Running the Race

My sweet friend Sarah has talked me into something terrible. She has "encouraged" me to run in Disney's Minnie Marathon. Yikes! Why they say Marathon, I have no clue because it is really a 15K or 9.3 miles. As most of you know, I am not a typical fitness person. I like to get outdoors but athletic, I am not.

Today as I was run/walking (aka dying!) 7 miles on a beautiful stretch of trail, I was encouraged by the number of people taking in God's beauty. Some were fit, some not so much, but they were all getting active.

Last year I entered in something more my speed. It was a 5K and it was the most shocking thing I have ever seen pertaining to fitness. There were walkers there!!! And overweight people! They weren't all fitness guru's with perfect bodies and 6 minute mile times. I was flabbergasted because it broke my stereotype down. I thought you would have to be perfect to enter into the race.

Before I was a Christian, I believed I had to be perfect to allow God to love me. I had some dear friends who stuck with me, even in my sin to show the love of God to me. It was unconditional and pure even when I was not. They showed me that God loved me right where I was. He loved Kristina, bad habits and all.

I know for me that running has proven to be a big parallel to my spiritual walk. I wrestle every time I am about to go outside and get active. Uggghhhh, I think to myself - I just don't want to do it! But after putting the first foot forward I am so glad I did. Once I take a dip in the cool refreshing water of His word, I am so thankful I have paused to take a drink.

Hebrews 12:1,2 says...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...

You don't have to be perfect, sinless for Jesus to care for you. You just have to be willing to put that first foot forward. He will take care of all the rest.

Too funny not to post...

We were at Target today looking at boosters for Kylie. After her pleading for the pink princess one (absolutely not!) we rounded a corner and I saw the cutest baby bedding. Target does a great job with bedding!

I made a comment about the bedding and Kylie quickly said, "awwww. I want a baby in our house. Do I need to talk to God about that?" "Well, I guess so!" I slowly responded. So on the spot she starts praying. "God, please give us another baby because I love looking at them and they are so cute. Thank you God, Amen."

She then looked up "MOM! You are starting to get FAT!!"

So I believe she thought that God heard her and granted her prayer instantly.

The faith of a child...

Easter Sunday...

He has risen!!

Happy Easter to you and your family.

I have spent multiple hours today searching online, reading friends blogs and their beautiful Easter posts of children in fancy dresses and suits. Spring flowers and dyed Easter Eggs.

Well, hate to disappoint you but there will be none of those pictures around here! My daughter and I are sick so we have basically been laying around today. Kylie had some medicine so she spunked up to join Jon and Luke in a bit of egg dying. Picture a bunch of jammie dressed folks with wild hair all getting enough energy to make a craft. After we dyed them we were all worn out so we took a nap!

The eggs were taunting my poor son so we had a fun afternoon of hiding eggs in the living room and kitchen. My fear was that we weren't going to find them all since they were real eggs! Fortunately I think they are all safe and sound.

Hope your Easter was all that you imagined it to be. Mine, even though it wasn't what I had hoped, it was still special and it will remain a wonderful memory.

Ramblings of a drug induced Momma...

With young kids it is tough to find a quiet moment to meditate on the things of God. I try to wake up early, they do too. I try to stay up late, they do too. Things just don't work out the way I would like them to. Things just don't seem routine.

I know this is just a season of life. My precious children will grow up quicker than I would like but I really want to curl up and spend some time with God ya know? Is that too much to ask?

So I will take what I can get. Lately, I hide in my shower. Yes, my shower. Now I am not the first mom who will admit that they have great revelations from God in the shower. It is quiet, it is cleansing, and most of all, it is quiet. Did I say there are no interruptions in the shower??!

Today in my prayer closet (aka the shower) I just had a long time chat with my Papa. See, I know Jon and I were obedient in paring down our living quarters. Some things just have to change. We moved from our home and are taking advantage of low cost housing provided from our work, a wonderful opportunity if you ask me. Things seemed so clear to me, to us that we needed to make a change.

Now, I don't think that we heard wrong from God. I still believe that we are on this road for a purpose. We continue to trust in the one who will provide for us. We had great plans of being freer with our finances, being able to give more as we felt led. Now we are in gridlock with a budget as tight as stone. I feel torn at wanting to give to people in need but having nothing to give.

I am thankful for all that we do have. Our health (aside from this nasty sniffle I have currently), our family, a roof over our head and food on our table. We are blessed with awesome friends who love on us to no end.

What I pray for us as a family is that we can continue to trust in the plan God has for us. Our future is not clear for us but we can trust the One who has our lives in His hands.

This is our favorite verse not only for ourselves but for the boys we serve.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I am so thankful for Hope!

I really do school!

Rarely do I ever post what I am doing with the kids school wise. Life just gets ahead of me and before you know it, the week has gone and the pictures are stored away in the depths of my computer. This week we "rowed" Madaline which is a sweet tale of a girl in Paris, France. Even Luke got into the fun!

I love doing things that revolve around food, and what better thing to do was to bake croissants! We took the easy way out and did the Pilsbury kind but it was fun to roll the shapes. Luke had a great time taking turns with rolling. Notice the cheesy grin?


After all the hard work was done, Kylie enjoyed eating them.



We also had french bread during one dinner so the next morning we had french bread dipped in hot chocolate which I read is done in France. While my kids love hot chocolate, they couldn't fathom dipping french bread in it. After a few "eeeewwwwwwws" and "yuck" moments they ate it all.

Then the real fun began when they got to make the Eiffel Tower with cheese and toothpicks. This task was mostly done by us as they really couldn't master the finger dexterity needed. Jon worked with Luke (thus the near perfect structure) and I helped Kylie (poor girl!) They had fun eating their creation after it was all done.

I swore that I would never be the mom who would lament over their child getting older... Well I ate crow on my son's birthday! He is growing up so fast but I am loving every minute of it. He enjoys all things boy such as sword fights, super powers and sports but he has such a kind, gentle side as well which I treasure. I am so thankful that God intrusted this little man into our lives!

Luke really wanted a pirate party, did I say he liked swords?? Well, for our goody bag, we made treasure chests to hide our "booty!"



After we made our booty bags, we had the pinata which was quite entertaining. See a whole bunch of short people trying to reach the treasure chest was hilarious! Jon had to help out and give the final whack.

Luke loved his tresure chest cake - can you tell? His face is about to explode from excitement! LOL!

Thank you Luke for being just who you are! You are my favorite little boy named Luke!!!

Strawberry picking!

Kylie, Luke and two of their best friends, Hannah and Bethany were able to go strawberry picking. One of the joys of living in Florida! Here they were, marching to the field.



Kylie and Bethany showing the vast expance of strawberries!

What is the use of picking the strawberries if you aren't going to eat them!

Kylie was proud of her find!

Winter weather...

One last picture before I become an imsomniac.

Jane Claire Lambert, author of Five in a Row Homeschool Curriculum posted a haunting picture of a beach in winter. Snow and all. It evoked so many feelings that I just couldn't wrap my brain around. Snow? Beach? Well, it just doesn't go together.

But I do have to share what *does* work for me. Fog and the beach. Something about the beach in northern California during the winter. I can't explain the "at home" feeling when I walk in 50 degree foggy weather.

What weather do you crave?

Pure Joy

Not only is she experiencing the joy of riding a roller coaster, she is loving the moment of
independence. She was exhilerated that she is riding in a seat by herself. What is to come? As a mom, I don't even want to know!

I am so excited... I just downloaded Picasa and I think my blogging will take a new turn! It sucked all of my pictures from my computer and has them all in one neat and tidy place. I can edit, then hit a button which takes me right to this blog. Amazing.

So now be forwarned, I will be just like the family nextdoor after a long vacation but I won't have a slide projector. Good thing is, I won't see you when you yawn!