A 3 HOUR TOUR...

but you will have to wait until Monday:)
Have a great weekend!

BLACK AND WHITE STRIPES....

is what I feel like I have been wearing these days.
Refereeing the MCs has been my main role.
If I have said keep your hands off your brother once... well , you know.
I blame the UFC.
Dana White - it is all your fault.
Well, yours, and the 100+ heat that won't allow them to get outside.
When does school start again?
I ask, knowing full well in just a few weeks I will be lamenting the loneliness of the house.
To and fro, this mind goes some days, to and fro.
Okay - time to get off here and stop using my whistle as a pacifier.
Pretty sure I just heard a personal foul.

CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MC's

MC 1: I wish I had a brother.

You do.

MC 1: Yeah, but MC 2 is not what I expected.

Me either, little man, me either.

OVER THERE...

Hand-crafted sin

I AM WITNESS...

to a miracle.
It is 9 and MC 2 is still asleep.
Granted he was up at 5:30.
Yes - I checked to make sure he was still breathing;)

TRICKEL DOWN EFFECT...

Friday found us running errands with JG in tow. Two trips to the vet, play time at the park, trip to clothing store and pizza kept us pretty busy.
Saturday was grocery buying day. What was intended to be a 2 hour tour turned in to a 6 hour stint at various stores. On the positive side, I did FINALLY find MC 2 some shorts for school. Ones that actually go over his rear end.
Baby has got back....
HH rode his motorcycle to work so he could, and I quote "show it off". At least he is honest about it. When he returned home he had war stories. Seems bumble bees and dragon flies pack quit a punch at 70+ mph. I was crying I was laughing so hard. He was looking for welts. One bumble bee gave him a shot to the throat which caused him to veer a bit. Dragon fly tagged him in the head causing slight whiplash ( I jest...about the whiplash). He has determined he needs a windshield. Of course we see bare chested men riding without windshields all the time. I told him he needed to toughen up and stop acting like a girl. He responded with something not appropriate and said "I'll be a girl every day of my life, but I am not doing that." That made me laugh even harder.
He was admiring (again) said bike yesterday, commenting on how pretty it is and how he can't believe he has one so nice. And for such a cheap price. Then we got to talking about his drums he got a couple of years. Really nice set and at an unbelievable price. He says, " I guess we really are blessed", to which I replied "at least you are....I get it by trickle down".
The same is true for redemption through Christ Jesus.
The forgiveness of sins He offers to all of us is from the blood that trickled down His face.
It trickled down and covered each and every one of us.
Truth be told we are blessed, without the good deals.
We are a chosen generation, put here for such a time as this, by a Father and a Savior who loved each of us individually enough to sacrifice for us.
So today we will choose to honor Them.
You can choose for yourself.
In the words of JG,
Believe in Jesus or die.
Choose wisely.

THOSE CATS WERE FAST AS LIGHTNING...

JG hung out with us last night. He is mastering an ancient martial art, so as soon as he got here it was Kung Fu Panda - LIVE!

The men children were a bit stir crazy. In their best interest (and mine) I decided to take them to a local fast food/playground/air conditioned location for dinner. I leave you with some quotes.

No - you may not Kung Fu anyone in the play area.

Yes, if a stranger grabs you then you may Kung Fu the mess out of them.

No - MC 1 & MC 2 do not count as strangers.

Don't eat so fast, it will go straight to your hips.

MC 2 is scaring the crap out of that little girl.

Don't talk to your mama like that. The Bible says.....oh wait...sometimes I talk to my mama like that.

Do not ask people for quarters.

This is so cool.

BELIEVE IN JESUS OR DIE!!!!

Where are the arrows for the sword fight?

Thank you.
We will be here all week.
Have a great weekend!

Being a "No" Man...

DISDAIN

is what she has for us.

She won't even look at us.

Walks away.

No tail wagging.

Nothing but contempt.

Disdain.

NEVER ASK...

men children what they think about your new haircut.

MC 2: (on his way to the kitchen) I don't like your hair.
Me: Why?
MC 2: I just like it short (using hand motions to indicate the desired length).
MC 1: (from the recliner) YEAH.... me neither.

I told HH last night he needed to hire me a stylist.
It would make life easier.
Seems that is unnecessary.
I appear to have carried, birthed and nursed two fashion police of my very own.
I refuse to take them shopping for myself though. We tried that yesterday for them. One store was all we made. Throwing clothes over the door, then under the door, and then back over the door......arguing over who was going to push the buggy.... realizing the MC 2 has way too much junk in the trunk for some styles of shorts....well, one store was all I could take.
Disclaimer to anyone who is going to be having a baby boy -
do not think for a second they are less dramatic than girls.
It is a LIE.

AN UNEXPECTED PLAY DAY....

THE OTHER....

Another has stolen HH's attention.

I was going to put her all over this blog last week but he said no.

Unfortunately for him, he left an email,with her picture, open.

BUSTED!

He has been eyeing her for a while.

I have seen her around town myself, with another man.

He looks at her picture.

He has been trying to find a way to bankroll her for weeks.

Seems I am the only one who can't get saddlebags.

She has them and it is perfectly fine.

Even adds to her charm.

Whatever.

Wanna see "the other one"?

Well,here she is....

My thoughts exactly.

YES BUT....

Yesterday MC 2 and I purchased the "new" Toby Mac cd. We are HUGE Toby Mac fans. We were driving around town, windows down, just rockin' our little hearts out. Of course, mom is banished from dancing in the car, singing in the car, playing air drums in the car, and any other type of movement that even resembles dancing. I don't think MC 2 fully has Toby in his heart, because if he did he would not be able to sit still and rock out.

We pull out of our local Wal-Mart and get in line to get onto the main road. Beside stood a clean shaven man with a homeless sign.

Here I am blaring this is love calling, this is love calling out to the broken

Here is am man appearing in need of help

What am I going to do?

I won't lie and say I never debated what to do.

My flesh rationalized he would probably use my money for this or that, but did that matter?

I was not knowingly giving to this or that.

I had two choices.

I could give the man the small amount of cash I had on me.

I could look straight ahead and profess Christ in the bubble of my car and ignore him.

I chose the first.

I don't always.

I don't always feel led by the Lord to do so.

I don't always have cash to spare.

I don't always ignore the rationalizations of my flesh.

Yesterday I did.

At least for that one moment.

COMING UP FOR AIR

The MIL had a surprise birthday party this weekend. The SILs and I worked our rear-ends off.
We lied like dogs to her on multiple occasions. Like when she would call one of us and we were all together. By the end of the day she had called us all. Friends from years past and present came to honor her.Family traveled over 500 miles to be there. Food was great; cake was amazing. I found a fellow Ag in the family (yes a redeeming quality), and discovered that Melvin and I are kindred spirits with a love of all things involving powdered sugar and Crisco.

Her children respect and bless her;

her husband joins in with words of praise:

"Many women have done wonderful things,

but you've outclassed them all!"

Happy Birthday MIL!

and FIL! (they share the same day:)

IT COULD BE A PROBLEM...

Here is the set up. HH is a shower freak. He takes 2-3 a day in the few short hours he is home. He pretty much showers before he goes anywhere, regardless of when his last shower was. Please know I have commented on this to his face many times so I am not talking behind his back.
Okay.
Clean freak.
Got it?

HH and I watched The Book of Eli the other night. Seems during the apocalyptic times, cleanliness is hard to come by. One of the characters finds some shampoo. Enter into our conversation.

HH: You know that would be pretty bad if that happened.

Me: Yes, it would.(Thinking end of the world, scavenging for food...)

HH: I mean...... do you know how to make soap?

Me: Noooo....

HH: How would I get my showers?

I have no words.

MISERY...

is what HH is in.
He has been having some gastric issues so yesterday we made a trip to our local medicine man. Dr. B has narrowed it down to gall bladder, pancreas or ulcers.
I know.
In an attempt to verify the diagnosis he gave HH a list of foods to avoid for the next 2 weeks.
1. No citrus
2. No tomatoes
3. No jalapenos
4. No caffeine or carbonated beverages
5. No alcohol
6. No tobacco
Considering the fact that HH would take hot sauce intravenously, prides himself on being able to eat the hottest of the hot and keeps Red Seal in business, this is not a good list. He has 3 food groups - pizza, Mexican food, and that other stuff I make. He is not a fan of the other stuff.
Last night he asked,
So what are you going to make since I can eat anything good.
Uhm...I don't know.
My meal planning skills are about to be put to the test.
Them and my patience.
I told Dr. B I may be calling him for a sedative for me if this drags out to long.

BEAUTY OF RANDOMNESS

1. Want a chance to win Priscilla Shirer's new study, go here.

2. Was surprised at how much Kelly Minter's study on Ruth spoke to exactly where I am. Pleasantly, but surprised.

3. Have no idea how to explain to MC 1 that the "chicken nuggets" he loved so at his Papa's house were actually calf fries.

I think it might damage his bleeding-heart, animal-loving psyche to know how those were harvested.

That and make him want to sleep wearing a cup for the next few months.

I don't need that drama.

4. Seems because I did not want to take the men children to the Harley shop I

"don't have motorcycles in my heart",

and that is apparently a bad thing.

I LOVE MY MAMA BUT...

if my kids don't lay off comparing my cooking to hers it is about to be on!
It started a few weeks ago when I was making pancakes. MC 2 was in the kitchen helping me.

MC 2 : You don't make the best pancakes mom.
Me: I don't?
MC 2: Nope. Laudie does. (Laudie is his way of saying Audie).

Okay. So the next morning I was making eggs.

Me: MC 2 do you want some eggs?
MC 2 : Nope. You don't make the best eggs.
Me: I don't?
MC 2: Nope. Laudie does.

Fast forward a couple of weeks. I made pancakes again. Now mind you I have been making pancakes my entire life. Yes, I have messed them up at times, but most of the time I do just fine. MC 2 did not eat all his.

Me: MC 2 did you eat all your breakfast?
MC 2 : Noooooooo.....
MC 1: He said they weren't as good as Audie's.

This past weekend the men children stayed with Audie and Grandpa. On the way over, MC 1 and I were discussing various topics and Audie comes up again.

MC 1: You know mom, when we get up in the morning, Audie is cooking for us. You're not cooking for us when you get up.
Me: We all get up at the same time dude.
MC 1: Yeah but you're still not cooking for us.
Me: First of all, Audie only cooks one day a week. (I have been corrected- she cooks twice a week). You just luck out to be there on that day. Second of all, I poured you a bowl of cereal today.
MC 1: Well, she still cooks for us.

Seems they shared with mom last night how awesome her pancakes were. Mind you ....IT'S A MIX! The generic store brand mix. But a mix full of AWESOMENESS.
Today they should have biscuits and eggs, gravy and sausage.
I can't top that. I do have an ace in the hole though.
The Donut Store!

I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO SAY...

but not sure how to make it sound "pretty" ...so I'll just dive in.
Obviously, I have been thinking a lot about my friend Niki Jackson. One of the most beloved things about Niki was the freedom she expressed in her praise of the Lord. She praised like no one else I know. I loved watching her, listening to her, standing with her.
I believed her, know what I mean?
She never did it for show.
She could care less what you thought.
She was always respectful.
But what I admired even more I think was her authenticity when she was broken before the Lord. As real as she was with her praise, she was just as real with her desperation for the Lord.
And that impressed me even more.
Because that took humility. It took surrender. It took faith.
Faith that her brokenness would be handled with care.
Faith that He would be faithful.
He would be tender.
He would hold her.
He would heal that broken vessel.
He did.
He has.
He will.
Hers.
Mine.
And yours.

...Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice.
Psalm 51:17 (The Message)

BECAUSE IT'S WHAT BROTHERS DO...