I'm trying out this 1 pic a day thing...

except today I am doing 6.

please don't hold me accountable. :)

PUMPKIN PAINTING

And I call myself a mother...

This is embarrassing, so so embarrassing.

Since I last blogged,

I got a new job in this amazing ministry...

We went ice skating for the first time...

This little girl turned ONE...

We celebrated CHRISTMAS...

Riley started playing basketball...

(Yes, she is the only girl, and no, it doesn't bother her a bit!) :)

It snowed in Texas...

And this little girl turned SIX!

(Yes, we did have her birthday party at the glow in the dark putt-putt place and arcade room, we are cool like that.)

I should be ASHAMED of myself!!! Here's to starting my new new years resolution... stay with the blog!!!

xoxo!

And a new name was written...

"The one who is victorious will, like them,  be dressed in white.  I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels."

Rev 3:5

This morning, while Riley was getting ready for Kindergarten, I had a "Kingdom moment".  For one small second, I was privileged  to be part of something immensely bigger than myself.  Something that God has been preparing for my little girl since He knit her together in my womb!  Typing this out still seems so surreal!!   

The Lord has been working in her little heart for some time now... and both Jordan and I have felt that she truly understood the concept of salvation.  However, since she is only 5, we decided to let her call all the shots.  And did she ever! :)

Jordan had already left for work, Kendall was still sleeping, and Riley, Jace and I were all hanging out in the kitchen talking (or rather cramming cereal down our throats so we won't be late for school! :). We were actually discussing our Elf on the Shelf, Rudy.... and Riley said that Rudy is kind of like God because even though we can't see Him sometimes, we know He is there.  So, that was our intro.  God = Rudy.  Hmmmmm. :)

Anyway, Jace went back to his room to get dressed, and Riley followed me to my bathroom to engage in our daily morning hair brushing session/breakdown.  It's awesome.  But today, it really was awesome! :)  We just kept talking about things, and she told me that Jesus lives in her heart.  I agreed but told her that in order for Him to live in your heart, you have to believe that Jesus died on the cross for you, for all the yucky things you have ever done and will ever do, and he washed you white as snow!  And now, at this very moment, He is preparing you a place in Heaven to live forever with Him!  She just smiled that precious smile and shook her head in agreement.... "Mommy, I do believe those things!".  So I asked her if she would like me to pray with her, and she crawled up in my lap with her little legs wrapped around my waist and repeated after me.  Then, with tears streaming down my cheeks, I kissed her tiny forehead and PRAISED our God that He allowed me the honor of leading one of His precious children to Him.

Later, when Jordan came home and we sat down to talk, she LOVED listening to him tell her that the moment she prayed and believed in Jesus with all her heart, that all the angels in heaven were rejoicing!  And that Jesus picked up His pen and wrote "RILEY JOYCE NEWTON" in the Book of Life.... and sealed the deal for her eternal life with Him, and with all of her Christian family.  Seeing the Lord through a child's eyes is so exciting! It reminds me of the way I should approach Him, eyes wide open in absolute AWE.

I will never forget this day as long as I live.  I can not imagine a better moment in the life of a parent than to see your child come to know the Lord.  And to be able to play a small role in that moment is beyond priceless. It is life-giving... truly. 

***  Just a side note... I was driving Jace to school about an hour later, still tearing up at the thought of what had just happened, and I  told Jace I was so happy because I just helped Riley ask Jesus to live in her heart!  He crossed his arms and said "Why didn't you help me too?"  Then I explained that I would love nothing more when it is the right time for him.... but he cut me off to say "That's okay mommy, I already did last night, at the Aggie basketball game, while Riley was at Chuck E Cheese."  LOL!!!! I love it!!! :)

Coffee Filter Wreath

Check it out!!!  I had so much fun doing this, and it only took like 2 hours!  Plus, you get the instant gratification of actually FINISHING something you started, which is hard to come by in my book! :)

An entire wreath made out of coffee filters!  I didn't even use hot glue- mainly because my hands have been through a lot of trauma lately.  First, I was trying to slice whoppers candies in half, and my thumb got the bad end of the deal.  Then, my pinky fell victim to the cheese grater... but thats another story.

I used push pins, a styrofoam wreath, and about 200 coffee filters! And the second it is socially acceptable to decorate for Christmas, I am going to put some little ornaments or Christmas sparkle in there!! :)  Oh, and I guess I need to find a place to hang it, other than my kitchen floor.

Here is the tutorial I used as a guideline:

http://www.thenester.com/2010/11/making-a-coffee-filter-wreath-and-tree-and-things-of-that-nature.html

The Story of Jonah

This is one of the most precious, and INCREDIBLE videos I have ever seen!! I promise you will be blessed by watching! :)



The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

My Sweet Baby Girl

I've been dumped.

Yep.  You heard right.

My sweet, precious, ALMOST 10 month old daughter is now appalled at the mere sight of my boob.

And I'm not gonna lie, it hurts.

Everyone knows it goes without saying that you always want to be the "Dumper" and not the "Dumpee" in a relationship.  Well, Kendall dumped me.

She will be 10 months on sunday, and for the past 2 weeks I have slowly been weaning her from nursing.  I was determined NOT to stop cold turkey with her like I did with Riley and Jace.  Crazy, right?!  Anywho, for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to nipple biting, I was pretty much over it.  BUT, I wanted to do it on MY terms, not hers!! In my perfect world I wanted to nurse her once in the morning and once at night. No more, no less.

No go.

Seriously, its the funniest thing I have ever seen!!  Now I do this all the time just to watch her! :)  She wakes up in the morning and I go get her out of bed.  We smile and talk for about 10 seconds, then she acts like she hasn't eaten in a week and the fun is over. So I sit in the rocker and methodically tug my shirt down over my sagging breast.  She sits there, stares at it VERY up close and personal, she might even reach out and poke at it- then, in one brief instance, is as if she is MORTIFIED that I am even SUGGESTING this and she screams out "ugggggghhhhhhhh"!!!!!!


HYSTERICAL!!!!!