May....

May. Has come:

Matt, Benen, and Papa (my dad)  went on a Men's Retreat to Canyon Lands. They where encouraged, encountered God, and got dirty.

Timothy (Timmy) turned 9 months old. He is crawling, and has two teeth with two more on the way. He has a chill attitude and personality. He loves people and is always wanting to look into there faces when he sees them. It is not very often that he does not smile.

Mothers Day. My sister (Auntie Tammie) made the kids matching outfits. They looked adorable. I have the best four Mother's Day gifts every year. I am one blessed momma.

 

Dinner. We had spaghetti for dinner. Messy (especially for the 9 month old), but yummy. We like spaghetti around here:)

May. Has Gone!

Jo Lee

Friday Facts

Fact: We have moved!
Fact: I do not want to unpack any more boxes.
Fact: I would like to be moved in, have everything out of boxes and be settled.
Fact: Being done moving means I have to unpack more boxes.
Fact: I better decide what I want more:)

Fact: This picture has nothing to do with what I blogged about, but I wanted to include one that I love this one. (It was taken at a Marriage Celebration Dinner a month ago:) Enjoy!










Jo Lee

Recap of an interesting week.

It has been an interesting week.
We were blessed unexpectedly by a couple of people, and God used them to provide a need.
We found out we were having a boy and got to see number 4.
We finalized plans to take Somer to Denver to have surgery.
Matt's boss and owner of the business he works for passed away, unexpectedly in an accident yesterday.
Like I said interesting week.

Normal Monday Night!

Rambling

Yes, I am rambling and mostly playing with the new toy my hubby got me last week! He was so awesome as to get me an iPhone and I can bog from it, super fun.
So what have we been up to?
Lots if school, appointments and the usual house cleaning that I am super behind in.
And to end my rambling I will leave you with a few random pictures.

Not Me! Monday!

Not me...

I am not so tired I can hardly type and should be taking a nap but I do not want to.

I did not get up and drag three littles to the dentist and 7:45am, how makes dentist appointments for there children or anyone that early in the morning anyways.

I am not putting of home school, my to-do list, or any thing else today.

Nope not me I would not do any of those things:)

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Jo Lee

Long Time No Blog

I know it has been a long time sense I blogged. I have good reasons, but there is always reasons for everything. So instead of giving you my sing song about way I have not blogged I will just let you know what we have been up to (and then I am sure you will get the idea).

The kids have been doing lots of this (now that we have a yard to do it in:).

I have been getting ready for this (we start next week).

We finished unpacking the last of these.

I always have this to do!

I have also been doing lots of this (yes, because I do not have enough to do I am going back to school, it is only though, so just picture this desk with a computer on it and that would be a more accurate picture).

Jo Lee

What have we been up to?

We have been up to a lot.

Enjoying the start of summer and summer vacation.

Somer is now crawling; we had to put the gates up. (Once I have a good video of her crawling I will post it).

I started school. Yes; I am going back to school. I am taking online courses to get a Bachelors Degree in Human Services Management (Social Work). I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am hoping to eventually be able to do homestudies for adoptions and I would also like to do work with marriage and family advocacy and training. We will see what all God has in store for this.

We have also been getting ready for a birthday blitz. We have Benen (turning 4) and Uncle Michael (turning 24) on June 14th, then Aunt Tammie (turning 28) on June 22nd, then Somer (turning 1) on June 30th, and lastly Me (turning 30) on July first. My mom said it was worse than Christmas - at least with Christmas it is all on the same day.

How do I feel about turning 30? Not sure; I really do not feel like I should be 30. I know I am, but at the same time I feel so young and immature - wonder if I will ever feel mature? Probably not. I am okay with turning 30; that does not bother me; just do not feel that old I guess. Make sense?

Jo Lee

I am here....

I am still here.... I have not thrown the blog thing out the window.... I have lots of thoughts going on in my head... I am learning a lot.... I am being challenged...... I am just not ready to share yet...... because some of it is still to close to my heart... some of it is not a fluid thought... some of it is not shareable.... so you may have to deal with the silence for a little bit longer... sorry..... I will be back I am sure soon and with lots to share!

Jo Lee

Still here...

I have lots to blog about....

Anna's 7th Birthday...

Easter....

Life....

Thoughts going around my head....

You know the usual random blog posts....

but I got a really bad case of strep last week, and I am still low on energy so I am going to go take a nap.

Just stayed tuned for the catch-up blogging to come soon.

Jo Lee

Some Random Stuff...

Let's see....

.... One of the houses in your apartment complex had a boulder fall off the mountain behind us and do major damage to the house yesterday. I keep looking outside at the rock wall and hill side - checking it. I realized that I need to just know God's got us all safely in His arms - but still crazy to think about. 

... I realize that as a mom and parent we want to protect our children from pain and hurt and we want them to be healthy. I have had to give myself permission to be okay with not wanting Somer to have to go to a specialist for her urinary tract and facing surgery in the future. I am her mom and even though there are worse things that could happen to her as her mom I want to protect her form anything that could happen to her - but I can not and that would not be what is best for her.

... I am exhausted and slowly getting caught up on laundry from May of 2010 - really seriously I do not think I have been caught up on laundry sense then, but I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.

... Matt gets the transmission for our second car today and it will hopefully be in on Saturday - so we go back to have 2 cars. Yeah!

... The last 2 days it has been in the mid 50's and today it is overcast and supposed to snow - Colorado Weather got to love it.

... I am seriously contemplating making matching dress for the girls for Easter. If I do I will let you know how that goes - I am not always the best seamstress, so we will see.

... we got our Girl Scout Cookies today - we will see how long they last?

... ever had Oyster Ranch Crackers? They are supper yummy - I think I will make some for snack.

.. . the kids are down for  a nap and I think I will join them for a little bit, and then it is up to do some more house work.

Jo Lee

Thankful Thursday

Ever have those days that you just need to remember what you have to be thankful - yep it is one of those days, actually it has been one of those weeks. So here goes... I am thankful for...

... friends.

... a husband that helps around the house and with the kids.

... a house to live in.

... 2 working cars.

... a church to serve in.

... 3 wonderful kids.

... baby laughs - you can not help but smile when you hear them.

... hot water - and a working hot water heater (it broke at some point yesterday and is now working again).

... coffee and Dr. Pepper.

... family.

... God my provider.

Jo Lee

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for...

family.

kids.

coffee.

paychecks.

daddy daughter time.

Thanksgiving.

church.

family of choice.

date nights.

friends.

dp (dr. pepper).

simple pleasures in life.

Jo Lee

Drowning in Grace

Sinking: go down below the surface of something.

Grace: free unmerited favor.

"If grace is an ocean we're all sinking."

We are all going below the surface of unmerited favor - we are being over taken by Gods unmerited favor. Lord sink us - me - in you grace today.

Jo Lee

Thankful Thursday

It is Thankful Thursday and I have internet to actually write a post. Speaking of no internet that is what I am thankful for. We did not have internet for a few weeks and while it was challenging at the same time it should me how much time I actually spend just vegging out on the computer. I num myself by just sitting and staring. So I am thankful for the chance to see were I choose to num myself and not deal with life. I want to deal with and experience everything God has for me each day. I am thankful for a chance to do that today.
Jo Lee

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for...

... rain.

... sunshine.

... mornings to be silly with my kids.

... quiet afternoons.

... washers and driers.

... sleep.

... coffee and diet dr. pepper (for when I do not get enough sleep).

... friends.

... family.

... my husbands love and excitement over technology and the possibility of getting new tech toys - it is fun to watch him act like a kid in a candy store.

... Zicam (to hopefully kick this cold before it starts).

Thoughts; Lots of Them

I have a lot of thoughts, prayers, emotions, challenges, and you name it rolling around in my head that I am wanting to get out - so here goes (sorry if I lose any of you; but I think I am mostly writing this post for me anyways).

This week I came across Hebrews 11:5 "If they had been thinking of the country they left they would have had opportunity to return." The author is talking about some heros of the bible and how they were not thinking of the country they had left but of another country - the country of God's promise. They were thinking about heaven and God's kingdom. What hit me was that God says the reason they were able to stand on faith and hope is that they were not thinking about the country they left - they were not focused on the past. I was really hit with how much I focus on my past and what if things had been different. Will really it does not matter if they had been different they are in the past; lets leave them there and live for what God has today. I am not saying that we should not remember the past - I think there times it is good to remember the past, but I think we (I) can tend to live there some times. "Okay God I want to live with a kingdom mind set and not dwell in the past." That was my prayer this week.

Then on Friday I found out that a good friend had lost their baby in miscarriage. Having had a miscarriage a few years ago this really hit me hard. (Maybe it is just the hormones - I do not know but it hit me really hard). I was (and am) an emotional basket case over it. I know that what I am going through emotionally is nothing compared to my friend but I have been having a hard time figuring out why this was hitting me like that ( I have had other close friends that have lost babies and it was not hitting me like this), until today I figured out what was going on. Satan was trying to get me to live in the past of all the confusion and emotions of what I went through, and he was trying to get me to compare what I went through with and what help I got or did not get with what she is going through and what help she is getting or not getting. So today I say shut-up satan and get behind me. Those are all things in the past and I choose not to live there, I choose not to return to the country I came form. I choose to look for the land God has promised me, and I choose to walk along side my friend and not compare.

I also went to a seminary yesterday by Beth Moore about "So Long Insecurity." She talked about being a Secure women and what that women looked like. Which fits into this because a secure women would have a kingdom mind set. She used 6 statements that a secure women is. A secure women is:

1. Saved from herself.

2. Entitled to truth.

3. Clothed in intention.

4. Upended by grace.

5. Rebounded by love.

6. Exceptional in life.

Of course she expanded on all of those points, but one of the things that stuck out to me was the we have to choose to be secure we will not just become a secure women by standing here. We have a choose that today I am going to be all those things and let go of my insecurities or I am going to be the some I was yesterday and hold on to all that yuck. So today I choose to let go of my insecurities and be a secure women. "God knew exactly what He was doing when he created me woman and He wants me to be blessed by it."

Then in church today the sermon was about consciously choosing. So this week I pray that I will consciously choose to not dwell on the past but to look for the land that God has promised, I will live each day for what God has made it to be and walk in it, and I choose to give up my insecurities.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful...

... for a God that defends me - I do not have to defend myself.

... that God knows my future.

... for snow.

... for time to hangout and do fun things like dye Easter Eggs with my kids.

... for Anna's excitement to celebrate Jesus on Easter.

... that Benen has started to want to pray.

... for a clean house.

... for friends and girl time.

... for a worship night tomorrow.

... for food in the fridge that we can eat.

What I have been learning.

Okay I have a lot of thoughts and I am going to try to write this without rambling or confusing everyone so here goes.

Two Sundays ago out pastor cast his vision for church and it was big one; then on Friday at Connect Group we talked about the sermon. Everyone had good things to say and made some good points and in all of this I have been hit with some things. We talked about tearing down the church and rebuilding it to look more like the New Testiment Church. I think in order to have the church that has the vision we want than yes there has to be a tearing down of what church looks like now; but at the same time you do not what to tear down that church so fast the you distroy the God laid foundation. I think that we so often get ahold of a vision and the end resolute of something God wants us to do and we forget the steps to tear down and rebuild. Honestly for me right now I am stuck on the tearing down; how do you tear down a church without hurting the foundation? Right now the things that God keeps pointing me to see - Seek Him and Surrender. Seek Him - seek what he wants to stay and what He has put into place as part of the foundation. Surrender - everything; even my idea of what the church should or should not be doing and should or should not look like; to Him.

Seeking Him - this has been something that God has been challenging and opening my eyes to, and not just seeking Him but Seeking Him First. In book club we are reading a book about finances; and the funny thing is that it is challenging me in other areas of my life; not just finances. The author points out that in the bible God repeatedly asks us of put Him first, and he makes the point that with Sunday being the first day of the week it is a good opportunity to Seek God First in our week every week. By making Sunday God's day focused on what He wants us to do; not on what I want to do or do not want to do. That is blowing my mind - how much to I spend Sunday afternoon's focused on what I want to do... Give God the Whole Day and Seek Him First.

Surrender - this is a hard one for me. I admit I am a control person and a planner. I like to have a plan and know what the plan is; and I get really uncomfortable when I see no control and I want (and to often do) to step in and take control. So God has challenged that a lot lately. I need to surrender my plans - daily - to Him. With this has also come the realization and I assert to much control on family things (especially outings) and things with the kids. I make fun relaxing times so planned and controlled that I do not have any fun and I miss the time to enjoy my kids and husband and just play with them. So I am challenging myself to relax and Surrender my control and need for control to the Lord.

I am sure God is not done with me on any of this, but those are my thoughts and ramblings for now.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful that I had to wait in line to check out at City Market. The guy in front of me was buying 20 turkeys to give away to people that needed them. He was not sure who he was going to give them to but he wanted to buy them and give them away to needy people because he had been in that place before. I am thankful that he had to check them out 2 at a time so he could get a better deal and get more turkeys. I am thankful for the example it was to me and my kids. I have no idea who this man was but he has encouraged me today. What are you thankful for?