The Alexander Family

Friend...........A Tricky Little Word

2012-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

A topic that continues to cycle in and out of my crazy life...........friendships. Unfortunately friends, good and bad, seem through all our lives too. It's not that having so many friends is a bad thing it's just that finding great friends is not an easy thing. I have begun to categorize my relationships into 3 areas, cause I'm a systematic person. I have Polite friends, Purposeful friends, and those I Pour into. Because time is always of the essence, it's impossible to spend time with everyone and a woman must decide where she wants to invest her soul. I, personally, choose to invest in these top things, going in order of importance: God, family, Purposeful and Pour friends, ministry, hobbies, and then Polite friends. Let me explain what these friends are. You have all 3types in your life. Not only are they in your life but you fall into all three categories yourself, depending on who you are relating with.

Everyone is and has Polite friends. Those are your very casual acquaintances and most of the conversations go like this. "How are you?" and you respond, "good, fine...all is good". Then then they might say something like "How are the kids and how is hubby?" and you might say "oh, kids are great, hubby is doing fine." and you get my point. All surface type of questions. All relationships do begin here and most, quite honestly, stay here! ugh. Now, they become more complex looking from the outside, as women try and fake sincerity, but bottom line..........it's still a Polite relationship. In fact, you might even be in a small group that you've known for years and you still remain at Polite relations and that is as far as it has gone. It is possible, not desirable.

The next type of friend is the type you Pour into. Those are your friends who may or may not be able to offer much to you, due to their life circumstances. Maybe they are going through a divorce, suffering from physical pain/disease, or just plain depressed and need you to be there for them. These are tough cause they involve you being completely selfless and knowing that you are not going to receive what you are putting into the relationship. These are your friends who may not even know how much they need you. But you have chosen, yes- you made a choice to be there, no matter what. You understand that these women don't really charge your batteries but they allow the joy in your heart to bubble out as you serve them! You can only have so many of these types of friends in your life or you will wear out quickly. So, go pour into someone!

The final type of friend is you B.F.F...................LOL!!! You know what I mean!! This is the woman who sharpens you, tells you (to your face) when your wrong, encourages you in dark moments, sticks around when the Polite friends run away.You may think that your current B.F.F. is the Purposeful friend........but is she? You don't really know until you've had to go through a tough time. Did she stick around? What about a moment when the 2 of you disagreed? Are you closer because of that disagreement or is it awkward? What about distance? Have you moved away and the relationship is just as vibrant? If so, that might be a Purposeful friend. Purposeful friends are those who "Love at ALL times" Prov. 17:17. Many Purposeful friends are disguised to be so.... but then when "ALL times" come along, they realize that they just can't handle the journey and find it easier to check out. That is okay. God is so good at providing in those moments. Trust me!

What type of friend are you? Many women have a hard time being the Purposeful friend. Friendships are risky, challenging, and scary! Let's face it; we've all been burned, and starting again with someone else is exhausting. But because we are always in the process of being sharpened and improved (sanctified)by our creator; we must continue to grow and continue to trust. That would be called MATURITY! Oh boy, a word that is so lacking in today's society. Growing up stinks! But it means walking through the tough times, learning from the mistakes, and trying again.

I could go on and on about this topic. I've had the greatest pleasure of knowing some amazing women. I think of Sheryl Dorsey, Robin Jones,Jaine Banks and Lori Laake. All 3 were older, wiser, and so much further in life than myself. I was in my early 20s and "knew" everything there was to know about life. These women slowed me down and became amazing friends. They were not afraid to speak the truth. As I age, I also have my amazing B.F.F.s; the ones walking and learning with me,like the ones in the picture above! I'm so blessed. However, I've lived and also felt the unwanting sting of betrayal in friendships. I've had friends drop off the face of the earth without reason; friends that I would have done anything for, friends that I LOVED! And yet, I cannot control them; I can only be the person and friend to all that HE has called me to be. One day at a time............

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." spoken by the One who did it! Jn. 15:13 We should strive to work up to this standard. Seems impossible but it's not.

The Twinkle in Her Eye

2012-01-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Looking back through my journal of 1000 Gifts, inspired by Ann Voskamp, I realized how amazing our lives can be if we just allow His work and His plan to take root in our lives. Some say a picture is worth a 1000 words and I would concur; and if you look close enough you might see the twinkle in Mia's eyes. Read below to see a part of 1000 gifts that have been give to me. (She being one of them!)

#7 Thankful for Mia's naturally loud and jovial, booming voice (even when it's supposed to be a quiet or serene moment)

#42 Gasping for breath as I try and keep up with Mia on her bike and hearing the loud "wheee.........this is incredible.......whee" as she descends down miniature hills that feel like mountains to her.

#38 Watching Mia smell her freshly washed babies and blankies and then look up at me, with huge blue pools of eyes and small splashes of dimples and thank me.

#43 Hearing Kennedy remind me that she thinks I'm the best mom in the whole world and knowing that I'm full of flaws

#4 Finding Kennedy's dress up clothes scattered all over the floor and feeling the gentle tug at my heart as I thank God that she is still a little girl.

#14 Watching Kennedy 'mother' her dolls and play house. She will turn out to be a compassionate mother one day.

#22 Seeing Lincoln come bustling out of his room with great approval shining all over his face because he has managed to pull on 3 layers of clothes and has successfully dressed himself

#1 Listening to Lincoln's sweet underdeveloped speech as he sings "you are my sunshine"......while he is in timeout and hopes it will cause early release for him

#29 knowing that Lincoln begs me to tell him another batman story at bedtime every night.

#30 Watching all 3 kids and the dog tackle daddy on the floor with complete freedom to tickle, poke, and kiss at all measures. Hearing the unrelenting laughter and short breaths of instant happiness squeak loudly and continue to resonate in our home.

#35 Witnessing a broken and beat down man pick himself up and continue to become the father, husband, friend, and pastor that he was created to become.

#7 Hearing and feeling words "I forgive you" whispered from each and every family member as I continue to roll out my flaws.

So there you have it......a snapshot of things I'm thankful for in 2011. Keeping this journal has been one of the best investments ever. Writing in it is like therapy for the soul and it reminds me of how much God has given to me and reminds me too of how much I have to lose. I cherish each one of these gifts each day, knowing that they are not guaranteed or even deserved each day. Any gift can be lost or taken back at any moment. I hold these gifts, not because they are soley mine but are because they are given to me to borrow and take care of until further notice.

Alexander Values for 2012

2011-12-30T22:24:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, Paul and I are planners and organizers by nature and we have even planned out some family values that we'd like to try and instill in our little monkeys! Now, we know that life surely does not go as planned; but we revised out family statement and hoping to be a bit more specific, beginning in 2012! Of course we still believe in our family statement that "God created the Alexanders to love Him, imitate Him and serve others first." But we have added another section. If we could have one wish for our kids or a snapshot of what we want them to grow into.........this would be it. Our desire is that the Alexander family:

Would listen to God's voice and obey Him (through His word and prayer), put others first, and attain a self-confidence in their identity that reflects God's image and a life-style that reflects what He created them to be/do.

What more can a mother and father ask for? Now that we have a target for them, it allows us to aim for something that is meaningful. Part of that is adapting a common language in our home. These are top statements that our kids will hear until we die.

Alexanders always tell the TRUTH.
Alexanders show COMPASSION to everyone.
Alexanders are RELIABLE. We keep our word.
Alexanders use SELF-CONTROL, no matter what.
Alexanders are HUMBLE. We don't brag or show off.
Alexanders are STRONG. We never give up.
Alexanders make WISE choices. We reflect Him.
Alexanders like to have FUN!

A Peek at 2011...........Top 10

2011-12-30T22:03:00.000-08:00

A New Year means a Fresh Start. Imagine if there was never an end or beginning with years and months kept going and going?? God certainly knew what He was doing by giving us 12 months at a time and then allowing something new to begin again. As humans, I believe we need a fresh start, an opportunity to begin again. Each December, I begin to fill out my new calendar with birthdays, anniversaries and important dates for the new year. As I skimmed over 2011, I was amazed at all the transitions that took place. I found myself flipping back to the month of February of last year......can't believe it's almost been one whole year since our path changed in Atlanta. Even though there were some tough moments and difficult challenges to maneuver, I was able to find lots of blessings that also took place last year. So, here is the Alexander top 10 list of memorable (whether fun or challenging) for 2011........

10. Girls learn how to ride bike without training wheels in about 15 minutes
9. Experiencing snow days in ATL (out of school for 1 week)
8. Ringing in the New Year with Jason and Jacqueline Barieau!! Whoot Whoot
7. Driving with a dog, guinea pig, and 3 kids in mini van from ATL to PHX
6. Spending Halloween and Thanksgiving with Nanna and Pappa
5. Spring Break in ATL with the McGinnis Clan!!! Best time ever!
4. Closing on our house in Gilbert, AZ 1 month before Paul lost his job! LOL
3. Being Fired for 1st time ever.......from a church! crazy!!
2. Celebrating 15 years of Marriage and going to Hawaii!
1. Being asked to come serve at Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, AZ

So there you have it! Our lives in a nutshell in 2011. Bring on 2012!! What is in store for us?

The Teeter Totter of Materialism

2011-12-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

Balance, balance, balance. Why is that so hard sometimes? I'm so cool and calm all year about spending and buying toys for my kids...........I just don't do it. Then Christmas comes and yikes!!! It's so hard!! My 7year old daughter asked us for an i-touch and I about had a heart attack. Paul calmly looked down at her and responded "Kennedy, I don't even have an i-phone.....dream on." We give the kids 3 gifts on Christmas morning. So, it takes some serious thinking to decide which 3 gifts to give them. They do get stockings too and those have some pretty cool items but then that's it! Just 3 gifts!!! No Santa gifts under the tree; just 3 gifts from mom/dad and then some gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. I"m not gonna lie; it's super hard to stick to that agreement but I'm glad we do that. I'm so inclined to buy every cute thing out there for my kids.
Christmas isn't the only time in life to keep that balance. It's challenging all year. Each time we have company over, the kids want to give away a toy or some trinket from their room. Sometimes they go into their piggy banks and give their friends money. A few years ago, when they first started doing this, I was inclined to step in and politely ask them not to give. But then I realized that there isn't a toy in their room that they can't live without. They are just toys! They aren't always so giving when it comes to 'eachother', but so glad to see them sharing with their friends. Glad to see them letting go of their possessions so easily. Wish it was always that easy for Paul and I.
Two experiences that stick out in my mind and remind me to chill out, happened last year. We were at a friend's house and my kids were wrestling on someone's 'new furniture' and it bothered the owners greatly. I couldn't help but wonder what on earth the couch was there for. When kids visit our home, I try and remember that it's more important that the guests feel welcome than my house remain in perfect condition. People are always more important than my stuff. Another situation was when Linc. wanted to hold an older boy's book last year. The mother bent down and whispered for the boy to put it away cause Linc. would probably break the book. Wow! I know kids do have valuable possessions and keep those put up from toddlers. But when we encourage our kids to hold tight to those simple things that can easily be replaced, what will happen when kids have something more valuable, like money? Will they share it?
Of course these are random experiences and I'm sure both situations can be properly defended to the death; but generally speaking, you get the point? I think we can always find an excuse to hold tight and keep things to ourselves. It's hard to let go, share at all costs, and play nicely.........as adults. Our kids are direct reflections of us, often. They learn from us. We can be amazing teachers...if we want :)

Santa or Not

2011-12-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well, before we gave birth to 3 wonderful kids, we "knew everything about parenting"; so we decided that we would not celebrate Halloween or do Santa. Okay, so 8 years later.........we trick or treat and allow our kids to leave cookies for Santa and sprinkle oatmeal/glitter on the lawn for the 8 tiny reindeer. Do we celebrate Santa? No, not really. Do we believe he is from the devil? No, not really. It's been interesting to see our opinions and customs evolve over the last 8 years. In fact, Lincoln LOVES to go see "Ho Ho". He calls Santa the "Ho-Ho" and it's pretty stinking cute. However, this year Linc seemed to be a bit disappointed with Santa; and because he has my sense of smell, he picked up on some beef and cheese whiffs. After he leaped down from Santa's lap, he said "Mom, Santa Sinks!!" which means, Santa Stinks! I guess he smelled like beef and cheese, as in the movie Elf!
Our kids have always been told the truth. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and Santa does not exist. Do I regret omitting Santa from Dec. 25th??? Sometimes. Whether you celebrate Santa or not, the important thing is that the kids walk away appreciating the birth of Christ, not just knowing that it happened. Santa can be fun, like anything else that is magical and/or pretend. It's just a matter of balance and moderation. As parents we get caught up in the minor details and can become distracted in any event, whether it's Christmas, bdays, Easter, or just plain old life! The birth of Christ can be celebrated every day of the year, not just Dec.25. We love the Jesus Story Bible cause it is always pointing the reader back to the coming of Christ. Everything we do with our kids including cooking, riding bikes, arguments, bdays, shopping, funerals, cleaning rooms..........whatever it is..........there is always time to talk about Christ and what He is doing in our lives today. So Santa or not? Does it matter? This year we want to take time to appreciate the birth and the resurrection in all we do and in all we have.

What Did You Say?!!!

2011-11-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing what flows from the mouth of a child? Good thing I'm writing these quotes down, cause no one would ever believe me. I keep a little journal in my desk and write down quotes as the kids spit them out. They don't know that I write them down and can't wait to share them later in life. Then, at the end of each year, we put together a calendar for the grandparents with pictures and quotes from the kids. It's unbelievable. Not only do I journal, but the girls each have a journal too. They occassionally put them out and write down what they are thankful for. It's on-going and lasts every day of the year. The hope is to get 1000 items in each journal by the time they are teenagers. Lately, they've been writing some pretty cute things in their journals too. So here are some quotes and journal entries.......straight from thier mouths/hearts.

"Next week when I'm an adult, I'll charge my husband to go get me a coffee and muffin too!" Kennedy

"Mia, you can't be selfish all your life! You have to share with your sister!" Kennedy

"Relax Lincoln. Anything that you want....I'll get it!" Mia

"I'm not afraid of anything....except the dark!" Mia

"Man! I"m growing so big.....right now!" Lincoln

"I'm going to get very very mad if I go to timeout and I'm going to break your heart!" Lincoln

"I'm thankful for Dad; he tucks me in every night." Mia

"I wish I could turn time back." Kennedy

"I see the sun coming through the clouds and I think it's God's glory showing through- and the angels are returning." Kennedy

"I'm thankful that C.S. Lewis made the Narnia books." Mia

"After exercising, I'm going to throw up!" Lincoln

"I saw a dragonfly and so I piped up my courage to go and get it. He wanted to be my friend." Kennedy

"I'm thankful for Mrs. Clemson for buying me a banana at school. Everyone else had a cupcake and I can't eat them cause of my allergies and I had nothing." Kennedy

"I don't like when your muffins taste like earwax" Mia

"When no one is around and I have to obey, I feel something inside of me tell what to do- it's the Holy Spirit." Kennedy

"I'm thankful that I got sleep with my mom's blanket." Kennedy

"Why doesn't God talk to me now, like He did with Moses? I want to hear his voice now!" Mia

"I'm thankful for cake!" Lincoln

"I not a baby anymore...I'm a big boy! I'm a man!" Lincoln

"You know me, Mom! I'm an Alexander and I'm going to be okay!" Lincoln

After 15 Years and He is still Sexy, Inspiring, Interesting, and My Best Friend

2011-11-30T19:14:00.000-08:00

It happened. Someone randomly walked up to me today and asked me an interesting question. She said "You're a pastor's wife right? Even though your husband is a pastor, does he still drive you crazy? Cause mine does!!" Well, I barely know the person but decided to just let it all out. I said "yes he does, but we still love eachother and selflessly work at it each and everyday. Marriage is so very hard!" We then began to converse about marriage and why her's was so difficult at the moment. She was open and transparent and I really appreciated that. Hard to get that from most Christians; but a complete stranger was being vulnerable with me and I was eating it up!!
After 15 years, does he drive me crazy? I think we both have days where we drive one another bonkers......kind of like a brother and sister. It's not mean, bitter, or full of spite. It's just 2 people living together who happen to be selfish. But yes, going to Hawaii with him and celebrating 15 years was worth it; and we are growing closer each day. I am still very attracted to him. I find his messages and dreams to be inspiring. I love our conversations. They are not filled with meaningless words and ideas of coexisting. They are words that touch and change our hearts. Conversations about changing lives, kids growing up, taking care of the less fortunate, helping our friends, and sometimes full of heated disagreements. At the end of the day.........we have learned more about one another and chosen to be on the same team. At the end of the day........he is still by best friend and I can't wait to go on another trip in 5 years!! whoot whoot!

Who Invites Their In-Laws for 5 Weeks?

2011-11-30T18:51:00.000-08:00

Most of my friends thought I had gone clinically insane because we invited my in-laws to stay for 5 weeks. The most common response was "their not staying with you right........in a hotel, right?" Well, after 15 years of marriage, many vacations together and many 2 week visits in the same home.....we decided it was time to spend some more time together. The fact is, both our families live on the other side of the country. Might as well live in Africa cause none of us can afford to come see one another as often as we'd like. We can understand and appreciate how much the grandparents mean to our kids! The LOVE their grandparents and let's be honest.....grandparents are not around forever. We want our kids to soak up as much wisdom and time with their grandparents as possible. Now, I have to admit; we have amazing grandparents. Living together is not as difficult as it could be. Things are not perfect; but we pretty much respect one another's boundaries and appreicate the time together.

The visit was filled with trick or treating, craft projects, sewing together (Nanna and girls), long walks to the park, teaching kids how to ride bikes, P.F. Chang visits, bday celebrations, Christmas shopping, tree decorating, Thanksgiving cooking, snuggles in the kids' rooms, late nights of card games, hot tub talks, putting up lights, making ginger bread houses,wrestling with Pappa, reading with Nanna, and many other endless memories. One just can't put a price tag on the memories that were created last month. We will all treasure those moments forever.

Adding Up the Letters

2011-10-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Funny how letters are so infrequently written and texts and emails are abundant and endless. When was the last time you received an actual written letter or 'snail mail'? I enjoy receiving letters from my kids..........yes, the ones who still live under this roof! They will occasionally leave letters for me. I will find one neatly tucked up next to my sink, sure not to miss it. I thought I would publish a few since they are so stinking adorable!

Mom,
Today was a bad day but I will fix it.
Love,
Mia

Okay, so this broke my heart. Yes, it was a full day of kids arguing, endless time outs and many talks.

Dear Mom,
Thank you for your note. I enjoyed it. I love you. gust for your inforemation- I love you more! Don't even copy me when I say I love you more. have a fun fall break. well, the rest of it. by by.
Love,
Kennedy

So yes, I save these notes and hide them away in my Kids' Book of Quotes. I
often pull it out and read the quotes and letters; it's good for my soul. Here is one last letter that KK wrote to Mia, right after we moved from Atlanta, back to Phoenix. Talk about a whirlwind for my kids!!!

Dear Mia,
I know your scared of going to church. I am but all you have to do is sit next to me at church or just stay home.
Love,
Kennedy

This one made me laugh. It took Kennedy about 6 weeks before she would go into her class without crying. She so desperately wanted Mia to go with her, but Mia in in the 1st grade room. It's not smooth as butter, but much better today.

Love to see my girls write about their feelings!!

Hiding Among Us

2011-10-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

"It is the hidden heart, not the selfish heart, that is hardest to change." John Ortberg. How true this statement is. What is really going on in Mia, Kennedy, and Lincoln's hearts?? Only He knows. I'm constantly praying over their little souls and begging for His molding and shaping to take place, regardless of my ill-parenting. I'm hoping I'm always fortunate enough to know and understand their hearts, their passions, and my kids' fears. Hoping their hearts are never hidden from me. I love this age cause they hold nothing back and let everything go!! Kennedy has no shame in collecting bugs, Mia says everything outloud and Lincoln expresses himself in his gestures, voices, and touch. This is a great moment to be living in.

Breaking Away to the Mountains

2011-10-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Again, one of my favorite vacations and it was virtually free and simple. We escaped to northern Arizona and stayed in a friend's cabin. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to steal away and have some family fun. Each day the girls woke up to check their cardboard mailboxes for fun prizes. I stashed up at the Dollar Store. We went for a hike in the rain, had hot cocoa, a fire, watched new movies, played Corn Hole, played at the park, ate Red Devil Pizza, and played Uno Attack! The best part was having a fire at lunch time and roasting hotdogs and then putting kids to bed while we played Corn Hole and drank some ice cold beverages. Watching my girls explore the outdoors and thrive was vacation enough for me. We love to be outside, soaking up the fresh air and drinking the warm sunshine. Looking forward to many more vacations like this one.

Yes, We Had a Guinea Pig Birthday Party

2011-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Kennedy insisted on a birthday party for her beloved guinea pig, Prince Terrian. So, we shaved carrots, peeled apples, and put together a salad of delight for the great Prince. We took pictures and had a blast. The best part was when daddy stepped into kitchen to find a scorpion staring him down. He froze and asked for a weapon. Instead of giving him the cutting board, I decided to smash the sucker myself. Well, I guess I threw the board a bit too hard and parts of the scorpion went flying towards daddy. Well, he freaked and knocked a glass off of the bar and we spent a few minutes cleaning up pieces of dead scorpion and broken glass...LOL

Books, Doors, and Paper Glasses

2011-09-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

I can' believe how fast my kids are growing up. I found this sign posted on the girls' bedroom door the other day. They are making signs to keep their little brother out. It's like they are pre-teens or something. They even made one for Lincoln's door. Not only are they making signs but reading like crazy. Kennedy is reading through all of the Chronicles of Narnia and reading each book within 2-3 days. I think the librarian doesn't believe her.....LOL. Their school has a program called Accelerated Reader, in which kids read book and take reading test. Well, this is a great way of keeping track of their reading levels and how many words and books they have read. Kennedy, the only 2nd grader in her school, is trying to read 1,000,000 words this year. There is a Million Word club but it's mostly accompanied by 4th and 5th graders. Well I told KK I'd give her $20 bucks if she accomplished this massive goal; both sets of grandparents agreed to do the same. So, KK is saving up to buy another American Girl Doll and she is already at 400,000 words!! Everytime I turn around, she has a book in her face. I love it and Mia is starting to do the same thing. Speaking of Mia, she has been wearing these paper glasses and they just make our hearts melt. She couldn't look any sweeter!

And He's Off........to Preschool

2011-09-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby has survived the first quarter of preschool and is loving it. He awakes each to ask if it's a preschool day. He is then very disappointed when it's not a preschool day. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Delongchamp. But most of all, I love how he says her name. He walks in and yells "hey 'delongchamp'!!" Oh gosh, gotta love him. When he is at home, he will randomly comment that he 'loves Mrs. Longchamp'. I love that he is comfortable and loving his preschool.

You Must First Kiss the Frog to Become the ..........................

2011-09-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

I believe each and everyone of us share many things in common but one of the most revealing character traits about humans is PRIDE. John 3:30 says "He must increase and I must decrease" Phil. 4:12, Paul states that "I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound." Isn't it true that God does His best in us when we are truly broken before Him and feel as though we have nothing to offer? We must first come to a point in our lives where realize that, without Him, we do have NOTHING to offer. Read these statements about Proud vs. Broken People and see what side your heart falls on. I found myself in the proud side, more that I had hoped. So it's true, you must humble yourself and 'kiss the toad of humility' before you enter the Kingdom as a growing and maturing Prince/Princess.

Got this from a bookmark that was published by Revive our Hears by Nancy Leigh Demoss
Ps. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are of a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thous will not despise

Proud People = pp
Broken People= bp

pp focus on failures of others, bp overwhelmed with sense of their own spiritual need

pp have critical, fault finding spirit; look at everyone else's faults with a microscope, but their own with a telescope. bp are compassionate, can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven

pp are self-righteous, look down on others, bp esteem all others better than themselves

pp are independent, self-sufficient in spirit, bp have a dependent spirit; recognize their need for others

pp have to prove that they are right; bp willing to yield the right to be right

pp claim rights; have a demanding spirit. bp yield their rights and have a meek spirit

pp are self -protective of their time, their rights and their reputation. bp are self-denying

pp desire to be served. bp are motivated to serve others.

pp desire success. bp are motivated to be faithful and to make others succeed!!

pp desire self-advancement. bp desire to promote others

pp have a drive to be recognized and appreciated. bp have a sense of their own unworthiness, thrilled that God would use them at all.

pp wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked. bp eager for others to get credit; rejoice when others are lifted up

pp have a subconscious feeling, "this ministry/church is privileged to have me and my gifts." they think of what they can do for God. bp heart attitude is "I don't deserve to have a part in any ministry" they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives.

pp feel confident in how much they know. bp are humbled by how very much they have to learn

pp are self-conscious. bp are not concerned with self at all!

pp keep others at arms' length. bp are willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately.

pp are quick to blame others. bp accept personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation.

pp are unapproachable or defensive when criticized. bp receive criticism with a humble, open spirit

pp are concerned with being respectable, with what others think; work to protect their own image and reputation. bp are concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows; are willing to die to their own personal reputation.

pp find it difficult to share their spiritual need with others. bp willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs

pp want to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up. bp, once broken, don't car who knows or who finds out; are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose

pp have a hard time saying "I was wrong; will you please forgive me?". bp quick to admit failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary

pp tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin. bp able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin

pp concerned about the consequences of their sin. bp grieved over the cause, the root of their sin.

pp are remorseful over their sin, sorry that they got 'found out' or caught. bp truly, genuinely repentant over their sin, evidenced in the fact that they forsake that sin.

pp wait for the other to come and ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding or conflict in a relationship. bp take the initiative to be reconciled when there is misunderstanding or conflict in relationships; they race to the cross; they see if they can get there first, no matter how wrong the other may have been

pp compare themselves with others and feel worthy of honor. bp compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for His mercy.

pp are blind to their true heart condition. bp walk in light

pp don't think they have anything to repent of. bp realize they have need of a continual heart attitude of repentance

pp don't think they need revival, but are sure that everyone else does. bp continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with God and for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit

Caught in the Grip

2011-09-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were growing up and someone would yell "hey, what are YOU staring at?!!" It would happen when your body froze, jaw slipped down, and your eyes went into a lazy tranz. Often you were off on another planet but appeared to be staring at the individual who was now poking you. I find myself just caught in my kids grip. I am completely mesmerized when they get to conversing and playing. Have you ever just become totally invisible in your kids presence and you find yourself soaking up their spirits as they flutter and fleet within the moment? The other night Kennedy got out of bed for the 10th time and came into my room. I was just sitting on my bed reading and Paul was in the kitchen blogging. My initial thought was to send her directly back to bed but for some reason I laid down my book. She just wanted to chat. She went on and on telling me how "she felt close to nature". She had been exploring in the backyard that day and was feeling especially cognizant of her earthly appreciations. Surely she is a scientist in the making. But anyhow, she went on to discuss lots of her feelings. She told me that she couldn't wait to grow up because "she could go to Starbucks whenever she wanted, spend money, and have kids.....having kids would be the fun part!" Oh my. I was completely overtaken with all the things she was saying and watching the rise and fall of each eyebrow and the flicker of all her sandy eyelashes protecting her chocolate eyes. I wanted that moment to last forever. I hoped she would sit there for an eternity. She leaned against my legs and just casually released all her dreams and aspirations. They floated up into the air like fairy dust. I was caught in her grip. It happens with all my kids. Either Lincoln is explaining to me how much he missed me while he was at preschool, or Mia singing one of her new songs about "Jan World" as her deep blue pools of blue captivate my soul. Capturing that moment and seeping in their countenance at that perfect time, hearing their sweet voices, and having the time to just relish the memory..........priceless

Inside the Cup

2011-09-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Not sure if you are a coffee drinker, tea drinker, or just plain old water. But the Alexanders love all of the above, especially coffee. Some of our favorite past time memories have birthed within the 4 walls of a coffee shop. A few years ago Paul and I skipped out early from a Christmas party for coffee and cards at a local Starbucks with our good friends, Gokees. Well, to no one's surprise, I play cards at an exuberant level. Well, I became so excited that I accidently spilled my hot coffee...........in Paul's lap. And to top it off, I also snagged my necklace on my pinky and beads flew everywhere. Needless to say, the loud chuckles and belly laughs drowned out Paul's grave disappointment with his new 'hot pants'. That is so typical for me! Believe it or not, we spill out each day, emotionally, verbally, and spiritually. I've recently been challenged to think about the types of things 'spilling' out of me. John Ortberg wrote "When someone bumps into me, what spills out of me reveals what is inside of me." Hmmm......so how do I respond when life or people bump into me?? For some reason, I have a magnet on my forehead that reads "all rude people, please be rude to me!". Well that is precisely how some days feel. Just the other day I was in Paradise Bakery, when a young woman approached our table and blurted out "I want you guys to know we have a 6 month old sitting on our laps and no high chair for him." Apparently, that was her way of asking for Lincoln's child seat.So we took our toddler out of his chair, put him in our laps and gave her the seat. She is entitled to it and more important than us, right? Wrong!!!!!! I was steaming like an engine when she walked away and fortunately my husband was there or..........who knows! I was bumped into that day and love, patience, and even gentleness did not spill out of me. There was certainly stuff spilling out of me; but it was pride, anger, disgust, and self-righteousness. I mean, who talks to people like that?! Everyday we are buzzing through life and jolting this way and that way. We are always going to be rubbed the wrong way, whether it's in a relationship, job, or some brief encounter with a stranger. We can't control their tone or what they say but we can most certainly choose our words and soften our actions. Next time I'm hoping to spill out something that is healthy and contagious.

There Is More To You than You Know

2011-08-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Any guesses on where the title came from? Hint.....Lord of the Rings...Gandalf states this Biblo Baggins. I think we, as parents need to be reminded of this same concept and spend time remembering that there is more to our children than we know too. If you know me really well, then you know that one of my deepest passions is for my children to grow up and become warriors for Christ. Our world that we now know will not be one we recognize when our kids grow up and they will be TESTED IN THEIR FAITH. I want my kids to represent Him at ALL costs. Just finished a book that supports that and encourages parents to take heart and begin parenting by gazing into your children's spiritual condition before you try sculpting their outsides. In Spiritual Parenting, Michelle Anthony quotes "The danger in merely focusing on our children's outward behavior without the inner transformation is that sometimes our children will align their behavior to our mandates to please us or receive approval. Without this supernatural transformation, we may have moral or obedient children, but we don't necessarily have spiritual children." Booo-yaaaa! Oh my! I see lots of kids today who are obedient robots and when they leave home........well, "all hell breaks loose!". A deep fear that I have. I am constantly talking, in particular with my eldest, about the 'whys' and the 'how comes'. I want to know why she does things and what she is feeling and what she believes the bible says about such things. I don't want an unemotional robot. I want them to truly fall in love with Christ. In the book Spiritual Parenting she talks about passing on a faith to her kids that would:

1. allow her children to know and hear God's voice, discerning it from others
2. they would desire to obey Him when they heard His voice
3. they would obey Him not in their own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I would agree. I can only hope and pray that I don't mess them up; hoping that they will some day be able to arrive at this station in life. I don't want to be a parent who practices 'sin management'. Instead, I'd like to "cultivate environments for my children's faith to grow, teaching them how to cultivate a love relationship with Jesus as I cultivate my own, living my life authentically in front of them so that they become eyewitnesses to my own transformation." M. Anthony

So yes, I'm pretty excited to be reading up on some fresh material on parenting. Paul and I are in the process of re-examining our family values and creating intentional 'rites of passages' for all 3 of our children. Also check out Raising a Trailblazer by Dr. Virginia Friesen. Both excellent pieces of literature that present transferable ideas that any family can use!! Parenting can be joyful and I'm learning to relax a little and of course remember that I am NOT in the drivers seat in life. My creator is the one providing the opportunities and the tools for me to use. And there is no guarantee. Let's see where this journey takes us. Needless to say, I spend almost each night in prayer and begging for blessings upon my children. I am a very imperfect parent, to say the least!

Something fun that I just started doing this week is writing love notes on the mirror with Expo markers for my family. The kids love it and they will soon be writing notes too!! yahoo!

And He's Off.................

2011-08-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Linc. finally emerged into "preschool" and he is off and running, literally. On the 1st day, I was the first parent to leave the room after drop off. The others were mooing around and clinging and hugging and watching with gulped eyes. Not me. Linc. gave me a quick and sloppy kiss on the lips and said "you can leave Mom, you no stay!". Okay, so I took off to go enjoy a run in my neighborhood. Now, I must admit, my heart was breaking as I said good-bye and watched my youngest chick leave the nest. But he is ready and I think I should be too, right?! And you will be too one day, when your youngest flies away. I think these little 'rites of passages' prepares us for the future. One day, all of my kids are going to move out and permenantly leave. I"m obviously not ready for that huge step now; but I'm practicing with preschool and elementary school and someday camp and so forth. baby steps, baby steps..........

You Are My Sunshine

2011-07-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Boy am I wrapped around his cute little finger. As if it isn't bad enough, he is now singing to me each day. It's so hard to get this little man to lay down for naps or for night time. So he likes to prolong the process by asking me to come 'nuggle' him. Yes, he wants some snuggles. While lying down next to him, he gives me his prized possession, his monkey, and then he begins to kiss my arm, my shoulder, my hand, and my cheek. I usually like to sing to him and he has finally started singing back to me. He now sings "you are my sunshine" right back to me. Wow! totally breaks my heart and locks in that already strong bond. At night time he sits as his door and sings aloud to me, hoping I will come get him out of bed. It doesn't work but it sure does sound cute! He sings like me, off key and loud!

There is just something special about a mommas love with her son. I guess this is the same bond that Paul has with our daughters. It's so special and most certainly eternal. Sometimes you meet a mother who has lost her child. She lost more than the child, she has lost a part of herself. It's impossible to lose a child and remain completely whole, in my inexperienced opinion. I look at these kids of mine and just want to hold on so tight and keep them from ever leaving, getting hurt, getting lost, or even growing up sometimes. I just wanna hug on their necks and never let go. Of course, that would be completely selfish, debilitating, and incredibly cruel. I have to let go each and everyday. They are gifts to me from up above. I thank my God for each day I have with them. and the song ends with "...and please don't take my sunshine away..." Lincoln keeps saying, "I not taking your sunshine away, mommy."

Family Camp!

2011-07-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of Family Camp? Yep, the entire family went to camp this year. Before we even left, Kennedy said to me "Mom, when will Mia and I go without our parents?" Oh my, I"m thinking "we haven't even left yet and you want to know when you can offload your parents?!!". That's my independent child for ya! Thanks to some very dear and incredibly generous friends, we were able to go for free. We never would have been able to scrape it up this year. Family Camp in Forest Home, CA is an ingenious idea!! Kids went to VBS like classes in the morning while we went to a session. Then we met up for lunch and spent the next 6 hours swimming, kayaking, hiking, playing in the creek, fishing, traveling the ropes course, rock climbing, drinking coffee..........whatever we wanted to as a family!! Evening time was nice for us to go to another session or just hang while kids were cared for by a CCA (child care assistant). The camp provides one for each family.

I watched Kennedy come alive in the outdoors. The girls have been complaining for years, as we make them hike every year. But it is finally growing on them and all Kennedy wanted to do was hike and explore the woods. Mia made it clear that "she doesn't do fishing!" I had to laugh. But she sure did take the plunge and zoomed down the crazy high slide into the lake first! Kennedy soon followed with great hesitation and then Linc took the dare. Kennedy rock climbed for the 1st time and loved it. She enjoyed doing a ropes course. In fact, all 5 of us were up in the air walking on ropes and ladders. My stomach was all in knots due to my fear of heights but how could I tell a 7 year old how scared I was?!! She was so brave!

Getting away, turning off the phones, putting DVDs away, and just enjoying the outdoors was exactly what we needed. We are beginning to readdress our family goals and start updating them. I'm getting ready to read a book called Raising A Trailblazer. We we would like to become more intentional with rites of passages in our kids' lives. (ages 10, 13, 16, 18). Each year will allow us to teach our children some key character traits and leadership qualities that lie within them. We want to challenge them to use them for His glory!! Well, that's a whole other blog!!

Packing and Unpacking......15 Years!

2011-07-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Almost impossible to believe that we've been married for 15 years. And what have we packed in during this time?? Well let's see: Missions trips to Africa 3x, Ecuador 3x, Venezuela, Peru, and Guatemala. Celebrations in Mexico....twice. Worked at 6 wonderful churches, birthed 3 children, parented 4 different dogs, bought and sold 4 houses, no broken bones, 1 car accident, 16 speeding tickets, and a few other adventures. We sure do have some incredible stories: jumping off 40 foot cliffs into the river, rock climbing in Arkansas, sailing in the swimmers side with the McGinnis family, stealing the 300lb Shanahan stone pig, and moving across the country 2x in one year!
So how do I feel after 15 years of being married to the same person? Well, I'm certainly not bored, not disappointed and most of all I'm not 'just surviving it.' We promised one another that we wouldn't be THAT couple that merely SURVIVES their marriage just to say that they are 'still married' after one thousand years. We want to LIVE in our marriage. Because we are both 1st borns who do not settle for 2nd and do not give in easily.......life has presented some very fun and noisy battles. But in the midst of it all, we have enjoyed being on the 'same team' and coming along side one another, especially in difficult times.

We are adding one more adventure to our list this year. We head off to Hawaii in November to celebrate the big 15!! We cannot wait!!

Unplanned Commotion Works Best

2011-07-08T15:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I find myself getting caught up "planning" family fun and creating the perfect environments for vacations, making sure the destination is the most unimaginaeable petri dish for family fun! Resulting in paying way too much money, dealing with normal bloopers such as: tired/cranky children, flat tires, forgotten binkis, etc........The older I get the more I realize that just ceasing the moment with everyone home and jumping into a game of Monopoly, Uno Attack, pillow fights, swimming pools, or just camping in our own backyard like hillbillys can be triumphant in the memory making process. Today we had tons of errands to run. I started by taking 2 kids to run errands while Paul kept 1 kid to help him hook up the sound system and get truck detailed at car wash. I then returned and we traded kids. He took the other two kids to wash/detail the mini-van and I stayed home with Kennedy this time. She was jumping with glee cause she got mom all to herself. The first thing we did was warm up peanut butter and chocolate chips in microwave and eat it out of the bowl with a spoon. Next we headed out to the backyard to play Mermaids in the pool. She had to give me a crash course in that area! I taught her how to do a sommersault in the water and how to swim without taking breaths. Then we balanced on a circular inner-tube and see-sawed back and forth. It ended with me falling over and coming up out of water looking like George Washington with my seawead hair and floating sun glasses!

As the other returned, we all began the diving process and learning how to dive by jumping, head first into a inner tube! Paul decided to forget about finishing the details on the cars and dove into the water to help Lincoln swim. In a few hours we had taught Linc. how to swim, girls how to dive, and earned a pretty good tan! Today truly takes the cake! My day started with a 6mile run and pancakes........I had no idea that I'd be teaching Kennedy free style swim and then doing the rapids on an inner tube with my 7 year old. Tonight, Paul and I go out on our date for our 15th wedding anniversary. I couldn't have planned today. It has been perfect! I'm grateful for this much needed time together as a family. Ironically enough, this is one of the few summers that we haven't taken a vacation and yet being at home has been a blast!

Fireworks.........Fired...........and then Fireworks...........

2011-07-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Who would have imagined that as we chased dazzling firebugs, watched grown men jump for glee with Kroger brand mini-explosives, and exhaled through a sweaty game of freeze tag that the next 4th of July would be 6 states back over towards the West? This 4th of July was celebrated in Arizona with old friends, swimming, fried chicken, and sparklers. As we sat in the cool breeze (a storm was blowing in) and watched the grand finale of fireworks, I remembered that one year ago, we attended church together as a family for the 1st time in Atlanta. We then rushed home to begin our 4th with friends who drove down from Indiana. If you had stopped me and told me you were a prophet and that I'd be back in AZ for my next 4th of July, I would have sighed my disbelieving chuckle and retaliated with "dream on, I'm not moving again!!" And dreaming we are..........feels that way some days. I have to remind myself what exactly we have been through this year. The kids were a little out of whack the past few weeks and I couldn't figure out why on earth they were acting so peculiar. My girlfriend gently reminded me that we have moved twice in one year, changed schools twice (soon to be three x) and gone to Guatemala, and now here we are. Oh yeah, I guess I have just buldozed right through it and forgot how difficult it can be to keep transplanting.

However nuts this past year has been, it has also been one that has given abundantly. Before I opened my bible or my devotional today, I couldn't help but look around and see how wonderfully blessed our family is. I see three healthy kids, an amazing husband, a faithful church family, life-long friends, a pleasant home, filled cupboards and refrigerator, 2 cars in the garage, and most of all..........a daily relationship with the Creator. At the end of the day the kids could be sick, my husband could be lost, my house gone, no food, and no cars and yet still............I would have to give my Creator praise. Our praise is not dependent upon what He is doing for us now; but dependent upon Who He is and what he already "did". At least for us, we are trying to remain focused on Him and what He has already done for us on the cross; makes it really difficult to complain about the 'now'. Not saying we don't complain or even beg for reprieve but in the end.........feeling thankful.

All Settled In

2011-06-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

We are finally unpacked and each box has had the life flattened out of it and the contents of all the boxes are systematically spread throughout the house allowing it to look like home. Mia keeps walking around the house and blurting out "well, it looks like our home now, mom!" Unpacked the last two boxes today....Paul's clothes. Paul and I finished the last touches yesterday by hanging the shelves. This is actually the hardest part of making our house look like a 'home'. Hanging shelves is NO FUN! But somehow we managed to get them all hung in reasonable fashion and we are still married after such difficult matters! LOL!!! We have now hung and taken these shelves down 3x in one year. We are becoming pros!

As you can see, Lincoln is feeling very at home! I caught him stirring the spaghetti meat the other day. He said he wanted to help cook. Probably against my better judgement, I allowed him to continue. I kept reminding him about the hot metal and he seemed to do just fine. I love this helpful and inquisitive soul that dances around this home. Just hearing his gleeful sounds at 6:30 each morning makes everything feel okay. I hear Buzz Lightyear crash into Star Wars man and Mac is headed into a bedroom door at 60mph. Then I hear girls screaming "get out!" and the slam of a door following the frantic screams. I'm lying in bed wondering how long Lincoln will continue to torture his sisters over the years to follow. I'm thankful for these sounds today. It's the sound of life, home, and our family. I wasn't planning on getting up this early on Saturday morning but thankful still for the familiar sounds. Love hearing Lincoln shout across the house in his echoing dwarf-like voice "mommy...daddy.......time to get up!" Well, time to go fix breakfast!!

Our 1st Ever Family Missions Trip

2011-06-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well we took the plunge and kept to one of our 2011 family goals.......we took the girls on a missions trip! We felt drawn to Guatemala to help a family, the Radfords, with their ministry in an orphanage. They are missionaries in Panajachel and have been there for about 10 months. An amazing couple that left ATL last year due to an act of obedience. It was our joy to serve with them this past week. We worked on bible stories and crafts with preschoolers. We also had the opportunity to help feed some of the local children at lunch time. We were truly blessed by these moments of tenderness. These children were amazing and beautiful. All smiles, giggles, and chitter chatter in Spanish. I was able to practice my 'spanglish'. I'm awful and I believe Paul enjoys watching me botch up my conversations. I believe I bartered up on a price, instead of down one time. I get 6 and 7 mixed up! The girls are only 6 and 7 and so they tired easily but all in all............great trip. Our hope is that they remember the children and that there are others all over the world that God loves too. We would like our kids to have a world-view and global compassion for others. We are still learning and God is still working in our hearts too as parents. Keep praying for us as we parent. And please keep the Radfords in your prayers. Lee, Angel, Anna Kate, and Parker live in Guatemala and serve each day with willing spirits.

Guatemala 2011

2011-06-05T18:52:00.001-07:00

And These Are A Few of My Favorite Things........

2011-06-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

Having finally finished Ann VosKamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, I feel like the same person with a different outlook on life. Her thankfulness and gratitude for the simple things in life and for the complexiteis of Grace amaze me! Shouldn't all believers feel this way? Shouldn't I be grateful for small things like giggles and sunshine and most appreciative of challenging ideas like salvation and eternal life? So, she has inspired me to keep a journal of my own 1,000 gifts or blessings that I have acknowledged in my own life. I have also given a journal to each of my girls and they are keeping a list of 1000 gift. Should be interesting to see how their perspecitve changes over the years. My goal is for the girls to keep this journal and complete it in highschool and I will give them the book to read. We shall see...........okay, so here are a few of from my list. Also remember that I just returned from Guatemala! These are gifts of mine and I am thankful for..........

8. seeing a mamma with her baby wrapped tight to her back and a basket full of life on her head- this beauty of motherhood espoused to multitasking is an idea that is not solely owned my Americans but dances across all nations

11. refocusing and realizing that I need to slow down and notice the tiny smiles, flickering wet eyelashes, fading dimples, and snuggles that sneak up on me

16. for seasons in my life.....there are moments that are much too painful for the human soul to last forever

19. giggles of delight and moans of fear from an autistic boy sitting behind me on the plane. I choose to remain in awe of his new wonders and explorations instead of succombing to annoyance. my girls choose to do the same.....

22. for 'one more goodnight hug' from Lincoln knowing that there will be 5 more hugs and 5 more 'one more goodnight kiss' in the next 60 seconds.......

4. finding my kids clothes painted across my wood floor and knowing that this is the result of 'dress-up'. they are not grown up yet!

2. riding with the windows down in the car and the a/c on.....because I can!

39. the ability to receive a judgemental stare from an on-looking parent and in turn reflect a modest smile, knowing that the undeserved grace that I have received allows me to do so

44. the option of turning life's challenges into blessings instead of turning them into seeds of bitterness

48. for honest friends that speak truth which sculpts my heart instead of fearful friends that tickle my ears with complimentary lies

58. an amazing mother-in-law that serves me continuously without expecting anything in return

3. a husband that takes time to 'date' our daughters and plants those small seeds of love and acceptance

Don't Miss It!

2011-05-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just sit and stare at people in airports, restaurants, malls........and I wonder to myself "are they happy? are they suffering? are they okay?" I always wonder what is REALLY going on inside of people. You know, you just can't fake happiness! Go back and look at photos of yourself. I do this all the time and I shine the most in my pictures when I'm truly happy. Then I see those pictures which are not so flattering and I remember "oh yes, I was disturbed or feeling a bit grim that day." I'm reading a wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts by Voskamp and she talks about this 'sanctuary of time'. I want to enjoy each moment, while I can. She quotes a pastor as saying

"Being in a hurry. Getting to the next thing without fully entering the thing in front of me. I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry. But a thousand broken and missed things, tens of thousands, lie in the way of all the rushing...Through all that haste I thought I was making up time. It turns out I was throwing it away."

She says "I don't really want more time, I want enough time. Time to breathe deep and time to see real and time to laugh long, time to give You glory and rest deep and sing joy and just enough time in a day not to feel hounded, pressed, driven, or wild to get it all done- yesterday. - Hurry always empties a soul" and my moist favorite thing that she says....

WHEREVER YOU ARE..BE ALL THERE

Stop looking at your phone, stop checking your dang facebook, stop texting and listen.............I'm slowly learning. I'm sunbaithing in the funny and serene moments with the kids. I love this picture of the girls talking to their cousins on the phone. Look at them......holding one another....sigh......another sigh.......I don't want them to grow up. I love their shade of innocense......although momentary......I love it and want to be stuck in this moment forever. That can't happen, snap my fingers and come back to reality. But atleast I didn't miss it!! Are you missing the moment? Ladies are always asking me if I'm doing the next best bible study or going to the next best ladies event at church. I usually say "maybe later." Nothing wrong with these fabulous opportunities.....but they will be around later and my preschooler won't be. I get that wild horse look when I'm going 100mph and I don't feel comfortable. Right now.......I just want to 'be all there'.

This To Shall Pass.........Ok Go

2011-05-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

If you know anything about music, you've heard of this song/group. I love this song and I love their sound. Well, I"m feeling like this right now. Paul left town about 2 and half weeks ago and everything has gone bonkers! It's so funny how these things only happen to moms when the dads are our of town! It's got to be a "Murphy's Law"- when husbands leave town......all chaos must break out!". hahahah...well, our garage door broke during a major storm and on the way home I nonchalantly said to the girls "aren't you glad we have a garage that we can pull into and not get soaked?!" Then of course, the clicker didn't work and I didn't have any keys to the house with me..........after 10 days, and 2 more rain storms, it was fixed! My inter-net shut down, Clifford brought a dead chipmunk into the house and girls were horrified. Lincoln pooped his pants at dinner (Never Happened Before!). Lots of fun moments. But.........in the midst of the chaos, I find myself snuggling with Mia last night and telling her how dang cute she is with those perfectly placed freckles on her nose between those perfectly blue puddles of blue, called eyes. My gaze was locked onto her and I all I could think about was how cute she also looked when she was a baby and she'd bounce in her crib with a smile as wide as the ocean. I miss those days. I'm thinking....where on earth has time gone. Oh, how I would give anything to go back in time and hold her next to me in her snug onesie and thick diaper and chunky thighs. How do you tell a young mom to really realish those moments and stop rushing around, stop cleaning the house, stop fretting over nothing. Just pick up your baby, hold her, rock her, kiss her nose, and you can start cleaning when they are 18 and all grown up! I found Lincoln's dump truck today in the baby buggy. I had to laugh. I love my kids. That little baby buggy is the best yard sale treasure ever! Kennedy puts her guinea pig in it and Lincoln puts his most precious trucks in it. And then there is Mia, she puts herself in it! How wonderful kids are! Hold onto the moment. With daddy gone, we are learning to relax, slow down, and have movie/popcorn nights more often. Laying low is nice. Cereal for dinner is............nice! There will be plenty of busy days to come, so I'm enjoying the 'not so busy days'.

Fun Mommy Tips After 7 years.......I'm Still Learning

2011-05-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

I was thinking that it would be fun to share some of the things we do around the Alexander Home that really help us out and hoping these tips help you out too. We have begged, borrowed, stolen, and made it up as we've traveled this journey called life!

1. Never thought that Men's Axe spray would come in handy. Paul won't wear it
but I found it handy to keep a spray can in the bathroom for those un-
pleasant moments. One spray will knock out any scent that might be looming!

2. I like to make banana chocolate-chip muffins or some other type on Sunday
night and warm them up for breakfast all week for the girls! yummy/easy

3. When kids are fighting in the car........I turn up the music really loud
and I feel like loud music is better than 'loud mom!' They eventually stop.

4. You have girls? We do and go through tons of shampoo/conditioner. I've been
buying the pumps at Walmart for $3 per large bottle and it will last for
6-9 months. Pumps get more out and girls use less!

5. Looking for healthy/cheap snacks? Sounds like an oxymoron, I know. But...
Costco saved the day for me! We buy Large Bag Crasins, Lg bag of Sea Salt
Chips, Lg bag of Almonds, Annies all natural fruit snacks, Guacamole, Lg
box of individual all natural applesauces, sweet potato chips, Lg.Organic
strawberry jam, and veggie chips- all for about $50.00 Lasts for a month!

6. Your kid wets the bed in middle of night? We put a fitted sheet under the
mattress pad so that I don't have to put another sheet on the bed at mid-
night. I just wait until am to wash and put pad on. Atleast they have dry/
clean sheet for the night. super easy!

7. Want a cheap reward to give your kids!? We only allow t.v. and dessert on
Fri-Sun. No dessert or t.v. on school nights. So.....Friday is so much fun
and occasionally I'll surprise them with t.v. or dessert in the middle of
week as a reward and they are estatic! My kids are only ages 3,6,7--easy
to please- still!

8. Does your kid suck his/her thumb? Cure it quickly by using painter's tape
and short popsicle sticks at night. I tape them onto their thumbs and they
have no desire to stick thumb in mouth! It works!!!

9. Not sure what to do for your quiet time? Maybe you're 'Beth Moored' out
and ready for something different......but no bible studies. Well, you're
not gonna believe this but I'm reading thru the bible in a year and I
LOVE it. I'm behind on the schedule but just taking my time and journaling
and underlining all the cool tidbits that I'm learning! I thought it was
gonna be boring but........love it!!

10. Wanna get in shape but you HATE running? Go walking or get on a treadmill
and set it too a quick pace with HILLS!! You'll really feel it in your
legs, that's where we want to slim up. Also, lift light weights to help
get rid of the saggy arms and back-fat! I'm dealing with it all now! Got
muffin tops??? stop eating so many carbs/sugar--- get on a large ball and
do sit-ups a few times a week. Keep it simple and low key!!

11. Family devotions at night? What, huh?!! We use the Jesus Story Bible but
we've been though it a million times now. So, we are letting Kennedy read
the stories. If Jesus Story Bible is too hard to read, pick up a simpler
one. We have that too and Kennedy prefers it. It's fun seeing the kids
lead the bible study by reading now and then!

12. Ummm....what happened to table manners? We play a game at mealtime to
see who doesn't put napkin in lap or puts elbows on the table. The
signaled saying is "I don't see any ladies/gentlemen at the talbe..."
That quickly reminds them. Daddy always loses the game cause despises
putting a napkin in his lap and loves to put elbows on table. This goes
for talking with food in mouth too! When you catch em' doing it, you get
a point!

13. Okay one more!! I couldn't get Kennedy to read and now she's the top
reader and writer in her 1st grade class......reading on 3-4 grade level
and amazing writer. Secret?? food!! Find your child's soft spot. She loves
to eat so here is what I do. After she has read 5 pages (you can start
with small number) she can come see more for her bowl of goodies. I give
her cereal, craisins, nut mix, or choco. chips. Each time she finishes a
page, she can put one craisin or chip in her mouth! She will read for 2
hrs. Half the time, she forgets to eat at each page cause she is so into
the story!! If your kids loves t.v./Wii, give them same amount of minutes
on t.v. that they spend reading!! You catching on?

Well people, here are my silly thoughts and I hope they help! Feel free to post any of your amazing tips! I love hearing what other moms do cause I still have a lot to learn!!

The Not So Perfect Mom and Her Family

2011-05-04T20:43:00.000-07:00

Because moms are not perfect and neither are their families.......here is a real life photo of our 'happy' family and some great quotes from my own kids! I love seeing the REAL DEAL! It's hard to believe what comes out of a kid's mouth.

-"Next week when I'm an adult, I'll charge my husband to get me a muffin and coffee" Kennedy (daddy had just come home with treats for mommy)
-"Mia, you can't be selfish all your life....you have to share with your sister!!" Kennedy
-"Mom, tell Kennedy to stop..she's trying to spank me and wedgie me!" mia
-"I hear an ambulance and I think there is a mom in there who is falling asleep forever. I guess the kids will have to adopt go adopt a mom, probably one that is poor and has not home."-Mia/Kennedy coversation
-"When am I going to grow up anyways? It's taking a long time!" Mia
-"I saved the day one time" Kennedy
-"Mom, if you don't know how to make strawberry pie than watch Strawberry Shortcake on t.v. and she can teach you." Mia
-"I'm not brave everyday. I'm only brave sometimes." Kennedy
-"Garage door open!!!!" Lincoln stood naked as a jaybird yelling at the broken door to open
-"I feel like I have to go poopy, I'm burping in my pants." Mia
-"I'm sharing with Lincoln, cause I want to be like you, Mom." Mia
-"I wonder why Clifford is destructing our yard?" Kennedy
-"Mom, you're smart when you laugh." Mia
-"I met Jacob Dodd and he's gonna be my husband!" Mia
-"When I'm a teenager, you can pretend I'm little again, if you want, and we can go for ice-cream, mom." Kennedy
-"I'm done coloring,Mom. I have some business to do." Mia
-"Sometimes I just get worried about my life. It's a hard time being a kid." Kennedy
-"I growed so tall while I was napping." Mia
-"I really wanted that cereal (in tears) cause it's the last day of my life that I wanted to eat it." Kennedy (drama drama!!!)
-"I didn't want to come out of your tummy,Mom. I just wanted to roll around but I know you missed me,so I came out." Mia
-"Can we keep Lincoln? He's a good boy!" Mia
-"Daddy knows everything about everything." Kennedy
-"I don't like when your muffins taste like ear wax." Mia
-"I'm mommy's prince." Lincoln
-"Mommy, snuggle me!" Lincoln

Hardest Part About Leaving

2011-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend reminded us of how much we really love the grandparents. As they pulled out of the driveway Lincoln yelled out at the car and blew kisses. He kept repeating himself and chanting "nanna come back, nanna come back". He couldn't understand why they were leaving and why they were not coming back right away. We told him they'd be back later (end of May) but he thought that meant immediately. The kids love their grandparents and are always sad to see them leave. I was sad too, knowing that we would soon be in Arizona and the visits would be less frequent. I'm so grateful that both Paul and I have parents that love our kids. Watching your own parents grandparent your kids is so amazing cause you realize how truly incredible and influential grandparents are! I know how much my grandma meant to me when I was a child and how I still admire her. I'm hoping my kids feel the same way about their grandparents!

6 is soooo Sweet!

2011-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

Mia turned 6 this week. Where did our little baby go? She's so much fun when it comes to birthdays. She has changed her mind about 10 times about the cake she wants. She's been giving me cake decorating ideas since December. First she wanted a Santa Clause cake, then a Star Wars cake, then a Christmas Tree, then a pony cake, and finally she landed on an Owl cake. So I made the goofy owl! LOL. As far as her birthday experience she insisted that we buy a pinata. She's been asking for a pinata for almost a year. So we took the plunge and purchased the tacky cardboard decoration. We bought a bag of plastic toys and petrified candy and poured it in the pinata. The final problem was to figure out what we were gonna use to hit the pinata. The girls suggested daddy's golf clubs. For some reason, he passed on this idea. Then Kennedy grabbed the Star Wars life savers. So we used the life saver swords. Everyone took numerous swings at the giant pinata, including Pappa and Nanna. This was most certainly a memorable moment.

Mia also chose breakfast for her birthday dinner. She was very clear about it too. She wanted pancakes with chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and whipped toppings. We also added bananas and strawberries to keep it 'healthy'. She also wanted celery with peanut butter. yuck! Throughout the evening she insisted that we refer to her as 'the majesty'. Honestly, I kept forgetting and Mia would stop and ask me why I wasn't remembering her name. Yes, Yes, I needed to take care of 'the majesty'. All in all.................great time!

Easter 2011

2011-04-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Easter was great! We went to the Saturday evening service. We all sat together and it felt great to be together as a family on such a celebratory day! It's kind of funny having the girls in church with us. They are getting so big and becoming little women. Kennedy filled out the visitor registration card. She marked the box that requested more information about 'kids' and said that 'her mom and dad' brought her. Then she wrote in her little journal. Mia pretty much laid across my lap and wiggled and snuggled. Before we left, we went backstage to say goodbye to Brian, the lead pastor. While in his study, Lincoln managed to find a pencil and write on Brian's MAC computer, almost tip over a cup of water, and the girls bounced from couch to couch. Yep, Alexander kids!!

Sunday was spent at the theater with grandparents, having egg hunts in the house, unraveling Easter baskets, reading the Easter Story from the bible, and cooking a large dinner. Great day!

The Next Step For Alexander Family

2011-04-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting up night after night trying to figure out how on earth to write this blog. How do I fully express what my heart is feeling and yet steadily bring praise to His name? Yes, there has been hurt, pain, and betrayal. And yet, God is good and He is true to His word.

Paul and I have had the honor of worshiping on Sundays at Westridge and I heard this song last Sunday. It was like God provided an answer to my nagging question. "How do I write my blog?" If you can, look this up on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QwVekS886w. Below are the words......

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost it's sting

Oh, I'm running to your arms,
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign
Visit http://www.xtralyrics.com

My heart will sing
no other name
Jesus, Jesus

Oh, I'm running to your arms
I'm running to arms
The riches of your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

So, here we are running...........not running from our rough circumstances or to "the greener side". But we are running straight into His arms. In doing so, God is redirecting our steps and is sending us on. I hope we spend the rest of our lives running into His arms. We are choosing to accept these circumstance, process the pain, and allow them to build and grow us in ways we could have never imagined. It is the riches of His love that move us into tomorrow. We are looking forward to our journey back into the desert, Arizona! I guess we are headed back "home". We are honored to serve at Sun Valley in Gilbert, AZ. It will be an amazing opportunity for Paul!

It will be a new church for us but a very familiar community! We are sad to say goodbye to Atlanta; but in the same breath we welcome this new change. Life doesn't always turn out as we would want but His provision is always what we need......at least this is my thought in my young, inexperienced,and much-to-learn life!

Spring Break at Alexander Home

2011-04-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

So, we convinced the McGinnis family to venture our way for Spring Break this year. As you can see, we didn't have any fun at all! Hahahha....actually we stuffed as much as possible. We had a total of 12 people in our home and went bowling, fishing, hiking, picnicing, water balloon fights, and we even hit the nail spa with the girls. That was a treat! The girls had never been in a nail salon before! And of course we watched movies, played Catan, poker, and made lots of desserts. Normally, people get tired of one another after about 3 or 4 days. Not us! We shove 12 people under one roof and can't get enough of the fun! This might go down as one of the best Spring Breaks ever! The best part was seeing Jada, watching KK fall into pond while 'fishing', and seeing Elana bowl! Everyone needs to have friends like these! :-)

An Amazing Connection

2011-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

It is so difficult to write this blog cause I feel like a big baby. I'm full of tears; tears of sadness and joy. Sad cause I already miss our best friends and happy cause we have great memories together. As we leave the East coast and head out West, we know that we will see the McGinnis family even less. They are our family. Their kids are like cousins to our kids and Aime and Joe are some of the dearest friends we have. We have journeyed together for 10 years now. Part of those ten years consists of them adopting Jada. Of course, we cannot deny that Jada's middle name is the same as mine, joy. I feel like a proud Aunt! So we saw her for the first time and we were in love!! I hate to move away! :-(

Top 10 ATL Countdown....................

2011-04-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of top 10 things that the Alexanders really LOVE about Atlanta. We have only been here a short time but have made some really great memories.

10.Eating down on the Square, Sugar Cakes etc.........
9. Hanging with our neighbors, Abattes and the Wytes
8. Vaughan Elementary School
7. Chattanooga trip with the Maggards
6. Eating at the Canoe Restaurant
5. Southern hospitality and yummy cooking
4. visits from our distant friends, McGinnis and Barrineau clans
3. living in the SEC!!!!!!!!!!
2. friends from NMC
1. Dates to the Daily Grind Coffee Shop

And let's be fair, every place has things you don't prefer. Here are 10 things we will NOT miss about ATL

10.mosquitoes
9. cold winters
8. HOA in Brown's Farm.......ahhaha
7. the airport
6. Auburn and Georgia fans (ahhaha)
5. East coast time
4. thunderstorms (Mia goes nuts)
3. Tornadoes
2. traffic
1. humidity

Meet Prince Terrian

2011-03-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't he so adorable? He has won the heart of each and every family member, including Clifford. Yep, even our dog, Clifford, adores him. Every time we have P.T. out Clifford wants to sniff and lick P.T.'s fur off. He even batted at P.T. with his paw. Of course we keep a close eye on those two cause Clifford might find P.T. to be quite tasty. :-) This was the best birthday gift ever for Kennedy. She is passionate about animals and just thoroughly enjoys loving on them and taking care of them. I think pets are a wonderful thing to introduce to children. She has become so very responsible. We told her that we would NOT clean out his cage or take care of him; it was her responsibility. We made it clear that we do not clean up guinea pig poop! Well, wouldn't you know, she was busy cleaning out P.T.'s cage today and I was helping hold the bag for her. She was very methodical about the whole thing and kept telling me 'how' to do everything. Now, you must remember that Kennedy was taught by Paul, my systematic husband, on how to clean the cage. Good thing I didn't teach her. When she was done cleaning the cage she said to me "Dad sure did do a good job teaching me how to clean out the cage." I almost wet my pants. She was so proud of herself and her daddy. She went on to tell me that I would have to take care of P.T when she was traveling to Mexico. When on earth is she going to Mexico? and apparently daddy is going with her and that's why I need to be home to take care of P.T. So I guess the girl has plans, big plans!

In this picture you can see that we had Prince Terrian outside today. We decided to sit out in the front lawn on blankets, pillow, and using an umbrella for shade. We brought out the prince and put him under the umbrella while Kennedy read her book. I sat and soaked up my vitamin D and listened to Pandora Radio. Mia drew on the sidewalk with chalk and Lincoln practiced running up and down the sidewalk as quickly as possible, his head bobbing up and down. I loved my life today!!!!!!! I mean who lives like this? I'm beyond wealthy in so many ways, not financially. It's the simple things in life that are so dang enjoyable. I'm relishing the moments. Hope you are too. Go buy your kid a pet! LOL

Doctors Work As Mircacles........

2011-03-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

What kind of doctor allows you to email him and then actually emails you back? Unheard of! Well I happen to have found 2 doctors that we love and one of them is Dr. Stangel. He is a Chiropractic Neurologist and has been amazing for our girls. It was a relief to me to find a doctor that was 'down to earth', emailed me back immediately, and agreed that the girls were sick and needed some help. Most doctors just want to shoot the girls up with allergy shots and call it a day! I wanted more, much more. I wanted healing of the whole body. I believe in getting to the root of the problem and not just pacifying it for the moment. So, we started in on our journey by driving to Chattanooga (an hour and a half away) 3x a week. What a drive, but it was so worth it! We started in January and just finished up. So what have we noticed? Kennedy is calmer and much less argumentative and less agitated. Mia is happier and less anxious. Mia is processing like crazy and has blossomed at school. We just had blood work done to peek at the gut. Our guess is that the gut has an infection and we just need to heal it and hopefully reintroduce the restricted foods again. It's kind of sad saying good-bye to our doctor. When you see someone 3x a week for 10 weeks, you begin to feel like family. We took cupcakes for Mrs. Stangel's bday, food for Dr. Stangel when he was snowed in at the office, and we made valentines cards for them too. My daughters love them! I think the Stangels love the Alexanders too! We will miss them much but it's a good thing when you don't have to keep going back for appointments. With the combination of some food restrictions, vitamins, and Dr. Stangel's brain exercises we are a different family. The girls are doing much better. We are not completely there yet, but almost! I've learned so much as a parent. I believe a parent must trust his/her instincts, regardless of the discouraging comments from family/friends. A parent must always do what's best for the child, and a parent must think 'outside the box' sometimes. Traditional medicine isn't always the best road to travel.

Together......One Day at a Time.......

2011-03-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

On such an interesting journey these days. Paul is jobless, we feel homeless, disconnected, and severed from what we once called "home". Finished reading Job last month and how appropriate. Of course, we are still 'oh so blessed' because having a job isn't everything at the moment but understandably vital. Right after Paul delivered the sad news to me, he turned and just stared and said "well, at least I've got you-honey and the kids. We do have eachother." Yep, I have to agree that we are so blessed to have our health and to have our relationships with one another and of course with Christ. This past week has served as a real tester for sure as the fog is clearing and the dust has certainly settled. Feelings of anxiety creep in, as well as self-doubt. You wonder "will we find a job?" "Does anyone out there want us?" "are we worthy?" Well the answers are simple. Christ declared us righteous and He has a plan for us. All too well known but oh so easy to forget, especially in tough moments. But God has shown up in such simple and tender moments during this duration. He has a way of making His presence known. I love His subtle hints of love and whispers of hope. As humans, we botch this up and say the wrong things in the wrong moments or don't say enough to those who are hurting. But He seems to know exactly what to say and what to do. I must praise Him for that. It stinks to be in this position right now but couldn't think of anyone I'd rather be traveling with, than Paul. The other night we fell asleep talking about this and that. Then a few minutes later, I could feel Paul's soft hand lean on my stomach. I reached across and touched his hand. Usually one of us would then begin snoring and out we'd be for the night. But instead we fell asleep holding hands. I know......so corny! But, it's those short and memorable moments that will stain my heart forever. I love that I'm able to journey through this with my best friend. We have no idea what the next step will be but we are confident that we won't be doing it alone.

Mommy's Prince but.......Daddy's Boy

2011-03-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

Every night before Linc. goes to bed I ask him 'Are you Mommy's Prince?" and he says "Yes, I mommy's prince......" of course Daddy has to chipe in too and ask "are you Daddy's boy?" and of course Linc. replies "yes, I daddy's boy!". We love our boy and he gets so much love from all of us. He turned 3 this past week and we celebrated today! He woke up and asked if we could eat cake. I of course, diverted his attention to the wonderful bday pancakes and said we'd eat cake later. So, he helped me whip up pancakes and we stuck a candle in them and started singing to himself. This is one song my son has memorized....."Happy Birthday.." I love having friends/family over for special occasions but I must admit that it's so peaceful and meaningful when it's just the 5 of us too. Tonight was amazing! I made homemade pizza (@ Linc.'s request) and we ate cake, opened presents. Paul and I were racing to see who could get the toys out of the Alkatraz wrapping/tie downs the quickest. We each had a pair of scissors and went to work. It's crazy how much packaging and security goes into toys these days. Then we sat down and watched the Cars movie. I about fell asleep during the movie but it was oh so nice. Paul was most excited about opening the presents this year. He told Linc. that couldn't wait to for them to play with the new gadgets and that it was the most excited he'd ever been. Well this is because Paul received a present too. We got him a star wars life saver so that he could sword fight with Linc. Lincoln already has a sword but Daddy needed one too! Linc. also received a talking Iron Man, Storm Trooper, and Buzz Lightyear. I must admit, it was quite noisy during the movie since each child was pushing buttons on all the new toys. I was in zombie land and didn't even mind. We are blessed!

Real Hope

2011-02-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

In my devotional today I read.........."Give up the illusion that you deserve a problem-free life. Part of you is still hungering for the resolution of all difficulties. This is a false hope! As I told My disciples, in the world you will have trouble. Link you hope not to problem solving in this life but to the promise of an eternity of problem -free life in heaven." Sarah Young....Jesus Calling. I like to cling to Romans 5:3...."We rejoice in our suffering, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." No shame here! I'm reminded that I cannot cling to resolution or trying to understand why people act and hurt the way they do. I keep thinking of that old, silly song from my mom's time period "I never promised you a rose garden....". God never promised us a life of luxury and ease. Instead I expect opposition and resistance. Before this week came about, I had just come off of a fast and prayed for "God to wreck my life for Him." yikes! what on earth was I thinking? I'm just tired of not feeling challenged (totally my fault) and feeling like I don't sacrifice anything for my savior. I'm still not really giving up much for Him. This time period is difficult and so painful right now but I have to stay the course as I know that the more cracks that my life/vase has in it.........the more my light can shine out to others. Without those cracks, no light would escape from the vase. So, I guess I embrace the new cracks and changes. We shall ride the wave into the storm...........together. I'm so curious as to what He is going to do with us? What will I be writing about in 3 months? Where will we be? Who will we be serving? I'm a little excited. Life is a journey. :-)

Big Birthday Bash

2011-02-26T21:28:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess birthdays are a pretty big deal in the Alexander House. I'm telling ya, it's worse than Christmas. Our kids ask about their bdays all year long. They cannot wait. It's not that we spend gobs of money, rent lost of fancy equipment, or throw gigantic parties with 20dollar party favors..............it's just that we make it seem so amazing. At this age, they are easy to please! (thank goodness) So, we emailed out some friends/family and had them write notes to Kennedy. We then snuck out to Krogers at 5:45 in the morning to buy 3 dozen helium balloons and attached the notes to the balloons. We then arranged all the balloons in the KK's room. Whens she awoke, she was surrounded by words of love. Breakfast was gf/df donuts, pancakes, and bacon. Lunch was at a restaurant that served gf/df food. Dinner was her favorite, spaghetti! She begged for 3 things for her bday. She wanted a locket with our pictures in it, a harmonica, and a guinea pig. She saved her allowance for the pet and we bought the cage etc...........Needless to say, she was thrilled. And, yes, I made a fairy cake at her request. Pappa and Nanna came and we've had a really nice time celebrating the bday! I think every child should feel this special, especially on his/her bday. Why not?! Making someone feel special cost us nothing, except time and words. Those are 2 things that we feel blessed to give. I was able to give her time this weekend but am not promised tomorrow. Just making the most of the time we do have. Love you Kennedy Berlynn Alexander!

Moving Forward........one day at a time

2011-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

So, now what??!! First things first.........Chattanooga Aquarium. Since our stay in Atlanta is much shorter than ever anticipated, I guess we best enjoy all the tourist stuff while we can. And so.........we hit the aquarium with some fun friends who showed us around! We spent all day looking at fish, chasing Lincoln, admiring the sharks, feeding otters, running in the park, eating ice cream, and talking. It was a much needed time for our family!

Unexpected Loss

2011-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

I have had the honor and privilege to walk through times with other friends. I've been able to observe and listen. At times, I was even able to add input (which now I wonder what on earth I was talking about?) Here I walk through challenging times. I wouldn't go as far as to call these times 'tragic', but certainly challenging. These tough moments are causing Paul and I to lean into Christ even more and into one another. It's actually been a bit of a blessing. Of course it stinks that we don't have a job. But we do have one another. We can conquer anything together! As I tracked off this morning to do my daily run, I began thinking "what are the questions I should be asking as I walk/run this road?" I believe it's important to ask: "What do You want to teach me, God?" "What can I take from this experience that will alter my future in a positive way?" and "How can my actions in this situation bring more glory to Your Name?" Now, I have to admit, these are not the questions I asked myself the night Paul told me the news. I was angry, hurt, frustrated and ready go into hot debate......... I've found that it's just fine to feel those things............but I have to allow my Father to guide those emotions and bring them back to Him. I must cling to IICor. 12:9 "My Grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in weakness" Paul goes on to say "Therefore I will boast of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak , then I am strong." So here you have it..........pull up your "big girl boots" and deal with the insults and hardships. In perspective.....we don't deserve anything....except hell. I would be so foolish to say "but, we don't deserve this awful moment, God!!" I imagine, He might say "you are right, you deserve worse..." Staying away from feelings of entitlement, pride, and a deep pity party, are wise actions for us. It's time to press on and look for the road out and onto more. I'm 35 years old and have a lot to learn and lot of life to live. There is a lot left on my dash. I don't want to be so foolish as to think that God has already done His best in us and we are finished. As devastating as this whole thing has been, I must believe Jer.29:11, He has a future for us and plans to prosper us! His plans always include Him, which means LOTS of humble pie for me. I have to admit, as much as I love pie and desserts, humble pie tastes awful going down and I feel so full right now. Don't think I can eat anther piece.

We Love our Daddy

2011-01-06T05:17:00.000-08:00

I wish I had taped all of it cause as we finished singing, Kennedy blurted out "eat more chicken!". OH, it was sooooooo funny.

Pass Go, Play in Snow

2011-01-06T05:09:00.000-08:00

At last minute and with a hair brain idea, we decided to drive up to VA the day after Christmas and visit grandparents. It really was a fun adventure. We played in the snow and daddy built a sled out of cardboard. We pushed the girls down the hill and threw snowballs. We were also able to teach the kids how to play with a new Christmas toy, Monopoly. This is the first game ever, that Kennedy has enjoyed. I think she likes collecting money from everyone! She's just like her daddy!! It really was a nice break away from normal and crazy life. :-)

The Real Parent

2011-01-06T04:47:00.000-08:00

I was thinking to myself today........"What parent would actually choose the harder road for their child? Only the Parent who could see the future would choose such difficulties, monstrosities, and challenges. That Parent would not be me......it would be God. He can see the future of my 3 kids and so it's okay to see and know the things that are happening right now. As I write this, I wonder if I'm making the best choices for my kids. This is where being a parent means digging in your heals and letting the bigger Parent take the wheel, cause with my skills we'd drive off the cliff or something. I read in Sarah Young's book today,

"I (God) am able to do far beyond all that you ask or imagine. Come to Me with positive expectations, knowing that there is no limit to what I can accomplish. Ask My Spirit to control you mind, so that you can think great thoughts of Me. Do not be discouraged by the fact that many of your prayers are yet unanswered. Time is a trainer, teaching you to wait upon Me, to trust Me in the dark. The more extreme the circumstances, the more likely you are to see My Power and Glory at work in the situation."

That was just what I needed. As I mentioned earlier in one of my blogs, the girls have some pretty severe allergies and it has become quite apparent that their immunological systems are rejecting the healthy things and beginning to power down (esp. Mia's). The traditional medicine just doesn't work these days for the more complex issues. I have felt that some medical professionals only want to treat symptoms and not examine the real root. I'm hoping and praying that I have found a medical professional that has examined the root of these issues and will be able to help the girls. I found a chiropractic neurologist, thanks to a good friend. He works with all 3 systems: neurological, immunological, and hormonal system. All three effect one another. I'm hoping healing is on the way. It's expensive and a huge leap of faith or possibly stupidity! It's amazing what moms will do for their babies and we know, better than anyone else, when they are not feeling well and that something just isn't right. "Lord, grant me the strength that Isaiah mentions so that I may mount up with wings like eagles and run and not be weary!"

Yes, It Gets Cold Here Too!

2010-12-21T13:23:00.001-08:00

I took a picture of the girls as they headed out to the bus stop one morning. They look like little snowmen all bundled up in their gear. It takes us about 5 minutes to get our gear on. Then take a peek at the fountain outside Barnes and Noble. It is frozen and Kennedy had too much fun sticking her fingers in it and trying to lick it. I was envisioning The Christmas Story when the little boy's tongue froze to the pole. We were lucky though, no frozen tongues. However, I about busted on the sidewalk, wearing my fancy new boots! They are cute boots but not practical and I can't believe they haven't heard of salt here in GA!!!

Santa Baby!!

2010-12-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

So we went with friends to Barnes and Noble to peek at Santa. Linc was the first one to run up to the chubby fellow and jump in his lap. Linc. then preceded to act "too cool" for Santa. All three kids huddled around old Santa and shared their visions of Christmas. Of course they all three mentioned toys that I had never heard of and did not purchase. Good thing that they know Santa is not real. However, I do think they are trying to believe. They begged for us to leave cookies again this year and warned daddy by saying "no eating the cookies dad; they're for Santa!!". I have a feeling I'll be eating the cookies this year!

Her Name Means Joy

2010-12-21T13:08:00.000-08:00

Right now you'd never know that her name meant joy. Mia has been so sick that a smile has hardly been visible. She has been asking to head to bed around 6pm and lying around the house each day. It has been terribly sad to see a 5yr old turn down cookies, hot cocoa, and movies. Since Thanksgiving, our home has entertained such viruses as: pneumonia, flu, double ear infections, sinus infections, food poisoning, 104 temps, puking, and other "unknown" viruses. We spent 6 hrs in Urgent Care on Saturday with needle pricks, x-rays, and no news............just a virus. Today was spent at pediatricians office taking urine tests, flu swabs, and blood pressures. All 3 kids are sick. We know that Kennedy has the flu and a double ear infection. Lincoln probably has the flu and no news on Mia. So we are watching this week to see if the fever will go down and stay down. I'm hoping. I had big plans for this week. I was thinking gingerbread houses, Christmas Shopping, baking cookies with friends, and heading to the movies. Instead we are sipping down Pedialite, tylenol, couging, crying, and sleeping. Every night 2 out of 3 kids are awake. Last night I stared at Paul while all 3 kids cried and I said "pinch me so that I can wake up; this isn't really my life". I was joking of course. A mother only wishes health for her kids. I wish I could carry all these viruses instead of the kids. Somehow, I know that I could still plug along and get everything done........on pure stuborness. Unfortunately, the little ones cannot carry these germs and maintain any happiness. They are miserable. I wanted to blog about this so that next year I may look back remain thankful for health. I'm hoping 2011 brings many healthy days ahead!

Time Spent..........Priceless

2010-12-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

Every time the grandparents visit, our girls load them up with books and insist on hours upon hours of reading. It's fun now that the girls can read to the grandparents too. While Grandma and Grandpa visited in November, many hours were spent reading. These are pretty precious times for us and we are so thankful that the kids have grandparents that will sit and read.

Keeping Traditions Alive

2010-12-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Grandma, we always do a Gingerbread house with the kids. This is the 1st year that Lincoln was able to participate and boy did he participate!! He ate most of the candy and was even pulling it off of the house and eating it after the girls had placed it on. It's not a very creative house but it's just for fun and the kids love it! This year we will also start making our own house from scratch and putting all sorts of brick walls and candy fences on. We shall practice for next year!! We are getting very serious about it now! Just kidding. Thanks Grandma Debbie for always keeping the tradition going. :-)

1st Place at School and Honorable Mention at District Level

2010-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Just by chance our girls entered the Reflections Art contest at school, back in September. Kennedy submitted a drawing and Mia took a picture. Kennedy did not place, but we were still so proud of her for trying and Mia's photo took 1st place at the school. She was then promoted to the District Level and her photo took Honorable Mention. How funny! She didn't even really care and yet her photo placed! This was a great lesson for Kennedy. Kennedy is actually the artist in the family and she said to us as we drove to Mia's ceremony "how come I never win anything and Mia wins everything?" I reminded her that this is the only contest she has ever entered and that we should celebrate a win for our friends and/or family at all times. So she decided to put on the happy smile and celebrate her sister's victory. A good lesson to learn.

Adding A New Tradition to the Alexander Home.......The Jesse Tree

2010-11-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

What is a Jesse Tree? The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. visit http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html to read more on it and to get ideas for your own tree. Well, I guess one might find the whole idea a bit "hokey" but I love it. I've been contemplating over the years what to do for an advent calendar in December. I thought about giving elf gifts each day that were hiding on the tree, giving treats each night, and all sorts of expensive and crazy ideas! But this will be our 1st year counting down the days with bible stories and ornaments to match each story. The Jesse Tree sits by our dining room table and is already decorated with 25 ornaments that correlate with the Jesus Storybook Bible. I love that bible cause each story points to the King. That is what we use for family devotions and the girls recognize it. So we finished making our ornaments for the tree today and the girls are very excited. Now, we put our own twist on the Jesse Tree and took stories from OT and NT. We went right up to the crucifixion. I think it's important to remember WHY Jesus was born. So, we'll give it a whirl this year and begin a new "Tradition" in the Alexander home!

Tradition, Tradition, Tradition!!!!!!!!

2010-11-28T17:20:00.000-08:00

It's kind of funny that I'm all about 'tradition' since I am NOT a rule keeper or follower. I love to break the rules, however, I also love our family traditions. I actually get a bit uptight if we have to deviate from our prized traditions. We always put our live tree up the day after Thanksgiving. It's so much fun and a great way to kick off the Christmas season after Turkey day is over. And of course, the tree get's a 'new' look each year. I like to hit Target or Joannes after the holidays and spend about 20 bucks buying new items for the tree the following year. Well this year, birds are in for us! We have birds, nests, and burlap ribbon running through the tree. The girls adored the birds as much as I did. I even picked up a few new ornaments for their own tree. Each year the girls decorate a tree in their room and put up very sentimental ornaments that have been purchased throughout the years for them. Because I have 2 older girls, they goo- goo and gaa-gaa over silly things like fairy ornaments and tinsel. So, we kept to tradition and the tree went up! It's the most beautiful tree that Paul has ever picked out. Funny thing.......he got it at Lowes with a gift card that we've been saving.
One other tradition is that we always open stockings on Christmas Eve morning. I just LOVE Christmas and it's hard to wait!! So the kids wake up on Christmas Eve morning, we eat a big breakfast, and we open the STUFFED stockings. I'm not talking about dollar tree items either. It's jammed with movies, lip gloss, new Christmas Pajamas, games, markers, coloring books, etc........then they put on the new pjs, slide in the movie, and spend the rest of the day playing with the new toys that were shoved into the stocking. Now on Christmas morning we don't have stockings but do have the gifts. Our kids get 3 gifts from us. We figured 3 gifts were good enough for Jesus and so 3 is good enough for them. Well, we know he probably got tons of gifts, but only 3 were worth mentioning. hahahaha. So now you can understand why we don't go cheap on stockings. They only open 3 packages from us on Christmas Day. Paul and I don't usually exchange gifts but we do open stockings on Christmas Eve. We'd rather spend the dough on the kids!!! We have all year to give to one another :-)

Oh, oh, oh........one more thing. We don't do Ho, Ho, Ho. I know we are so bad!! We refuse to let some imaginary fellow get credit for all the wonderful things we buy. So, they know it's us. However, each year, they leave cookies for 'Santa' and then ask daddy the next day if he ate them. And of course, we can't lie. So we tell the truth and then they become angry cause daddy ate 'Santa's' cookies. It's so funny. I guess we are messing up our kids because we don't ride the hokey 'Santa' wave like everyone else out there. It's just so hard to pay that much attention to a fake, portly fellow in an outdated red sweat suit who has nothing to do with the Birth of our Savior. Oh well, I guess we are a bit old fashioned. I bet our kids will grow up and decorate their homes to the hilt with Santa stuff and do Santa forever because we did not!!ahaha

Thanksgivng With Friends

2010-11-28T17:06:00.000-08:00

Isn't is amazing that you can go almost 4 years without seeing someone and just get together and pick up right where you left off? I love that. We were in a small group with the Jarrells when we lived in Ohio. We have kept in contact on fb occasionally......... and now here we are in the same home playing Catan/cards, cooking together, and decorating our family Christmas Tree. Debbie actually made the wreath that is hanging on my door right now. It's crazy how you can spend a small amount of time (less than 2 years) getting to know a family and yet feel like the best part of the relationship takes place after you move apart. I think back to our relationships and it seems like they become solid after we move apart. Staying in touch doesn't mean a phone call each day but picking up occasionally where you left off and it feeling like you never missed a beat. This past Thanksgiving may have been one of my favorites. I'm looking forward to growing my relationships in AZ, now that we have moved away. I feel like there are many great things to come.

Really Radical

2010-11-19T04:48:00.000-08:00

I'm reading Radical by David Platt and it's refreshing. He wrote "Let's put ourselves in the shoes of these eager followers (disciples)of Jesus in the first century. What if I were the potential disciple being told to drop my nets? What if I were the man that Jesus told to not even say good-bye to his family? What if we were told to hate our family and give up everything we had in order to follow Jesus? This is where we come face to face with a dangerous reality. We do have to give up everything to follow Jesus. We do have to love him in a way that makes our closest relationships in this world look like hate. And it is entirely possible that he will tell us to sell everything we have and give it to the poor." This is tough stuff! I've been wresting through these ideas for the past 6 years or so. It all started with our trips to Africa. I just felt compelled to get rid of our junk and live as simply as possible.........still working on that concept! There have been times in my life, where quite honestly, I felt a bit self-righteous cause I had no attachments to my 'stuff'. All of you who 'really' know me, know that I could care less about my stuff. But, that's cause 'stuff' is not a weak spot for me. If I had been the rich young leader who approached Jesus, he would not have bothered asking me to sell all my possessions. That would have been too easy for me. He might would have asked me to 'leave my children, lose my ability to walk, or lose my sight, or lose my dearest friends, or be willing to live/minister in the arctic circle" who knows!! But Christ knows the things that hold me back and he knew what things were holding back the rich young ruler. When recruiting his disciples he asked them to leave their jobs, avoid attending a dad's funeral (no time for that), 'hate' (in context) our families, and basically have reckless abandonment. Yep, that's the kind of love He is looking for. He's not REALLY telling me to leave Paul and the kids right now. But what if one day, we are called to leave the U.S.? Will we be willing to leave our children and grandchildren? That's a real question. Am I willing to risk friendships cause I want to seriously follow Him? I can give up my stuff, no worries there. But what is most dear to my heart? What about my life or the lives of my children? Have I surrendered all of that to Him? Each day, I have to remind myself in prayer that my kids are gifts and that they are His. I am preparing them to one day be willing to risk their own lives for the sake of the Cross. I'm also reading 1000 Arrows and it's a tough one too! I feel like our kids are the next radical generation and my job is to prepare them for their lives as adults. I don't feel as though it will be a 'cake walk'. I think they will have to put their jobs, relationships, and possibly their lives on the line in order to follow Christ. Yellow belly does not set well with me. I hope I have the courage too one day to do the same. I pray that my kids would have a 'radical' love for Him. I don't want average followers of Christ. Yuck!! I don't want to be an 'average' follower of Christ either. I guess I have a lot of work to do in my own life too! What are your desires for your kids? What are your aspirations? doctor, lawyer, preacher? I could care less about the profession. It's not the profession they choose but how they profess His name! Atleast, those are my tiny thoughts.

Beautiful Boston = Beautiful Babies

2010-11-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

I just got back from an amazing trip to Boston. I'm saying the word 'Boston' with my best northern accent.I love the way they taaallk up there. Hey, you're in "Bawsten" now. I loved it! I was able to scrapbook, sleep in, play Wii, eat fun foods, and play some Catan. We even went shopping one day and I got the kids their Christmas presents, early! It was a pure delight. Playing the Wii was humiliating. My 7 year old nephew put me to shame and finally took the control away from me and played both of them. I was that bad!! I ate all the wrong stuff and it was so yummy: coke, m&ms, pizza, cookie dough, cookies, candy, etc........yum yum!! What a great trip!

Run Baby Run!

2010-11-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our school just hosted it's annual boosterthon and raised around 30ish thousand dollars. It was truly an exciting event and was put on with class! I went to see my babies run that day and had no idea how blessed I was would be. I actually teared up a bit as the girls ran through the tunnel and out onto the field to begin their race. I was so excited that I started yelling out at KK as she ran out cause I wanted her to see that I was there for her. Well, she stopped like a dear in the headlights, a boy toppled over her, and then she did her crazy 'fake' roll on the ground. She then stood up, looked at me, waved and took off running. I about died! Then Mia's class came running by and I did the same thing, with great hesitation. She came over and hugged me and the scurried over to the field. You see it's very hard for Mia to exert a lot of exercise. It's not that she's lazy, she has an amazing work ethic. But, her body is weak and tires so easily with all these overload of allergies. By the 10th lap, she was looking pretty droopy. But I am so proud of her keeping on. She ran her laps and did an amazing job. Kennedy was like a rocket flying around the field. She even came over and shared her water with Linc. Then she took off again. She's got more energy than a rabbit on the 1st day of Spring. She was hopping and clapping and jumping all over the place. I love seeing her in these happy spirits. Just a few months ago, she would have been pouting and dragging around the field. But since we've figured out her allergies, she's a different child! What a fun day. So glad that I wasn't 'too busy' to go.

A Thoughtful Death

2010-11-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was just at a celebration service the other night. The service was being held in honor of an unborn baby that was taken home early to be with Jesus. I was truly touched by the words of the parents. My tears were mixed with joy and sadness. I was sad to see them lose their baby and sad to think about all the times I've been angry at my own babies (life is short and I need to soak it up). I was in joy as I watched them handle it so gracefully and filled with joy to think of the many days I might have laid ahead with my kids. The mother keeps a journal for each child and had already started journaling to her unborn son. I was moved deeply as she read her words aloud to him. She talked about not being able to see him grow up and play sports, not hearing the pitter patter of his feet and not seeing him get married etc..........It made me think of my precious three. I also keep a journal for each of my three. I came home and wrote in each one. I had a lot to say. I have not written in them in awhile. I think I'll start reading an entry aloud to each child on his/her birthday and give them the journals as they become grown adults. I did alot of apologizing in my writing and I did some bragging. I'm so proud of them. The best part is...........I will continue to do this in person and not just write about it. I need to apologize frequently and brag aloud to them daily. They need to hear that. I also keep a journal with my mom. While in highschool the two us did not get along, a very long story! Anyway, I moved out on my 18th birthday, halfway through my senior year and took life into my own hands. Well, our relationship did not really begin to mend until I married. I then decided to write down my personal thoughts to her in a journal and give it to her so that she could respond by writing back. Well, we each have a journal now and we trade each time we see eachother. I love to read what she writes to me. Here is an entry from my wonderful mother called Impressions.

"I know I was glad to have a girl. All I heard while pregnant was that he (my birth father) wanted a boy. I was in recovery for all of the first day you were born. I remember being afraid to face him because it wasn't a boy. I didn't get to hold you for 4 days- the nurses were not very accommodating to c-section patients in Germany. You were fat, no hair, and quiet. I was terrified of not being able to take care of you. You went through 36 diapers in you first 24 hours at home. I cried because he made it very very plain that he expected a boy"

. I never knew that. Don't feel sorry for me. My real father is the man my mother is married to now and he's ecstatic about me being a girl. I'm glad I'm a girl too! hahahha LOL. But these words have been very powerful to me. I had no idea that my mom suffered so much. How terrible to feel this way. There are other entries where she commends me on my parenting and is so proud of me. I love this journal and will do the same with my girls.

Can You Really Be Allergic to the Air You Breathe?

2010-11-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Almost. It's been a long journey and I've held back on blogging about these dang allergies. I really wanted to get all my facts straight before I started spouting off information. Well, one thing has led to another and I here I am with a very allergic child. It seems that over the years we have deemed Mia as our "emotional child" and just left it at that. Well, I couldn't settle with symptoms I was seeing and was not pleased at all with the pish/posh excuses that professionals in white coats were giving me. After some discussions with a friend, who has already traveled this road, I began to travel it myself. I began reading, researching, asking questions and I took the plunge. I pulled my girls off of gluten, wheat, dairy, peanuts, and a few other things. My husband was thinking the same thing, "what is there to eat?". No worries, we found plenty!! I've learned to cook gluten and dairy free (also called gfdf) muffins, cupcakes, cookies, and pancakes. The girls love it! Well, Kennedy changed immediately. She went from demon child to sweet child of heaven! I mean we could actually have full conversations without feeling like we were in a courtroom on opposing teams. I though "wow, what will it be like when she is a teenager?!!" I was noticing constipation, eczema, muscle cramps, stomach aches, and headaches in Kennedy. Mia was having diarrhea, muscle aches, stomach aches, and HEAVY mood swings, lots of tears. She was like a cat on a tin roof. I"m not trying to sound demeaning but it was getting to be like the crazy farm here! I just kept thinking that I must be an awful parent. I soaked my pillow most nights, nagged my friends about solutions, argued with myself, and pretty much thought that any mother could do a better job than me. It seemed like no matter what I did, nothing worked out. The girls were upset, whiny, angry, worrisome, anxious. Kennedy's 6th birthday about did me in. We took her out to Red Robin (way overpriced burger joint) and she was crawling under the table, refused to eat the spaghetti (which is her favorite), and showed no remorse. Paul took her out to van to 'chat' and that didn't even work. I could not believe this. He came back in and told me to get the check. The nice waitress came back, ready to sing to the birthday girl but she was no longer in the building. I collected the check, paid, and off to home we went. KK went to bed with no cake, no presents, and no songs. We tried again the next day. You see, the problem was physical, not behavioral. We didn't know. Of course, we had loaded her up on all her favorites that day: oreos with frosting, carbs, syrup, pancakes.......basically lots of dairy, gluten, and yeast!! Come to find out, she is allergic to these things! Sugar feeds yeast and she has an allergy to yeast. I can look back now and go "ohhhhh" duh! Mia is another story. Her counts are supposed to be under 60 for her immunity and she is in the 700s. yeah, wow! The doctor said she is so inflamed inside! So we have become very strict on the eating plan, taking probiotics with 50billion live, fish oil, Veema, and others. Our lives have changed. Instead of saving that 200ish dollars a month for hair color etc............we are at our local health store buying vitamins that are going to bring our girls back to some normalcy (whatever that looks like). I'm thrilled to know that we can help them. I can't wait to see how Mia feels/looks in a month. Not sure if she can even remember what it feels like to feel 'good' or 'healthy'. But in light of many tragic stories out there, we feel blessed. Neither of these allergies are life threatening. So, there you have it........allergies! Who would have thought that allergies would cause such a mood change? Oh, and she's allergic to Clifford :-( so sad. We are tackling it, one day at a time! That's all we can do and thankful for good advice from a friend. We are on the road to healing early!

Vacation was Amazing!

2010-11-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

I know, like who on earth goes to hillybilly Arkansas for vacation?!! We do! We stay at the most unbelievable cabins in the country and surrounded by majestic mountains, a river, horses, and lots of land to romp around on! We went hiking, fishing, played kickball (my team smashed Joe's team), played poker, made ornaments, ate pumpkin cake, played soccer, rode horses, had a fire going in the cabin, and slept in! Yes, that's what I'm talking about. The kids could play outside and I never had to worry about a car hitting them, a stranger sneaking up on them, or what time to come in. We just relaxed and took it one day at a time. After the kids went to bed, the adults played cards, ate dessert again, watched National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, and chatted about life. That's what friends do. They vacation together, they laugh together, and occasionally cry. I think Aime and I were crying out of tears of joy and relief at one moment. This is how you live life. You journey with people and you don't hold back. Fear escapes and you become yourself and you're vulnerable. I can completely cut loose and be me. I don't have to worry about 'funny stares' or 'weird comments'. I can just be me and Paul and just be silly Paul. Much needed break!

Family Vacation with Great Friends!!

2010-11-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Even Lincoln Wants To Sleep in the Girl's Room

2010-10-12T20:12:00.001-07:00

Every night Linc. gets in bed with the girls. He wants to sleep in there!! He's so cute. I think he just likes the new tree that I recently painted on the wall! Today, I couldn't find him when it was time to lay down for a nap. I could hear him, but couldn't see him. I must have passed him twice. He was lying under the covers in Mia's bed. What a little monkey. He just loves their room. I transported the kicking and screaming monkey to his lovely room!

Mothers, Beware...........of Yourselves!

2010-10-12T20:01:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I totally did it. I made my daughter cry and then realized I was wrong and then I started crying. You see, I'm not so musically talented. I know, most of you are so surprised by that statement. I mean, I'm the one who does the piano homework lessons with the girls and I'm totally clueless. Kennedy had to read some music, without the letters, for the first time. Well, I kept looking where the stick was on the music lines. I guess you have to look where the dot(note) is at. So, where the stick ended, either in the space (notes f,a,c and e) or on the lines (notes e,g,b,d,f)was what I was looking at and getting pretty ticked at KK for not knowing her notes. Well, I finally figured out that I was looking at it all backwards. I just started crying, hugged her, and begged her for forgiveness. I was thrilled that she smiled and did forgive me. At dinner, she told daddy about my mistakes. Daddy said "why were you crying when mommy hugged you?" Kennedy said "daddy, they were happy tears." awwweee, shall I say more? So, Moms, beware of you! If you get in the way........just apologize. I have a feeling that won't be the last time I get in the way. I'm grateful for Grace!

Johnny Apple Seed Hasn't Seen Anything Yet!

2010-10-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

We really worked it out at the orchard this weekend! I'm just going to get something off my conscience now........I picked an apple and took a bite out of it and broke a rule! The lady said, no eating apples. Cause you're supposed to fill your bags and then no more. I had to see what they tasted like. Well, they were delicious. So glad we got the big bag! We are set on apples for about 3 weeks. The kids did great. We just had to make sure they weren't picking apples up off the ground to put in the bag. LOL. It was exciting chasing Lincoln in the orchard and figuring out where all three kids were. We went with some friends and really had a great time. I felt like a genuine hillbilly. We sat on a tractor to have our picture taken (hmm.....seems weird), rode John Deer tricycles, milked a cow, watched little piggies race around, and we were pretty excited about all those activities. It doesn't take much to make us happy!

Go Fly a Kite!

2010-10-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe.....but I've never flown a kite. The girls have been begging for one for over a year. So.....I scored big and bought them each a 99$ kite at Walmart about 2 months ago. You must have wind and we finally had wind on Sunday, about a week ago. I rushed home from church and put together the kite and headed out to the backyard. I ran as fast as I could down our sloped yard and all it did was pipe up about 5 feet and simmer down to the ground. So, I did it again. I looked like the Piper with kids falling me and a long kite tail......yet no results. I called Paul and told him to hurry home. I needed help....and soon! Well, it turns out that I had it hooked up backwards and was informed by the "kite flying expert" that the backyard was a poor choice.......LOL. Needless to say, daddy came to the rescue, much to my relief!

Live Now

2010-09-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

I came across a blog article that triggered my thinking tonight. Perry Noble published and article titled "Dangerous". He spoke of the danger and risks that the disciples took by following Jesus. It made me think of our lives now. For many reasons, I've had a difficult time sleeping in the evening. Paul and I went to a benefit last Friday night, in honor of The Atlanta Dream Center and the organization called Not For Sale. Both organizations help prostitutes come off of the streets. This is something I am incredibly interested in and can't wait to help with. The Atlanta Dream Center has something called Princess Night each Friday. I'll have the opportunity to go in a few weeks and help hand out roses and cards to the girls on the streets. There will be a member from the center in the van with us and she knows most of the girls. She will be guiding us through this night. The best part is that we will spend time in constant prayer while driving around. We don't all get out at one time. There will be another van following us, the guys, and they will remain in their vans and will be praying for us. When I mentioned it to my mom, she said "isn't that a little dangerous, Lisa?". A most thoughtful question for any concerned mom to ask. I answered "I"ll be fine, Mom." But seriously, my mind does seem to drift at times and crazy thoughts pop into it about safety. I've had numerous dreams of someone kidnapping me and Lincoln. I fell asleep last night praying that God would bring peace to me and chase out my silly anxieties. I can't wait to go. I love this article by Perry Noble. We (Disciples of Christ) do need to start stepping out more!

Alexander Gators Kick Off the Season

2010-09-20T19:31:00.001-07:00

Well we've had a blast cheering on our favorite team with some new friends, this would include traveling to TN to see them win!

2 New Pets

2010-09-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, wouldn't you know that both our girls brought home the class pet for Labor Day weekend. I've never seen so many smiles in one house and never heard so many giggles and glees. I thought they were going to burst! Kennedy was chosen to bring home Guber, the class hamster and Mia was chosen to bring home Queen Lilly, the class Lion. So we spent all weekend playing with Lilly and Guber. I do think Guber received more attention though, since he's 'real'. We took pictures of each creature in about every scenario: in the trees, in the mailbox, in the mixer, on top of Clifford's head, in a toilet paper tube. The girls kept posing the pets for scrapbook pictures. And of course, we put together scrapbook pages for the class scrapbook. Kennedy and Mia thrived and glowed from ear to ear as they decorated their pages for school. It was a blast. Thank goodness they both have fun and creative teachers.

Snug As A Bug In a Rug

2010-09-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

Kennedy has become quite the little snuggle bug these days. Funny thing is that she wasn't so snuggly in her younger days. Now, she's always climbing you and hugging you. Mia is that way too, but she was born a snuggler. This morning, I went in to wake the girls up for school and found KK on Mia's bed. Now these are only twin sized beds and a bit cramped. But, KK was all snuggled up by her sister. When I woke them up, KK said "I wanted to snuggle Mia." My heart melted and then Mia did a very grouchy thing. She threw KK's blanket on the floor cause she didn't want it on her bed and just gave KK a dirty look. Awww......sisters. So tonight, KK snuck out of bed and asked if she could sleep with my blanket or pillow. I have a throw blanket that I've had since High School. Paul always teases me about it but I love sleeping with it under my head. Well anyhow, the girls always take turns sleeping with it and sometimes stealing my pillow. I love it though. Sometimes I will say "it's mommy's turn to sleep with her own blanket." I guess I'm still young at heart too. I love my blanket. :-)

He's Not a Baby Anymore..........

2010-09-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

Since when did he get so big? He decided to potty train last week. He looked up at me while I was doing a P90X video and said "poppy!" He then pointed to the bathroom and off he went. I followed him in there, just for fun. I thought it was another false alarm. Wouldn't you know, a small stream of pea tinkled out and the bathroom turned into a room full of celebration and clapping. We called daddy and told him the great news. Well, for about 6 days he walked around in his sisters' underpants cause I didn't have any boy's underpants and didn't know how serious he was about this potty business. He was serious. He actually pooped for daddy on the potty. At which, I received a phone call, while I was grocery shopping. Again, much clapping and celebration. Oh, let's not forget how excited Lincoln is about getting treats for going potty. Of course, it's just a piece of Applejacks cereal. So, we went to Target on Monday and the boy has his own underpants now! He calls them "his guys" because they have Spiderman and other super heroes on them. I love it. He's growing so fast. I heard him crying this morning and I went in and crawled in bed with my little prince. He laid there and spoke so quietly to me with his soft little voice. We were head to head on a pillow. He told me that he wanted to ride bikes with daddy and that Mia and KK were on the bus. I said yes. He then played with my hair and proceeded to get out of bed and find every stuffed animal and lay them on top of me. I was under a mountain of blankets and stuffed animals. My heart melted. One day he'll be in high school and all grown up :-( I'm just cherishing now.

Bike Rides, Bus Stops, and Banana Muffins

2010-08-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

We are really get brave these days. Paul bought a bike from Walmart, so that we can go on bike rides as a family. Our friends gave us the trailer for Linc. and here we are. We took our first 'official" bike ride last night. Of course, the girls are still very reluctant and on training wheels. They take after their dad! LOL. I end up running with them, instead of riding my bike. There are a lot of "help, Mom, I can't make it up the big hill!". So instead of getting off my bike every 5 minutes,I just run with them. We must be a site to see! I enjoyed every minute of it. I'm hoping the girls become a little more adventurous. At one point, I was in the lead of the pack. I kept saying "come on guys, you're on wheels and should be lightyears ahead of me.". Well, Mia picked up the pace and started yelling "I love hills, I love hills". KK, on the other hand was talking to herself (out loud) and saying "Push, push, push, push". She was telling her legs what to do. She kept telling me that the headband with the bead, that she was wearing, was helping her push. I just agreed. Linc. just sat and enjoyed the show. Well, we do ride bikes, but not to school. We have finally agreed to allow the girls to ride the Yellow Banana to school. I was very reluctant, at first. But they are only on the bus for about 10 minutes, if even that. And, the kids are so nice here. The moms are great too. We all walk the kids to the busstop in our pjs! Of course, today was another story. I came out of the house and heard the bus sitting at the stop. I about spilled my coffee as I grabbed the girls and said "hurry ,let's run!". We usually don't walk through wet grass but today we ran through our wet yard and hustled down the street. Apparently, the bus came early and other moms were doing the same thing. I didn't feel too terribly bad. I thought I was gonna have to carry poor little Mia. She was in tears and trying to run as fast she could with her backpack swinging all over the place. We then rushed our good-bye kisses and off they went. Speaking of the Yellow Banana, we are now making gluten-free banana muffins. It's a long story, but I have taken the girls off of gluten, wheat, dairy, and few other things. I've seen a 100% change in my oldest and am still trying to figure out things with Mia. We are hoping and praying to have some food intolerance (IgG) tests run this month. They are not covered by insurance and very expensive. So, in the meantime we are learning to cook in a whole different world. I never knew there could be so many flours : brown rice, white rice, corn flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour etc.............. The girls are doing great with it and feeling better. Thank you Denise McDowell for guiding me in the right direction. Moms out there, keep us in your prayers!

What Does a Mom Do With Her Prince...........

2010-08-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Well both girls are in school and what to do with my Lincoln?? Well, we typically do P90x together each day. Next we haves some moments of dance to Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Maxwell, Chris Tomlin, Pearl Jam.......whatever I'm in the mood for. He runs into the living room as soon as I turn on the music and starts break dancing. I love it!! Well, besides dancing, there is cooking. He loves to grab his little chair and watch me cook. He also likes to put his cars on the counter and run them into my mixer. Changing clothes is important to him. His favorite outfit is the old speedo swim suit that someone gave us. It's so tight and goes down to his knees. Looks like biker shorts that I wear when biking. He likes to put his old hoody on to match it. Now, the hoody is a size 3months and so it only covers half of his belly. Of course, we have to pull the hood up too! So yeah, that's my prince. He will be very well rounded one day. And yes, when I'm not looking, he sneaks up to the kitchen counter and steals cookies, pulls all of my clothes out of my dresser, dumps out the silverware, puts his toothbrush in the toilet, washes his trains in the dog's water, and anything else that might seem destructive or fun!

Dreams Do Come True........My girls Like to Scrapbook!!

2010-08-11T07:25:00.001-07:00

They have been begging me for the last 2 years to scrapbook with them. But I wanted to wait until they could write. Now they can write and they did a fabulous job on starting their very first scrapbook. I just picked up those black/white memo books that are .25 right now. We opened up one page at a time and started choosing pictures. It's not all perfect or completely acid free etc.......but it's a start and it was fun!!! I love to see what pictures they chose and what they wanted to write. They each wanted to put birthday pictures of each sibling in their books. They love their birthdays. I mean who doesn't? Birthdays are a VERY big deal in the Alexander house. We don't spend gobs of money but we do celebrate another year with our precious babies! If you do not spend time celebrating, then you should reconsider. When we make that day special, we are essentially saying "Daughter, you are important to us and we want you to know how glad we are that you were born!"

I'm No Artist.........but..............

2010-08-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

I finally finished painting the girls' room. I painted it green the day after we arrived in Atlanta but hesitated on getting the flwoers and birds up. I was so nervous!! Well, I took the plunge and just free-handed it all. Why not? I know, it's not professional or high grade but the girls seem to like it. We call it the "Fairy Garden". I feel like the room has it's special ingredient that each kid's room needs, love. My love is painted all over those walls. It may not look great but there is love in there!! :-)

Entering 1st Grade and Kindergarten

2010-08-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

Well, 2 of my babies are in school now. Lincoln kept saying "bye bye" while we were dropping them off. I wonder how sad he will be today. The girls were so excited and picked out their clothes, lunches, and snack for school today. Everything was smooth without a tear or hitch. Even daddy remained tearless. I can't wait to hear about their 1st day. I"m excited and praying that they will be lights in their new school and show compassion and leadership in their classrooms. I"m also praying for their teachers.........give them patience!! LOL. I'm excited!

Lucky

2010-07-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering..........he's doing great! So many have asked about Paul and he really is in his element (I think). Not 100% sure about man's opinion but I'm proud of him and I know that his heart pleases God..........enough for me! Thanks for the prayers and encouragement! xoxo

I Cherish Now

2010-07-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

"Hey now, this is my desire, sue(consume) me like a fire, cause I just want something beautiful to touch me I know that I am in reach cause i am down on my knees waiting for something beautiful" These are lyrics from Needtobreathe, Something Beautiful. As you can see, I'm great at botching up lyrics. I thought he was saying "sue me like a fire". My husband is quite amused as we sing together in the car and I sing a totally different tune. For example, I love the song, Benny and the Jets. Just heard it in the movie, 27 Dresses, last night. I always thought he was singing "electric boobs", which makes no sense!!(please excuse, not trying to vulgar) Well then I had a 'duh' moment and thought "how dumb am I?". He is really singing "electric booTs!" oh yeah!! Well, one day while singing in the car with my love bunny, he informed me that it was "electric moves!!". Oh gosh! I also found the correct title for the song "Beast of Burden" by The Rolling Stones. It's the song that Jack Nichol's wife, in the movie Family Man, is singing in the shower. Anyhow, I thought it was "I'll never be a big suburban". Then I thought it was "I'll never be your piece of burden". Well when you don't know the right words, it makes it awfully hard to find and buy on itunes. urrrr

Well, anyhow, I love Needtobreathh and their song Something Beautifull. I feel like God is trying so hard to make something beautiful out of our family. I am finding myself looking at things through a different lense (I never was one to look at things through rose colored glasses!!) However, I find myself feeling a little more grateful and finding less and less to complain about. Really people, what have I ever had to complain about? God has bestowed amazing blessings upon our family. And you know what.........no matter what happens tomorrow, I must praise Him and find nothing to complain about. This past year, God has allowed me to personally look into some lives of others and well................I am grateful. I sit here in the mornings, drinking my coffee, reading the Word, listening to the kids play, and looking into the 'forest' in our backyard. I think "why are we so lucky?". I am just going to enjoy today for what it has to offer. Tomorrow is not promised. I cherish now.

She Obeyed the First Time!

2010-07-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

I just made a new friend the other day. While visiting her, I noticed a jar of rocks that had writing on them. I inquired and she mentioned that whenever there was a "win" or something to celebrate, they wrote it down on a rock. I loved it!! I've been wondering what we were going to do with the 100 shells that we brought back from Mexico. I hate to be such a copy-cat; but it really is a simple and yet novel idea. So......we've been trying to get our kids to obey the FIRST time. Well, KK had her moment today and I thought I'd write it on a shell and put it on the table for her to see tomorrow morning at breakfast. Let's see what she says. I couldn't sleep tonight and I sat and stared at the shells and decided to make them into something cool. I really am proud of Kennedy. She obeyed right away today. Mia did not suck her thumb tonight. Lincoln actually went to bed without getting up 16 times to yell "Good Night!!" or "I'm tursty (thirsty)". He stayed in his big-boy bed and went to sleep. We are going to start the day of celebrating tomorrow morning. Thanks Denise for the great idea. Already, God has added wisdom to my life through a new friend.

14 Years of Joyfulness, Junk, and Jewels

2010-07-14T12:48:00.001-07:00

Well here we are at 14 great years. Starting off was rocky for us but God had his hand in our lives the entire time and knew the future. He guided us gently through some junk that we each brought to the partnership called "marriage". Thank you Mike Davis, Dan Shows, and Laakes for stearing us towards hope. We can now celebrate with complete joyfulness, even after we saw one another's darkest moments. I think we love each other even more for that. I don't want fancy diamonds or jewels as gifts of love from my hubby. I just want him. Anyone, with the right amount of mula, can purchase a gorgeous jewel but only the lucky have husbands like Paul.

As you can see, we celebrated at a great restaurant, Canoe. We loved the food and were greatly surprised as we went to pay our bill. The waiter informed us that our meal had been paid for. A wonderful man, that Paul works with at North Metro, took care of our bill. What an amazing gift. Thank you to all that have taken care of us in one way or another. We know that many pray for us each day. Thank you!

Surprises This Week

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Let's start by quoting my oldest daughter. Kennedy and Mia were sitting at the table eating lunch and Mia was chewing with her mouth open. (something younger siblings do to annoy the older ones)Paul and I both endured this torture when we were growing up. Anyhow Kennedy looked over at Mia and said, with tears in her eyes and with a very winey voice, "Mia, stop chewing with your mouth open, it hurts my feelings and makes my eyes embarrassed and it's not mannorly." I don't think mannorly is a word and how are her eyes embarrassed? I couldn't help but chuckle. Today I was practicing stealing kisses from Lincoln. He so rarely gives them but wanted to give me fishy kisses today. As he was diving in to give me a fishy kiss today, Clifford jumped in and licked me on the lips! Ewww, then Lincoln bulldozed Clifford in the side, as if to say "Hey, that's my mommy and that kiss was meant for me!". Well, one more surprise. We received a beautiful plant today from one of the small groups at North Metro. Today is our 14th wedding anniversary and I just love the large house plant and the thoughtfulness. How can I ever find anything to complain about? I'm even enjoying the humidity, grey skies and rain today. :-)

We Made It!!

2010-07-08T11:51:00.001-07:00

Well the movers showed up over a week ago and packed up all of our earthly belongings. I quickly found out how "unattached" I was to my stuff as they shoved and yanked and threw things into boxes. It about crushed me but........it's just stuff. We then drove 27hours across the country and it was actually, no lies, quite fun!! We watched 2 videos a day, did school work, read books, ate lunch at picnic areas, and played dolls. We arrived to a clean and freshly painted home. Then the moving continued as the movers slammed the items into the home, bumped into everything, and couldnt' figure out up from down. Of course, God reminded me that "I don't really care about my stuff", as I always chant. So.........I don't and didn't say a word to them. It's just STUFF!! I did also realize that we have ALOT of stuff. Time to downsize again. Well, 2 days later our friends from IN and TN showed up to help hang, organize, and play games!! We had a blast. We played poker, Catan, watched movies, played freeze tag at night, little girls took baths together, painted toe nails, itched from mosquitoes, cooked pizza, etc..............ahhhh......I feel completely blessed. Thank you friends in AZ for sending us off in love and thank you GA for receiving us in love. We've had everything from meals, flowers, candles, towels/pillows, and cards delivered here to our new home. Thank you friends!! We are undeserving and so appreciative!!

Leaving AZ and Entering GA

2010-07-08T11:43:00.001-07:00

I LIke Me

2010-06-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

"For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in you book were written, every one of them. Ps. 139:13-15. Ahhhh....how refreshing to read that. I haven't read that passage since I was in college. It was the famous "anti-abortion" passage at my Liberty University days. But now I read it and really apply it to me. You know I really do like me! That may sound arrogant and boastful but why shouldn't a person like him/herself?? I have constantly felt guilty (in the past) about liking things about myself and instead pointing out the faults in my body/personality when really.........who cares?!! God's word says that "his works (that's me) are wonderful". I am wonderful. However, I am not a perfect person but a person with much potential. I know that I have a very outspoken personality and strong spirit. I have been called "weird" by close friends/family and have received the harsh stares that women are so comfortable at giving- otherwise called glares. But I'm really okay with that. The older I get, the more comfortable I become in this old, stretched out skin. I'm hoping that the older I become, the more Christ-like I become. That is the goal. I was just thinking about these things as I got ready this morning. I was just looking in the mirror and thought "I really do like me". Everyone else may not feel the same way but.......that's okay!! I hope you like yourself too. God thinks you are wonderful.

Graduation and a weekend in Mexico

2010-05-31T13:49:00.001-07:00

Here we go!!!

2010-05-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

Paul Alexander Introduction Video from chris loope on Vimeo.

Atlanta.........HERE WE COME!!

2010-05-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

As many of you may already know, we are headed down a new road next month. We've been fervently praying and fasting about this next turn in our lives. What does God have for the Alexander Family?? Fortunately He does not want to send us to Iceland or some remote farm in Nebraska. We are headed to Atlanta and we couldn't be more excited. We both love the city and love the opportunity that lies before us. God brought us out here to AZ to prepare us for this next step, Atlanta. We cannot even begin to list the many things God has taught us while living in the desert. It has been a beautiful and fulfilling journey. It has also been very humbling. My new life verse is Jn.3:30 "He must increase but I must decrease". Isn't that the truth. We have made some life-long friendships and look forward to growing those friendships across the miles. Old friends are the best ones! We also look forward to new relationships awaiting us in Atlanta. We ask one favor to all our friends...............pray for us as often as you can. We are young and still seeking wisdom each and every day. We seek wisdom in the way a dying person might beg for life. Without wisdom from His word we are..................nothing. God's guidance is most vital, especially in this next role. We need spiritual protection as the Enemy will try and have his way. Pray for our hearts and that they stay melded together with God's. Check out the web for our new home/church http://www.northmetro.org/home

Great Day In Our Home

2010-05-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

What an amazing Mom's Day!! My hubby took the girls shopping prior and they chose my favorite new perfume. Having perfume is a luxury in the Alexander home.......so needless to say, I was so shocked to see what I unravelled before my eyes!! Wow, real perfume. I've been asking for Euphoria for 2 years! Wahooo! I also received a pedicure from my marvelous husband. Awweee......I'm in great need of one. These poor feet run miles and miles each week and need some pampering! The best part was, however, the program at Kennedy's school and the pictures that she drew for me. I was in tears. I love my baby so very much!! Thank you God that I was able to attend her program and so her beaming at me. What if I had been at work and missed it??? I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to attend these things. My heart is dancing. And of course, we went to Oreganos pizza to pig out on pizza, bread, and yummy dessert. I even had a 'mommy drink'. Wow, I was spoiled!

Mother's Day Rocks!

2010-05-10T23:35:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day Wishes

2010-05-06T14:55:00.001-07:00

Well, as usual, Paul talks to the girls before Mom's Day and tries to scheme up something fun. Well, this year he asked them "What should be give Mommy for Mother's Day?" Well, to my surprise, they responded with "Let's give her you, Daddy!. We can put a bow around your ankles and you can be the gift!". When Paul told me this, I had to laugh. I must admit, at first, I was thinking......."umm, how about perfume or a pedicure?!". But, then I got to thinking.........what if Paul was gone? What if he was sitting in ICU with serious trauma? What if he had cancer.......what if, what if, what if??? Well, of course that would be and IS what I want for Mother's Day. I guess we take for granted the absolute obvious. I already have a Mother's Day that many women would give their right arm for! I have three healthy children, a faithful, loving, and Godly husband. And.........I'm just plain spoiled rotten! I have it all and it could all be gone in the next moment. So, I guess I'll enjoy those simple things. And........I love this picture that Kennedy drew of the family!! Oh, and she drew me in my 'wedding dress'. don't know why?!

Sea World/Mia's Big 5th!!

2010-05-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

Friends........

2010-04-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Found this quote and love it. It sings to my heart..... "Dear God, thank you for understanding friends. Thank you that so often we are on the same wavelength, laughing together, crying together, encouraging each other with our understanding. I'm grateful that I'm not alone, that I can share my life with my friends." God has been oh so good to me with this area. I did go through a dry spell here not too long ago and it was like God was saying "am I not enough for you, Lisa??". I responded with "yes, God you are enough!"..............."however, it's nice to have friends in the flesh and blood too......" hahahah

Just a Little Fun for Mia's 5th

2010-04-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Meet the Fockers.......You Seen the Movie??

2010-04-19T14:18:00.000-07:00

This is our dog Clifford but Mia likes to make up crazy names for him. Well, the other day I couldn't believe my ears. She was calling him a little "focker", however she was actually saying the real thing!!! Now, I know she has never heard this terrible word but she is a classic case for making up words. I just stopped and said "what did you say honey?" As if I really needed to hear that word come out of my precious 5 year old's mouth again. And of course she said it. I then proceeded to NOT freak out but coolishly and calmly tell her that it's not a nice word to say and please don't say it again. Ahhhh......the life! And yes, this is a picture of Clifford gazing out of the window. Everyone was outside doing yard work and he could not come.......booo hooo! He loves to lap over the edge and watch us. I think he just loves us so much! The girls love him so very much too. I think they love him more than their little babies. But then again, I'm not sure. They sure do think alot of their little stuffed animals. Kennedy wouldn't get out of the van this morning when I was dropping her off cause she kept giving me instructions on how to babysit her little penguin and what to feed it. Now there are about 10 cars behind me and these are aggressive morning parents. I'm thinking the parade of horns is about to begin. I finally assure her that Sweeter will be just fine. She also has been trying to convince me that Sweeter, the penguin, needs to have a birthday too. She wants Mia to share half of her b-day cake with Sweeter. Basically Kennedy wants Sweeter to blow out her own candles on one side and Mia blow out candles on the other side. Not so sure that Mia is going to go for this.......we shall see!!

Give Me Some Sugaaaaar'

2010-04-19T14:13:00.000-07:00