Tornado Warning

I have the hardest time remembering which is worse a watch or a warning so I just think the shorter word is first and the longer is second so it is worse. I know, I am truly weird. However, I like most of you, I experienced both of these today.

Chris called and told me bad weather was coming so I was prepared. He made it off duty in time to be with us for the tornado warning when it hit or little town. I grabbed pillows and blankets and gathered my chicks to the middle house bathroom. One of the downsides to moving here was giving up or basement which I gently informed Chris I would rather not give up the next time we move. Anyway, we got into the tiny bathroom and waited. Chris spent most of the time in and out checking the weather outside, on the news and reports from dispatch over his hand held radio.  At other times he rested from working since 3 am.

I was perched on the potty, no not using it but very convenient if needed, corralling Maddax and Makenna. We all prayed together for God safety and protection, not only for us but all of those in the storm today.  After a few songs and such Makenna announced that we needed to pray again. I asked her for what and she said, "For Emme's safety in monnies belly during the tormato." I thought that was awfully sweet  and so she prayed. I and Chris were moved by such a selfless act of our little 4 almost 5 year old.

Sometimes God speaks so oddly to us. This time it was seeing our little girl think of others in a trying time. She was more concerned for her unborn sisters safety than her own. No wonder God wants us to have the faith of a child and tells us that to such is the kingdom of Heaven.

That is what family is for

What a week. My life has been a little like a hurricane this week to say the least. Let me start at the beginning.

Last week my mom called to let me know that my uncle, her brother, had been feeling ill and went the doctor. He nearly passed out upon leaving the MD office and was sent to the hospital for some tests. They found that he was "eat up" with cancer to the point there was nothing that the medical profession could do for him. So they sent him home with hospice and gave him 3 weeks to 3 months to live. He passed away yesterday afternoon in his home with his family.  Mom and I were praying that "if this cup could not pass from him" that it would at least be a painless and peaceful passing.  It was.

My mother who lives in New Mexico desperately wanted to see her brother before he passed, got a plane ticket to come in next week.  When she heard he had taken a turn for the worse she changed her ticket to this past Wed. The first leg of her flight, that landed in Minn, was late and she had 15 min to get to her next flight. After running to a completely different concourse she arrived to see them closing the door to the pedway. She had missed her flight. In trying to re-route her to Louisville by another flight it began. My mom slowly forgot where she was and why she was there. This has happened before and she had all kinds of tests run but all were negative. My sister happened to call her just as it was happening and got my mom to give the phone to a lady so she could tell the women what was happening and to call for help.  She was taken to the nearest hospital and they did a CAT scan to rule out a stroke. It was neg, praise God. However, she still could not remember anything past waving goodbye to my dad in Colorado Springs. My sister and I would move heaven and Earth for this woman. She is my best friend. So we called my brother and left Louisville at 6 PM for Minn. The four of us, including my brothers finance, took turns driving there for the 11 hour duration of the trip. We arrived at 6:30 AM. By this time mom was beginning to remember why she was coming to KY and where she was. The doctor called it Transient Global Amnesia. It is a coping mechanism she has that kicks in when she is extremely stressed. Given the situation with her brother and missing her flight it was fertile ground for this thing to plant in. There is no residual effects except for the loss of memory. The doctor said her mind gets so stressed that it just stops recording so she cannot remember the stressful event.  We were so glad she was on the mend and could not wait to scoop her up and bring her home. We left the hospital at 11:30AM and got home at 12:30PM. It was an adventure and a great bonding experience for all of us. It was a crazy 30 hours but I could not have thought of a better person to expel them on.  She was worth every minute I drove through the storm in IN and traffic Sherrie drove in though Chicago.  I would do it all over again tomorrow if needed. She is that kind of person.  Now on a side note we were all stinking by the time we got home and using napkins as a temporary toothbrush just did not cut it.  But we're family and family loves, hopes, and endures though all kinds of stinks just like we did.

It was sad to know my mom did not get to see her brother before he passed but I just fell in my heart that God had a good reason why. She did speak to him by phone so there was some closure. He was a great uncle, quit the comedian at times. He will be missed by all.  See ya on the other side Uncle Frankie.

Family Vacation Take III

This was the third year that we have taken a family vacation to Destin, FL. My sister and her family along with my family load up and travel 10 hours, by car, to the lovely beaches of Destin.  This year we had 2 added bonuses.  The first and most important was the addition of Nana, and second was our new beach house rental...Bella's Bluff.  She was a beaut.  It was like nothing I have ever vacationed in.  The only way we could afford it was going the last week of off season.  That did not matter much.  We only had one day of rain, and none of us are too fond of crowds.  It worked out perfect.

After unloading we hit up  our favorite restaurant The Crab Trap (Trap).  Makenna always adds on an extra trap for some unknown reason.  Sherrie, Jamie, and I ordered the Alaskan King Crab Legs.  YUM!!  Nothing better.  Later that night Maddax threw up on the beach.  But all was good, Chris was with him.

First day out was a little overcast, but the kids did not mind.  We finished the afternoon off in the community pool and hot tub.  That night we ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  If you ever go to Destin eat there and try the fried dill pickles.  WONDERFUL. Chris and I went back another day for a second helping.

Second day was wonderful.  Started out at the beach again with Maddax dead set on not getting in the sand or the water.  Finished up at the pool to rinse off.  Most of us got a little too much sun so we were not too saddened that the following day it rained.  Mom, Sherrie, and I went to Marshells store for some great buys.  Maddax however, being like most men, hated being in the store so we cut it short to head home.  It was okay though because the boys let us have another night to finish what we started.

Maddax not only warmed up to the beach, he loved it.  He would make a bee line to the water so he required much attention the rest of the trip. Everyday at 10:30 he would start getting cranky and Nana would scoop him up, snuggle him close and walk down the beach.  In no time flat he was out like a light.  Then she would bring him back and lay him on a towel.  He slept fine under our beach umbrellas (a must on the beach).

Makenna loved the beach day one.  She would go out in the water all by herself.  Yeah that scared me too.

A few minor mishaps happened.  We all got poked by these baby shrimp things once or twice on our feet, as they were unavoidable.  A huge jelly fish landed on the beach and Chase picked it up with his net so we could all take a better look.  After chucking it further up on the sand, his net rubbed his and Callie's legs.  Well its poison must have still been on the net because they both got stung on the legs.  Time, ammonia, and sand helped to heal their wounds.  Later Chris got stung on the toe in the water by a jelly and Nana got pinched on her pinky toe when she accidentally stepped on a crab in the ocean.  I on the other hand navigated freely from harm on the beach but had bigger issues once we got back to the beach house.  I got sun poisoning, again.  This is the third year in a row.  I used 50 or 30 sunblock everyday and reapplied.  Plus I spent a lot of time under the umbrella with Maddax.  It did not hit me till Thursday and just so happened that mom got it too.  Her feet swelled up to the point her toes looked like hot dogs.  The only common link is that we are both on Synthroid.  So be aware if you are on Synthroid you may be hyper-sensitive to the sun in areas where the sun is hotter.  The first time I got sun poisoning was in Hawaii 10 years ago, and I was on Synthroid then. Yuck.

We had a great vacation.  Makenna was so sad to not have Aunt Sherrie and the gang for dinner last night.  She keeps asking if we can go back to the beach house next week.  I tell her no but next year we can.  I have already started looking at other vacation homes to rent pending Destin is not ate up with oil. 

The night before we left we went out on the beach a took family pics.  She is a momma's girl and he is a daddy's boy (sometimes).

The best part of it all was being with family.  We would play skip-bo or phase ten till the wee hours of the night just enjoying each other.  That is unless you are sitting after my sister.  She count cards and remembers everything you throw down.  That way she never discards anything you need.  I lost frequently.

One night mom watched all the kids so we could have a date night.  Even though we went and ate at different restaurants we ran into each other later to buy pillows and enjoy a Starbucks. I am so lucky blessed to have such a wonderful family. Yeah we have our differences but we always seem to work it out.  Makenna said, "I just miss having us all together." Me too honey, me too.

Nana and all the grandkids.

The Freeing Power of SUBMISSION

So here is goes ladies.  I know you will think I have lost my mind, but hear me out and then make a judgement call.

When Chris and I got married 11 years ago if someone told me I would be a submissive wife today I would have laughed so hard I would have wet my pants.  Being submissive was the farthest thing from my mind and I had no desire to even entertain the idea.  Why might you ask?  My mother was the finest example of a submissive wife and I was not going to be her.  I know that sounds backwards considering that I just  said she was the finest example, but I was going to be independent.  I was determined to rely on no man.  Hence the problem.  I was a christian but not completely relying on God, dependently.  There was some insecurity in the unseen.

John 20:29 "...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

I knew this Bible verse but could not put it into practice.  I thought I new better.  So fast forward to a girl who was not about to rely on any man. I went to college and got my degree with an awesome job.  I wanted to always be able to  take care of myself.  In a sense I was preparing myself for the worst case scenario and not the best case scenario.  Chris gave up his dream of being an officer in the military so I could finish school.  I realize now what a huge sacrifice he made for me to finish school so that I would not have to rely on him or God.  Wow how incredibaly selfish I was, and I could not have been farther from where I am today. 

After the birth of Makenna I began to have a hunger to be a stay at home mother.  Financially we were not at a place we could make that move. Being a mother was exactly what God had intended but somewhere deep inside I was fearful of letting go of my identy and my independence.  I began searching Gods Word and asking him to guide my family in what we should do according His will.  Chris and I prayed for Gods direction.  That was when it all began to change. 

Chris was a member of the Elizabethtown Police Department and was at SWAT school in Oldham County one day.  He came home with a look on his face that I had not seen in awhile.  He said he met some officers from Oldham Co  who said they were hiring.  He went on to say that if he got a job there it would change our financial situation to allow me to stay at home more.  What in the heck?  I was never in a million years going to leave Elizabethtown.  It was my safe haven. My security blanket. That was one thing I told Chris when we got married.  I was NEVER leaving Elizabethtown, EVER.  Well it is amazing how God can rock your world if you tell him never.  See years before that I told God that I could never live with out my mom.  About a month later her and my dad moved to New Mexico.  It was like he said, "What was that about not being able to live without your mom."  I did not find it funny at all but it was a lesson I needed to learn.  It taught me to lean on my husband instead of my mom which I am so thankful for now.  This was another one of those situations.  We prayed again and after some very, very, very long talks between Chris and I we decided to put it into Gods hands.  He tried out for the Oldham County Dept and was the top pick after all the testing (Gods hand at work).  Next step was if it was Gods will we would sell our home. Take into consideration that this was when the housing market was plundging and on top of that we lived out in the county where there was not alot of traffic.  We sold our house in 6 weeks to a family that lived in North Carolina who did not lay eyes on the house till closing day. (Purely Gods hand at work)

I began to hear God loud and clear.  He knew what was best and I was slowly letting him take complete control of my life.  The sell of our house was followed with more changes in our marriage.  We left Elizabethtown, I went to working PRN which gave me the opportunity to spend most of my time with Chris and the kids, and I gave Chris complete control of the checking and saving accounts. 

Now if any of you know Chris you would know that he was never the best at managing money, but I look back now and realize he was never given the chance.  I was always in the way.  He does an awesome job and I am no longer stressed with the bills.  Now I have an allowence and a panic credit card but I have no earthly idea how much is in our checking or savings account and get this, I DO NOT MIND. How liberating.

I decided humbled myself to the Lord and finally submitted to him and Chris.

Eph 5:22,25,28  "Wives submit to your husbands, as to the Lord...Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her.  So husbands ought to love their own wifes as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself."

It hit me like a ton of bricks one day in the shower.  I have alot of quiet time with God in the shower mostly becasue that is the only quiet time I have during my day.  The verse has listed first that wives are to submit then secondly is listed that husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church.  In that order.  God was telling me that I would never feel the love from Chris like Christ loved the church till I SUBMITTED.  Makes complete sense now.  I was to independent to let God show me this years before.  To think of how many blessings I have missed in my life because I refused to obey Gods Word.  Well I will be the first to tell you that I do not plan on missing out on anymore blessings.  The thing that I keep going back to was that I had this constant example of a submissive wife thoughout my entire life but I chose to ignore it.  Thank you so much mom for the shinning example you gave and continue to give me.

Now do not think for one moment that if you submit your husband will miraculously change.  More than that it is not your job to try to change him by verbally telling him that he is not loving you like Christ does.  Yeah I have been there too.  In fact, I am still learning.

I Peter 3:1  "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives."

I felt a burden on my heart to share this with you.  And I am trying to be a shinning example to Makenna and to Maddax by my actions.  Chris is the boss.  He makes the final decisions and I submit to his authority.  I just hope Makenna can implement this as soon as she marries and not miss out on the greatest blessings God has for her. 

Yes this is not the norm.  Society thinks I am wack.  But my heavenly father is so pleased with me and I have never felt so loved from Chris and liberated from satan's hold on my marriage.  In the words of Jesus, "BEHIND ME SATAN" Matt 16:23

Still think I am crazy?

Merry Christmas and happy New Year from our crew to yours.

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur. I picked up a few extra days at work to pay for Christmas, parents in to visit from New Mexico, visiting family, and attending weddings and Christmas parties. Needless to say the blogging fell behind. I will most likely be a weekly blogger at best.

We celebrated Christmas with Chris' family on Christmas Eve and had a great visit. I watched the love a almost 4 year old for her great-grandfather as she ran to hug an kiss a very frail and ill 80 something man. It made my heart melt for her to see past all the sickness and embrace him with all the love she had. Thank you Lord for a sweet little girl who loves others with so much passion.

Christmas morning we opened up presents from Santa and the mommy and daddy. She was so excited to see the "car slide" she had asked Santa for on 4 separate occasions. She kept asking how he got it down the chimney. Next year I hope he delivers toys that are already put together.

Maddax opened his tickle me Elmo, but was more enamored by the paper than the present.

That evening we spent Christmas with my family at my sisters. We played Phase 10, ate lots of food and Christmas candy, told stories about our childhood, and just enjoyed each others company. Christmas Day was drawn to an end with my little girl turning 4. Her birthday is not till the 26th but we decided to make due of the fact that we were already together. I was going to happily make her a birthday cake but Makenna insisted on her Nana making it instead. Is she trying to imply something? Nana did a fabulous job on the cake. It turned out better than I or Makenna could have ever dreamed. Makenna was so excited to turn 4 and eat her cake. I on the other hand was not so happy. It was a very bittersweet moment. My little girl was growing up. Sob Sob.
In all the hustle of the Christmas season we found every opportunity to tell Makenna and Maddax the real reason for Christmas. One night she came into the kitchen with a blanket on her head and holding a baby. I said, "What are you doing?" She said, "I am an angel and this is baby Jesus. I must lay him on the hay." I am so glad she knows about the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Sometimes even as Christians we get caught up in craziness of the season and forget the true meaning of it all. That God sent his only son to be born in a stable so that we may have life eternal. This Christmas I want to say thank you Lord for your gift of love and mercy.