Track meet

The kids had their last track meet today.  After the last track meet took 11 hours, with eight long, hot, miserable hours in between their second and third events.  We decided to be those kinds of parents and convinced our kids (by any means necessary) to sign up for the 400 meters instead of the 200 meters (the second to last event of the day) since it followed the 100 meters that they always run (which is early in the morning).  We figured this would eliminate eight hours of enjoying that lovely heat and humidity -- we were right.  Whew!  Turns out they have good endurance and also did well in that event.

 As we were praising ourselves for having this brilliant idea, we were headed home and drove into some of the worst driving conditions we have ever been in here.  The rain was coming down so hard I had to just follow the taillights because their was too much water on the road to see the lines.  (Mom, if you are reading this, don't freak out!)  It was crazy!  About a mile from home the hail started and I thought the window would break -- but it didn't.  It was scary.  Tara and I were both shaking for a while after.  But since it all turned out ok, I'm still glad we got out of there eight hours earlier!!

So the funny part of the day was that this one track club has a bible verse on their shirts.  We wanted to look it up to see what it said.

Tim:  I'll look it up on my phone.  What was the verse?

Tammy:  Ecclesiastes 4:11

Tim:  Umm, are you sure?

Tammy:  Yeah, pretty sure.  Do you doubt me?

Tim:  Ecc 4:11 says, "Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?"

We bust out laughing!

Apparently it's Ecc 9:11, "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong . . . "

Grandma Ice Cream

Tim's mom (our niece calls her Grandma ice cream)  was just here for a visit.  We had a great week of catching up,

goofing off,

celebrating everything and nothing,

eating very "healthy" (gotta live up to her name she said!),

and tearing up the town.  Come back soon, Grandma!

Double Rainbow

We had the most beautiful double rainbow after our recent storm.

The kids said they wanted to go see if there really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  

There is . . . and I am looking at it.

Memorial Day 2010

We celebrated Memorial Day by enjoying our freedom.  The daddies enjoyed their freedom to pursue the career of their choice aka they were working.  So the mommies decided to enjoy their freedom to shop . . . I mean clothe their growing children.  The kids decided to enjoy their freedom of expression and saturated the public with their uncontainable joy. . . no, seriously they were actually really good for a seven hour shopping trip!  So Aunt Meo and I took five children or six including the one in the belly (not my belly) and had a wonderful day.  In fact, at the end, Blake said it was the best day ever!  Below are the highlights, but other memorable things that I did not get pictures of include Blake's dancing while trying on clothes, the girls hiding amongst the clothes racks, maneuvering a double-wide stroller around, and my favorite was when Meo was trying on maternity clothes and the kids sat in a line outside the dressing room cheering for her outfits and taking turns trying on the "baby pillow".

Throwing flower petals in the air!

Cousins . . . who think they are siblings with two sets of parents.

You wouldn't believe how the promise of this fountain play time got us through many a store!

Pure bliss!

You couldn't wipe those smiles off their faces!  Well, until the security guard told us we weren't supposed to be in the fountain.

Even the littlest joined in on the fun.

getting cold

At some point the stroller always becomes the cart.

Doesn't this just make you want to jump in there with them?! 

It's going to be a great summer!

How much do I trust God?

Everything I have been reading today has been about surrender, holiness, and the joy of discovering God in trials. I found myself saying, "Lord, I just got out of a seven year trial. Can a girl just catch a break for a while? Can't I just coast for a year or so?" God didn't respond. He didn't have to. I knew the answer, "Not if you want to grow."

Earlier today I was praying for someone who has been heavy on my heart, God has even woken me up quite a few nights to pray for this person. I have felt connected spiritually to her and felt God moving in mighty ways. Today was so different. I started praying and God said, "You don't need to pray for her anymore." "What? But God, I don't want to stop until I get the answer I want," I thought. Would He really do this without me? Did I really think He needed me? I thought, "Well, this is crazy, I'm certainly not going to tell anyone about this. You tell people you'll pray for them you don't say you've stopped praying for them. You just don't! Plus, what if God doesn't answer this prayer how we all want Him to."

Then I heard, "After all you have seen."

My shoulders slumped. My heart broke. Yes, I have been miraculously healed but I still struggle to trust God completely. I still struggle to surrender even though I have seen His great and mighty power first-hand. I still struggle to give up things of this world that hold me back from holiness, even if it is my desire. I still struggle to give God everything and trust Him with everything even though I have found joy in Him through trials. Lord, forgive me for my struggles. Forgive me for my lack of trust.

Matthew 7:9-11
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!


Lord, I pray that you will give me what is best for me, not what is easiest or what I want, but what is best in Your Holy plan.  I love you.

Ruth

Blake, Tara, Ruth, Jane (my mom), and me   January 2009

Sweet Ruth passed away on Saturday.  She was my grandmother's best friend since childhood.  My mother's parents passed away 20 years ago, and Ruth has remained close to us.  She was there at graduations, weddings, Thanksgivings, etc.  I think it has been a great source of comfort to my mom and her sisters to have a family member there.  Someone that knows you and loves you anyway. Even though technically she isn't actually related, she has always been family to us.  She was full of spunk and energy.  You could always count on her to tell you a good story . . . even if the other adults didn't want you to know that story!

Ruth and my dad

We love you, Ruth.  You will be missed. Thank you for all the love you gave us especially three sisters who adore you.

Aunt Judy, Aunt Diane, my Mom, and Ruth  February 2010

This is just the life for me!

Blake was playing soccer one night with Tim and said, "Dad, this is just the life for me!"  My sweet boy was on cloud nine.  That's what I feel like lately.  We've been busy and life is crazy but this is just the life for me!

  The kids are finishing up the school year and continue to amaze me with their love of learning (not sure I ever had that).  We went to an open house night at school where we got to see some inventions the kids made.  One of them was a truck and trailer pulley system and you had to see how many wooden blocks you could stack on the trailer and still reel it to the truck without them falling off.  Their teacher told us that they couldn't figure out they had stacked the blocks to keep all of them on there.  A bunch of kids tried it together and eventually gave up.  Tara and Blake figured it out.  Good job, guys!  Blake continued to play with it until he had figured out two more ways to stack the blocks successfully.  One of the ways was a tall tower, and I never thought it would work, but it did.  I was thinking that I was content with "we can't figure it out" and marveled at these beautiful little people who had the patience and determination to find a way.  So proud of them!!!! Not sure they are genetically linked to me now . . . but still.

  A funny thing happened that made me laugh because . . . you just are who you are and isn't it great how God wired us so individually.  Tara and I are very much alike in many ways.  If we play a game we will want the other person to win so they aren't sad.  When she and I play against each other we usually have to just call a tie because neither of us wants to beat the other.  The boys think we are crazy.  Last Sunday, Tim was gone for the day and it was time to get ready for church.  The problem was that I was sick and feeling really crummy.  So we were trying to decide if we should stay home or go.  Blake says, "Ok, we'll vote.  Close your eyes and raise your hand if you want to stay home.  Now raise your hand if you want to go to church."  Turns out it was a tie.  The funny part is that Tara said she couldn't decide so she never voted and I couldn't decide so I voted for both!  We voted again and got the same result.  (Finally I decided not to infect everyone and we stayed home.)  I thought it was pretty hilarious.  Maybe it's not even our personalities . . . maybe it's because we are girls.

  Our babies have joined a track team.  They love to run and they are good at it. (Another trait that did not come from me.)  They have their first track meet this weekend.  Blake knows all the kids in his class by name and rank.  "That's Tyler and he's the 3rd fastest.  Jennifer is 5th fastest, etc."  I asked him how he knew and he said they race at recess.  Tara is not so verbal about wanting to win but when she runs you should see her face.  The determination is there.  Tim runs marathons so it isn't that much of a surprise that our children like to run too.  They all have a goal.  Tim wants to do a marathon in 50 states and all 7 continents before he turns 50.  The kids have a goal too.  To beat Dad.  Tim told them that every year around their birthday he would race them in the 100 meter dash.  When they beat him, he will take them on a trip anywhere they want to go. (We asked Blake one time where he might want to go on his trip and he said Nebraska! What in the world is in Nebraska?!)  Tim told me that he could beat them for probably 10-15 more years.  I told him he'd better start saving his pennies because all they needed was incentive.  He did not count on them joining the track team.  He also did not count on the boost his girl would get from new track shoes and running outfit.  Tara ran 4 miles last night.  You should have seen the glow on Tim's face when he was telling me about running with his baby girl.  He said, "I think she was thinking that this was the life for her!"  I can tell you for sure that her daddy was thinking just that.