming, outside games and family time. My class is over next week! I am glad and sad at the same time. What an amazing experience! July will be full of trips, family time and I am sure a little bit of swimming! I need to take some pictures of our yard, Brian keeps it looking fantastic!

Worn out!

2010-06-15T22:45:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when you are just plain worn out.

What is going on in this house?

2010-06-11T10:21:00.004-05:00

We have been busy busy at this house! I have been teaching my class at Tech everyday which has been an exciting experience. We have been doing lots of swimming and spending time outside. Brian has been busy with work, the pool, car maitenence, replacing the back fence, etc. The kids have been spending time with Papaw and Gammy everyday and have had lots of fun!
Me and Kenndall after a swim, she is cold and ready for a snack.

Clayton loves swimming!

Kenndall fell asleep sitting in her chair, that is what swimming will do. :)

Clayton loves to jump off our ladder into the pool.

Fun outside. I really don't know what Kenndall is making a face at.

Clayton eating her popsicle.

Have you met this child?

2010-05-23T14:49:00.004-05:00

Clayton in the pool with her Root Beer from Sonic.

She would not put her Root Beer down.

Clayton loves Root Beer.

This is Clayton wearing my heels around the house and no she does not have pants on.

Clayton has decided to potty train herself and will go and sit on the toilet whenever she feels like it and pretend to go complete with the wiping (often using incredible amounts of TP) and flushing.

She also loves to climb on the toilet to wash her hands in the sink, this time she fell right into the trash can.

One day Cooper was in the bathtub and Clayton decided to join him, clothes and all.

This is shortly after the child downed a cup full of watercolor water.

My life would be soooo boring without this little girl! I love my Clayton Kass!

Cooper's 4 year pictures

2010-05-20T21:43:00.003-05:00

Here are Cooper's 4 year pictures. They turned out soooooo great! I love them. The only problem is that he looks way too old! He will be in pre-K next year! YEA! It is sad but amazing and wonderful to see him learn and grow in leaps and bounds. Oh, the professional photos were taken by my brother-in-law Matt Killough. He did an awesome job and I will be using him for my next photo shoot.

On another note..........well I can't remember. I guess that means it is time for bed. :)

Matt's Graduation

2010-05-17T13:31:00.003-05:00

A cute picture of me and the girls after church on Sunday.

Eating popcorn at graduation.

The 4 kids.

Dad, Matt, Brittany, and Janet

Matt getting hooded by his professor.

This weekend I went to Norman, OK to see my brother Matt graduate from OU with a PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry. It was so exciting to see my little brother become Dr. Joyner. It is kind of funny to say it, but he worked so hard and I am very proud of his acheivements. Dad, Janet, Nat, Me, and the girls went together for the weekend. I don't know what I would have done without Dad and Janet, it was like having two babysitters along. They were great. We had a great time. We went to a graduation reception, graduation, then Brittany had a graduation party for Matt, then the next day was church and we came home. It was great to spend time with everyone. It will be exciting to see what doors God will open up for Matt as he moves from one stage of his life to another. God is good and He will lead Matt and Brittany where they need to go.

This week is the last week of superkids, I am very sad, but I am going to plan some activities for the kiddos and can hopefully organize a lot of friend time. My life is so full of family and friends I thank God for all of the relationships he has blessed my life with.

Cooper's Birthday and Mother's Day reflection

2010-05-11T10:16:00.005-05:00

Cooper turned 4 on Saturday. Wow, it is unbelievable how much faster time goes when you have kids! It seems like yesterday he was a baby and I was holding my little baby boy in my arms. Ahh well, memories....

Anyway. He had a great birthday. Michaelangelo cake (decorated by my artistic husband), tons of presents, and a house full of family. It was a great time. Coop had 7 cousins, 4 aunts, 4 uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents at his birthday party! What a blessing to have so much family so close! I love living close to my family.

Cooper is such a precious boy. He has a big heart just like his daddy. He is very creative and I think the most friendly boy on the planet. (I think it might be time for the stranger danger talk. ) He will talk to anyone and everyone. When I took him to the dr. yesterday for his 4 year check up. He did not stop talking to the dr.'s and nurses the entire time. He is so laid back and is never quick to do anything. He is methodical and takes his time in everything he does. It is great. It is slowly teaching me a new level of patience. :) He is quite a thinker, not neccessarily about seriously things, but about everything. The other day, we were talking about grandparents, and I was explaining to him that my dad is his papa. Then he asked, "Is Janet your mommy?" I said, "no, my mom is dead". He responded, "I will be Superman and save her!" I just laughed and said, "She is saved already, she is with Jesus." He seemed content with that answer. I love my son. There is just a special bond between a mother and her son. I love to see him grow and I cannot wait to see the man he becomes.

Ok. Now for my mother's day thoughts. Hmmm. Mother's Day is not my favorite day. I try to make it a day of remembering pleasent memories, but it is impossible to separate the pleasent from the sad. Soooo, it is one of the few days that I allow myself to be a little sad and a little emotional. Most of the time I do not dwell in the sadness, but for some reason mother's day is just one of the three days in a year I cannot be completely at peace. Mother's Day, her birthday, and the day of her death. If somehow I could skip those days, that would be great. I amaze myself with my own selfishness sometimes. LOL! God is good and I know these days will be filled with much joy in the future. So here is a memory for me. This picture is my mom holding her first grandbaby, Cooper (he is a little jaundiced). She came over everyday to see him after he was born.

The Circus

2010-04-28T22:01:00.004-05:00

I was trying to get a cute pic of the kids before church and this is the only one with all of them together. Cooper is eating a hanger, Kenndall has a dog bone on her nose, and Clayton is about to jump off the fireplace.
Kenndall saying cheese!
Clayton would not say cheese, only give me this mischievous smirk.
We have beautiful flowers in the back and front gardens! Clayton like to smell them.
The almost 4 year old posing with the irises.
Kenndall trying on the new dress that Aunt Brittany made for her, she loves it!

No, we did not go to the circus, the circus lives at my house. These three little blessings are members of the circus that is the daily life around here. This evening before church it was a sing-a-long, before that was ring around the rosie on my bed, before that was tag around the living room and kitchen, before that was upsidedown time on the couch, before that was a brief 5 minute interlude for dinner, before that was crying because so and so got this and that, before that was time out for talking ugly to mama, before that was movie time, before that was telling mama a story about ironman, before that was telling mama a story about sleeping beauty, before that was helping mama unload the dishwasher. And I could go on and on. I am absolutely overwhelmed by my children everyday, and everyday I thank God for the circus that is my home.
Ok, so we have been really busy lately. I have been busy finishing my principal internship, taking my certification test, getting the kiddos at my school ready for the TAKS test, going on a girls trip to Fredericksburg, going to birthday parties, etc. This time of year is always super busy, it is kind of feels like right before Christmas, but instead it is right before school gets out. The next month will continue to be busy. Brian is on a fishing trip this weekend, Cooper's birthday is next weekend, then we are going to OKC for my brother's graduation from OU with his PhD, then the next weekend is......hmmmm I can't remember. In between all that I have 4 dr.'s appointments for all the kiddos. Wow! So the circus will continue for awhile. I haven't talked about the kiddos much lately. They have been so good. Clayton continues to talk more and more, repeating all the time what her brother and sister say. She has started saying short phrases like, "no no baba (bella)", "I did", "mama ash" (mama milk), "ya you" (love you), and others. She nods her head yes and shakes it no, it is so funny to me because she looks like a bobble head doll. Oh, but she is a mess, she always has to be right in the business of whatever is going on, she never sits still, loves to take things from Cooper and Kenndall and run away as fast as she can laughing. She likes putting toilet paper in the toilet. :( She loves eating and stuffs her mouth full of food and swallows it whole, hence she chokes a lot. The girl thinks she can do anything, she loves climbing on the rocking horse and rocking as hard as she can. I need to video it because it is hilarious. She loves to do the motions to bible class songs. Her favorites are "If you love Jesus" and "Sock it to the Devil." She is now 18 months old. Wow!
Kenndall has started loving coloring to the point where she gets in trouble for it because she colors or draws on every scrap of paper she sees, she knows where all the pens and pencils are so she helps herself and just draws away. On day she told me she painted the toilet and sure enough crayon all over the toilet, and the wall and the floor and the shower door. But it came off easily. She is a precious girl, but she has been a bear about sleep lately. I pray to God it is a phase. Every night she wakes up about 4:30 am. She doesn't like laying down for her naps or at night and has been throwing fits and getting up constantly. It has been really hard on me since my other two are such good sleepers. We are supposed to see the ENT tomorrow morning, so that will be interesting. Today we had to have her hearing checked and it was just fine, I assumed it was since she talks and sings very clearly and a lot. Kenndall is a mystery to me in so many ways. Spanking doesn't work on her, it makes her crazy, however she is all about positive reinforcement and if I keep a positive attitude toward her and compliment her she responds beautifully. Timeout works much better with this child. Interestingly enough, I think Clayton will be the same way, so maybe it is a girl/boy thing. I don't know, but I need some advice on how to discipline girls. Cooper is easy, the wooden spoon works great. But the girls are totally different. I try to pick my battles with them, but sleep is highly valued by me and I have little patience with the little girl who doesn't want to go to bed. Brian is a miracle worker with Kenndall, all he does is talk gently to her and he can get her to stay in her bed and not get up once. I don't know how he does it, but he knows exactly what to say and how to say it. He is so good with all the kids!
Anyway, then there is my boy who is about to turn 4. I cannot believe that 4 years has gone by in a flash. I will post more about him on his birthday.
So, we are all doing well, taking one day at a time, God is helping us all grow each day. Brian is such a blessing to me, he is an incredible leader for our family. I thank God for him. I always get a little nostalgic this time of year, it was 10 years ago that we began our journey by a conversation on the tailgate of a truck in the spring, right before school was out. Bittersweet is reflection on the past, but God is good and everything good and bad that has happened, He has worked to make His glory evident in our marriage. If God can accomplish so much in 10 years, I cannot wait to see what He can do with the next 10 years. I thank God that I am not the same person I was, I thank God that Brian is not the same person he was. If God can take our two totally messed up lives and work a miracle to recreate us into beautiful children of His grace, there is no limit to what He can do in your life as well.
Well, I have gone on a tangent. Tomorrow is the program for Superkids!! I am excited I will try to post tomorrow night. :)

Cooper and the Eggs

2010-04-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

My son. :)

Never buy Jet Dry again!!

2010-04-05T13:44:00.002-05:00

Well, the title is a little overdramatic, but seriously, I don't know about any of you, but my dishwasher drives me crazy! I have all kinds of minerals in there and sometimes on my dishes. YUCK! Recently I have tried every type of dishwasher cleaner and nothing has worked, much to my disgust at my failure and loss of money. :( So I began experimenting. Since my limited science background told me that acid and bases react and that minerals are traditionally basic in nature, I thought I would throw some vinegar in my dishwasher and see what happened. So I poured 3 cups in the empty dishwasher and ran the cycle. When I opened it up, nearly half of the stubborn minerals were gone!!! WOW! And I spent very little money on my vinegar. So, if you need to clean your dishwasher, just use vinegar, don't spend your money on anything else. Anyway, today I was looking at the net for some recipes on homemade bread, because I am itching to try it. I found a suprising amount of people have quit buying Jet Dry Rinse Aid for their dishwashers and instead just use vinegar!! WHAT! Why have I never thought of that? Duh! So I will never buy Jet Dry again! There were also suggestions for using just a tablespoon or so with your laundry and it helps keep the washing machine clean just like the dishwasher. Oh, and if any of you detest the smell of vinegar like I do, neither your clothes or your dishes smell at all like vinegar. So you are saving money, keeping things cleaner, taking care of the environment (vinegar is completely nontoxic for the environment), and making yourself less dependent on large money wasting organizations! Try it! You will not go back to buying Jet Dry!

Easter Morning

2010-04-04T12:40:00.003-05:00

Cooper wearing his suit for Easter that actually was his daddy's. :)

Kenndall looking like a princess.

Clayton looks so big in her dress1

AND this is the best I could get of the the three together. :( Everyone was hungry and ready for naptime, so they wouldn't cooperate very well.

Here are a few pictures from this morning after church.

Forget and Not Slow Down

2010-03-28T21:05:00.005-05:00

Clayton, one of our few nice days in March. I love the look on her face, she is determined to get into mischief.
I could not get Kenndall to cooperate.
Superman eating a Peep from Grandma Cross.
Clayton just looking precious.
Clayton looks like an angel when she sleeps, I love it!

As most of my faithful readers know, I love music! I listen to a lot of music, and I really love Christian music, (although Lady Gaga, Iyaz, Pearl Jam, etc. are definitely on my iPod) anyway, I also love looking at the lyrics of song and the story and meaning behind the lyrics of songs that I like. Two of my favorite groups are Sanctus Real, and Relient K. This song is a new one by Relient K, it is called, "Forget and Not Slow Down".

"Forget And Not Slow Down"

How many times
Can I push it aside
Is it time I befriended all the ghosts of all the things that haunt me most
So they leave me alone
Move on with my life
Be certain the steps of left and right don't fight the direction of upright

I'd rather forget and not slow down
Than gather regret for the things I can't change now
If I become what I can't accept
Resurrect the saint from within the wretch
Pour over me and wash my hands of it

It's time to decide
Which is out of my mind
Cause it'll be me unless I put some thoughts to rest and leave some faults behind
I'll watch the glint in my eye
Shine off the spring in my step
And could be blinding depending on the amount of You that I reflect

Cause I could spend my life just trying to sift through
What I could've done better but what good do what ifs do
There's something I should tell you now

As I get older and hopefully grow a little in the wisdom department, I realize the importance of two things. First, the concept behind this song, regrets cannot hold you back, spending time thinking about what you should of done, or how you should have made different choices will do nothing but make the reflection of Christ a little blurry. However, just as important as it is to leave behind your past failures, it is just as important to never forget how God works through mistakes, and failures to create beautiful lessons in your life. It is such a strange paradox that God forgives and wipes away all our past with His grace, and yet creates such an incredible change in our lives that the past can never be forgotten. There are many examples in God's word of memorials, places, times, feasts, traditions that all come from God's desire that we remember His great work. He has a way of turning the attention away from our screw ups, and creating an opportunity for us to glorify Him. "for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again" Pr. 24:16. God knows we will mess up, God knows that we will fall. But, those that are wise get up. You get up again and again, no matter what. Even when you don't think you can, you just get up. Every mistake is an opportunity for a new beginning, and God is so ready to be right there and make the best from your worst.