Good On Ya All Blacks!

Sunday afternoon we got to watch the New Zealand rugby team - The All Blacks- clinch the World Cup! How special for them to win the World Cup on their home field. It was a great game. The Kiwi team beat France by 1 point, so we sat on the edge of our seat the whole game. It brought back lots of great NZ memories... one of a time we actually watched a live game in Eden Park (against France then also). It didn't mist or sprinkle on us... it POURED for over an hour... so much so that it was absurd that we had on rain ponchos. I didn't have any photos because the rain ruined my camera! We were soaked to the bone and freezing. There was a huge group of us and it was SO FUN! I will never forget how nice it was to get in our van, turn the heater on, and pick up take away food on the way home. Aaaaahhhhh. Good times. The girls in their All Blacks t-shirts, waving our NZ flag! Now if only we'd had some Tim-Tams...

All Blacks are #1! :)

Woohoo... World Champs!

The Tale Of The Hungry Giant, by Taylor Robertson

The Tale of the Hungry Giant

Oh how I love food,
It always puts me in a good mood....

One of my favorites is chicken fried steak,
Oh how I'd love to eat it as soon as I wake!

I really like icecream in a bowl,
I swear its nourishment for the soul!

Top some vanilla with carmel and whipped cream,
This is becoming a food lovers dream!

Take some chocolate milk and put it in a glass,
Oh I promise I'll drink it up fast!

Banana pudding is so very good,
I would swim in it if i could.

Some rare food is fried alligator,
Just cook it right up with a baked tator.

Another good one to eat is fried catfish,
This makes quite the dish.

Just dip it in tartor sauce as you eat,
You'll be so happy you'll wanna tap your feet!

Chocolate chip cookies are really yum,
If you don't eat them you're really dumb.

Sour patch kids are so sweet,
This is a candy that's hard to beat.

You can eat American, Chinese, Mexican or French,
Just bring it to me I'll eat it in a cinch.

I haven't even started on venision or wild meat,
Those would be one of my favorites to eat.

I also like sushi, that's raw fish,
This is a meal for which I'd wish.

I eat in the mornings, evening and at noon,
But the one thing I wouldn't eat is wild racoon.

I love me some tacos from the place of Mima,
They're so good they make me yell, "ye-haw!"

Another good one is a big fat steak,
I'm talking grilled, not baked.

I also like bread the kind that is white,
For that stuff I'd be willing to fight!

I do enjoy a rack of lamb,
Or perhaps I'll have a side of ham.

The best food comes from my mom,
When it comes to cooking, she's the bomb!

I like to eat pasta on a plate,
This is good to order on a date.

Parmasean cheese sprinkled on top,
When eating this you can't get me to stop.

One night I had a dream
I was swimming in a pool of icecream.

I climbed out of the pool and what did I see?
A large cheese pizza looking at me.

I looked around to see a buffet
With all kinds of food made that day.

I woke up and thought this might be
The best thing that's ever happend to me.

I'd give anything for a donut,
This will go right to my gut.

I also love a good enchilada,
It's better than the Lion King, hakuna matata!

With my Mexican food I like ice tea,
But the best kind of food is the kind that's free!

I once ate an omlette with sausage and cheese,
I ate it up and said ''more please''.

If you wanna know how I got so big and tall,
It's cause I'd fill my plate and eat it all!

I really like pancakes with syrup on top,
Eat too much and you surely will pop.

Fruit and veggies aren't for me,
And drinking too much water will make me pee.

Some people say food will kill thee
I just say "food, will you marry me?"

Writing this poem was quite tough,
But just like food I couldn't get enough!

Taylor entered a contest for English class and WON with this poem. The prize was a free lunch! Ha! :D

That's My Boy!

Here are the 7 of us celebrating a big win after Tay's game. It's a rare moment to get Joshua to be still for a photo when there's a football field to play on. (Only being in Taylor's arms could've pulled him away from playing) And it was almost as difficult to pull Tay free from all the congratulators to capture this moment. :) So I haven't blogged much lately about my big boy. That's certainly not because there's not lots going on with him... It's just that I worry about coming across a little TOO proud... ya know? :) He's now 6'7" and 303 lbs - a force to be reckoned with!

Here he is standing with his quarterback (#19). I can't tell you how much I love that Taylor not only really likes this guy... he is his faithful protector on the field. Nobody is going to sack our QB without a fight from Tay. He is like a soldier, always on guard, fighting to protect his fellow soldier.

Another shot of my "little" boy. :) I am so proud of the man that Taylor is. I LOVE that he loves his baby brothers... I love that he cares so deeply for his little sisters. I am so grateful that he's so respectful to me. I get weepy thinking about how much he loves his Daddy... I haven't even mentioned his tenderness towards his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and his cousins. He is a faithful friend. A hardworker. A defender of the weak. He is passionate and driven. He knows when to get serious and push through... and he knows how to throw his head back and laugh loud and hard. :) He handles pressure with massive amounts of grace and dignity. He has high goals and dreams and is full of faith that God will see him through to those dreams. I am asking God for favor and abundant blessing on Tay... and loving watching God answer that prayer. I am sooo proud of the man he is. But can I just say for a second - I'm darn proud of the football player he is?! I'm so proud to wear a jersey every Friday night with his name and number on it... declaring to anyone and everyone that will listen - "THAT'S MY BOY!" :)

Jesus... that's it.

So, I know I try to keep the major focus of this blog about my family and it's happenings, but I've got a little bursting in my heart that I've got to unload...

It's JESUS. That's it.... Without Jesus, there's nothing else.

I'm blessed right now to be in a women's study at my church right now that's all about the life of Jesus from the book of John. I'm also very blessed to be leading a Beth Moore study called Jesus, The One and Only, with a group of single moms and some college girls.

Each day as I study what should seem like familiar scriptures and stories I still find these fresh new revelations about the heart and character of Jesus. There is NO OTHER like him. He is it.

So as I journey through this life I admit that I find it really difficult to talk or think about anything else without Jesus being the point of reference. When trials come- He is my Rock. When needs arise- He is my Provision. When I am wounded- He is my Healer. When I'm confused- He is my Light. When I am worn out and thirsty- He is my Living Water. When I am needy and broken- he is The Lover of My Soul. When I don't know the best way- he is my Counselor. And he's soooooo much more. He is EVERYTHING.

When others ask - why do I do the things I do??? In a nutshell, it's Jesus. He influences and affects my whole life (and I pray that increases). Why have I been married for 19 years? Jesus. Why do I have 5 children and want more? Jesus Why do we homeschool? Jesus What do I want MOST out of everything in the world for my children? Jesus... That's it. He's it.

So I can't compartmentalize my life. There's not God, Family, Homeschool, Friends, Political views, Community service, etc... All of it begins with Jesus. That's it.

That's What Little Boys Are Made Of!

I am just marveling at how amazingly masculine God made little boys to be at such an early age! No one teaches little guys these things, yet how is it that before they talk they are making motor noises, pointing up to see the airplanes flying by, and nearly climbing out of their car seats to see tractors doing construction on the side of the road.

Joshua is 2 1/2 and Titus 9 months and they are SO DIFFERENT than little girls. Not only do they behave differently individually, but especially the way they interact with each other!!! They already wrestle and tumble all over each other. They LOVE to be near each other and light up when the other enters in to the room. Mmmmmm, the sweetness and joy of BROTHERS.

Now of course I've had a little boy before (Tay, not so "little" anymore) and I've definitely enjoyed (and been a little jealous of) my girls' sisterhood, but this is our first time to have boys back to back... And it is AMAZING! They are amazing. (tears)...

The day that baby Titus was delivered I was sitting in the bed snuggling him and just praising the Father for his health and the gift of him when I had a vision of sorts- of 2 little boys giggling and daring each other to jump off the top of a bunk bed! Aaaaahhhh! :0 And yet, it makes me smile... :)

I want to fully embrace, encourage and equip these little men for all of the masculine, conquering, adventures that God has put in their hearts. Life with them is going to be so exciting! (And it's probably a good thing that we have health insurance! ) ;)

# 19!!!

So, yesterday, on August 22, 2011, Troy and I celebrated our 19th anniversary! Woohoo! Above is a photo of our family at the SA Zoo taken a few months ago. I am discovering that I don't have many photos of just the 2 of us. And that's ok with me... These 5 little chicks are the result of our happy and strong marriage. Thank you Jesus! May HE ALONE receive all the glory for carrying us through the tough times and making us stronger each year. When we married a dear friend gave me this advice - "Marriage is the hardest work you'll ever do in your life... It is also the most rewarding." I'm not sure it's really the hardest, though I'll admit to it not always being easy. It is FOR SURE the most rewarding though. Not only are we happy in relationship with each other, but our children, our home, our extended families, and ministry to many others is blessed because of it. Again - I give credit to God for this amazing gift. If we had been left to ourselves with no help from Him, we would've probably been divorced long ago.

Years ago a song called "Still The One" by Shania Twain came out... The lyrics tell our story well. Here they are:

Looks like we made it, Look at how far we've come my baby.

We mighta took the long way, We knew we'd get there someday

They said, "I'll bet, they'll never make it", but just look at us holding on.

Still together, still going strong. You're still the one.

You're still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You're still the one I want for life

You're still the one that I love

The only one I dream of

Still the one I kiss goodnight

I'm glad we didn't listen, Just look at what we would be missin'.

Troy, thanks for all that you do to bless me. Never in a million years could I have imagined that we would have such a sweet and beautiful life together. I'm thrilled to know how many more years God could possibly give us....maybe 50 more??? Happy Anniversary! ;)

Emily + Jesus = Kenya

Well, it seems as though there are about 4oo photos of Emily's mission trip to Africa, but here are a few of my favorites. I love, love, love this of her pretty white face in the sea of these beautiful children. This picture somehow captures so many things that she loves... children, sharing Jesus' love, other cultures... :)



This day Emily wasn't feeling well so she couldn't do a lot of the work. She prayed that God would somehow help her to be useful. Only minutes later a father came to the church and sat this baby in her lap so he could attend the adult class. Emily was so moved that God answered her prayer in such a sweet and simple way. Not to mention that who wouldn't want to cuddle this darling baby?! She said the baby fell asleep and then tinkled all over her! Em didn't mind at all.

Is this picture awesome or what?!

Here she is in front of a Kenyan hut. My sweet, beautiful, strong, and passionate girl. My heart is full. I'm so deeply grateful that she loves our King of kings. Yay Jesus! Thank you for allowing this opportunity for my girl.

"AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM WILL BE PREACHED IN THE WHOLE WORLD AS A TESTIMONY TO ALL NATIONS, AND THEN THE END WILL COME." MATTHEW 24:14