Bullock Bits

Peace

2012-02-01T09:09:00.000-06:00

On this rainy day here in St. Francisville, LA, God still gives me a few peeks of the sun to help me know He's with me. As I was journaling a prayer to Him, sitting in my glider by the windows of our sitting area, the sun peeked through at a particular time, for just a few seconds, and I really felt God's Presence with me. Isn't it amazing how that can happen when we are focused on God? We can really recognize Him.

I also took a little walk down to the pond this morning after bringing the garbage cans back up to the house. It was soggy from all the rain, but it was so peaceful. There are geese and ducks by the pond. And I watched the two ducks waddle back into the water and swim around, side by side. It was nice. Nature is just so beautiful, peaceful, and calming. And I needed that. I've always enjoyed just sitting in the quiet of nature. It can heal.

There are so many things changing and so many decisions to make, that it's just good to see the beauty of God's creation, to feel His peace. I guess that's part of the reason Jeremy likes to go fishing down there after work. Or why he's always enjoyed fishing and hunting. Just to be in nature, away from the worries of life and decisions and responsibilities, and enjoy time in the beauty God has given us.

I thank God all the time that he's given us this home to enjoy as long as we are here. We are surrounded by this beauty and quiet. He knows what we need and when we need it. He's in control of our lives, and I thank Him for it!

Blessed

2012-01-30T12:01:00.005-06:00

I am just feeling blessed today. Well, really I'm blessed every day. But today I just feel like sharing this feeling.

I am so thankful to God that I get to be a stay-at-home mom! This has been my heart's desire for as long as I can remember, and I've been able to do it since Tyler was born (8+ years now). And the Lord has made it possible. I have an amazing husband who loves me and takes care of me. He has a good job that provides for our family. We have two amazing little boys that I love. I am just so thankful that I have this opportunity.

I love being able to participate in my kids' lives, whether they are at home, at school, playing ball, whatever. I love being able to go to the school and have lunch with them when I want. I love going on field trips with them. I love going to their classrooms to help with stuff and get to know their friends. I love watching them play football, baseball, LEGO's, fishing, or whatever else they do.

I also love being able to go grocery shopping "unassisted" when there are not so many people at the store in the middle of the week during the school year. (Let's be honest now.) I love being able to take care of my home. I really don't mind most of the housework, except for dusting. I hate dusting. I love being able to take care of things that Jeremy needs me to take care of while he is at work. I love being "Mom."

I am also thankful for the other moms in my life, whether they "stay home" too, or not. My two older sisters are the ones I go to for advice and prayer first and most often. I know and love and trust them, and I know they will pray for me. I also know that they are in the "trenches" of motherhood, just like me. There are others that live around me that I see and talk to occasionally, who help me to feel like a normal mom whose kids aren't perfect but no less precious. There are blogs I read that encourage me in my marriage and in motherhood. Then there are my Facebook friends, who post the funny, crazy, or challenging things their kids are doing. These things all help me.

There is much encouragement in sharing life's joys and challenges with those around us. None of us is perfect. And neither are our kids (or husbands). I appreciate the shared misery (ha ha!), the inspiration, and the challenges that other moms give me, as well as the prayer, support, and encouragement. Thank you, fellow moms!

Christmas 2011 (a month later)

2012-01-30T09:36:00.002-06:00

Yes, I realize it is the end of January. But I just realized that I still had pictures from Christmas on my camera as I was getting the recent fishing pictures off of it. Well, better late than never, right? I'm going to let the pictures tell the story (with just a bit of narration).

Spreading the reindeer food; I love how the flash on the camera caught the food flying through the air! And yes, it's warm enough on Christmas Eve to be wearing short sleeves.

Look what Santa brought! This thing is amazing, but they still haven't put it together and made it work. It's a robot that you build with LEGO's. It has software that makes it work and talk and obey commands. I think Santa brought it for Jeremy as much as for the boys!

These boys LOVE their football cards!

And the new Madden NFL 2012 for Wii

Yes, he's excited.

A big ol' box of Lincoln Logs

Happy Boys!

New Nerf guns! You can't have too many of those...or can you?!

I think he likes it.

And of course, the LEGO's

Santa also brought them scooters, which they love.

Now it's time to build the new LEGO sets.

This is not nearly all of them.

We also went to visit Jeremy's brother, Pete, and his family and in-laws to have Christmas with them. This little cutie is Jackson, Pete's son. The boy LOVES tractors!

This is what we got him. They were all excited about it.

Older cousins helping out

Isn't he just precious?!

Tucker's fish

2012-01-29T13:44:00.000-06:00

Well, after the 8 lb bass Tyler caught on Friday, the boys were fishing again on Saturday. This time, it was Tucker's turn to catch a good one. He was proud of his catch. Jeremy said it was about a 1 1/2 lb one. Good catch for Tucker, particularly since he doesn't stick around long enough to actually catch anything. A 5 year old needs constant activity, and fishing just doesn't always do that.

But on this particular day, he hung in there long enough to make a catch. Perhaps he'll be encouraged enough to stick with it longer next time he goes out there.

Here's the proud boy with his catch:

Tyler's Big Fish

2012-01-27T21:07:00.000-06:00

Tyler caught the biggest fish of his life (so far) tonight. This bass was 8 lbs!!! And 23 inches long! They were fishing at the pond in our backyard just as it was getting dark. Tyler and his Daddy were quite proud and so excited! Tyler came running into the house to tell me to get the camera and bring it out. I was not expecting something so big. I mean, this is something the professional fishermen would be excited about. (I know, because I've seen the fishing shows.) :-)

Tyler and I were running back and forth up to the house to get things we needed. We had to get the camera, a flashlight (it started getting dark), the scale, some string, and Jeremy's boots because it was muddy and I was fussing at him for getting his good shoes muddy. We needed the string to keep a hold of her in the water because Tucker had fallen asleep, and we were trying to keep her long enough for Tucker to wake up and see it. I ended up just picking him up and carrying him out there to see it.

It was quite exciting, and Tyler wanted to be sure I showed everyone the pictures! So, here they are...

Tyler, the author

2012-01-25T15:48:00.000-06:00

Last Friday, Tyler's teacher sent me a text message to let me know that Tyler was a 1st place young authors winner! He won 1st place in 3rd grade for non-fiction at his school. Now his writing will be sent to the state competition, which will be in the spring.

Needless to say, I had a big, proud smile on my face. We are all excited for him. His writing was a class assignment near the beginning of the school year. There is some exaggeration to make for "juicy" writing, as they call it. Here it is. (And for the record...his daddy does have time to help with dinner, particularly helping to clean it up every night.) :-)

Tucker's first tooth

2012-01-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

Well, my 5 year old BABY Tucker lost his first tooth yesterday! He came home with a "big surprise" from school yesterday. His little baby tooth was in a ziploc. He said he pulled it out himself, just like Tyler did with his first tooth one day in kindergarten. There was no drama, no blood. Just a very proud 5 year old with a tooth, ready to put under his pillow that night, along with a little note for the tooth fairy saying how excited he was. :-)

My babies are growing up too fast. But I am proud of the little boys that they are and the young men they are going to become. I love them with all of my heart!

He got tired of me trying to get a picture of the space in his teeth, so he doesn't look too happy. His teeth are a bit crowded, so it is a small space.

Here he is at bedtime ready to put his tooth and the note under his pillow for the tooth fairy. :-)

Football Boys

2012-01-24T13:52:00.000-06:00

My boys LOVE football and everything associated with it. They especially love the Saints. :-) But they just love football in general. They also have an insane number of football cards, along with some baseball, basketball, and maybe some other kinds. But they each have 500-600 football cards. And it's kind of crazy how much they, even the 5 year old, know about the game of football and so many of the players in the NFL.

I ran across these photos and just wanted to share them because I think they're good pictures.

My Heart

2012-01-24T10:40:00.004-06:00

Most of my heart is 15 time zones away right now. My amazing husband has been in Japan since last Tuesday. He will return this Thursday, extremely jet-lagged, I'm sure. I think this is the longest we've been apart since we got married. So it's been kind of hard for me.

He's in Tokyo for work, and there is a 15 hour time difference. This makes it a bit of a challenge to get to talk, but we've managed to do it at least once a day. Thank the Lord for Skype! I really am thankful for Skype. To be able to actually see him while I'm talking to him helps SO much! I've stayed up pretty late a few nights to be able to talk to him once he got a chance after work. And the boys and I got up earlier yesterday and I drove them to school so we'd have a little bit of time to talk to him before he went to sleep. They also got a quick good morning from him this morning before they got on the bus. These things make him feel not quite so far away and make this week and a half much more bearable. Have I mentioned before that I don't function as well without him?!

Well, the latest news on our move to Japan is that we will not be going until August. This could also change again on any given day. We'll see. Although I get worked up at first whenever I'm given new information that changes my plans, I've learned that if I just go straight to God in prayer about it, He is giving me amazing peace about it all! I've always believed that God gives me peace, but I'm still kind of amazed at the reality of this in this experience. I'm "rolling with the punches" that are coming at us. And I know that as long as Jeremy and I and the boys are together, we can go (or stay) anywhere and be happy in our adventures.

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with my incredible husband and 2 amazing little boys, who are getting not quite so little as each day passes. And I'm so thankful for the love, prayers and support of my extended family. I rely on their prayers a lot too. I'm blessed to have some amazing prayer warriors in my family. I go to them for advice a lot too. It's so nice to know that I can talk to them whenever I need to, even if I'm on the other side of the world. Technology is wonderful, when it's cooperating. :) (Mama, we've got to get you a webcam so we can Skype!)

God is in control, and I'm trusting that He's working things out for what's best for us!

Again?

2012-01-23T10:43:00.005-06:00

Well, God's working on me again...or still. I'm not going to share details. But today, I'm clinging, quite hard, to Jeremiah 29:11: " '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.' "

From the book "Jesus Calling" these words are also prevalent for me today: "If you believe that I am Sovereign over every aspect of your life, it is possible to trust Me in all situations. Don't waste energy regretting the way things are or thinking about what might have been. Start at the present moment - accepting things exactly as they are - and search for My way in the midst of those circumstances."

I know that God is in control of what will happen in my life. I sure wish I knew what His plan was and how it was going to work out. But that is what He's teaching me, right? To just trust Him to work it out. I'm firmly believing that it will all work out "for the good of those who love Him."

In the meantime...I pray. I don't think I've spent this much time in constant prayer in my life. I'm glad that I have Jesus to cling to, to love me, to guide me. I'd be a crazy and very bitter person otherwise. Anyone who would like to pray for us too is welcome to! :)

Emotional

2012-01-21T16:21:00.006-06:00

My emotions are running pretty high right now. That's probably not the best time to blog. But the writing helps me work through my emotions. I'm on a roller coaster these days. My post entitled "Coming to Peace" explains some of the cause of this roller coaster ride. Here's more on that...

Our family will be moving to Japan within the next few months. Yep, the other side of the world from here. We will be there for about 2 years, then move to Singapore for about a year after that. Should I continue? Or is that enough explanation?

We are excited about this new chapter in our lives. It will be an adventure. Jeremy is actually there right now for work, staying for about a week and a half. That's the other cause of my emotional ride. I don't do very well without him. I'm pretty dependent on him for a lot of things, particularly making me feel calm and normal and happy. We are getting to Skype, which helps A LOT! But still, he's not here. I'm sure you all understand. Also, Tokyo is 15 hours ahead of us here, so figuring out a time to talk is a little bit of a challenge. I can't just call or text him when I feel like telling him something or hearing his voice because I'd have to wake him up to do it. But there is a good stretch in our afternoons that we can talk, depending on what time he wakes up over there. I was also up until about 1 am talking to him.

As far as the move goes...there are just so many decisions to make and preparations to handle that I tend to get a little stressed at times, although "overwhelmed" may be the more accurate term. Most of the stress is that I do not yet have instructions on what all I need to do. I've been told by others the things that they had to do, but I don't know details yet. So, it's really the unknown that worries me more than anything. I've actually been doing quite well, I think. I am in constant prayer, which is the only reason that I've not gone crazy yet. The Lord is teaching me so much through this experience. The lessons I'm learning, particularly to trust completely in Him, giving Him control of our circumstances, are essential.

I'm learning flexibility too! This has never been something that I'm very good at. I like to know ahead of time exactly how things should go so that I can plan and be prepared and just know what to expect going into something. This is NOT going to happen in this situation. I know that, and I've come to accept that.

Once we knew that we were going to move, we didn't really know when the move would be. The window was January to June of this year. We still don't really know. We thought in Dec that it would be around the end of Feb., but now it looks like it will be May/June. But that could change again too. This is hard for me. Again, it's the unknown. But it is one of the things God is using to teach me.

I'm taking things one day at a time, CHOOSING not to get stressed when I feel out of control over what's happening. I still feel overwhelmed at times, like today when other things start to stress me, like the boys not getting along and Jeremy isn't here to help with that. But I am not supposed to be in control. God is. And that's the thing I try to remember. He IS in control, so there is no need for me to worry.

And we really are excited about it all. Jeremy got to look at some apartments and houses that we could live in once we get over there. He was pleasantly surprised at what was available to us. He's also already getting more comfortable with the whole "big city" life that we are unaccustomed to. There are trains and subways and lots of walking and bike-riding that we will do to get around, and he's figuring that out after being there for just a few days.

There will be so many things that we will get to see and do while we live there that we are very much looking forward to. I'm going to have to start planning our weekend adventures now! That will probably be a better use of my time than the worrying. And the boys will be going to an amazing school, The American School in Japan (ASIJ). I'm excited for them and all that they will experience. And they are excited about the Sumo wrestling and the taekwondo. There are also several other people that are already living there that have children close to our kids' age, so that will be great for all of us!

Okay, I'm starting to calm down now and feel better. I read a little of the Psalms before I started writing too. I just needed the comfort. Hopefully Jeremy will be waking up soon and we can Skype and I'll be even better.

My Tender-hearted Boy

2011-10-31T08:09:00.005-05:00

Tyler, my oldest baby boy, has such a tender heart and compassion for other people. An example of this occurred this past weekend.

For some background information, we received his yearbook from last year in the mail (since we have relocated). As he spent some time looking through it, he was really missing his old school and the friends he had for the past 3 years of his life. He likes his new school and is making some really good friends. But as he was sad about missing his old friends he said, "I've known them longer."

He was "Star of the Week" in his class this past week, which means that he gets to share things about himself each day of that week. One of these days he took his yearbook to show his new class and new friends. He still referred to the old school as "his school" and said "we" do this and that. As his mama, his sadness hurt my heart too. Jeremy suggested we call one of his friends and have them come over to play and spend the night. So, I got right on it and contacted a friend to come for a night over the weekend. This made him very happy. They had lots of fun. This friend plays really well with Tucker too, so it was good all around.

I also realize that my baby is growing up. His friend had a loose tooth that came out while he was here that first day. They ran in to let me know. We placed the tooth in a bag so it wouldn't get lost. Talk of the tooth fairy began. Then my Tyler whispered to me that he "knows" the tooth fairy is me. Well, what's next? We whispered back and forth a little. He's a smart kid and figured out on his own how it works. I wasn't going to try to convince him otherwise. I just settled for "Just don't tell Tucker!" He smiled and said "Okay."

Later that night, as the boys were all getting ready for bed, Tyler came and whispered to me that his friend was going to put his tooth under his pillow that night for the tooth fairy. "I wanted to tell you so he wouldn't be disappointed," Tyler said. Sweet boy! I'm kind of glad he figured it out so he could tell me what was happening. I wouldn't want him to be disappointed either. I checked with his dad to see what the going rate was around their house and the tooth fairy showed up that night, thanks to a sweet, smart boy who cares about how other people feel. I sure love him and am proud of him.

Coming to Peace

2011-09-25T19:17:00.006-05:00

God's really working on my heart. My emotions are all over the place. There are a few verses that have been hitting me in the face from all directions in the past few weeks. I've come across them in my quiet times, devotions I get through email, an ebook I'm reading, and in the Karen Kingsbury books that I've been losing myself in. (On a side note...she's become my favorite author over this past year or so since I started reading her books. Probably more on that later.)

The verses are these:

Philippians 4:8 - "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

Jeremiah 29:11 - "'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.'"

There are some things going on in my life that a few know about and most others do not. We are supposed to be moving to Tokyo, Japan and then Singapore for the next 3 or so years. We are not exactly sure of when we will be leaving, but it will likely be between January and March of this coming year. People, that's just a few months from now that we will be moving to another country!

Anxiety and excitement are both involved in the emotional roller coaster I'm on about this season in our lives. Since it is a temporary assignment for Jeremy's job, we are on Exxon's schedule, which is not anything like my schedule! So, for now, since there's not much I can do to prepare for this move, I am asking God to prepare my heart - and He is! And He is more in control of what's going on than Exxon is! (Thankfully!)

I tend to fret over things when they are out of my control and I want them to be IN my control. There are so many details that will have to be worked out before we leave the country for a few years, but there's very little I can do at this point, particularly since we don't know exactly when we will be leaving. This is a hard thing for this OCD planner. So, I'm sincerely giving it to God, and He's really blessing me already with a peace that I could not have imagined that I'd have in this situation.

I'm clinging to the verses He's showing me. I'm thinking more on things that are excellent and praiseworthy rather than fretting over things that stress me. I'm confident that He has a plan for me and my family in this season of our lives and that it will be for our good. I'm thankful that He's showing me these things now, and that He keeps showing them to me to remind me that He is in control. I'm excited about what He's going to do in our lives while we live in another country (or two!). And I'm completely trusting in Him, because if I don't, I don't think I could handle it! :)

Praying for my Husband

2011-08-25T08:12:00.003-05:00

As promised...more blog posts! I just have a lot more quiet time to think these days. I am spending actual quiet time, uninterrupted, as long as I want, with the Lord each morning. This has not happened like this in quite some time. I have to admit, it is so good, and just what I need, especially at this juncture in my life.

Today I began reading Tracie Miles' 14 Days to a Healthier Marriage. She is an author and speaker for the Proverbs 31 ministries. I have their "Encouragement for Today" devotions emailed to me. I really enjoy them. They spur me on to my quiet time every morning, and I really look forward to reading them.

I just started it this morning, so I read through the intro and day 1, which is praying for your husband. She says she realized she had been praying to God about her husband and not for her husband. Now, I have always prayed for my husband. And I honestly don't have many complaints about him to pray for God to "fix," as she references to. But this encouraged me to begin praying more intently for him, and to be very specific about it. She said that Stormie Omartian's The Power of a Praying Wife is what inspired this in her. And in this book, there are chapters with specific aspects of your husband's life to pray for. So, this is where I am going to start.

No matter what state your marriage is in - wonderful and happy, stable but not amazing, or really shaky - praying for your husband is an amazing thing to do. It will benefit him and you. I believe that I will also begin seeing things that I can do to make our marriage even better. I am looking forward to what God is going to do in our lives and in our marriage.

Moms Need Other Moms

2011-08-24T11:38:00.002-05:00

As I'm cleaning the bathrooms this morning in a quiet house, my mind wanders. I mean, I'm not going to focus too much on the toilet. I had a fun girls night out last night with some very sweet ladies, 2 of whom are moms themselves and one will be in about 9 months! :) Our husbands all work together and will soon begin what they call "turnaround" at work. To us wives, this means our husbands will be working 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week for about 2 months straight. We decided we should be proactive in having a girls night out together before we all struggle through the time of missing our husbands. We are also planning to have another one when it's all over. ;)

I've just been thinking about how much these friendships and so many others I have mean to me. Moms really need other moms. It just helps us to keep our sanity. Although each of our children are different, we all struggle with so many of the same struggles and experience a lot of the same joys. It is so good to share this with others who understand.

I rely a lot on my older sisters, who are amazing, godly examples of wives and mothers for me. They are the ones I pretty much always go to for advice on just about anything - parenting, marriage, prayer requests. I am so thankful to God for the family that I have.

And then there are so many friends that I talk to in various ways (or they talk to me) - girls night out, Facebook, blogs. As I talk, listen, and read, I realize how critical it is for us to have this connection. As we talk about any struggles or frustrations we have (not just complaining all the time), we can almost ALWAYS find that we are not the only ones who have these thoughts or feelings. We are not alone. And it is always easier to face something and conquer it when someone else is with you. And it really just makes me feel better to know that I am not alone.

On the other side, I read Facebook posts or blogs about friends' joys and encouragement in being a mother and a wife. Even though most of them do not know their impact, these things really encourage me as a wife and mother to be the best I can be to my husband and children. A lot of them challenge me in many ways.

I just want to encourage all moms to keep communicating with each other. Share all the good and the bad. We all benefit from it one way or another. We help each other to become better moms.

Thank you to all the other moms in my life, including my own, who was and is a good example to me. I realize more things as I grow older that my Mama did and does well as a mother, particularly being a prayer warrior. It's good to know that people who love you are faithful to pray for you.

It's Just Me Now

2011-08-22T14:32:00.002-05:00

Well, it's the 3rd full day of being alone in my house all day while the boys are at school. It hasn't been 2 days in a row yet since Tucker had a staggered start to kindergarten, and then the weekend. But this will be the first full week of our new routine.

It's just weird to me to have this much time alone. Mind you, I have a long list of things I can do, and some of it will get done. :) But, this is a whole new world to me. It hasn't been this way for the past 8 years! I've had a least one child with me almost all of the time. I got a little taste last school year when Tucker was in pre-k, but that was only 6 hours a week! That's barely enough time to clean house, go grocery shopping, or occasionally something fun like a pedicure or shopping.

Now I'm entering this phase of life wondering how to act. I guess I'll figure it out - eventually. In the meantime, there may be more frequent blog posts.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-18T10:13:00.004-05:00

Boys getting off the bus after Tucker's 1st day of kindergarten (and Tyler's 4th day of 3rd grade)

Tucker's first day of kindergarten is over. He (and I) survived. I only teared up a few times during the day, which is a lot better than I expected. He did great going in, so I was anxious to hear how the day went.

Unfortunately, his teacher was not able to be at school this first week. Her husband had heart surgery and still needed her help at home. So, understandably, she stayed home with him for a few more days. I believe she is going to be a great teacher for Tucker, and that he will love her and the class. But, her absence made his first day not the best it could have been.

He did not like the substitute. I'm not sure what the deal was, but he made sure I knew he didn't like her. Apparently she wasn't very nice or very fun, and I think they had to do a lot of worksheets and stuff that perhaps they wouldn't have had to do had his teacher been there.

Yesterday was just the kindergarten boys' day to go. Today, just the girls will go. Friday, all of them will go. Then Monday, the teacher will be back and things will be better. I just hope they have a different sub tomorrow so Tucker has a better second day.

He said he liked the boys in his class...well, at least some of them. :) And the classroom was good. So, I'm confident his kindergarten year will be a good one. We've just got to get his teacher back!

My Happy Fishermen

2011-08-18T09:47:00.004-05:00

Of all my boys, my husband is the one who loves having the pond behind our house the most. After a long day at work, he loves to unwind by fishing. Sometimes the boys want to go out there with him, but sometimes they don't.

Last night after dinner, all four of us went out there. Jeremy and Tyler started fishing. Tucker did a little, but his attention span seems to be pretty short, especially when he's not getting any bites. Tyler caught a couple, but Jeremy seemed to have the bait they wanted last night.

He was super excited about his big catch last night. He hadn't seen one this big in the pond before, and was glad I had my phone with me to take pictures. He said it was probably about a 5 lb. bass. I was about to take a turn fishing. He cast it, hooked it, then handed it to me to reel in. Then he realized how big it was (and how much I was struggling) and said "Can I have it back?" in a very sweet way but with child-like excitement. Of course, I gave it back. :)

Here is the documentation of the evening's catch:

Tyler's first catch of the night

One of Jeremy's catches

The big one! And a big smile to match!

Tyler's trying to take credit (behind Jeremy's back)!

Showing the size of it's mouth

See how big it is compared to the size of the boys

A happy fisherman

First Day of School

2011-08-17T09:00:00.004-05:00

Good grief. My baby started kindergarten today.

I just about don't know what to say about this. As I was walking him to his classroom, he was kind of talking to himself, or maybe to me. But he sounded like me talking to myself. I heard, "My first day of school! I'm excited...no, I'm not. I'm nervous...no, I'm not." He's just trying to figure this all out. He went to pre-k last year for 2 mornings a week, for a total of 6 hours a week. Now, he'll in going to kindergarten 5 days a week for 7 hours a day. That's quite an adjustment!

He is a young kindergartener. He is still 4, but will be 5 on Sept. 8. The cut-off date here in LA is Sept. 30. But he's such a smart little boy! He has been reading quite well for a while now. I know he will adjust and will love kindergarten. After all, kindergarten is the most fun grade! :) And he has a very sweet teacher, Mrs. James, who I've heard is great. I also met the teacher across the hall from his classroom this morning. She lives right across the pond from us, and was also super sweet and reassuring, telling me to let her know if we needed anything, and that she'd send her number home with Tucker for me. :) I like having people watching out for my babies when I can't.

Today is really Tyler's 4th day of school, but I took the pictures this morning like it was the first day for both of them. I forgot the first day for Tyler until we got to school, and then he didn't want me to take any pictures. :) He is in 3rd grade with Mrs. Leake, whom I've heard is awesome, and she really seemed great when I met her too. He's adjusting very well, other than saying that it feels like he is at school "all day, for like 10 or 11 hours!"

They are both riding the bus. Even though they are technically at different schools, they ride the same bus, and they're both excited about it. Their bus is air-conditioned, which is nice, but they aren't even on it too terribly long, especially considering how long it would take me to get them to and from school. It's well worth it, and they will be together.

I can't wait to see them this afternoon when they get off the bus! I hope Tucker will tell me about his day. I imagine he will tell Tyler all about it on their ride home, but hopefully I'll get to hear some of it too. I haven't fallen apart today like I thought I would, which is good. I'll have to adjust being at home alone all day!

Here are pictures of my boys:

Tucker on his first day of kindergarten! How precious is he in his uniform?!

Tyler in 3rd grade! So big and so sweet!

Tucker waiting in the hallway before going into his classroom

Tucker waiting on the mat, ready to start kindergarten!

Bevell Family Vacation

2011-08-03T17:51:00.013-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, my family all met in Gatlinburg for a few days. Obviously this had to be planned out well in advance for all 21 of us to be able to be there at the same time. These times together are rare and precious. We have always been a close family and love being together.

Most of us (the Bullocks, the Crafts, the Partridges, and my mom) met up in Jackson, MS, and made the 10 hour drive up there in caravan. (The Crafts had flown into MS from Seattle earlier that week to visit other family.) That made the long drive much easier for the kids since they got to ride together, which made it easier for the grown-ups not having to listen to "when are we gonna be there?!" The Albrittons made their 10 hour drive in from VA, and my dad and his wife made their drive from AR through Nashville to pick up my brother.

It was a wonderful time in the Smokey Mountains with the people that I love most in this world. All of our kids (the 9 grandchildren) love getting being together too. We were there for 4 nights, but decided that wasn't long enough to fit in all of the desserts we wanted to make and eat, even with more than one dessert a couple of nights! After all, chocolate is the tie that binds the Bevell family together.

We went swimming one day. With all 21 of us there, we pretty much took over the pool, but also managed to entertain the few others that were there. We went hiking one day, which is apparently where I took pretty much all of my pictures. We had a 700-balloon water balloon fight, which went very quickly. We built a fire and made s'mores, which my kids like to make, but not eat, so I was eating more than my share! We had a birthday party for the four July birthdays. And we just spent time together, enjoying being together.

I love my family - all of them. And I cherish the times when we are all together, no matter how exhausted I am when it's all over.

Tyler, my 3rd grader

2011-08-03T10:50:00.003-05:00

So, Tyler's already a 3rd grader! How does the time go by so fast? Each year I compare his school picture to the previous years, and it just amazes me to see the changes. He's growing up so much!

We haven't received his teacher assignment yet, but he's not worried about starting at a new school this year, which is a relief. He loved Spanish Lake and had good friends there. But I am thankful for his confidence to go into a new place. He actually said "School's really not that bad. I'm kind of ready for it."

He is also helping to encourage Tucker about his first year of school. Kindergarten is the "fun year." :) They both want to ride the bus, so we're going to try that. Even though they will be at different schools (Bains Elementary & Bains Lower Elementary), they get to ride the same bus since the schools are right next door to each other and not that large. I've heard their bus driver is the best too! She knows and loves each of the students and takes care of them and checks on them. So that puts my mind at ease a little.

At the end of last year, I asked that Tyler be tested for gifted. They managed to squeeze in the testing, and he did awesome! So, once they get his IEP done in the next couple of weeks, he will get to be in a gifted class each afternoon for a little while, and he's really looking forward to it. We are certainly proud of him. I'm proud of his confidence in it all, as well as his determination.

I pray that he will have a wonderful 3rd grade experience, make great new friends, and love his new school. And once again...that I will make it at home alone without my two boys. :) It's going to be so quiet with just me and the dog, since he just sleeps all day!

Tucker to Kindergarten?

2011-08-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

Well, I received Tucker's teacher assignment in the mail today for kindergarten! How can this be possible? I know all mothers think this when the time comes for each of their children to start school. The time just goes too quickly. They seem too little to be ready for all of this. But, I'm confident that he is ready, so off he will go.

Since we moved, both boys will be starting at new schools this year. Tyler seems confident and excited, which I am thankful for. But Tucker has been saying he doesn't want to go, which hasn't made me feel good about sending him. But after getting the teacher assignment, I went to the school's website, where each teacher has her own website where we can see her and read about her and see pictures of her classroom. I showed these to Tucker, and when we finished, he ran off saying, "I love my school already!" This makes my heart glad!

He also has to go before school starts to do a screening. They do this for all of the children, not just the new ones. I have no doubt in his abilities, but I'm praying now for his shyness (is that a real word?). Hopefully I can be out of the room so he will not cling to me, but be able to show and tell her what he knows. I mean, he's been reading, quite easily, for a while now. (Not to brag or anything :), but he amazes me with the ease in which he reads so much.) And he loves math too, and does that easily. And I doubt that she'll even try to ask him questions like that before entering kindergarten. He's got the basic kindergarten skills down pat.

We sent him to pre-k last year for 2 mornings a week, and he ended up LOVING it! I sure hope that he gets - and stays - as excited about kindergarten. I'm just not sure how I'm going to handle being at home alone all these days! (You can start praying for me now.) :)

Well, both boys want to ride the bus this year. I've said that I'll let them try, especially since they can ride the same bus. We will see how long it lasts. Who knows? It may work out well for us all, even though I've always been the overprotective parent who didn't want my baby on a bus out of my control. I'm pretty sure I get that honestly from my father.

So, Tucker will begin "real school" in 2 weeks. I pray that he will thrive and love it all and make new friends. (And that I will not go into a depression being at home alone.) :)

Our New Home

2011-08-01T16:12:00.003-05:00

Well, my last post...several months ago...was about our upcoming move to our new home in St. Francisville, LA. Well, we've been here for almost 2 months now, and I'm finally getting around to posting a blog about it. I already shared how I felt about it. Quite frankly, I feel like it's my dream home. It's got everything we need...plenty of space inside and out with 4 bedrooms, 2 acres, a pond, and a pool.

Needless to say, we are enjoying it. So, here are some pictures of the outside of it.

Update

2011-04-11T13:08:00.003-05:00

It has been so long since I posted anything here on my blog! I'm not sure why I got out of the habit of it, but I wanted to post an update on what's happening with us.

The biggest thing is that we are buying a new house! We are so excited about this! The home we are in now was our first home, and we've been here for 9 1/2 years! Both of our children were born while living in this house, so it's all they know. But we are all ready for the new place.

Our new home is almost an hour away from where we are now, but will be a much better commute for Jeremy to work, which will enable him to be home more. We are all happy about that. The house is bigger than where we are now (by about 1000 sq ft), on almost 2 acres, with a pond at the back for fishing, and a pool in the backyard! The first time went to look at the house, we knew it was exactly what we wanted.

The boys are excited about getting their own rooms, as they now share a bedroom and have a separate playroom. Tyler is especially ready for this as he is valuing more his "quiet time," as they call it when they want to be alone for a while. Their rooms will be joined by their "Jack and Jill" bathroom, so they'll still be close. After all, they still really are such good friends! I am so excited about all of it!

There will be a transition for everyone as the boys will be going to a new school. Tucker will be starting kindergarten (really?!) in the fall, and Tyler will begin 3rd grade. We love the school Tyler is in now and will really miss it, but I've heard nothing but good things about the schools there, all the way up to the high school! I plan to be very involved there, just as I have been here. I love it, and I feel like it benefits my kids too. And Tyler has seemed to like my being around - so far. :)

We will miss our church here, but pray that we will find a new church home that we can get plugged into soon. Fellowship Church in Prairieville has been an awesome church home that we have loved being a part of. We will also miss "face time" with friends that live out here, but plan to minimize that. :) We also have friends that live close to where we are moving, so we will get to see more of them.

Tyler has had a great year of 2nd grade, making honor roll with all A's each 9 weeks. He enjoys school and loves to read. He enjoys math too, but also likes to share the new things he learns in science.

Tucker has been in preschool 2 mornings a week this year. He absolutely loves it! His face lights up when he's asked about it. This is such a blessing. We have both benefited from these 6 hours a week. It's not much, but it's made a difference in his life, and mine. :) I really believe this will help his transition to kindergarten this fall. He has so much personality and is so smart, but he was just afraid to let anyone see it. He has really begun to come out of his shell this year, and it's so fun!

Jeremy has been working hard, as well as having to travel a good bit. He is responsible for planning a "turn-around" at work. To those not familiar with the world of oil companies and plants, this translates to "we won't see him much for a couple of months." These don't happen too often - I think this one is a once every 10 years kind of thing. It is a big deal and involves a lot of preparation, including travel to inspect things being made for them. He has a lot of responsibility in this, which is a good thing in his career.

I REALLY appreciate how hard he works, how well he does his job, and the respect he has earned in the 11 years (this June) that he has worked here. He has made it possible for me to be the stay-at-home mom that I always dreamed of being, and I am SO VERY THANKFUL for that! God has blessed us more than we could have asked for!

Well, Tucker wants me to come work a puzzle with him, so off I go to enjoy being a stay-at-home mom! :)

TYLER'S writing

2010-10-17T17:55:00.005-05:00

Tyler has been begging me for a blog of his own, or a Facebook page. Since he's only 7, he's not getting his own Facebook page. If he starts to write a lot, I may create a blog for him. But for now, I decided I'd let him write something to post on my blog. This is what he decided to write first.

I like video games. I have a PS3,DS,and a wii.I have the most DS games.I have 18 wii games and 7 PS3 games and 61 DS games.Sometimes my dad helps me through a level.One time I had to fight a snake and a allagator and my dad helped me beat it all!

Letting Go

2010-08-16T07:52:00.006-05:00

I just put my 7 year old on the bus to school. I came back inside to read my devotion as my 3 year old watches TV. The devotion is about how we pray, particularly for our children.

This is the first year I have "let" my child ride the bus to school. As a kindergartener, I felt he was just too little, and that just carried over into first grade. He has always wanted to ride the bus to school. I just wouldn't ever let him. Honestly, I was worried that his safety was out of my control. It also adds a bit of time to his school day, which doesn't seem to be bothering him so far this year. We are on day 4 now.

My fears and worries about putting him on the bus were not eased on the very first morning of school when the bus never showed up on our street! Apparently our bus driver didn't know she had our road to pick up. Well, I load up Tyler, and Tucker (no shoes) and our neighbor and drive them to school. No, I didn't just drop the kids off. I parked and went in. I talked to the assistant principal who is in charge of the busses. Several other parents and friends were still at the school helping kids find their classrooms, so I talked to them as well. And of course the principal was out and I talked to him. All of this was done as I looked like I had just rolled out of bed. My hair was all twisted up and pulled back. I didn't have any makeup on. I had a tank top and some knit FSU shorts on. I wasn't looking my best for the first day of school. After all, I wasn't planning on going to school yet. But I had to make sure this bus issue wasn't going to be an issue. I also had to be sure Tyler got his "tag" so they knew which bus he should get on to get home after school.

I don't think the bus issue is completely resolved yet. But I've talked to who I need to talk to to get it right. He's being the first on in the mornings and last off in the afternoons. This is not how it's supposed to work. But I've been told it will be resolved. None of this is bothering Tyler yet, and I don't think he even knows I've been talking to anyone about it to fix it. But I'd rather not have him adding an hour to an hour and a half to his school day for no reason, especially in the south Louisiana heat!

Okay, now that my rant is over...on to what this post should be about...letting go! :) You see, this is a very difficult thing for me. I tend to hover over my children to make sure they are happy and cared for and have everything they could possibly need. Putting Tyler on the bus to school is a step for me in letting go. I'm losing a little bit of control. But, this is a good thing. Tyler needs to learn more independence, and I feel confident that he is up to the task.

As I prayed for him this morning, I prayed for his safety and other things. But I seemed to get kind of stuck as I was asking God to help me let go of him and put him into HIS hands. I know I mean this, and I want this, but apparently, it's going to be hard to relinquish control.

Now I know he is just 7 years old, and I still have a good deal of control over what happens in his life, but there are some areas where I need to back off. I am very involved in the school and things that go on there and in his classroom so I can be a part of his life even when he is at school. I remember Jeremy saying to Tyler one day as we were getting ready for a field trip that Tyler couldn't get away without Mama. So far, I don't think this bothers him. In fact, he at least acts like he enjoys it, especially when Tucker gets to come along. They are best friends. It is part of the advantage of my being a stay-at-home mom. I can get involved.

But as I was praying, I really felt like God was telling me that although I was praying this - to put Tyler is HIS hands - I wasn't really doing it. I'm thinking about whether I'm really willing to let go of him and let God have him. Hannah did this with Samuel at a VERY early age. I cannot imagine what all she went through to do this. She seemed willing and happy to do it, as she promised. But I think of all the things she "missed out on" as he was growing up. Yes, she saw him, visited him and talked to him, I believe. But she was not the one in control of his life. This would be hard.

This is another journey for me as a mother. I feel like when I post things about motherhood that I'm dealing with, as in my "Why do I yell?" post, I get advice and support from others who deal with the same things. And it really helps. So, if there are others who read this and have something you'd like to share on this topic, please do! It may help me, you, or others!

Why Do I Yell?

2010-07-09T08:22:00.008-05:00

It's confession time. And I'm writing this down for public knowledge to make myself more accountable. My devotion this morning from Proverbs 31 Ministries was about taming your tongue and the power such a small thing has. In case you haven't noticed yet, these devotions spur a lot of thought and insight in my life. I love reading them, even when they convict me.

I think I'm figuring something out. The only people I ever yell at are my kids. Now, WHY in the world would I choose to only yell at the little ones that I love more than anything in the world and who are so vulnerable to what I say and do to them?

I have always been a "peacemaker" in my family. I am the middle child of 5 kids. I always held my feelings in, and still do a lot, and just didn't really say much. I was very quiet. Now that I am a wife and mother and have my own home, I have opened up a lot. My dear husband has drawn me out of my shell a good bit.

But I find myself yelling at my children. I get so frustrated when they disobey, when they are fighting, or when they are just not listening to me, and I yell at them. Now, everyone knows that yelling at kids really isn't effective. It more or less just scares them for a minute, long enough for you to get a word in. But it is NOT effective parenting or disciplining. In fact, at times they think it's funny and laugh when I get so wound up that I yell. So, why do I do it?

I mean, I don't even ever yell at Jeremy when I get mad. With him, as with everyone else, I shut down, at least at first. If I begin to speak, I get upset and tears tend to fill my eyes. And we all know guys hate it when girls "bring on the waterworks." And I never mean to cry, it's just what happens.

But I've decided that the reason I feel more free to yell at my kids is because I do not have the fear that they will love me any less. I am their Mama. And when we are the only ones at home, there is no one there to judge how I am acting. All the years of pent up emotions that I didn't let out are now coming out very loudly toward my children. I know I must stop this. Even just yelling to tell them something because I don't feel like getting off the couch and walking to the room where they are needs to stop. It's a really bad habit that I do NOT like in myself.

So, beginning today, I am starting the healing process of this habit. When I find myself yelling, or about to yell, for whatever reason, I am going to tighten my lips, and pause. I know this will not be easy. And there will be many times that I fail. But I'm viewing this as a process that will get better over time, if I try.

One other note...I WILL yell if my child is in danger and it is necessary to get their attention. :) But, I'm hoping and praying that all other yelling will cease. I'd appreciate any prayers for me in this.

This is the prayer from the devotion by Luann Prater of the Proverbs 31 Ministries this morning:
Dear Lord, Thank you for reminding us that a tongue can rip a heart apart, or seal it back together. Teach us to pause long enough to give your Spirit time to work in and through us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Also, a friend just showed me a book called "Scream Free Parenting" that sounds like a perfect book for this situation. Here is a YouTube link for an ad for the book.

Seattle

2010-06-30T14:12:00.011-05:00

This past weekend I was able to go to Seattle to visit with my little sister, Laurie. She was graduating from Mars Hill Graduate School with her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology. This was a very big deal for her, and we are all very proud of her.

So my sisters and mother and I all decided to make the trip up there for her graduation. In addition to being there for her, we all were a little excited about the "Bevell girl" time we were able to have.

On Friday, we went to visit her school at their open house, then on to Pike's Place Market for a little shopping, although it was quite overwhelming with all the people there. There were a lot of beautiful flowers that smelled wonderful, although they didn't really offset the smell of all the fresh fish!

Saturday was graduation day. We celebrated after that with lunch at Chinook's, which is a very yummy seafood restaurant at the Fisherman's Terminal. You know it's fresh! After lunch and naps, we ventured out again for some second hand store shopping. It's amazing in Seattle! We all found lots of things we liked - good quality, name brand stuff. We were all buying "birthday presents" for each other too! It was great fun!

Sunday we slept in a little, and then went to a great little French bakery for breakfast. It was one of those tiny, family-run places that only those who live there could tell you about. It was really yummy!

Then, the 5 Bevell women went off to see the movie "Babies." If you haven't heard of it, it's basically a documentary about 4 babies from different countries during the first year of their life. There is no narration or dialogue, or even any translation of what the parents of the babies from other countries are saying. Basically, we observed pieces of each of their lives during their first year. We really enjoyed it. And for those of you who know the Bevell women, it's quite fitting that we would all see this - together! Our husbands were also appreciative that we went together - and not with them!

A funny thing about going to the movie is that we ended up sitting in "order." Completely by accident, we sat in order of our age. Then we noticed that we also were sitting in order of number of "babies" we currently have, including my mother (5,4,3,2 & 0). It was very amusing (to us anyway)!

From there, we did a little more second hand shopping. There is just so much of it there and we were all really into it! I had to stop looking or I would have run out of room in my carry-on. We did a little "souvenir" shopping for a few things to take back to the family too.

We also went on a hike in Carkeek Park, which was only about a block from Laurie's house. There were some very pretty things to look at, but a very nice place to go just to "get away." Laurie says she goes there at least a couple of times a week, and I can see why. We ate at a picnic table and talked and laughed about "The Office" episodes for a while. :) Then we drove down, although it was within walking distance, to the beach. By this time, the sun was about to set and it had gotten VERY cold, so we ended up not staying too long, but I really wanted to see it! It was beautiful at sunset!

Everywhere we went we were seeing different parts of Seattle and taking it all in. Although we didn't visit the Space Needle, I did see it. We passed the Mariners baseball field and the Seahawks football stadium. We saw downtown, farmer's markets, cruise ships, fishing boats, the Puget Sound (everywhere), some beautiful scenery, and lots more.

Although I really missed Jeremy and the boys, it was really great to get to take this trip and it just be us without our kids for a few days. It was precious time, and we are all glad we did it.

Tuckerism of the Day

2010-06-24T15:53:00.003-05:00

As we were heading to Walgreens this afternoon, I went through my usual talk about being good in the store. Tucker says, "Yeah, no disobeying Mama. No running off. And no thinking either. Mama knows when we're thinking!"

I love it! I did not comment on this. I just smiled and laughed (quietly). If he thinks this even for a little while, I will enjoy it while it lasts!

Orange Beach 2010

2010-06-23T13:20:00.024-05:00

Before it gets too far out of my memory, I decided I should blog a little about our Orange Beach 2010 vacation! We were there from May 22 until June 1.

As you all know, the BP Oil Spill has now hit many beaches in the gulf region. We were lucky enough to have booked our beach trip for before the oil reached Orange Beach. I know many others were not as lucky as we were, or are traveling further to get to clean and clear beaches.

This is the third year (2 in a row) that we have taken a vacation to Orange Beach. It is a great family vacation spot. We also have gone with other families that we are close friends with who also have kids our kids' ages! This is the way to do it! The first 2 trips we went with Toby and Eron Hamblin, and their kids, Todd and Ellen, and Kurt and Mandy Goodwin, and their kids, Dylan and Hayden. This year, the Hamblins had moved to Virginia and did not make it to Orange Beach with us. We were very disappointed they couldn't be there, but understood it was too far.

So, it was the four of us

and the four Goodwins.

We share a condo, with the 4 boys, ages 7,6, 4 & 3, in their own room.

We were able to stay for 10 days this year! That's right, 10 days! We were a little concerned it might be too long for all of us being that close together for that long, but IT WAS WONDERFUL!!! We'd do it again this summer if we could!

The night before we were supposed to be leaving, Tyler got some kind of bug and was throwing up! Ugh! It was a Saturday morning, and luckily our pediatrician's office is open on Saturday mornings. We took him to the doctor, who advised we at least wait until late afternoon to be sure he felt well enough to travel. He slowly began drinking a little and was able to keep it down. After several hours of no puking, we decided we'd get in the truck, with a small garbage can next to him, and head to the beach. Tyler was very worried that he was going to be too sick to play on the beach. An advantage of being there for 10 days was that we could go slowly. But we made it there and Tyler slowly began eating over the next couple of days and got back to his normal self, and, thankfully, no one else got sick.

Our good friends Jeremy and Katie Toombs and their 3 children, Olivia, Wyatt, & Hampton, who live in Memphis, were there at the same time we were so we were able to spend some time with them as well. Although they had some bad luck while they were there. Jeremy (Toombs) twisted his ankle and was on crutches, and the baby, Hampton, got sick too. So they had to make a couple of trips to the nearby urgent care facility.

One of the great things about being there for 10 days was that we didn't feel like we had to get up and rush out to spend every moment we had on the beach. We slept in a little, with the adults taking turns getting up to monitor the boys, who seemed to wake up by 6:30 every morning. Then we went out to the beach for a while, playing in the waves and the sand and just relaxing.

The boys dug lots of holes,

caught lots of crabs and minnows, rode boogie boards,

and jumped waves. Tucker and Hayden were also "killing" or "punching" the waves as they came in. They all had a blast and were a lot of fun to watch.

We'd go in for lunch and to rest for a bit, although there were several naps taken on the beach.

Then we'd head back out either to the beach or the pool.

The guys, Jeremy and Kurt, grilled out for us a few times for dinner. We ordered pizza a couple of times, and of course we had to go eat at Lambert's Cafe one night.

The Toombs' came to eat with us when we went there and we all went to The Track afterwards to ride go-karts, which was lots of fun! This was the only picture we got since we were all riding them at the same time. This was the "rookie track" where the kids got to drive their own!

The only cooking I had to do the whole 10 days was a couple of breakfasts and the baked potatoes, which I put in the microwave, when Jeremy grilled steaks.

One morning, Jeremy and Kurt and the big boys, Tyler and Dylan, went on a charter fishing trip.

They were all excited about this. Tyler even caught a shark!

It was a small one, but a shark nonetheless! They all had fun doing that. Maybe next year, or the next, all the boys can go. The mommies will just take a nap on the beach until they get back!

Mandy and I did get an evening of outlet shopping, which we thoroughly enjoyed, while Jeremy and Kurt took care of the boys. They also let us have a couple of hours of tanning time by the pool without the kids one afternoon. They even had them bathed and ready to go to Lambert's when we got back to the condo! Awesome!

THAT is my kind of vacation - little to no cooking, sleeping in, sitting on the beach or by the pool, kids entertaining themselves with friends, and just relaxing for 10 days! I am so thankful that I have a wonderful husband who has a good job/career and is able to take us on a 10 day vacation to the beach. He works hard, and he really enjoyed the time away with us too! I am looking forward to more fun vacations in the future!

Recent Kid Quotes

2010-06-15T20:55:00.004-05:00

We all know kids can say the funniest things. I am not very good at writing things down, but I remembered I had a blog! I can just add them here.

Here are a couple of things Tucker has said recently that I thought were hilarious and would like to remember:

"You're a genius, Tyler!" (Tucker is 3; Tyler is 6) (I think they were playing games on their DS and Tyler got him past a part that was hard for him.)

"Tyler's words are getting a little annoying." (He told me this after I told him to go play with Tyler.)

Tyler is a little more cautious about what he says, and he's not quite as loud as Tucker, so there may be fewer of his quotes on here in the days to come. I'm going to try to remember to put them on here as I hear them, though.

Tyler's Baptism

2010-06-07T15:33:00.003-05:00

My 6 year old son, Tyler, was baptized yesterday, Sunday, June 6, 2010. What a wonderful day for us all! My earlier post tells the story of when he asked Jesus into his heart. Since then, he has been excited about being baptized.

As we were leaving our 10 day vacation at Orange Beach, he said, "I know what's next. I'm getting baptized!" I love the pure joy and excitement he has about it.

My mom and one of my sisters, Carrie, and her 3 children were able to come down to be there for his baptism. Our close friends, Kurt and Mandy Goodwin and their boys, Dylan and Hayden, also came to church with us for it.

The pictures below did not capture this moment, but hopefully I'll be able to post a video later of the baptism. As Pastor Kirk was immersing Tyler in the water, Tyler let his feet come up in the air! I thought it was just perfect!

It was a special day. We even got a cake to celebrate! Jeremy picked it out, based on Tyler's tastes, not his own. It was a chocolate fudge cake. (Yummy!)

Here are a few pictures from the day:

Going into the water

Pastor Kirk asking Tyler if he has asked Jesus into his heart

Coming out of the water

A proud Christian (earplugs and all!)
A very happy family photo

(Well, that's the best we can get out of Tucker sometimes)

"The Dailyness"

2010-05-07T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is a wonderful devotion for moms who deal with the "dailyness" of life as a mom.

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/05/dailyness.html

Tyler's Most Important Decision

2010-04-28T16:03:00.004-05:00

GREAT NEWS!!! Tyler has asked Jesus into his heart!!! We are claiming April 25, 2010 as the day Tyler became a Christian. As his mother, my heart is still doing flips in excitement over this decision. He really seems to understand - what a 6 year old can understand. He is also excited about it. He's excited about getting baptized (don't have a date for that yet). And he is eager to go through the 4 week book "I'm a Christian Now" for younger kids, recommended by my sister, whose 4 children have all been through it.

He somewhat casually told me one night as I was laying down with them at bedtime, after books, Bible story and prayer, that he had asked Jesus into his heart several days before. I was a bit taken aback by his statement, but I felt my heart jump in excitement at the same time. We have had several conversations before this about sin, Jesus' dying on the cross to save us from our sins, rising from the dead, and our need to ask Him to forgive us of our sins and ask Him into our hearts to save us from our sins. I am thankful for his cousins who have already made this decision and shared it with him. They were very influential in his interest in finding out about salvation! Thank you Harris, Anna Claire, Seth, Callie & Joel!

So, we talked for a little while about this that night. He really seems to understand what he has done. We talked some more about it and looked up some Bible verses the next day after school. As we were reading the verses and talking about what they meant, he said, "This is the same stuff we already talked about!" I laughed a little and told him that was right. I was just showing him where we got all the stuff we talked about. I wanted to be sure he understood that the Bible is where we learn all about sin, Jesus' love for us, and the salvation that we have in Him.

He was eager to do more reading in his Bible, which is a great one for kids that we got him at Christmas. It is The Adventure Bible for Early Readers (NIrV). It's really great because it puts it in words that are easier for him to read and understand. It also has a good number of other tools that can help him understand the Bible as well. If you have young children, it's a great one! We spent some time the next day as well reading more and talking. He also spent some time before bed Saturday night talking to Jeremy about it all.

So, Sunday morning at church, he wanted to come into the worship service with us instead of staying in his class (which he loves going to). At the end of the service when our pastor asked if there was anyone who wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior, he raised his hand. He was a little hesitant at first because he wasn't sure if that was what he was supposed to do at that time, but then he wanted to be sure that Pastor Kirk saw his hand! We all three (Tyler, Jeremy and I) got to walk up to the front of the church after the prayer, hand-in-hand, to let our church family know that Tyler had asked Jesus into his heart. Our church gets excited about this decision, so there were cheers and clapping, and there were tears in my eyes (and I think in Jeremy's a little too, although I'm not sure he'd admit it - he's not a crier).

Since we're not sure what day he actually said his prayer the first time, and our discussions and prayers were spread out over several days after that, we are claiming the Sunday, April 25, 2010, when he went before our church, as the day he asked Jesus into his heart.

I am so proud and so excited about his decision. I also told him that Jesus and the angels were celebrating in heaven. And I believe his Grammy and Papa are also celebrating with them in heaven! I know all of his family here on earth are excited. I called them all that day! :)

New Bullock Baby, Easter Weekend, and...Some Other Stuff

2010-04-14T22:11:00.011-05:00

It's been a while since I posted anything, and a lot has happened.

A new Bullock baby, Hugh "Jackson" Bullock, arrived on Good Friday, April 2, 2010! He is named after both of his grandfathers and an uncle!

So, we got to go up to visit our newest nephew/cousin Easter weekend. We stayed at June's parents' house, so the boys got to play outside and go fishing & 4-wheeler riding. Here are a few pictures from that.

Easter Sunday

Fishing with Daddy - Can you see the resemblance?

Digging for worms for fishing

"Eating" the worms they dug up!

The fish caught with one of the worms

4-wheeler ridin' with Daddy

(Pete took them on quite a few rides too)

This is just such a typical Tucker look that was caught on film!

The Thursday night before this, we were at Tyler's t-ball practice and Tucker dislocated his elbow - the one not in a cast already! Jeremy and I could only utter a "good grief!" I took him to the same urgent care place we had been twice before for his other arm. Since they had previously described what they call "Nursemaid's Elbow" and how children get it, I knew this is what had happened. They fixed him up (put it back in place) and sent us on our way. No calls from Child Services yet for being in there for all this within a 2 week period.

By the way...all he did was hang onto Jeremy's hand, lifted his legs, and swung himself. Since he was just using the one good arm, it hurt him. Now we have to be more careful with it as it is much more likely to happen again.

He got his cast off the next week. It's been a week now since it's been off and no injuries so far.

"Sacred"

2010-04-13T10:54:00.003-05:00

This is a link to my sister's blog. It is a song that will really speak to all mom's. I think I'm going to print it out and post it all over my house! :)

http://oncarriesmind.blogspot.com/2010/04/sacred.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FShcg+%28On+My+Mind%29

What are they thinking?

2010-03-26T11:30:00.003-05:00

My children cannot possibly be using their brains sometimes. Tucker came be-bopping into my room at 4:30 AM saying that he and Tyler were hungry and wanted breakfast! Are you kidding me? I was VERY asleep and just said "Absolutely not! It's 4:30 in the morning! Go back to bed and go to sleep - NOW!"

I heard some noise and a light flick on and off in the pantry. I'm not sure if they got anything. Again...I was asleep. About an hour later, Tucker comes back into my room asking me to help him go potty. I get up and realize he is still wide awake. It's pretty apparent that he has not gone back to sleep. So, after he goes potty, I take him back into their bedroom and find Tyler under his blanket on the floor with a bottle of water and playing his DS! I'm not sure what Tucker had been doing. He was probably just watching Tyler since he couldn't find his own DS (it was in my purse).

I was not so patient at this point. I scolded them and made them get back in their beds. That was around 5:30. At 6 am (on the dot), they come out of their bedroom like it's time to get up. I am not fussing anymore. I simply put my head under my pillow and try to go back to sleep (although not very effectively). Tucker came in again just after they got up asking for food again. I said "No. Go away and let me sleep!" (I'm not a morning person, especially EARLY morning.) He walks away saying he'll just get a pop-tart. Fine with me!

As we are getting Tyler ready for school a little later, I ask him how early he really got up, and what he was doing. He said he had been up for 2 hours before I came in their room. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but they were obviously up well before 4:30 this morning.

I just don't get it! What are they thinking?!?!

Bubble Wrap

2010-03-22T10:34:00.005-05:00

I've decided that I should probably wrap Tucker in bubble wrap for a while, or full pads, like hockey equipment. The child apparently thinks he's indestructible. He was a little cautious when he hurt his arm before he got the cast on, but since then, he's been crazy! There is nothing he has not tried to do even though he has a cast on his arm.

The night he got the cast, he was back on our trampoline, totally uninhibited. And I should mention that he was also bitten all over his feet by ants the morning of the accident that he hurt his arm.

The next day, he was riding his bike in the driveway and sidewalk in front of our house. He fell and skinned his knee pretty good.

The next day or so, he and Tyler are trying to play soccer or something in the living room, and he somehow hits his head on the window sill, and he now has a big bruise on his forehead.

That same day, the boys are on the trampoline, and as is typical, Tucker has to use the bathroom. They don't like to have to come in the house while they are outside to do this, so they don't! I look out the window to see Tyler standing behind Tucker "holding" him still while Tucker has his pants pulled down enough to pee off the side of the trampoline. They've been told not to do this, but it obviously didn't stop him. Tucker loses his balance and falls off of the trampoline, going head first to the ground, pants down and all. Thankfully, he was not hurt.

One of Jeremy's favorite sayings is, "If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough." Well, although I don't want to call my children stupid, they do a lot of things that really could be considered stupid, at least to grown-ups.

In Tucker's defense, he is a pretty tough little boy. Through all of the things he's been through, he has not once taken any Tylenol or Motrin to ease his pain. Now, this is really due to the fact that he is hard-headed (stubborn) and will not take medicine. But, he's dealt with whatever pain he has been in. He has not complained out the cast once. And when he has been hurt, he either doesn't cry, or doesn't cry for long. This is also how we knew that something was really wrong with his arm. He cried for longer than normal and was not trying to use it and keep going like he normally does.

I think God has sent extra guardian angels, or at least one really good one, to be with Tucker. Even though his arm is in a cast now, it is a small break and is supposed to heal in 3 weeks. He could be hurt so much more with all of the things he tries to do.

I still feel like getting some bubble wrap or hockey pads to put him in!

All I Need

2010-03-22T10:06:00.005-05:00

At church yesterday morning, we sang a song that had the phrase, "I believe that He is all I need." As I sat there with a sleeping 3 year old in my lap (because he refused to go into his class), I had to really think about what I was singing.

I have sung many times, and know in my mind, that He is all I need. But, when I saw the "I believe" part at the beginning of that phrase, it made me stop and really think about that.

Do I really believe in my heart, not just know in my mind, that Jesus is ALL that I need?

I've been having a really hard time the past 2 weeks as Jeremy was out of town for a couple of days, and then he's had to be at work for long hours and even this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. I just do not function well without him around to help me with the boys and to just BE here with me to talk to, look at, and do the things he does to keep me sane and happy.

So, this popped into my head as I'm examining my heart. If Christ is really all that I need, why am I so dependent on Jeremy for happiness and well-being? I am still working on figuring this out, but here are some of my thoughts.

At first, I thought that I'm just not near enough to God to let Him be truly all that I need. This is true, but I don't think that is all there is to it. I thought about the marriage relationship and what God intended it to be. "It is not good for man to be alone." God created man and woman to be "helpers." God put Jeremy in my life to help me, and for me to help him. God uses our spouse to bring us what we need in our lives, like love and friendship.

Although I do feel that my emotions and my state of mind may be a bit too dependent on Jeremy at times, I also do not want to discount our relationship and what God intended for us. I DO need Jeremy to help me keep my sanity many days, and I am much happier and function better when he is home more and available to me and the boys. It also helps to know that he would much rather be at home with us than at work, but sometimes he has to be there for longer hours and we just have to adjust to this (even if we don't do it very well). And I do not want to ever make him feel bad for having to work during these times. It is part of his job, and I understand this. He works hard to provide for us and I appreciate what he does, and that it enables me to stay at home with our children. But neither of us likes it when he has to be gone so much.

So, I guess I've come to the conclusion, at least at this point in writing, that I do believe that He (Jesus) is all that I need, but I need to work on the action part of this in relying on Him more to be my strength each day. I also believe that He has sent Jeremy to me and often times uses him to strengthen me and help me through hard times, and keep me happy through good ones. I keep my faith in God, and he sends people to me to provide what I need at that time, whether it be Jeremy or any of my other family or friends. I am thankful to God for giving me such wonderful, and godly, family and friends that I can turn to.

Tucker's Cast

2010-03-18T12:38:00.005-05:00

Okay...so here's the story of how Tucker's arm is now in a cast. Typically a story like this would sound something like..."He fell out of a tree and broke him arm, so now he's in a cast." Well, this story is a bit more complicated.

Tyler had a Cub Scout den meeting at someone else's house on Monday night. Tucker (a.k.a. Bug Scout) wanted to go too, even though he was extremely tired. So, Jeremy took them both. Of course, I don't object to being left home alone.

Just as they were about to leave the den meeting to come back home, the boys were on a trampoline. I was told they were not being rough, and no one saw exactly what happened. All we know is that he fell - ON the trampoline (not off of it). He was obviously hurt and crying. He was not really moving his arm and was in obvious pain, so I took him to the urgent care clinic down the street from our house. Let me remind you that he is still extremely tired, and most trips to the doctor for him involve a shot, so he was NOT happy about it until I was able to reassure him that he was not getting a shot. Still, he really just wanted to go to bed.

Well, we get to the urgent care and they ask what happened, poke and prod, ask him "does this hurt?" about 100 times, and do an x-ray. Their diagnosis: "I think it's just bruised. He should be better in the morning. We'll wrap this Ace bandage around him to help support it."

So, we go home with the Ace bandage. I'm relieved he's not hurt that badly. He goes to bed and sleeps fine.

Another note...he doesn't take medicine, so no Tylenol or Motrin has been put into his body at all since this happened. He's gonna be a tough boy. Or he'll have to be since he's stubborn! :)

The next morning, Tuesday, I look at his arm and it is swollen. I remove the bandage, thinking it's swollen just because he had it wrapped and he was sleeping on it all night. I think the swelling goes down some, but by the end of the day, it is still very swollen. He still has not used his arm for anything all day.

The next morning, Wednesday, I check him again and the arm is still swollen. After talking with Jeremy, we decide I should take him back to the doctor. I decide to go back to the urgent care place since they do not charge for "follow ups" and they had already done the x-rays there.

So, we go in and there is a different doctor in there this time, so I explain again what happened, as far as I know, and what's been going on since we were there last. He recommends getting more x-rays to see what it looks like now. After that, he comes back in and says "It's 'Nursemaid's elbow.' " This is basically a dislocation in children 1-3 years old. He says that he could try to feel around and get it back in place himself, but if it didn't work, he would send us to the orthopedist. So, he is feeling around, trying to move things in my baby's elbow to "get it back in place." Tucker's face was turning very red, and he was holding his breath and would let a grunt out every once in a while, trying so hard not to cry or scream.

The doctor stopped and said he didn't feel like it went back in and asked Tucker if it still hurt and if he could move it around and do things with it. Tucker said no, that it still hurt. So, they kindly set up an appointment with an orthopedist for us. When I get home, I look and see that this doctor is NOT covered on our insurance, so I proceed to call our pediatrician, explain to the phone nurse what happened and ask her who we should call that is on our insurance. She gave me a number, but I wasn't getting through, so I called her back and she managed to set up an appointment for us. She told me the appt. time, but said to just get there as soon as we could!

So, we go to The Bone & Joint Clinic of Baton Rouge to see Dr. Walker. After filling out a lot more paperwork, we get back to the room and wait a while. This has already been a long day and Tucker and I were both getting tired and I'm getting frustrated. Tucker is still climbing and jumping on and off of things, really trying to stay awake, but making me nervous about hurting himself more...or again.

We had brought the x-rays already taken with us, courtesy of Ascension Urgent Care, so the doctor is able to look at those before he comes in to see us. After introductions and courtesies, he asks me to explain (again) what happened. Again...I tell what I know. He kind of smiles a little smile and nicely says that he thinks there may actually be a small fracture and NOT the Nursemaid's elbow.

At this point, I am getting mad at the other doctors for not catching this, and am still cringing thinking about the doctor trying to put whatever he thought was dislocated back into place in Tucker's elbow and the unnecessary pain he put him in! But, when I asked this doctor, he defends them saying that it is a small fracture and can be difficult to see on an x-ray. When they zoom in to what they are looking for, the actual fracture would go out of the picture, so they wouldn't see it. He said he was not surprised that they missed it. This really doesn't make me feel a whole lot better about the whole situation. But, I am thankful that we were able to get to a doctor who knew what he was talking about and what to look for.

So, we go do MORE x-rays. But this time, we're getting the right view to look at where he thinks the fracture is. We go do the x-ray, wait a little longer, then are taken back to a place that looks like pre-op. I'm still not really sure what's going to happen or what the end result will be. Soon Dr. Walker comes in and smiles his gentle smile again and says, "Well, it is a fracture. And we're going to need some protection." He laughs as Tucker is jumping off of the stool while we are talking and says, "Tucker, you just don't know what you're doing to your mother." :)

I ask him what he means by "protection" and he tells me he needs to be in a cast for 3 weeks! So, I went from Monday night being relieved it was just a bruise and not dislocated or broken, so the dislocation scenario, to the final answer being broken! What a roller coaster of emotions for a mother, although for whatever reason, I haven't really been terribly emotional about it.

Tucker has been quite a trooper through all of this. He thought the x-rays were cool, which is good since we did them 3 times! He got suckers everywhere we went. He didn't cry or scream other than when he got hurt - not even when the doctor was really hurting him trying to put his "dislocated elbow" back into place! And he sat still as they put the cast on him, even though he didn't really know or understand what was going on. And he got to pick the color he wanted his cast to be, which pleased him. Blue is his current favorite color, so that's what he picked.

Perhaps his calm demeanor, that he apparently gets from his Daddy, has helped keep me calm through all of this. He didn't seem like he was in unbearable pain at any point, so I didn't freak out at any point. But I also think that God has given me what I need to be the mother of little boys. I've managed to remain calm through this ordeal, as well as other things like Tyler's tooth being knocked out (another trampoline accident at someone else's house).

I also find it ironic that they only have these accidents when on trampolines at other people's houses. We have had our trampoline for almost 3 years and they haven't been hurt. They've also spent hours on the trampoline at my sister's house with ALL of their cousins and haven't had any accidents or injuries.

So...that's the long version of how Tucker got his cast for his first broken bone! It is not slowing him down at all! He slept fine last night...didn't wake up once. He was back on the trampoline briefly last night. I wouldn't let him on it before when he was not using him arm, but once he got the cast on, we figured it was okay. :) He's ready to ride his bike, do flips on the couch, and whatever else he can do, which is pretty much everything he could do before.

(And a special thanks to my sweet friend, Amie, who is always willing to help out. She picked Tyler up from school and kept him at her house while Tucker was getting his cast put on.)

My Calling

2010-03-17T08:38:00.006-05:00

I am thankful that God has shown me what He has called me to do with my life - at least for this stage of my life. Being a wife and stay-at-home mother is definitely my calling, even if I feel inadequate and overwhelmed most days. I know without a doubt that this is what God has called me to do.

While my kids are growing up, I am going to be there for them for everything they do and say. I am investing my life in trying to teach them how to be the best that they can be, and to have a heart for God. I am also allowed the time to invest in my marriage. Although the kids can wear me out a lot, I am not also worn out by another full-time job that depletes me of all that I have left to give. I can save some energy and attention for my husband for when he gets home from work.

Now, ideally this would happen like June Cleaver, who is still perfectly groomed, energetic and positive at the end of every day. But in reality, this is not the case. But God has allowed Jeremy and I the means for me to be able to stay at home, which can allow me the time and energy I need to focus on our home - my husband and children - and prepare myself to greet my husband in a loving way and do my best to give him the attention that he needs and wants.

I thank God daily for this gift. It really is a gift, even if there are days I'd like to give it back. :) But I am really not ungrateful for this gift. I treasure it. And I thank God that I know I am doing what He wants me to do with my life.

Honestly, I've wanted to be a wife and mommy since I was a little girl. This was my goal. I do not see this as a lack of ambition, as some may see it. I do have a degree in accounting, which I have used, and may end up using again...we'll see. But, God's calling has been clear to me, and I am thankful for the opportunity to make it possible. God has provided the way for it to happen.

There was a brief time when I thought it was not going to work out just like I wanted it to. After Tyler was born, I actually put him in a daycare and went to work. On paper, we didn't think it would work for my income to be totally wiped out. So, I went back to work, a crying mess. My employers were very gracious and understanding. My boss's boss, the CFO of the company, suggested that I take 1/2 days that first week back. What a blessing that turned out to be, in many ways.

Long story short...one of those afternoons that I got off at lunch time, I went to pick up Tyler and went out to run a few errands. I stopped by my former employers' office to show off my new baby. While I was there, they asked about my work situation, and I told them honestly that I was working again, but didn't want to. I really wanted to be home with my baby, and that if I could find something I could do from home, that desire would be possible.

Well, the following week they called me and asked if I would be interested in doing their accounting work again, just as I had done before. Only this time, they have it set up where I can do it from my home! Can you believe this? Only God could have worked this out!!! I was amazed, but at the same time, I knew how much I had prayed, and how much my family and friends were praying for me. This was God at work.

Of course I told them I'd have to discuss it with Jeremy, just to be sure it would work out, but..."YES! I'll do it!" So, Tyler only had to be in daycare for a month of his life. He was not scarred, although I think I was. :)

I was able to keep that part-time accounting job, working from my home, for about 3 years. That's when Tucker came along. And by this time, Tyler was no longer napping, and I now had 2 children to take care of. Finding time to do this work became increasingly difficult. But once again, God provided. Jeremy had been given raises and promotions at work through the years that made it possible for me to quit my part-time job and focus on my current employment. Although each time we weren't sure just how the finances would work out, God provided for us and we have been just fine.

I know that there will be different stages of my life that this situation will change. There will be more things that God wants me to do, and I pray that I will be open to hearing and doing His will. But for now, I have peace in knowing that I am where He wants me to be - a wife and mother in our home.

Today

2010-03-12T16:07:00.006-06:00

Today is just a day that I want to write. I'm not a writer by nature, but it really helps me get my thoughts and feelings in order. If I am just sitting, thinking, my mind wanders around. So, if I really want to sort out my thoughts and feelings, I write. I also do this with my prayers. If I am going to really spend some time in prayer, I get my journal out and write it out. (Although, typing is much faster and easier on the hands.)

Earlier today, I was typing out some thoughts and feelings that are quite frankly too personal to share with the world. But it really helped me feel better to get it out, even if it wasn't TO anyone. When I feel sad or depressed, I have a hard time getting myself out of it. But, God helped me through it today.

The sun is shining and the temperatures are just about perfect, so I opened the windows and let some fresh air in. As I was sitting on the couch, I noticed (again) all of the dog hair on the couches, so I decided to vacuum those, which takes a while with all the pillows and cushions on them. But, Tucker wanted to help too, so it turned out to be something that we worked on together.

Then, I took the vacuum to the window sills since I noticed how badly they needed cleaning when I opened them. They also got a good cleaning with some handy Clorox wipes. (I love those things!)

I know that this type of cleaning may sound painful to most of you (if anyone is reading this), but it is very therapeutic to me. With spring in the air, and my need to do something productive to raise my mood, cleaning is something that helps me feel better when my mood is down.

My dilemma usually comes when I get too focused on cleaning and my housework to spend the amount of time that I should with Tucker during the day when Tyler is at school. I can get pretty obsessed with my housework. There are so many times that I would LOVE to feel relaxed and free enough to just let it go and do something fun with my boys. But, for some reason, I seem to keep thinking about all of the things I could "just do real quick" before I pay attention to them. (If anyone has any advice for me, I'd love to hear it.)

But today, Tucker wanted to help, so it was a win/win situation. Perhaps he has realized that this is what Mommy does, and it is a good way to do something with me. We play a lot of games - board games, Wii games - and we even practiced writing some letters today. But, he typically plays so well by himself during the day that I have become accustomed to just letting him do that while I go about my business of housework and other things. I would love to change this, but am not sure how to start.

Well, I really feel like I am just rambling. This is kind of what I created this blog for... just to have a place to keep my thoughts and share some things going on in my life, whether anyone reads it or not. Thanks for reading this far. :)

"I Want to Leave a Legacy"

2010-03-10T08:53:00.002-06:00

This was yesterday's devotion on the Proverbs 31 Ministries website. I want to be able to go back to it to remember these things often!

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-want-to-leave-legacy.html

Our first camping trip

2010-03-08T22:23:00.009-06:00

The Bullock family went on their first camping trip this past weekend - TENT camping, that is. Let me just say that whoever figured out how to make those sleeping bags was smart! It was in the 30's both nights we were there (brrrr), but we were warm, as long as we were in our sleeping bags. The boys were ALL the way in theirs. You couldn't see them, but they were warm.

I'm very glad that Jeremy made the last minute trip to Cabela's to purchase them. We were going to borrow some, but they only had 3, so we were one short anyway. But, he decided he'd invest in some for us, especially since he only had to pay $20 for the wonderful, large tent we now have, among a few other things including another smaller tent, that he bought from someone from work that was moving out of the country.

Once the sun came up, it warmed up quickly. It was in the mid to upper 60's during the day, and it was beautiful! The boys had a BLAST! We were at Camp Avondale in Clinton, LA, which is a Boy Scouts of America campground, with our cub scouts pack, or at least a few of them. There were a few games and things planned for them to do, but we didn't even do any of it. As soon as they finished breakfast, the boys were off in the wooded areas around us on the trails, climbing up a tree stand, playing indians, ninjas, and I'm not quite sure what else. As the sun went down, the glow sticks came out, which immediately turned into light sabers. Star Wars began. They all loved every minute of it. They played hard from sun up until past sun down!

As for me, I mostly just got to sit in the sun and relax. It was wonderful. The boys played, and I watched from my seat. I could see them most of the time, and they were with their "buddies." A couple of times, we didn't hear or see any of the boys for a little while, so one of the other parents let out an indian cry, like the ones we had been hearing from them. Immediately, we started hearing the same sound coming from different parts of the woods. We knew right where they were. It was hilarious!

Jeremy did some fishing, as did Tyler and Tucker. Jeremy was teaching Tucker how to cast. You can never start that too early.

He was doing pretty well. We just weren't in a good, clear spot for him to practice in the water. So, his practice was in the grass. Then they went to the water, where Jeremy would cast and Tucker would reel it in. Jeremy did catch the only fish anyone caught the whole time, which Tyler proudly showed us all.

Tyler isn't a very patient fisherman at this stage in his life. He fished a little. I think he got a bite at one point, but it got away. He just went back to tromping through the woods with his cub scout buddies.

I think we got a good first time spoiling since we didn't have to do any of the food preparations. We brought snacks and drinks, but the pack leaders brought and prepared our meals. We had hot chocolate and pancakes and sausage for breakfast. Both boys ate their sausage, which they had turned their noses up to at home. And they both had hot chocolate.

I'm sure I'd like RV camping a little better for the convenience of it, but we really enjoyed sleeping in our tent, sitting around the campfire, basking in the sun, playing in the woods (getting really wet and muddy), and just enjoying nature without any TV,video games, or computers. And I barely even touched my iphone, even though I had service. :) I do wish that I had brought my book though. I didn't realize I'd be able to just sit almost all day without having to chase the boys wherever they were exploring. But we could see them at different points on their trail so we knew where they were.

Although the nights were cold, it wasn't the temperature that kept me awake most of the night both nights. There were cows not too far away from us. I never knew how loud cows were, and apparently they like to make a lot of noise when the sun goes down. We also heard coyotes, which concerned Tyler a little when he heard what it was. And what woke us up in the mornings, besides the sun, were geese flying in low and honking really loud. There were a couple of times that Tucker woke up a little disoriented, calling for both me and Tyler. Once he heard my voice, he went back to sleep, way down in his sleeping bag. So, they weren't restful nights of sleep by any means, but I still really enjoyed the trip.

I feel like I'm rambling on, so I'll bring this post to a close. We loved our first tent camping trip, and can't wait to go again. It's good for all of us to get out of the house, away from our technology, and into nature. And now that we've invested in some good sleeping bags, we need to use them!

"Help Us Moms, Lord!"

2010-03-04T09:16:00.003-06:00

Once again, God's timing in speaking His Word to me is amazing. I was quickly losing my patience with the boys not listening to me or obeying me this morning before school - to the point of tears in less than an hour after I even got out of bed. I should have just gotten up a little earlier to read this devotional...

http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-us-moms-lord.html

"Weather" we like it or not

2010-02-25T09:11:00.003-06:00

As I was thinking about what we would be doing today, I was thinking about the weather. It's too cold to be outside too much right now. That led my thinking to all of the status updates I've read lately of people complaining about the weather where they live (and I've done it too!).

This made me realize that we are never happy with the weather for more than a day or two, if that. It's always either too hot, too cold, too rainy, not enough rain, too much snow, no snow, too windy... There is always something we could find that does not particularly suit us that day.

Then I began thinking that God is in control of the weather. It is part of His handiwork, how He makes the world work with the seasons, life cycles of plants and animals, and all of what we need to survive. Yes, there are "natural disasters" that we do not understand, but we, as Christians, know that God is still in control.

This got me to thinking "how would I like it if I had to listen to people complain all the time about something I was in control of?" I'm pretty sure I would not like it at all. Now I know God is MUCH more patient and forgiving than I am (obviously), but I also know that it can't make Him happy to have to listen to us complain all the time.

These are my thoughts today...I'm going to try to complain less and just be thankful that God has given me another day to live and enjoy my life with my family and friends!

Boys!

2010-02-24T10:50:00.005-06:00

Here is just a glimpse at my boys, although there are no pictures.

Tyler:
Last night...between 4:30 and 5:30, this is what Tyler, my 6 year old ate: 2 girl scout cookies, 2 1/2 cherry poptarts, an entire can of mini raviolis, then 2 more girl scout cookies! I don't see how he does it! Although, he was doing a lot of exercising with the Wii Fit Plus - before school and after.

Tucker:
Also last night, Tucker, the 3 year old, insists on wearing a Spiderman costume up to church for Lifegroup, mask and all! I didn't try to stop him. He was in full Spiderman mode, thinking everyone believed he was the REAL Spiderman, shooting webs at anyone who spoke to him (sound effects and everything). Then again this morning, he decided to be Robin (Batman's sidekick) to take Tyler to school. Luckily we don't get out of the truck when we drop him off.

Our life is interesting - and fun!

Growing Old with Jeremy

2010-02-23T12:48:00.003-06:00

I know the title sounds like we're old already. Although some days, more frequently now, I feel like I am old already, I know we have a long way to go before we are old. We still have our children to keep us young, right? Or is it the children that cause us to feel old?

Whatever the case may be, I am loving and looking forward to growing old with Jeremy, my wonderfully loving husband! My devotion this morning was asking the question, "Is your spouse your best friend?" I already believe he is, obviously in a different capacity than my sisters or a couple of other close friends that I talk to. He is the one I go to for pretty much everything. I talk to him more than anyone else. I'd rather be with him than anyone else. And I rely on his advice and value his opinion more than anyone else, as long as he'll give it to me!

The author of today's devotion, Melanie Chitwood, said, "I want to grow old relishing my friendship with my husband, a friendship forged over years of sharing interests and making each other a priority." I honestly try to do this. Obviously with small children and their many pressing needs, this can be difficult at this stage in our life. But the time that we do have together is very special to me. She also suggests that if you do not have a hobby or interest of some sort that you both share and can do together, that you find one. If you don't, when you are old, you'll be like "the old couple sitting in a restaurant, eating their entire meal in silence." I don't want to have nothing to talk about with him once our children are grown and no longer our central focus.

Although sitting for an entire meal in silence may seem enticing right now, since there is barely a silent moment in the house with 2 little boys, I see her point. Jeremy and I both tend to be on the quiet side, which is why we have a hard time understanding how we have such talkative children (at least at home), and why there are a lot of times that we do sit in silence. The beauty of that is that it is not an awkward silence. There is no pressure to say something all the time. We enjoy the silence, and still enjoy each other's company. Yet there are things that we talk about and that we are both interested in too. But now I feel challenged to find something, an activity, that Jeremy and I could both enjoy that we could do on a consistent basis (besides watching TV!) that will help nourish our friendship.

Only time will tell if we are the old couple sitting in a restaurant without saying a word. I hope not!

When life seems hard...

2010-02-22T12:59:00.006-06:00

There are so many days that I am so thankful that I am a Christian. If I did not have Christ in my life, I'm certain I would be a miserable person. My feelings, emotions, and self-confidence rely so much on the people around me and how they are feeling about me at the time. I'm sure this is not entirely healthy, and I've never sought "help" to work on this, but I do not deny it. Although I know my worth is in Christ, I am an emotional woman who needs the affirmation of her husband, children, family & friends to make me feel like I am important to them.

I love God, and I am so thankful for his mercy and grace that saved me. I truly rely on Him to give me peace and joy. I think I just seek out that joy in my family & friends, or perhaps that's how He provides the joy in my life. Thankfully, I have good people in my life that love me and love God.

But, when times seem difficult... like I'm not feeling loved, appreciated, respected, or heard, I turn to God, and I know He will always see me as His. He loves, appreciates, respects, and listens to me. If I did not know this about Him, I am certain I would have problems. Thankfully, I know Him and that He loves and cares for me, and I can get through the hard times relying on His love for me!

I know...

2010-02-19T02:58:00.002-06:00

I had to discipline Tucker tonight, as is the case quite often lately. He's 3 years old and pushing the limits as much as he can. Without going into detail about it all, a moment I wanted to share (and remember) came right after the discipline. As I finished talking to him and told him that I loved him and wanted him to learn to be good and obey, he hugged me tightly and said, "I know." And it wasn't one of those "I know, I know...just let me go." It was a sincere "I know" with a tight squeeze. It really helps the hard times of discipline to know that he really knows that I love him even while he is being punished. I pray that one day (maybe soon!) he will understand that it is because I love him so much that I must discipline him. I tell both of my boys this each time, I just hope they'll get it.

"Whoever's on the Bible Wins"

2010-02-16T08:53:00.002-06:00

"Whoever's on the Bible wins!" This is what Tucker proclaims to me as he is racing his batmobiles around me as I was attempting to have my "quiet" time this morning. As soon as he said it, I almost laugh at the way God is teaching me things about Him. Here I am reading a devotional, and God uses Tucker's playtime to teach me something that is sticking with me more so than what I was reading.

I guess, technically, he could have said whoever is IN the Bible wins. But, I got the point. If I am IN God's Word, studying and memorizing verses, along with spending time in prayer, I will be able to defeat the enemy and all of the things he throws at me, like complaining, grumbling, anger... (the list is long, so I'll stop there).

What is funny is that this actually goes along with what I was reading in my devotional. It was about having the right weapon to defeat our opponent. The writer was using a softball analogy about having the right bat to be an effective batter. We need to memorize God's Word so that we will have the right verse(s) in our mind as we are struggling with whatever has been thrown at us.

It is amazing and funny all at the same time how God teaches me what it is that I need to hear from Him each day. I am really enjoying the time I am getting to spend with Him in His Word, even if there are batmobiles racing around me sometimes!

Our Day Off

2010-02-15T16:39:00.007-06:00

After the "snow day" on Friday that left Tyler out of school, staying home all day Saturday, and only getting out of the house to go to church on Sunday, we were in desperate need of an outing today. President's Day, Mardi Gras break, or whatever you want to call it, has Tyler out of school again today and tomorrow!

So, we decided to finally go see "Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel" in the theater. Tyler decided to wear his Alvin and the Chipmunks t-shirt, and they both wanted to get a picture with the Chipmunks at the front of the theater. (And we forgot to get Tyler to take his jacket off to see his t-shirt in the picture!)

It was so good to get out of the house, hear them giggling, get a break from the housework (and the annoying dog), and have fun together. Tyler even said, "Thank you for taking us to the movie, Mom!"

Movie tickets: $21

Popcorn, candy & drink: $15 (highway robbery)

A "thank you" and giggles from my boys: PRICELESS!

"He will quiet you with His love"

2010-02-12T10:48:00.003-06:00

Today I read a verse I would never have come across on my own, but read in my Proverbs 31 Ministries devotion. It is Zephaniah 3:17: "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

The devotion actually focused on the last phrase of the verse, saying that God delights in us so much that he breaks out in song to serenade us. That is a lovely thought, especially going into Valentine's weekend when many women would love to be so loved that their special someone serenades them.

But, the part of this verse that spoke to me today was "he will quiet you with his love." I have been consumed this week with the amount of stress, yelling and discipline I've been doing, and how "crazy" my children are making me. Today I want to focus on God's love for me - that it will quiet me (as in no yelling!) Ironically (or perhaps divinely?), I have gotten a sore throat, which is making it much harder to yell.

I am also seeing the correlation between how my children are making me feel and how I must make God feel when I am not listening to Him or obeying Him! I still love my boys more than they know. God still loves me. But I'm sure I frustrate Him, just as I get frustrated with my boys for their lack of obedience.

When we are trying to refocus and calm down, I try to hold and hug my boys to get them to calm down and speak softly to them. I think this is also what God wants to do with us. We should climb in His lap (go to a special, quiet place), and let Him hug us and speak to us softly through His Word. We must be quiet to hear Him! And we feel more loved and at peace again once we've done this.

Thank you, God, for speaking to me! I am amazed at what I can hear and learn when I allow you to speak to me! Now, I am going to try to go be quiet today, even if my children are not!

My Wonderful Husband

2010-02-11T11:03:00.003-06:00

I am very blessed to have a wonderful husband, Jeremy. He is my best friend. I don't think that I let him know enough how much I love and respect and appreciate him. He is so good to me. He often tells me how much he loves me, how beautiful I am, and how much he appreciates what I do as wife and mother in our home.

He is an excellent provider for our family. He loves his boys. He is loving and generous, firm in his discipline, fun to be with, full of wisdom and practicality. I look to him for so much. My heart jumps everyday when I hear the door opening, signaling his arrival home from work. I love that it does that. I look forward to seeing his face, his beautiful eyes, his smile, and feeling his arms around me and his gentle kiss. My world seems right when I am with him.

Granted, I breathe a sigh of relief that I have some help with the boys when he gets home. But, he doesn't even have to do anything. Just knowing that he is there, I breathe easier and usually calm down a bit in his presence. His laid-back attitude in life definitely complements my tendency to get stressed about even the smallest things. I am a better person with him.

As Christians, we know that it was God that put us together, and we thank Him often for blessing us with one another. It is also this faith that makes our marriage strong. Yes, we have our difficulties. Anyone who says they don't is just lying. But, because of our faith in God and our love for each other, we work through these times and come out of them stronger in our faith and in our marriage.

I told Jeremy yesterday that I had started a blog. He jokingly asked if I was going to complain about him on it. Of course I told him that was crazy. And as I think more about that, and things that I have read lately, I want to be sure that I absolutely do not do that. My husband wants and needs my respect. My commitment and love for him will remain, even when I am feeling mad, sad, upset, or whatever it may be. It would do nothing positive to complain about him to other people. I want to always show the love and respect for him that he deserves! He is a wonderful, godly man that I look forward to spending the rest of my life with, and I want our children to see and hear the love and respect we have for one another too.

Ephesians 5:33 says "Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." BOTH of these things need to be present in a marriage. It is also something that has to be done. Love and respect are action verbs here - something we are to do, not something that we should just feel. That also means that we can choose to do these things. I choose to love and respect Jeremy. And I feel that our marriage will remain strong for the rest of our life together.

I'm Invisible

2010-02-10T13:02:00.005-06:00

After reading my post "How I should view each day," a friend of mine sent me this email that she received from someone else. After getting her permission to share, I'm posting it here so that it will hopefully encourage others as it has me.

"I'm invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way
one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to
be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the
phone?" Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no
one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can
you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a
pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I 'm a clock to ask, "What time
is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney
Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30 , please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes
that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now
they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's
going, she's going... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a
friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and
she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there,
looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to
compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style
dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean.
My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could
actually smell peanut butter in it.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully
wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great
cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until
I read her inscription: "To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness
of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I
could pattern my work:

1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

2. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

3. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

4. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are
you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be
covered by the roof? No one will ever see it."
And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost
as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the
sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of
kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is
too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great
cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease
that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own
self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep
the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the
people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on
s omething that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's
bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the
morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for
three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built
a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is
anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're
doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will
marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been
added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Live Simply.
Love Generously.
Care Deeply.
Speak Kindly.
Leave the rest to God"

"My Pleasure"

2010-02-10T12:49:00.003-06:00

After Tucker and I finished up our Wal-mart trip yesterday, I was buckling him in his car seat and thanked him for being such a good boy and a good helper while we did our shopping. He smiled and attempted a wink, stuck his thumb up, and said, "My pleasure!"

How I should view each day...

2010-02-10T12:26:00.002-06:00

Being woken up by your 6 year old saying that he just threw up can be a "typical" day for a stay-at-home mother such as myself. But, it's never how you'd like to start your day.

We are going on day 11 of illness of some sort in the Bullock house. It started with my husband having some sort of bug that kept him in bed (or bathroom) all day. He recovered from that, then my 3 year old, Tucker, begins complaining of his ear hurting. So, we head to the doctor to verify that he has an ear infection, followed by an injection, due to the fact that he refuses to take any type of medicine. That was last Wednesday. Thursday morning, my 6 year old, Tyler, wakes up and tells me he doesn't feel well. He has a fever and congestion. We head to the doctor again to check him out, as well as for Tucker's second injection for his ear infection. Tyler's stuff is still hanging on.

After all of this has been wearing me down for the past week and a half, I realized my stress level has risen significantly. In direct relation to this, I also realized I have not been spending ANY time with the Lord! We missed 2 Sundays of church, as well as our Lifegroup. And my daily devotions... Let's just say they're not as "daily" as they should be.

So, this week, I've resolved to do what it takes to spend at least a few minutes each day reconnecting with the only One who can give me the peace and strength that I need to survive each day.

And this morning, as I'm thinking "woe is me" that Tyler is home sick - again - I decide to read my devotion BEFORE posting a status update on my Facebook about how hard I have it. I will just say that GOD IS GOOD! He can use anything to get his message across to us - always when we need it! In my devotion from the Proverbs 31 Ministries, Rachel Olson writes this in the reflections section:

"How does your perspective on today change when you consider the tremendous gifts of grace, mercy, love and eternal life given you through Christ?"

Well, if that doesn't put my focus back where it should be, I don't know what will!

I'm Blogging?

2010-02-10T12:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I guess I'm going to blog a little bit now too. These will simply be "Bullock Bits" of things I'm thinking about or going through, or just want to write down. We will see how often I actually post something. But, perhaps it will help me keep track of things I'd like to remember, like the entertaining things my boys say and do!