On this first day of spring....

Tonight after dinner......

...we went outside and raked the leaves.

It was lots of hard work.

But the kids enjoyed helping.

Everyone had a rake or a broom.

Hogan begged me to let them play in the leaves. I knew it would make a mess of the work we had just done but I couldn't say no.

...the shear delight!

Oh the fun, memories.

I used to love to play in the leaves when I was a little girl...and this girl is no different.

Spring is here. We got the fall deadness out of the way so the newness can come on in.

The budding leaves and flowers...

The bright sunshine.....

Remind me of God's goodness. His presence. His love.

Happy Spring!

Enough with the Poop Already!

Sorry for the crude topic but this curious mind wants to know....

I have a question for all you moms and doctors/nurses out there. I have noticed that at our house pooping is contageous. It seems like if one of the kiddos goes, within the hour they all end up going. Do you think it is because they are on the same eating schedule and eat virtually the same things? Or do you think that one of them pooping makes the others think about it and thus decide to poop themselves? Is there something scientific to it? Do any of you other moms have this problem?

Spring Break off to a Bad Start....

Josh had business in Austin on Monday and then Dallas on Tuesday and Wednesday. Since it was spring break, Josh invited us to tag along. We could do some fun things there and geocache a little. So we woke up early Monday morning and headed to Austin. About an hour outside of town, Beck told me he was going to barf. You know me and barf. He had a smile on his face so I wasn't sure if he was kidding so I gave him a paper bag just in case. A few minutes later he barfed in the bag as planned. Thank goodness. He then says he is hungry. Scared to give him anything I gave him only a few peanut butter crackers. The next thing I know the check oil light on the car comes on. It isn't staying on but flickering on and off. We stop at the nearest gas station and check the oil. It reads fine so we keep going. (and I got to throw away the barf bag) Those sensors on cars are often wrong. Right? So we think. Just out side of San Antonio the car starts making a funny sound. As to not be late to his important meeting we push on the Austin. I made a phone call to the Toyota Dealer in Austin and plan to drop Josh off and take it in. The sound gets worse and we have to slow to 60 because the car will not go much faster. We were kind of in the middle of no where and we needed to get to Josh's meeting. Are we the only stupid people who didn't stop? Would you have stopped and called a tow truck to get your funny sounding but still running car from the side of the highway? Well on I-35 we hear a super loud bang/thud and the car dies. We make it over to the side of the road and call the Toyota dealer back. They send a tow truck and a van to pick up the kids and I. We had to wait about an hour. Josh has a runner from the law firm come pick him up and he gets to his meeting. The Toyota dealer was super nice. He gave me a sequoia to drive around. I leave there to take the kids to lunch and Hogan starts telling me his throat hurts and that he is cold. I check him and he is burning up with fever. We postpone lunch and go to a nearby walmart to get Motrin and throat drops. At lunch he wont eat. I knew there was definitely something wrong. Beck is fine at this point by the way. He ate all his chik-fil-a and there is no more barfing. Josh calls when he is finished with his meeting and we go pick him up. He calls the dealer and decides to go back to the dealership to check on the car. Remember he needs to get to Dallas. They take him back and show him the engine is toast. We blew a rod and it's not worth fixing. We begin looking for a new car but they didn't really have anything we wanted. As soon as they find out we will not be buying the sequoia we are driving they quickly take it back. We wanted something slightly used. Suburbanish, captain chairs in the middle row, leather, tvs and four wheel drive. We were just a little picky. LOL Oh and I like Black and maybe would settle for white. We try to get a rent car so we can finish our trip (remember he has business in Dallas the next day) however, not a rent car in Austin. South by Southwest was going on and they were all taken. Argh... The dealer lets us borrow a Camry to take us to a hotel so that we can get some rest. It is 7:30 in the evening by this point. Hogan had fever again and the kids were all super tired. It was so nice to get to hotel. We ended up calling my parents and they had to drive all the way to Austin and come pick us up the next morning. Josh had to reschedule his trip to Dallas. We got home late Tuesday evening. The poor kids had been in the car for two days straight. You should have seen all the car seats and suit cases tied on to the top of my moms car. If you have ever traveled with Josh and I you will know that we totally over pack. LOL Hogan ended up being fine today. Must have been a virus. So today I wanted to just do something fun with the kids. We met my sister at McDonalds for lunch and then did a little geocaching. Then we went to see Sesame Street Elmo's Green Thumb at the American Bank Center. I sweet man from our church called me and gave us the tickets. The kids enjoyed it and got to do something a little fun for spring break. Elisabeth got to spend the night with a friend as well.

So now I am driving our big black truck. It was Josh's truck but he got tired of trying to park it in Austin plus during the summer diesel was outrage. It was like 5.00 a gallon. He got a toyota highlander and parked the truck in the driveway. It had been sitting in the drive way for months and I felt bad about it. It is a nice car, just huge. It is a pain to park. But I am so thankful. I have a car to drive and nobody is hurt. We are now on the hunt for a new car. Which I am secretly (or not so secretly) happy about because I really hated my van. Here's to hoping the rest of spring break is a little less stressful!

My Three Sons

The other day I watched the boys playing outside. They were having so much fun hanging out under the club house of the swing set. It made me smile. At times, it made me laugh. I have so much pride in these kids. They are not perfect. But they are perfectly made. I wondered if that is what it is like for God. Does he look down from heaven and smile. Does he laugh when we are funny....or does he spend more time in disappointment and frustration. I disappoint our God daily. I wish I didn't. I want him to look down at my life and smile; to crack up laughing; to fill up with pride at how good I turned out.....

Hogan is getting so big. He has lost his two front teeth and it makes him look so much older. He is a whiz at math but HATES to read. Argh....I always hated to read at his age too. I like it now so maybe there's hope. As you can tell, Beck is the entertainer of the bunch. He gets in trouble a lot. Unfortunately, he needs to get in a lot more trouble than he does. Mommy and daddy have got to buckle down a little more on this little guy.


...and sweet Gates....well he is the sweetest little boy. He has his moments but over all....for a boy....he's a great kid. He has the sweetest little voice. It is little just like he is. He is still short but is still in the "normal" range. He is always the first one to say "thank you for...."what ever it is that we just did.




I couldn't resist snapping a picture of these "precious souls".

I love watching my children grow. There are moments when I can't wait for that particular stage to pass (like potty training) and then moments when I wish a could go back in time. They are growing so fast. I can't imagine life with out them. I love them so much more than I ever thought I could. It amazes me that God loves us much more than that. Even though we disappoint him. Today, as God looks down and watches over us.....is he going to be disappointed in what I'm doing? Does everything I do make him proud? Am I going to make him laugh? (Yes I do think God has a since of humor. Farts and stinky poop are a perfect example of just how funny God really is.) I hope that I disappoint him much less than I normally do....and while I'm at it... I hope I crack him up a little,too.

Struggling

Sorry it has been such a long time since I have posted. I have had a hard time putting my thoughts together.

I have been struggling......

The devil has definately worked his way in....

and I'm struggling to shake the doubts he has planted in my head.

I'm angry.....

I have questions......

why have we been praying?.....

I thought God was good ALL of the time?......

Why couldn't he have taken a dead beat dad or bum of a husband?.....

Wouldn't it have been such and awesome testimony if Brad had made a full recovery and we could have all told our friends about Gods healing?....

There are so many truths about our good God that I know are true but in my weekness I have had a hard time remembering to believe them.

It breaks my heart to see this awesome family trying to discover a new normal after loosing such a big part of it....and so my mind wonders off into these sinful questions.

....and then I have these good moments when I see them and how strong they are....and I see all these people come together and working for good. I think of Brad in heaven and how awesome it must be. I remember that God is good. I remember that his ways are much better than mine. I see Jenny's strength and courage and I can't help but know that God is going to do something awesome with her! Their family is pulling together and teaching us all what God intended for families to be like. I am still fighting the doubts.....

God is teaching me something......

I can't wait to see how it all unfolds....

In the mean time, my prayers continue because that is still all I know to do...

This past weekend, Josh and I traveled to Houston to attend our good friend Brad's memorial service. Brad was 34 years old and died from cancer. He left behind a beautiful family. Jenny his wife and two children Zeke (5) and Kaelyn (2).

On Saturday before the memorial service, one of the local highschools where Brad used to teach held a fun run to raise money for his family. Despite the lump in my throat and the sick feeling in my stomach, we did manage to have a little fun. There were over 400 people participating. The kids ran in a 1K race and then ran (and walked a little) again with everyone in the 5K. Elisabeth was trampled in the mob close to the beginning so we ended up back for four band-aids. She was pretty scrapped up but all together ok.

Here is Hogan, Daddy, Beck and Stephen running in to the finish line.

Elisabeth and Gates waiting for their brothers and their daddy.

This dude was the first to finish. He was fast.

Stephen running with Beck at the start of the BIG race.

Stephen (the most awesome uncle EVAH) ran with the kids in the kid race. Gates couldn't keep up so he picked him up and carried him most of the race.

Elisabeth boasts her ribbon.

...the boys and their ribbons.

All of us after the race. It felt so good to be there!

Jenny and Zeke finishing the race......Zeke was embarrassed.

This was the finish line. I couldn't help but think of that verse in the Bible. That says...."you have finished the race.........you good and faithful servant well done."

I am quite certain that is what Brad heard when he arrived in heaven.

......I'm still struggling with it all......I have to keep reminding myself how good God is.....

Where have I gone wrong....

This past week the following happened at the dinner table......

(Remember Beck is my three year old.)

Beck: (talking to Hogan) "I can kick your butt."

Me: (with a gasp) "Beck Garmin you don't ever say that. That is not nice. Who says that?"

all: all the kids start to laugh a little because he has said a really naughty word

Me: "That is not funny. We do not talk that way in this house. If any of you ever say the B word again you will get a big spanking and your mouth washed out with soap!"

Beck: (looking me dead in the face) "B word, B word, B word" (he said it a really chanty little toon like I'll show you I can say what I want)

It took all of me to not laugh. Looking back it really is not funny because he was being very bad.

I did take him to his room and spank him. He is getting a little too big for his britches!

More from our trip to Dallas....

This is Josh and his TEAM. Yes there were only six. They are good girls and did a great job. The kids played outside at the college where the tournament was held. It was nice and cold.

Here is Elisabeth and some of her little friends that went to the tournament as well.

On our way home from Dallas, we stayed the night in Austin to get in some shopping at the outlet mall. That night we took the kids to "A Place to Be". It had rock climbing, bowling, video games, pool tables and food. If ever in Austin I highly recommend it. The kids had a blast bowling. Here they are...all in their shoes.

The lanes at this place were really cool. When it came time for the kids turn, they had automatic bumpers that would come up so they wouldn't just keep getting gutter balls. Then when it was Josh or my turn the bumpers would collapse back down.

Gates' balls would roll so slow. It was so funny. However, he did beat us ALL. He even beat Josh. We had to laugh because he kept getting very lucky strikes. To this day he tells me how good at bowling he is. I tried to take a picture of the screen but it would not come out. Of coarse now I can't remember for the life of me what the final score was. I just know that he broke 100 and it was the highest score. LOL

Happy Monday Everyone!

Hope you have a great super productive happy day!

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