God Is In Control

Dean's parents hands during the anniversary party. In love after 40 years--amazing!!


***WARNING****This may be deep--and long--sorry!!
There are more days then not, that I just live for the day and not for the ultimate goal. I get up in the morning, take care of the kids and the house, relax at night and go to bed, to wake up and do it the next day. All the while, taking everything for granted, finding myself almost certain that I will do this all again the next day. Never once stopping---weeks/months can go by---to think that it could all be taken from me in a second.
This past week changed all that. August 15, we learned that a childhood friend of Dean's, who also happens to be our sister-in-laws brother, Chris Johnson, was killed in Iraq. Chris was deployed just one month ago. He was in the special forces and flew Chinook helicopters in Iraq. Learn more here We don't know the whole story at this time, but the helicopter went down with 5 solders on board. All 5 lost their lives in a matter of seconds. Chris left behind a wife and 3 kids. He was 31. Dean remembers growing up just around the block from Chris, and has lots of stories to tell, as they were inseparable for a number of years.
At the same time we learned of Chris' death, we also were making plans to fly to California to visit Dean's parents and celebrate their 40th anniversary with them. A joyous occasion--a gift from God--to be married (happily) for 40 years. A party...a funeral. The party was this past Friday. Fifty of their closest friends and relatives--ones we haven't seen in years and some we have never even met, gathered to celebrate with Dean's parents. The funeral was Saturday in Rehobath, NM. Dean and his dad had the privilege of flying there to participate and to be there for his brother and sister-in-law and her family. The happy...the sad.
With both of these events, regardless of the extreme opposites, I had the same thoughts going through my head. A very simple fact--GOD IS IN CONTROL. Like I said earlier, I go about my day, never thinking twice that God is in control of it. I more times than not, think and act, as if I am the one in control. Until events such as these happen. He created it--He is the one who will take my earthy life from me. I don't know the time or day or year. God does. Like Chris, I may go young--too young in my opinion. Or I may go old--many years after my friends and family. Chris didn't call his wife minutes before he was to take off and assure her he was fine, he didn't start the helicopter and strap himself into the pilots seat and take off, knowing these were going to be his lasts. God knew.
My in-laws have been married for 40 years. In looking at pictures, this weekend, of them over the years, I was in awe of the legacy that has preceded them. Their grandparents were Christians, their parents were Christians, they are Christians, and they have instilled these beliefs into their children. We, as their children, are Christians. What an awesome legacy/heritage to pass on from generation to generation. The best and most important in my opinion. God has been good to their family--before they were created--and hopefully for many years after God takes them home. Looking at their relationship, God is in control. They have put God in control of every aspect of their lives. They thank and praise God for the happy times, they grieve and cry with God during the sad times. We don't know why God lets some be married for only a few years in Chris' case, or why he allows others to spend 40+ years together in my in-laws case. But what I have to remember, is that I need to have God in control of my life at ALL times--starting now. I need to be a Christian example for my kids and husband, so that that legacy lives on. I need to instill in my kids the fact that God is in control--that regardless of what God has in store for my life on earth, I will trust Him, b/c He controls it. I will trust Him in the sad times--I will trust him in the "party" times. Because ultimately, as Christians, we are all going to reach the goal--some before me, and some after me. I just need to be ready when God decides.

Fun With Chalk

My hand at creature photography. Our trip to the zoo last weekend.

Birthday festivities

Grandpa pushing Tessa!

Cousin, Sophie indulging in the cupcakes.

Tessa loves sweets. ( I think she inherited this from her mom)


Josie was mad at Grandpa, b/c he was going to take the last cupcake. What Grandpa's have to give up for their grandkids!! Sorry, Grandpa!

Thys was too busy playing with his new toys to stop and pose for a picture.

Happy Birthday, Thys and Josie. God has blessed us so much with giving us the both of you. We hope that God gives us many more years to be your mommy and daddy. We love you!! Mommy and Daddy.

Spaghetti

Why we rarely, if ever, have spaghetti for dinner.

Is it wrong to chain your kids to a tree?

There definatly are days that I wish I could tie my kids up to a tree. Away from anything they can touch or hurt or destroy. Yesterday was one of those days. I was changing laundry and found Tessa walking into the laundry room with this lovely present on her legs. Josie was close behind her. I asked Josie where Tessa got all the pen on her legs from. Josie gives me a shy little shrug and just sat there giving me puppy dog eyes. I asked again--a little more stern this time, knowing I had found the culprit. Josie said that she found a pen in the car. I asked why she was playing in the car, when she knows that the car is off limits. Again...the shy shrug...I asked if the pen was still in the car. I went out to the car to get the pen, and look at the nice surprise I came to. Of course, Josie tells me that Tessa was the one who colored in the car---ummm, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover that a one year old cannot draw stick people yet, no matter how advanced their parents think they are. Needless to say, Josie spent a great deal of the afternoon sitting in the "Time-out chair". Great for resale, huh. Any ideas on how to get pen out of leather?

A lesson learned

Elli had a good point today. We are going camping tomorrow, for the "Vink Annual Camping Weekend". I include the "annual" in there, for the fact that we only do this ONCE a year, and at the end of the weekend, we all know why. I will let you all know how it turns out. Anyway, with Dean being gone on business all week, and me being alone ALL week with the kids, I had to bite the bullet and do the worst thing imaginable in my book--do the all out, huge grocery shopping trip with all 4 kids. I wish sometimes I had a blood pressure cuff in my car so that I could actually see how high my blood pressure is at times like that. As we were following the bagger out to the car, I was chit chatting about--what else--the weather. After she got all the bags in the car and I got all the kids loaded and buckled, Elli looked at me and asked,
"Mom, do you know that girls name."
"No, she is the girl who brings our groceries to our car."
"Is she a stranger to you then?"
"I guess, but she seemed like a nice girl and she did a nice thing for us."
"I thought we weren't supposed to talk to strangers, and aren't people strangers if we don't know their names?"

Ummm.....what else do you say. Busted. So, I cranked the radio and pretended not to hear her still talking about how we can't talk to strangers and what makes a stranger a stranger..lada lada lada. How do you explain that one?

A few recent favorites

It Goes So Fast!!

I rarely ever carry cash with me. I find that if I carry cash, I spend more. I do use my debit card too often, but I think if I had cash, I would spend more than when I don't. That being said, I had for a grand total of 4 hours on Friday, $150.00 in cash in my wallet. Probably the most cash I have carried around in years. I had a garage sale Thursday and Friday. Not the most successful garage sale, being I only made $150.00, but it's more than I started with, and it was a good way to get all the "stuff" out of my house that I have been collecting over the last year. I counted the money, split it with my friend who had the garage sale with me, and within 4 hours was grocery shopping. Many hours of sorting, pricing, and setting up clothes = ONE grocery bill. How sad!! Money gone, wallet empty, but 6 tummies well fed.

A little fun...

Who needs to hire a professional, when you have a 5 year old daughter who is willing to snap a few. She decided how we had to pose--and got a good laugh when we were the ones who decided to kiss. I think I may have to hire her more often.

Hallalujiah

We had two wonderful things happen today. First and foremost, Elli lost her FIRST tooth. It was a long time coming. I found out, that this child is not going to be the one that loves to wiggle and wiggle till the tooth comes out. We were not allowed to touch it, and it had been dangling for days. She is sound asleep as we speak with the tooth tucked nicely under her pillow waiting for the tooth fairy to reward her. Dean and I have realized that after all is said and done, with 4 kids, we will be shelling out $100.00 as our role as "The Tooth Fairy". WOW!!

And secondly, we got some wonderful rain this afternoon that we so very much needed. Even with underground sprinkling, our grass was starting to get a little prickly to walk on.

So Tiny

I took some pictures of my friend, Missy's, baby girl this week. Leah Kay. She was sooo very tiny. She weighed 6 lbs. some ounces, which is exactly what the twins were each. I just couldn't believe that my kids were ever that little at one point. I kept telling Missy that I felt like Leah was a fake baby doll. She was only the size of some of my girls dollies that they play with. So precious. Here are a few to show!!

Are you "In", or "Out"?

I don't know how the conversation even started. I think it was prompted by me telling the kids that they were missing out on one of the most beautiful days this summer, by sitting in the house. I told them that they needed to go out and enjoy the weather. There they stood all sulking like I was asking something totally unheard of out of them. So, after 3 tantrums, I decided to KICK them outside. As they were hanging their heads and walking to the door, I heard Elli mumble to Thys,

"Thys, Mommy loves Tessa more than us."

There is was....the words I used to say to my mom.

"Mom, do you love _________ more than me?"

The question that you really don't fully understand as absolutly ridiculous until you actually have kids of your own. I said,

"Elli, what did you just say?".

"You love Tessa more than us".

And of course I gave the same answer my mom always gave us,

"No, I love all of you the same".

Lame answer--but true. I should have played along, which Dean would have done, and said, "Yup, your right." Although I know that WWIII would have broken out then. So, as we speak, I have the door to the garage open and I am listening to the kids in the garage. They all have their little kid chairs in a circle, and they have now formed the Anti-Mom club. They are asking Tessa if she is "in", or "out". I guess in order to be "in", you have to believe that mom loves someone else more than you!! Thank goodness Tessa can't say sentences yet. At least I have one kid still on my side.

Happy Father's Day

Dad,
I am truly blessed that God has given me you as a dad. You are a true example of a Christian father and your love for us kids and your grand kids radiates so bright. It makes me smile just thinking about how much love you have for all of us and how we never doubt that you love your life and all those in it. Now that I am a parent, I realize the awesome task that God gives us as parents to love, nurture, and instruct our children in His way. You have done that!! You (and mom) have taught us, by example, how to take the task God gives us and apply it with our kids. I don't see any greater gift than to pass that on through generations. I thank you for all your hard work in parenting as I was young, and now I thank you for the wonderful memories you give me of seeing you with my kids. You are the BEST dad ever!! Thank you!!

Tessa Turtle

We found Tessa sitting in one of the flower beds the other day, poking her head into one of the bushes. I went over there to see what she was doing, and much to my surprise, she was petting a turtle. Caressing it's back and saying, "tuttle, tuttle." She was absolutly intrigued by it. Don't worry, Dean told us it wasn't a snapper, just a painter. He was showing the kids it, and kept telling them that painters don't bite--at that exact moment, the turtle turned it's neck around and latched onto Dean's finger. Never say never!!

Pompoms and Basketballs

Anyone who knows my husband, knows that his favorite pasttimes are sports, sports, and sports. He plays them, watches them, teaches them etc... He is hoping to one day, be the dad on the sidelines or bleachers, watching his kids play the sports that he has taught them. So, this afternoon, he was in the garage playing basketball with the kids on a make-shift hoop and court that he so nicely set up. He was setting up defensive and offensive formations, drills, and a little 2 on 2 tournament. Now mind you, we are talking about a 5 year old, 2 4 year olds, and a 1 1/2 year old. You can imagine how this was going. The kids were looking with blank stares, puzzled faces, and limp arms as the ball was drilled at them. As I was watching from the "bleachers", I could tell the words and instructions were just not registering. Then the kicker came....Elli was standing there and was bounced the ball--she missed it, and to which she said to Dean, "Daddy, would like me to go inside and get my pom-poms and cheer instead?" Hilarious!! You can imagine the response to that. Lets just say that the drills continued and they are still out there trying to learn those drills and formations.

A few of my friend Michelle's kids.






Yes, her eyes ARE really that blue--gorgeous!

Park Fun!!