PUNKin Patch

I had to emphasize the punk because of  a certain 3 year old's behavior. BUT we love her no matter what. Even though she gave me the dirtiest look I've ever been given when I asked her to hug her pumpkin for the picture. Even though she refused to sit on the bale of hay for a pic with her bro. Carso was in fine form even though I was laughing so hard when he insisted on riding in the tractor and then looked like he was forced to do it. You'll see......

Believe me when I tell you that this was the best one by far.

Getting a high five from Carso

The cutest Pumpkin Picker ever

Carson hugged his pumpkin Kate! What a good boy!

Carson and Daddy picking one out for Kate since she was preoccupied.

The tractor ride. This was all he could talk about since we pulled into the farm. Kate however said right away " I DO NOT want to ride in the tractor!" And then proceeded to look behind her shoulder watching for the tractor. I guess to make sure it didn't sneak up on her????

I promise we did not force him to do this. Daddy told him to hold on with that hand and he never let go.

he loved it!

No really. He had a blast.





Yes I asked her to do this. One day......

This is what cropping was made for. Crop out the pouting child while keeping the happy child in the picture.

Once again, the genius of cropping.

Sweet girl. She perked up at the end....of course.

This is what happens when you ask Carson to smile these days.

And this is what happens when you ask him to close his eyes.:)

So happy with  his pumpkin pick.

Kate said "Look Carso you have a hat on!"

Two Monkeys, Monkeying Around

Wrestlemania

Soccer Anyone???

He's got a future with soccer I can tell.....

He's more coordinated than any 2 year old I've ever seen....

But I digress....

She's Growing Up So Fast!

So excited to take a picture, as always.

She loves to spin around when she's wearing her dresses.

She looks like she could be.......FOUR!

Beautiful face!

Catching Up With Pictures

Homemade marshmellows. Only slightly better than homemade gumdrops.

That was a basketful let me tell ya!

Carson had NINE pairs of "underwears" on in this picture. Believe me, he needed every single pair.

Potty training. And that's all I have to say about that.

We've been growing Kate's bangs out. Sometimes she leaves her clip in and sometimes she doesn't which produces the "sheepdog" look.

She looks like she's doing a commercial for syrup.

I caught this ladylike pose the other night. Too cute!

I bet.......

you can't guess......



what Kate and Carso are going to be......

For Halloween!!!



My Friend Sharon

I am so blessed to know her. I am so blessed to be a tiny part of her life. I am so blessed that she was my friend. She went to experience her lifelong love with Jesus in person last Tuesday. And I miss her. I miss our text conversations. Early in the morning (please don't text me if you are driving she would say),late at night (God will get us through this night Betsy.) She was so precious to me. I have seen her 3 times since cancer invaded her life again this past February but I feel like we had the richest relationship. She had that amazing gift that very few people have. The ability to make you feel like the most important person in the whole world. When you talked to her, you were her focus. She wasn't looking over your shoulder for the next person to talk to. She really wanted to know what was on your heart. She valued people. She valued me. I remember the night I took her dinner back in the spring. I poured out my heart about my struggle with being a working mom. She told me that God would redeem my lost time with my kids. I think about that everytime a week end rolls around and how much He fills those 2 days with precious moments and seems to make the time stretch out as a gift just for us. The second time I saw her I went to her house for one of the visitation days she hosted. I sat down and just watched her minister to everyone around her. Requesting prayer for a young woman there. Telling everyone how blessed she was. How loved she felt. The third time I saw her was for a Birthday party. She wanted to know about me. She didn't feel good but she asked me to come sit and talk with her. And then the next day a text telling me how she was specifically praying for me. I miss her texts. I wish I had saved them all. A week before she died I texted her "How can I pray for you right now?" She texted me back, "Pray we do this the way God wants us to do it. Just be in total submission to His plan for our lives." That was the last text I received from her and you better believe I saved that one. It encompassed everything Sharon stood for. The day she died I told my coworker about her and she thought she was the most amazing lady. I told my friend how much Sharon loved God and how even though she was not getting the answers she wanted she still loved God and trusted Him. As I walked away from the conversation I thought "She is still ministering to people. God is still using her in mighty ways and will continue to use her." Sharon has created a legacy of loving people and most of all loving God. It will live on for many generations in her family. The last time I saw her she gave me the biggest hug. I cherish that night and will always remember her smile and her all surrounding love. I love her and miss her.  Because I knew her, I love God even more. I have a feeling she would have loved to hear that. I can just see her smile.

My Hope is in You

Jesus Calling

October 9

You have been on a long, uphill journeyand your energy is almost spent. Thought you have faltered at times, you have not let go of My hand. I am pleased with your desire to stay close to Me. There is one thing however that displeases me:your tendency to complain.You may talk to Me as much as you like about the difficulty of the path we are following. I understand better than anyone else the stresses and strains that have afflicted you. You can ventilate safely to me, because talking with Me tempers your thoughts and helps you see things from My perspective.

Complaining to others is another matter altogether. It opens the door to deadly sins such as self pity and rage. Whenever you are tempted to grumble, come to Me and talk it out. As you open up to Me, I will put My thoughts in your mind and My song in your heart.

Because I don't want to forget

1. This morning Kate and I were comfy cozy under the blankets and I told her "I wait all week so that I can cuddle with you in bed." And she said, "me to Mommy. Me to."
2. Carso says as I'm leaving his room for the night "i lub you Mommy."
3. I've learned that the kids play better when I'm not in the room supervising. Right now I hear a game that involves monsters and school
4. This morning when Kate saw her brother she said "Carso give me a kiss!" And he did!
5. Carso called out to me after putting him to bed the other night "Mommy! Wock me like a baby!" So glad we haven't sold that rocking chair yet. My 2 year old baby still needs some "wockin'"
6. Carso wants me to sing songs to him at night. after our usual "beautiful boy" which he sings with me word for word. He tilts his head back and looks right at me and says "What about..........yettiday (yesterday)" He's a true Beatle fan:) And I love how he says it like it's a brand new song that  we've never sung together instead of one we've sung hundreds of times.
7. Both kids are into being held lately. As in "Mommy I want to hold you." So even though they each weigh 30 lbs (exactly the same!) I will pick them up and say "no! i want to hold you!" Because I know pretty soon I will be trying to hug them and they will try to squirm away.
8. This morning Carso and I made pancakes. just us two.
9. When our kids don't want something instead of saying "I don't want it." they say "i can't want it."

How Will They Know?

Last Saturday night we were in down town Fort Worth just enjoying a Friday night and cooler weather. Listening to a live band on an outdoor patio. As the night went on there was a group of men that showed up with huge banners. They stood on the sidewalk facing everyone on the patio. Not a friendly face in the bunch. They were carrying Bibles and their signs read things like "Jesus Hates Sin" "There's no party in Hell" Your basic hell fire and damnation words that are condemning to all people. I could not stop looking at them. I locked eyes with one of the guys and he had this look of hate in his eyes. I thought to myself "this is so wrong guys. You're missing the point." By this time people were treating it like a freak show and the police were asking the men to move back to the curb. People were taking pictures with them like tourists. I could tell people thought this was a huge joke. I don't claim to know what God is thinking but I can't help but think He was so sad to see this play out. That this is not the message that He wants to send to lost people.
I just kept thinking about the message that God really wants to send and I kept getting this very strong feeling to go and talk to them. Before in the past I would think about what I would say but not follow through but suddenly I stood up and started walking towards them. I thought maybe these guys weren't as menacing as they looked and we could have a good conversation from one Christian to another. At first I asked "What church are you guys a part of?" He didn't answer just showed me a little flyer that basically read all sinners go to hell. I said "I really wished you guys would have signs that said how much God loved these people and talked about God's heart for them." I said "You guys aren't going to win people over with these kinds of signs. People need to hear that God loves them. They don't need to be judged and condemned." He looked at me and said " That's not what people need to hear. You are a hypocrite. You are right in this with them. You are the reason why I never became a Christian." Ok! So much for talking Christian to Christian.He said "People know that God loves them. I'll prove it" Then he pulled one of the guys that was actually in the band over and said "Do you know God loves you?" The guy looked at him and said "Well I certainly hope so!" "See?" he said. I wanted to tell this guy "I didn't mean "God loves you and so" do I triteness with the little yellow sticker. I was talking about love, the heart of a Father. But I could tell this guy was not going to see anyone's side.  I said "If you really did care about these people and were concerned for them and they salvation you wouldn't display signs like this and you wouldn't have this attitude towards me." It became very clear what his mission was. He was there to incite people. they succeeded on many levels as one young guy got in his face as he was walking by shouting at him. Definitely not a way to win lost souls. As I walked away my knees were shaking. Not because of fear, but because I could just feel the sadness coming off of this guy. I felt so sad for him.

 It made me sad to think that these guys are out here every week end and are the only reference to God that some people see all week. Sad sad sad. I know that the majority of people saw them as a joke, but some people were probably thinking "yep that's what I thought God was like. Judging, willing to throw me into hell when I mess up. Condemnation." What a difference it would have made if their signs read "God loves you. God cares for you. Come and let me tell you how He loves you!" i just can't help but think that God was shaking his head and saying "No! Tell them about me. Tell them that I love them and that I pursue them with the heart of a Father. Tell them that my love has no limits. Tell them that I love them so much that I sacrificed my Son for them. That I watched him go through so much pain and suffering so that they could be free. Tell them about that Love!"

I just keep thinking about a quote by Ghandi that I heard in church a month ago "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." We have to do better! We have to do better about telling people about God's love for them and His heart for them. How will they know if we don't tell them?

John 17:26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

My Boy