God Is Up To Something Good

I haven't blogged in a while.  This has been one of the strangest summers of my life.  Other than having lots of teacher planning on my mind, there have been several "close" calls in my extended family.  From a broken bone, to a near death experience, to surgery, (and a few other things I don't want to mention)... all of these things have definitely kept me on my knees.  Although I've asked God a couple of times, "Why Lord?,"  the response I always feel in my spirit is, "All things work for good to those who love the Lord."  Even though I may not see it at a particular moment, I have faith that God is up to something good.  His ways are not our ways and His timing is not our timing.  I also take comfort in knowing that God's will is exactly what I would choose if I knew what God knows!  I love the following quote, "To desire anything other than God's will is to desire less than the very best for my life or the lives of those I love."  I'm so thankful that God is the Great Orchestrator of my life.  He knows exactly what I need to happen in my life to make me grow spiritually. 

I want to share a couple of stories that have happened to me (personally), this summer, that have humbled me and made me thankful that God is my Faithful Protector.  A few weeks ago, I loaded 4 big trash bags, full of clothes, in my car.  I was going to drop them off, in a small building at a mission, a stones throw away from our neighboring country, to the south of us.  As I was traveling to this place, my mom called me.  I told her where I was headed and she told me to be careful (seeing as this was not the safest part of town).  She told me about a gruesome incident that happened across the river just that weekend, that made me a little nervous.  I told her I was pulling up to the place and I'd talk to her later.  I was going to see how fast I could toss the big bags into the storage building, so I could get out of there.  One bag was down and I had three to go.  When I walked around to the back of my SUV, to grab another bag, a man approached me, from across the street, (HOLDING A LARGE KNIFE)!  I wasn't sure what this man's intentions were.  I know God helped me stay rational.  I thought one of two things, "He's either here to help me or hurt me."  Seeing as I usually see the glass half-full, I went with the first notion.  So, without any introductions, I threw him a large bag.  I quickly grabbed another bag and tossed it in the shed.   At this point all rationale left me and I prayed, "Oh please God help him not to stab me."  All of the sudden my foot steps caught up with my accelerated heart rate and all I wanted to do was jump in my car.  I quickly closed the back door, of my car, while he asked me in Spanish if there were anymore bags.  I said, "No," jumped in my car and sped off.   The seriousness of the situation hit me as I left the scene, and there were two things I wanted to do:  Thank the Lord for protecting me and call my mom!

After venting to my mom, I had to talk to my sister.  She said something that made a chill rush through me.  She told me he could have been there to hurt me or steal my car, but God could have placed strong angels in the car that only the man could see.  Only God knows what the man's intentions were, but after envisioning what might have been, I'm humbled by my God's protection!

Another protection story:  As I was driving home yesterday evening (on our rural road), the west sun was in my eyes.  As I was zooming across the railroad tracks, I noticed the RR lights blinking!  Ten seconds later, I saw the train speed by, in my rear view mirror!  At that moment, I turned the radio off and thanked God for protecting me, yet again!  His timing is always perfect, so why should I ever doubt it?!

I will close with a scripture that's dear to my heart. As a teenager my mom challenged me to memorize verses from Psalm 91.  I'm thankful she did.  "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2

Mama's Got A Job

Well, starting the middle of August, I will join the working world!  Monday night I was hired, at our local school, to teach 10th grade English and 7th grade reading.  I'm very excited about it!  I can honestly say, up until this point in my life, I have not wanted a full time job. I'm rather old fashioned in my ideals, and I have felt the need to be a stay-at-home mom for the past 14 years. I've loved everything about being a "housewife", and I'm thankful to my husband for working double jobs so I could stay home with our girls.  

I know life the way I have known it (for the past 15 years) will drastically change, but I can honestly say, "I'm ready for it."  That's not to say there won't be challenges every now and then, but when is there not in life?  My husband and girls are excited about my new job and I'm counting on them to help out with a few things next year.  We'll see how that goes!  

I can't remember where I found the following quote, but I love it!  It kind of sums up the way I feel about this new adventure in my life.
          "The changes in Job's life moved him toward God.  Stress points?  Yes.  But, also opportunities  to discover new dimensions of God!"
I've asked God to open doors that needed to be open and close doors that needed to be shut, and I feel He has answered my prayers.  Before getting the job, I had come to the point in my life that I'd be content with or without a job.  I just wanted God's will to be done.  I loved the peace that came with that.  I truly feel this opportunity is a gift from God and I'm looking forward to trying to make a difference in kids' lives! 

You have my permission to slap me if I end up looking like the ladies in the following pictures.  I swear, I think you should be fined for wearing "teacher" clothes.  You know what I'm talking about... the ABC and Christmas sweaters! 

OH YEAH, PRAY FOR ME!! :)

Wings As Eagles

But those who wait upon the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Family Photo Shoot 2010

A few pics from our photo shoot. Kati Kitchens from Austin took our pictures.
For some reason, Blogger is only letting me post 4 pics! I'll try a few more later.

Happy Mother's Day!

MY MOM IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MOM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!! 

She's not only my mom but a best friend too.  I love hanging out with her.  She's a lot of fun and has tons of energy.  When we're together we're usually laughing.  She has always encouraged me and reminded me that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  If I ever have a problem in life, I know mom will be on her knees praying for me.  She's a prayer warrior!  I take great comfort in knowing that. We are usually each other's back-up in whatever project we've volunteered for and have a good time working together.  I'm so glad we only live 18 miles apart.  She has always added sparkle to my life, sometimes a little too much! ha!  (...some of the predicaments we get into...) Her adventurous spirit keeps things exciting.  I'm thankful to God for instilling such a warm, caring, and nurturing heart in my mom.  In my eyes, my childhood was pretty much picture-perfect, and so much of the credit is due to her.  She poured her heart and soul into raising us and I thank her for that.  She is and always has been a wonderful role model in my life.  I couldn't imagine my life without my mom in it.  I love you mom! 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

"Her children rise up and call her blessed..." Proverbs 31:28

Softball

K & K played great last night! Kater Bug hit it low and hard and made it to 3rd.
She ended up stealing home by sliding in. It was a photo finish!
Libby had good hits too and she's quick! Look at the coach next to 3rd...he looks
intense! Yeah, that's their dad! Go Lady Hawks!!

Rodeo Season Begins

Chillin' at the rodeo before they ride.

                                        Pep talk from dad before break-a -way roping begins...

                                              Gearing up to rope for the first time in an arena.

Lupe took the kids for a ride around the pasture.

I love this time of year...rodeo season.  It means summer is just around the corner! Woohoo!

A Cat Tale

After a productive weekend and a busy Monday and Tuesday, I wasn't in the mood to cook supper this evening.  Have you ever felt that way?  You look in the frig, you look in the pantry, you look in the freezer, but nothing jumps out and says, "Cook me!"  The thought of everyone doing their own thing crossed my mind...cereal, a sandwich, a tasty burrito...  I gave into the guilt and decided to make something that took longer than 1 minute and 45 seconds to cook (since I only made egg sandwiches last night).  As I walked out the back door to get chicken out of the freezer, I noticed the baby kittens were all alone on the porch.  Before I got to the garage door, I noticed the mama cat - behind a potted plant - just taking it easy.  At first I was a little envious, because like the cat, I wanted a little R&R too!  Then I got a little miffed at the cat for not tending to her little kittens, weren't they hungry?  Hey! Wait a minute!  A few minutes ago, I almost did the same thing (let my kiddos fend for themselves for supper) and then there I was judging the cat for the same thing I almost did!  In life, we do the same thing, don't we?    We judge the women in our lives before really taking a good hard look at our own. We all want to be good wives, moms, sisters, and friends, and sometimes it's hard and not always a barrel of laughs.  So, let's be a little less judgemental and a lot more supportive to the women in our lives!  

"Judge not lest ye be judged."  

My New Spot

My new spot for reading and praying...until it gets too hot!

From a distance...

Watching the sheep chill out by Cow Creek

(Behind our house)

Old outhouse behind our house...

(Don't feel sorry for us, we don't have to use it,

we have indoor plumbing!) ha!

Curious cow...is wondering what I'm up to!

Yesterday, as I followed my oldest down to the arena, a nice little spot under some trees, behind our house, caught my eye.  I immediately envisioned twinkly lights hanging from the trees, a fire pit, and seating, maybe a hammock too!  Well, after she rode, I found a table and one little chair.  I hauled them over to the spot under the tree and staked my claim!  I thought it'd be a lovely spot to read and pray in the mornings.  So, this morning, after the girls left for school, I grabbed my bible, a few other books, and my cup of coffee and headed outside.  It was such a beautiful morning.  It was slightly overcast with a gentle breeze.  I loved hearing the birds chirp, the doves call out, and the cows moo.  The coolest thing was the little white butterfly that kept dancing around me!  It was all very relaxing.  I don't know if I've said it before, but I absolutely LOVE nature!  What a creation! 

There were only 2 "hiccups" to this lovely morning: the big caterpillar that was on the table when I got there and I dropped my little turquoise cup as I was walking back to the house!  BTW, I love nature, but I HATE WORMS!  I said a prayer that nothing would fall out of the tree and land on me while I was praying and reading!  Just thinking about it makes me shake!  God answered my prayer and I didn't see another creepy crawly!! 

PRAISE TO THE LORD FROM CREATION

"Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him , all His angels; Praise Him all His hosts!

Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him all you stars of light!

Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created.

He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths.

Fire and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling His word.

Mountains and hills; fruitful trees and all cedars.

Beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl.

Kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all judges of the earth.

Both young men and maidens; old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His glory is above the earth and heaven.

And He has exalted the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints -

Of the children of Israel, a people near to Him.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148

Wow, He even mentioned creeping things!  I feel a little guilty about holding a life-long grudge against worms. I'm glad I just swooshed the worm off the table instead of smashing it; it might have been praising the Lord!! ;)

My photo subjects...I'm playing with photos today.

Feet First

                                                                A few hours old...

            

She had a set of lungs!

    

Leaving hospital

1st b-day

Written on 4-19-10:

Twelve years ago, today, my mom came out to the ranch and brought us hamburgers from the Krazy Chicken. I only ate 1/2 of the hamburger that evening. You would have thought I would've eaten the whole thing since I had packed on 50 extra pounds that year! No, it wasn't from sitting around watching soap operas and eating bon bons, it was the baby growing inside of me! And, no, I wasn't in the Guinness Book of World Records for having a 50 pound baby. She only weighed 8 pounds! I blamed most of the weight on water retention! ;)

I told mom I couldn't finish my burger and she asked if I felt okay. I told her I thought I might be having a few contractions. That's when she had the bright idea to walk down to the House Tank, 1/2 mile from our house. She said she thought it might speed things along. I put on my tennis shoes and off we went! We got half way to the tank and I just couldn't go any farther, so we walked back home. The pains were beginning to come a little closer together and kind of hurt. So, I took a shower while Mark hung curtains in Maddie's new room. I would holler out (from the shower) when I was having another contraction. Everything started happening so fast. Before I knew it, we threw my bag into the car and sped to the hospital. Half way there I had the most excruciating pain and I asked him to go faster! He put the hazards on and nailed it!

After the nurse did the embarrassing exam, she said I was 8 1/2 cm. dilated. They could have wheeled me right into the delivery room. Then she broke the bad news. She said, "Whatever you do, don't push because the baby is breached and we can't get a hold of your doctor!" "Breached, no doctor, don't push, new doctor in town, c-section," all these words coming from the nurses made me cry! I had never had surgery and wasn't wanting it that night.

They never did get a hold of my doctor, they said a new doctor was in town and wanted to know if it be okay if he'd perform the surgery. We agreed, what else could I do! When the new doctor walked in the door, the looks of him didn't ease my nerves any. He looked like a mad scientist (crazy hair) who liked wearing Hawaiian shirts and snake skinned boots!  By the time I was wheeled into the operating room, my nerves had taken over and I was shaking uncontrollably.  I had been watching "Touched By An Angel" pretty regularly, back in '98, and the thought of the death angel walking through the door made me nauseous!  Yeah, you could say I was pretty scared, none the least!  Mark, the warm towels, my prayers, and "Hold On" by Wilson Philips, playing in the background, started easing the nervous convulsions, a bit.  Before I knew it, little Kater Bug was born at 11:57 pm!  Man, did she have a set of lungs on her!  The nurse later told me she had never heard a baby scream that loud!  She was so beautiful!  She weighed 8 pounds 6 oz. 


Wow!  Twelve years have gone by so fast.  She has turned into such an amazing kid!  One of the things I love about her is she is her own person.  There's no question where she stands on an issue.  She's pretty much black or white.  She knows what she likes and doesn't like.  She doesn't do things just because everyone else is doing them.  She has her own convictions and sticks with them!  Thinking back, I guess this sort of attitude started before she was born.  In the womb she was probably thinking, "You know, I betcha everyone always comes out head first, well not me, I don't want to be like everybody else!  I think I'm going to turn around.  I want to come out feet first!" 


She is one of the most creative people I know.  She is an exceptional student.  Learning has always come  easy for her.  You very rarely see her study and if she does it's for maybe 20 minutes.  And, she continues to make all A's.  She's an awesome writer.  She has been Author of the Month countless times and does well in UIL creative writing.  She also won 1st place in the Southwest Texas Junior College writing contest a few years ago.  Her creativity doesn't stop there.  Her computer skills are amazing.  Her power point presentations are always fun to watch.  She's also good with a camera and has done well in 4H photography.  She loves animals and also likes grooming them.  Her little Chihuahua, Chalula, can sometimes be seen in a cute little outfit with painted toenails!  A few years ago, before I had a jewelry show, Kate went online and bought jewelry and clothes for dogs.   A corner of the show was filled with Kate's things.  She helped me work the show one afternoon.  The dog accessories were a hit.  She has an eye for fashion, whether it be in the canine world or our own!  She loves accessorizing herself too.  From scarves, to pearls to headbands...she always looks cute.  But ,she's just not a girly-girl.  She loves to play outside and doesn't mind working hard or getting dirty.  She's also  very good at riding horses.  Her horse that she's riding this year in rodeos is Cupcake.  She always forms a strong bond with her horses.  She also loves sports and is currently playing softball.  She's very powerful and actually made a home run during her last game!!  She's looking forward to junior high sports next year.  She says she's going to play every sport.  She has a good group of friends at school and she's a very loyal friend.  She has had a giving heart since she was very little.  She'll save up her money and buy people gifts.  She likes making people feel special.  Most importantly, she loves God and is a great witness to others.


I couldn't imaging my life without my Kater Bug.  She spices it up - big time!  She has a great sense of humor and is a truly remarkable kid!  Happy Birthday Kater Bug...you amaze me!


"For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvelous are Your works.  And that my soul knows very well.  My frame was not hidden from You.  When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed, and in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!


BTW, for Kate's b-day she took the day off, and we went shopping together.  We had lunch at Fuddrucker's and shopped 'til we dropped.Two of her friends rode the bus home with her sisters and surprised her.  We ate her b-day cake, which was in the shape of a horseshoe, but I was told it resembled a toilet bowl seat!  I can only imagine what it would have resembled if I would have put chocolate icing on that cake (maybe something that plops in the toilet bowl)! After eating cake and opening presents, we watched a movie and ate at Chili's.  Nothing like partying on a Monday!! She had a good day!

So Long FB

I guess I'll be blogging more since I canceled my Face Book account. I don't know what came over me the other night. I just felt a strong need to deactivate my page. So, I went with my gut feeling and freed myself from the desire to post statuses, read statuses, look at pictures, etc... FB is neat because you can stay connected to family and friends, but if you're not careful it can become a little addicting. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't on FB 24/7. I just felt deep down I should be doing something more constructive with the little bits of free time I have during my waking hours. It's kind of funny because about a month ago I talked Mark into creating a FB account and now I don't have one. (And no, I'm not going to sneak on his page!)I may reactivate my page someday, but at this point in my life, I need to stay focused and not distracted!

Winter Get-A-Way

Don't ever eat yellow snow!! :)

The girls and I ice-skating

I'm glad this wasn't my car!!

DeeDee and C

Mi familia es mucho frio!

Gotta love snow icecream

Shopping

Uncle Mike And The Tubers

Winter Games 2014...watch out!

Dressed for a blizzard!

Girlies outside our cabin

Last Friday, we took the girls out of school and headed to Cloudcroft, NM, for some fun and relaxation. We say we want to go skiing every year, but we never do. Well, this year was the exception. We had so much fun! Mark's sister, DeeDee, and her family joined us at the cabins. Their company is always enjoyable, so they added to our fun!

Since we live in south Texas, we rarely see snow. So, this was a new experience for my girls. They loved everything about it, but eventually concluded that they wouldn't want to live in a place that got tons of snow. I concur! It was a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to hassle with the white stuff day in and day out. Also, I get scared driving on ice. Oh yeah, the one time I drive the Expedition, I get it stuck! A nice man helped me out. After about 15 minutes of him trying, I offered to get behind the car and push while he pressed on the gas. As I made my way to the back of the vehicle, I silently prayed that he put the car in forward rather than reverse! I hunkered down and pushed with my hands (like a school girl), trying not to slip on the ice, while he was giving it some gas...nothing...I turned to my youngest and said, "Pray!" Then I thought to myself, "Come on, you're stronger than that!" Thankful that I had just eaten a spinach salad, I leaned my body against the car and pushed with all I had (kind of like childbirth but using different muscles). Woohoo! I did it...ahem...well, I guess we did it (the helpful man, me and God)! :)

I've always said I'd never ski. Ever since I was in junior high and one of my friends came back from a skiing vacation with a broken leg (she had hit a tree), I never had wanted to ski. I had always envisioned myself hitting a tree as well. The thought of that had always haunted me. Well, I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm blaming it on the YOU CAN DO IT book I bought last summer. It gave me the encouragement I needed to step out of my comfort zone. Realizing bunny slopes don't have trees, made my decision a little easier too! I fell twice and concluded that I ski better without the poles. We just stayed on the bunny slopes. That ski lift is a whole other monster to tackle! Mark, Manna, DeeDee, my nephew and I were the skiers. Manna was a natural. She skied circles around me! I had a lot of fun though! My younger two didn't want to ski this year, so Uncle Mike took them tubing next to the bunny slopes.

The next day we went tubing a few miles outside of town. The hills were pretty high and steep and there was some room for error! One kid had to be air-lifted while we were there because of an accident. Fortunately, none of us were injured!!

All in all, we had a great time! We always do on vacations. Mark is a great vacation dad and the girls are easy to please. Now, I'm looking forward to our next adventure...I'm thinking someplace tropical where it takes about 2 minutes to get dressed!