He is RISEN Indeed!

Today is Resurrection Sunday.  IT is a joyous day indeed and the season leading up to it has been interesting.  This whole Lenten season has been a different one for me.  I started out thinking that I would fast from a certain type of food and alas, I did not.  When I did end up eating what it was I wanted to fast from, I felt like a big loser and definitely not honoring God.  The whole reason for lent, in my simple opinion, is to remember Christ in His 40 days through the wilderness.  During those 40 days he prayed, fasted and was totally alone.  I doubt I will ever spend 40 days by myself fasting and praying so why in the world is it so hard for me to go without a simple 'creature comfort' of this day in age for a few weeks?!  It is so very important to set aside time to remember the works of the Lord.  He commanded the Jews to celebrate Passover every year to specifically remember and teach the young ones about God delivering His people out of Egyptian slavery.  God commands us to remember and teach.  So having that in my mind, and having a three year old boy who is beginning to comprehend Biblical stories, I REALLY wanted to make this Easter season more purposeful.  So, I tried to be consistent about reading Bible stories each morning as we ate our breakfast and I wanted to be diligent about explaining 'new life' as we see all of the blooms around us.  On Friday, showed Eric the pictures of Jesus coming into Jerusalem on a donkey with people waving palms and then being crucified and finally being alive in the presence of his friends the disciples.  Honestly, I do not think he got much out of it.  However, I got a lot out of it.  Maybe that is why God commanded us to remember and teach the younger ones.  Not so much for their benefit, but for ours.  Friday was a gloomy rainy day and were inside for most of it.  I read a few devotionals and reflected on my own sin and the reality that I am trapped inside of it.  Then today, Easter Sunday, the sun was shining and the weather clear.  The reality that the One who knew NO sin, became sin for me and now I am not trapped.  I am free.  

So when the tears began to well up in my eyes as we sang out in church this morning, I just let them fall down my cheeks.  I rejoiced at the words spoken from the pastor.  I am so thankful for this specific time to reflect, remember and teach about this the MOST AWESOME event in all of history.  We got home and before everyone stripped off their Easter duds we managed to take a couple of decent pictures.  

The LORD is RISEN.  The LORD is RISEN indeed!!! Hallelujah!  

Just Like Daddy

This picture was taken in March on a little family outing we went on to the Greenbrier community of the Smoky Mountains.  Both Eric and Tim had their hats on and coats and had fun crossing the stream on the log bridge.  As Eric gets older he is definitely less interested in hanging out with Mommy if Daddy is anywhere around.  Why just the other day when Tim was studying downstairs, Eric just meandered on down there to hang out with him.  He didn't play with toys or bother Tim, he was just sitting on the couch next to him.  Eventually, he started playing with the blanket and covering himself with it, all the while not talking to Daddy or bothering him.  It was obvious he just wanted to be with him.  

I hope Eric grows up to be just like Daddy.  Tim is such a fine man and I have an enormous amount of respect for him. He works so hard, is so loyal and faithful in even the smallest of details and in the core of his heart there is the pure intent to follow Christ with everything he is.  Tim takes time to teach Eric soccer and to go play with him.  This is the field behind our house and I took

this picture from our back deck so it may be a little fuzzy, but you get the idea.  I want Eric to learn what Daddy knows about teamwork, finishing a job until it is done well and how to cope well under any circumstance.  I can get caught up in worrying about his future and hoping that he doesn't get caught up in worldly stuff, but then I am reminded to live each day in its fullest and not to worry about tomorrow.  

Just like Daddy.  What a joy and a privilege it is for me to have a man like this as the father of our children.  Yes indeed, I do hope Eric grows up to be just like Daddy. 

My very precious girl...

Today it was just the two of us

a rare and precious gift

I watched her jump and run and laugh

then to my arms for a lift

She lead my hand through the grass

and though only a few feet away

Her frame was fuzzy and out of focus 

as wet tears did blur my gaze

How I love this precious girl

she brings me joy inexpressible

her curls, her smile, her life

blessings only far too incredible

a toddler she is, a feisty one

yet all too soon I know

The moon will rise and then the sun 

and she will be full grown

but today I'll wrap her in my arms

and press my cheek to hers

never ceasing

to thank my God for this 

very precious girl

Christmas time is here

I love this picture because I think it represents my two children perfectly. Eric doing the non-prompted-by-mommy Vanna White thing because he is just so proud of his masterpiece. He likes to work on all kinds of stuff and be good at whatever he does. Be it kicking a soccer ball, jumping on the trampoline or putting a gingerbread house together. He has to do it well. Like father like son. Amy, on the other hand, wants in on all the action, but may not want to spend the time it takes to get the job done right. Here she is, giving us her quintessential pirate smile as we like to call it, and making her presence known. Nevertheless, she didn't do much but eat the candy when it came to assembling this gingerbread house.

Life here in Knoxville is fun. We are enjoying the Christmas season and all things Christmas here in K-town. The day after Thanksgiving we went downtown to go ice skating at this temporary ice rink in the middle of the square. Eric REALLY wanted to go and since Tim doesn't ice skate

and I am pregnant, it was decided that I would go and take our 42 pound son on the cold, slippery rink of fun! Seriously, I did want to go and we had fun. NOt one fall, either!

In just a few short weeks, this ice rink will be torn down and remain down unitl next year's holiday season. So we are taking advantage of all there is to do and see around town. Being the new kids in town, we are wide-eyed awed with pretty much everything we experience. Yes, being a 'foreigner' has its perks. Nevertheless, I do miss Christmas time stuff in Phoenix - believe it or not. I miss the lights on the houses. People here just don't do the crazy lights on the houses thing. They may put out a wreath, but that is about it. Simple is good, I remind myself, and just because someone doesn't put up 10,000 strings of tacky lights all over thier house does not mean they have any less Christmas spirit.

Tara, Tara (as I hear Jesus say) it isn't about what my house looks like or what kind of food I prepare, it is about sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to what HE has to say. This time is about preparing for the coming of a KING. Women who are pregnant anticipate the coming of their babies by preparing a nursery, buying or making clothes and blankets, taking care of their bodies, reading books, resting while feeling the baby kick inside of them. How must I prepare for this baby Jesus? What should I do to prepare room for HIM? I must stop and rest and feel His kicking, for He is alive and coming again.

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

I hope this Christmas season is about connecting more with Christ Jesus. I pray that you, too will stop to rest and 'feel His kicking' as you anticipate the arrival of this King of Kings.

Musings of a parent who doesn't know what she is doing

"You are my best friend"

Eric said that to me the other day when I was buckling him into his carseat. He was so sincere and the sweet look that was on his face when he said that was precious. I treasure these times as a parent. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, I think he just wanted to tell me his thoughts.

A few days later I would not let him get his way, and I dont think he saw me in quite the same light. Somedays I am a friend to him, somedays I am more "not very fun".

Parenting is quite a challenge and to those of us who really care and want to do right by our kids feel like we are failing miserably. We read books and listen to the tapes and when it seems like we get into sort of a rhythm, the floor falls out from under us and we have to totally reassess and remind ourselves that we have no idea of what we are doing. Well, at least that is what I do. Then I am reminded of The Perfect Parent. "I leave you My Peace which passes all understanding" "I am not a God of confusion, but of peace", "I will never leave you or forsake you." God our heavenly Father may not keep us from trials, but He does promise that He will be with us through them all.

The other day when Eric was kicking and screaming in Target, no less, and I did not know what to do or how to handle the situation, I just took a deep breath and prayed, "Lord, please give me the wisdom and peace to walk through this moment". Then lightning came down and wrote a magnificent solution on the wall and Eric instantly corrected his behaviour!!! Well, not exactly. I did have the assurance that I was not alone and when I look to the mountains...where does my help come from... it comes from the Lord. I will receive help from Him.

I rest assured that although I will make big parenting blunders, I know that God is big enough to spare my children from my humanness and build them up to be great men and women nonetheless.

Sometimes Eric kicks and screams in Target or the grocery store and my blood pressure rises and then sometimes he tells me that I am his best friend and my heart expands to overflowing.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Eric, King of the Pumpkin Patch!

Amy, can you say Gord?

We have been enjoying the REAL Autumn here in Knoxville! My sister, Kristin came for a visit. This is at the Wear Valley Farmer's Market.

This post doesn't have a lot of inspirational words to add to your life, not that my other posts are loaded with wisdom. At any rate, we are well and enjoying life.

Cotton candy, Funnel Cakes and Carnies!!!!!

Y'all guess what? I took my kids to the Tennessee Valley Fair today. (Thanks Karen for the idea) The atmosphere was your typical fair complete with the melange of rides, carnival games, and food stands packed with meat products, flour, sugar and fat. Yummy! All with an East Tennessee country mountain flair!

Eric had never seen such a sight and he was a little apprehensive at first, but as soon as he saw some big boys get on The Spider and we watched them swirl around about a thousand times, he said " Mommy I want to do that"

Here we go.

"Eric, you are still a little boy (even though I tell him he is a 'big boy' all the time) and you are just not tall enough to go on this ride. Let's go over to the little kid area" So we did and he rode on three rides. The first ride - OH I wish I captured it on film- was the bee ride. It had the center pole and all of the 'bees' came out of it like spokes. The bees go up and down while rotating around the center pole. So, we stand him up against the height requirement pole and he meets the minimum. I give him his tickets which he proceeds to give to the ride operator. As an aside, this ride operator was the quintessential carnie! This guy had a long pony tail, a gaping whole in the front of his mouth where the two front teeth used to be and the remaining teeth he did have weren't that great to look at anyway. He even had an "I love mom" tatoo!!! Sweet. Well, I cannot go because I am too big, plus, I have Amy with me and she can't go because she is too small. I realized that I am about to enter into a mothering rite of passage-- entrusting my precious first born to a toothless carnie who loves his mother. The carnie helps him into the closest bee and buckles him in.
"Eric is such a big boy" I think. "There he goes riding his first carnival ride all by himself"
Sniff sniff
The ride starts and up goes Eric's bee. I wouldn't say he was petrified, but I wouldn't say he was all smiles either. He went around three times before I saw any change of movement from his statuesque body. And the change I saw was a slight smile and flick of a finger that closely resembled the beginning of a wave.
So here is Mom, waving like crazy as he goes around while thinking about how big my baby is. At the end of the ride, he was waving and smiling. Oh, what fun. I wish you could have seen him.

The next two rides were the trains and boats. Not as eventful, but at least Amy got to ride with Eric on the boats which by the way were not in water. They were just on a track that has a slight up and down genre. Amy cried because she wanted to go with big brother. So I went and put her in the boat next to him and walked to the gate. She then cried the whole time.

What a day. We did make it over to the Home Centered Craft Expo hall so I could check out the quilts. :-) I looked at them in peace while the kids were content to sit in the double stroller while eating some award winning homemade choco chip cookies. #14 you get a blue ribbon from me and my kids!! Your cookies were great.

Eric passed out on the way home and went straight to bed. It does kind of gross me out that Eric didn't get a bath, but I was SURE that he did wash hands before getting into our car. Amy, on the other hand, was on a post fair high and didn't settle down until 9:30 even though we got home at 8.

Sigh, so now here I am, reliving the sights (carnies, lots of overweight southerners, and 4H sheep) sounds ("mommy, I want to do that" and "yall cut that out or I'm on whup ya") and smells (flour sugar fried in hot fat and cigarette smoke) of the famous Tennesse Valley Fair. Hope you have a great day! We Luv Ya, Yall! Bye bye