Thank you, Son.

Camden has a friend over today. I made oven pizzas for lunch. As they sat down to eat, Camden's friend said, "Did you make this from scratch?" "Uhmm, no," I replied. After a bit he said, "One time my mom made a pizza from scratch using soy cheese and fresh tomatoes. It was SOOO good." Then Camden looked up and said, "One time my mom made pizza from scratch too... and I didn't like it."

Anniversary (almost)

In two weeks, Blake and I will have been married for nine years. And I am SO in love with him!! I love how I feel when he walks into our house after work - I can't explain it - like chocolate, sunshine with a cool breeze, and a down comforter all wrapped up in one! I love how I feel when he holds me at night and prays in a barely audible voice until he or I fall asleep. I love that he checks on our kids every night before he comes to bed. I love that he is nothing like me yet we have so much in common. I love that he has this love affair with God that he can't contain. I love that he is the same person at home that he is at church. I love that he is reserved and because of that I know 100 times more about him than anyone on earth. I love that he never gets disappointed in me and hardly ever gets frustrated with me even though he has reason to daily! I love that he gets stressed out so rarely that when he does, it makes me giggle and then he laughs too. I love that he knows how to fix our computer, work our remote controls, and maneuver the antennae just right so that we can pick up two English speaking tv channels. I love that he is fine with the fact that he has to make sure my cell phone is charged or it would be dead all the time. I love that I fit perfect in his arms. I love that he (along with God) has given me the life I dreamed of as a girl.

That's a start, I guess....

On Wednesdays I make the kids clean their rooms because we have high school life group over here on Wednesday night. Camden had been working on his room for over an hour and had come out several times to talk to me about star wars, his knight toys, the story behind his superhero name...you know all that stuff that just CAN'T wait until his room is clean. The fifth time he came out of his room, I let out a big sigh and said, "Camden, you HAVE to get your room clean." He said, "I'm sorry." I said, "No, you're not. Sorry means that you wish you hadn't done it and that you're not planning on doing it again." Without even stopping to think for a second he said, "Well, Mommy, I'm trying to be sorry, ok."

hardy har har

We were in Kohls today and Hope said, "Look at that lady on that picture." We look up to see a huge picture of a lady with the biggest, frizziest hair I've ever seen. Blake says, "Look, Christina, your hair is in-style." Hilarious isn't he? yeah...

Like Mother, Like Daughter....

I hear Camden calling from the back of the house, "Hope, Hope!!, HOOOPPPEEE!!!! " I yell from the kitchen, "Hope! ANSWER YOUR BROTHER!!" To which she yells back, "But I know he wants to talk about Star Wars and I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!!!!"

Note to Self:

One day I'll miss my living room looking like this....

Awakening

I have been contemplating the future of our country the past few weeks. Wondering how I can remain alert, prayerful, and informed, without becoming fearful. I have discovered that I have trained myself to not think about the growing Godlessness of our nation to protect myself from panicking about what's ahead for my children and future grandchildren.

In History right now we are learning about the background behind patriotic songs. Today we learned about the song "AMERICA". I know I have read the second verse in the past, but it really touched me today as I read it to the kids and sang it with them afterwards. This is what it says:

Our Father's God, to Thee
Author of liberty
To Thee we sing,
Long may our land be bright,
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!


Several weeks ago I was praying for our nation. I prayed specifically that God would put His hand back on us as a nation and His blessing would flow once again. I felt Him ask me, "And if I did that, would I be recognized? Would they declare that I was the ONE that caused this nation to once again begin to prosper or would that honor go to another/others?" Oh, my I was pretty sure I knew the answer to His question and it grieved me. I am grieved that our Nation has forgotten that it is HIS freedom that is our light and only by HIS might will we be protected and that HE alone is the author of liberty. We have become so blind, prideful, ignorant, and hardened against the truth. How His heart must long for this nation to return to their father's God. I wonder if our only hope is for the blinded eyes to be open - the eyes His church and the leaders of our nation. I cry out for another Great Awakening! What will it take to wake us up, though? God, be merciful. Soften our hearts so that we turn to you and recognize our desperate need for your hand on our nation before even greater devastation completely destroys us.