tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58030845459857912862024-03-14T01:07:54.189-07:00marriage, motherhood, and ministryStaciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.comBlogger674125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-3588321008372235462014-12-24T10:24:00.001-08:002014-12-24T10:24:58.776-08:00Tough Callings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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God gave Mary a tough calling. <div>
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Everything changed for her the day Gabriel showed up. But instead of resisting, questioning, or trying to gain more clarity, she responded with, </div>
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<i><b>"I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true."</b></i></blockquote>
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She would be misunderstood, called a liar and a lunatic for claiming to carry God's son, and scorned by her neighbors. That first Christmas, there were no friends and family celebrating the birth of this most precious of babies. She would be alone. With her new husband. In a dirty, musty stable. The only ones who did show up at the baby shower were a group of ragtag outcasts that I'm sure scared the living daylights out of Mary as they rushed in to sneak a peak of her newborn baby. </div>
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Mary would surely fluctuate between fist pumping pride and confused embarrassment over her son's actions throughout his life. She wrestled with her desires to conform him to what she thought he should be and do. This new way of life, this new way of thinking and living… it was a lot to take in. </div>
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And then, Mary would suffer more deeply than any one else besides Jesus himself as she watched in horror while they tore apart her son's body. The agony and grief she endured… all because she was "highly favored". </div>
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We honor her today. But her life was far from honored at the time. It was hard. </div>
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I want to learn that same humble posture from Mary:</div>
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<i><b>"I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." </b></i></blockquote>
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<li>Even when Your plan for my life looks different than what I had planned. </li>
<li>Even when the road is tough and life isn't as fun as I was hoping. </li>
<li>Even when other routes seem more relaxing, more scenic, more enjoyable.</li>
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I don't want to fight against it. I'll choose to embrace it. Your plan is always best. You make all things beautiful. You are working all this together for my good and Your glory.<br />
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This is the lesson I'm learning this Christmas season. Mary is yelling through a megaphone to me today. Her words leap off the page and across the ages and pierce my heart. "So, Stacie, God just threw you a curve ball? So it seems you're life may look different than what you had planned? I get that. I've been there. And here's what I learned: you don't get to choose your God ordained assignment, but you get to choose how you respond to it. Are you going to receive it with open hands and a humble heart? Or will you stomp your feet and throw up your arms in frustration? Receive it, Stacie. Receive it as a gift. When you do, you have no idea the amazing things God will do through your life. Don't resist. Receive."<br />
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Thank you, Mary, for being the picture of humble obedience to God's will. You're giving me courage today.<br />
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<i><b>"I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true."</b></i></blockquote>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-7760052315010618782014-12-12T18:20:00.002-08:002014-12-12T18:20:22.953-08:00Same Team<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Recently I was thinking about the early relationship between Mary & Joseph. We don’t really know much about their feelings for each other. We know they were engaged to be married, and according to the times, it was an arranged marriage between a young, barely-entered-puberty, Mary to an older, able-to-provide-for-a-family, Joseph. We don’t know if they were attracted to each other or excited about the arrangement. They may have been, but it’s just as possible that there was some level of dread, especially on Mary’s part. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And then enters the horribly upsetting news that Mary is pregnant, and Joseph knows it’s not his baby. I can only imagine the hurt, confusion, and betrayal Joseph must have felt, along with a heaping dose of anger. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But then God showed up. An angel came to Joseph to reassure him of this miraculous conception. God supernaturally intervened which allowed Joseph to enter a covenant with Mary with a lot more confidence than if he was just relying on Mary’s word. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mary and Joseph were going to go through tremendous hardship together. God knew that. The angel didn’t show up to Mary’s parents or anyone else in their small hometown. No one else had confidence in the story they were telling. They were the town scandal. This child was seen as an illegitimate baby...Even though they did nothing wrong (and evidently most things right!) </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God wanted Joseph and Mary to be undoubtably on the same team. To have each other’s back. To be in each other’s corner. To defend each other’s honor and show each other love and respect when the harshness of the world crushed in all around them. They needed each other. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I get that. I have seen the invaluable strength it provides when Andy and I are unified through a trial. When no one else understands what we’re going through. When judgements are passed and critics have their say. When life hurts and we don’t have good answers. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve been walking through a storm lately and, sometimes when we are in the thick of it, one of us will look at the other and say those two simple words, “Same team.” The comfort that brings is astounding. As he walks out the door for work and I have a crying baby in the high chair, a sink full of dishes, and a child who just drew a masterpiece on our hard wood floor, he looks in my eyes and says, “Same team.” </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And we both know exactly what that means...it means that no matter what life throws at us, we will face it together. We will fight the problem, not each other. Our roles look different, but we are working toward the same end. We will not allow Satan to cause division. Even when we don’t know what to do to help or comfort the other, we are in each other’s corner. Even when I don’t understand his actions or he gets lost in my emotions, we both know with confidence that we are FOR each other. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are better together. Stronger together. So when we walk through storms, we will do it hand-in-hand, together. Same team. </span></span></div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-83434334894904600832014-11-28T11:09:00.002-08:002014-11-28T11:28:38.489-08:00An Advent Resource: finding meaning amidst the chaos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had an unwanted moment of self-revelation recently… I have begun to dread Christmas.<br />
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Really? Ugh! I hate that.<br />
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Christmas was always one of my favorite and most meaningful holidays. I have a thousand wonderful Christmas memories from childhood. Candlelight services on Christmas eve. Giddy anticipation. Stockings first, yummy brunch, then presents. Christmas music in the background and the smell of cinnamon rolls lingering in the air.<br />
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But, now, things are different. Well, they're actually quite similar; it's just my role has changed. Now, I'm the one buying and wrapping all the presents. I'm the one setting out all the decorations. I'm hosting parties and making the cinnamon rolls and trying to plan fun Christmas activities for our kids.<br />
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And somewhere in the midst of making it magical for everyone else, I've lost the wonder of it all for myself.<br />
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The dominate emotion I feel is no longer <i>anticipation</i> of Christmas, but <i>relief</i> when Christmas is over. And that's sad to me.<br />
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I want to anticipate His coming. I want to remember what a desperate and hopeless predicament mankind was stuck in until that silent night when Hope was born. I want to feel my own desperate need for this baby who split time and swept away darkness and made a way for redemption.<br />
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My life is in all kinds of need for Him right now. Some times we feel that more than others, and I'll just be honest, I feel it deeply. I need Him to surprise me with His presence the way He surprised the shepherds. I need to ponder Him in my heart the way Mary did. I need to go to ridiculous lengths to find Him the way the Wisemen did. I don't want to miss Jesus this Christmas.<br />
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This is the season of Advent. Anticipating something great. The arrival of something so important and significant that it changes everything. Yes, I think that's exactly what I need right now.<br />
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Last year we started a new tradition that I loved but think we will continue to tweak. We did a "Jesse Tree" last year and told a different Bible story each night that led up to the coming of Jesus. I liked the concept a lot, but the thing I want to tweak are the selected stories and how they are told. My goal is to tell Bible stories that all link directly to our need for a coming Savior.<br />
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Andy found <a href="http://www.vergenetwork.org/2014/11/24/gospel-centered-advent-book-for-your-family/?mc_cid=3dab51e9b4&mc_eid=18ebde616d" target="_blank">this Advent resource</a> and so I think we'll start here…with God's perfect creation, how we messed it up, and how He paved a way back.<br />
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I'd love to hear ideas from your family: How do you keep things simple enough to enjoy Christmas and meaningful enough that you don't miss Jesus?</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-84673835450327809922014-11-06T06:37:00.000-08:002014-11-06T06:37:16.370-08:00Suck it up, Princess<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I thought about starting this post by saying that I've been going through a tough time lately…there are some personal challenges in my life that are really weighing me down. But then I thought, I'm pretty sure anyone at anytime in their life could make a statement like that.<br />
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The challenges change during different seasons of life.<br />
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<li>In college, I jammed my schedule SO full with classes, work, practicum, and ministry responsibilities that I could barely find time to eat or sleep.</li>
<li>When first married, my whole life got turned upside down with a new husband, new home, new city, and new job. I suffered through an undiagnosed depression for over a year. </li>
<li>When we had our first child…</li>
<li>When we started South Bay Church...</li>
<li>When we adopted...</li>
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Some difficulties undoubtedly outweigh others. And, intermingled with the pain, every season has it's share of joys.<br />
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It's the dance of beauty and heartache. The place where laughter and tears merge. When fist-pumping victory in one area is tainted with failure in another. That moment when a breathtaking sunset is interrupted by a swarm of gnats.<br />
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We don't get to separate the two. They are always there…together.<br />
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And it is up to me to see the artistry in it all. To choose gratitude over pity. To cling to faith over despair. To believe truth instead of lies.<br />
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What I say to myself and about my situation can drastically affect, not only the outcome, but also how I walk through it. I have to surgically remove the lies I'm believing and replace them with what I know to be true.<br />
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<li>I am blessed. (Ephesians 1:3)</li>
<li>God has given me everything I need for life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3)</li>
<li>His grace is more than enough. (James 4:6)</li>
<li>If I ask, He will give me wisdom. (James 1:5)</li>
<li>He has a plan and somehow this will work out for my good and His glory is I will stay the course. (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28)</li>
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And then, some of the most inspirational words I'm saying to myself right now are: <b>"Suck it up, Princess." </b><br />
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I don't have time to wallow around in hopelessness. I've got three kids who are counting on me. I'm the only Mommy they get so I better put my hand to the plow and try my best. I've got laundry to do, meals to prepare, bills to pay, and scraped knees to bandage. I have work to do and I am stronger than I think I am. So I will brush the tears off my face (or sometimes just let them flow) and I will keep moving. I will suck it up and believe that when I do what only I can do, God will step in and do what only He can do.<br />
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Self-reflection has it's place...But you might as well be sorting the laundry while you at it.<br />
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So today, identify the lies that you are believing about yourself or your circumstance and then replace them with truth. You gotta suck it up, Princess. The world is counting on you to show up. To bring your best. Keep fighting through the gnats to dance in the sunset. I'll meet you there.</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-39589111099137912972014-10-15T08:44:00.000-07:002014-10-15T09:20:00.875-07:00Sunshine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Wish that I… </div>
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...had a box that could keep every time, </div>
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a remote to rewind back to eve<span style="text-align: left;">ry sweet moment we've shared,</span></div>
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because time will fade memories.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Oh you shimmer, you glimmer, you shine. </span></div>
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Every breath that you take matches mine.</div>
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When you smile all the world come to life</div>
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and, my Love, i would give you mine.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0igUMkofAk/VD6doWePvUI/AAAAAAAAE9w/Yq0t8q3S3KY/s1600/sonnbaby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m0igUMkofAk/VD6doWePvUI/AAAAAAAAE9w/Yq0t8q3S3KY/s1600/sonnbaby.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Click <a href="http://web.photodex.com/view/6ggambm4/?watch-6ggambm4" target="_blank">here</a> to watch a 3 1/2 minute video that I will forever cherish.<br />
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(Photos by my talented friend, Nikki. Check her out <a href="http://www.momentitos.com/#!" target="_blank">here</a>.)</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-48682688158753760982014-10-07T15:16:00.001-07:002014-10-07T15:16:13.048-07:00A letter to my long lost friend!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Blog of mine,<br />
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I've missed you. I think about you often and have so much to tell you. I wish we had the chance to catch up more often. It seems that the busier I am, the less busy you are. Funny how that works.<br />
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I've been wanting to tell you about how much I delight in that precious baby girl who is sleeping upstairs right now. There are so many pictures I want to show you. So many expressions and milestones and firsts. She is the light in my eyes, and holding her has carried me through some rocky patches this year. It seems that at least once a day, I am overwhelmed again by a wave of gratitude for this most precious gift. I haven't intended to keep her from you!<br />
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I've also read some books that I wanted to tell you about. Learned some life lessons. Made some memories with my boys. All of these are things that I've wanted to share with you, my long-lost Blog. But alas, I have been so busy living my life that I have not found the time to write about it!<br />
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I really want to do better. You are so dear to me. I find in you moments of reflection and quietness of soul that has been hard to come by these days. Let me assure you, there have been no large quantities of quietness around the Wood household these days.<br />
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So, my sweet friend who is always eager to hear about all of my antics, I will try to be more loyal. I am working to arrange my life to grab a cup of tea and sit down with you more often. You have been dearly missed and not at all forgotten.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Stacie </div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-87997227804666766642014-07-12T11:09:00.000-07:002014-07-12T11:09:16.678-07:00Minivan VS. SUV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;">We are a Swagger-Wagon family. Although I’ve always felt like you voluntarily forfeit all rights to coolness as soon as you transition to the world of minivans, we took the plunge several years ago. I’ve been known to look with a tinge of jealousy on large families who drive SUVs. All the necessary space in such a cooler package. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: left;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, now I’ve seen how the other side lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A few weeks ago, our van was tail-ended and it is still in the shop getting repaired. In the meantime, the insurance company provided us with a Chevy Tahoe to drive. Alright, now! Whose got their swag back?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I’m here today to offer a little compare and analysis. I’ve now seen the grass on both sides of the fence and I’ll tell you (from my opinion) which one is greener.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite thing about the Tahoe is taking it on dates with Andy. It makes me feel all fancy and hot. It does not give off the same feeling of “Mom-and-Dad-are-going-out-for-dinner” that a minivan leaves you with. The seats are big and spacious. And you feel like you would probably “win” in any run-in with another vehicle. Plus, I’m fairly certain that people are intimidated of us...like perhaps we’re drug dealers or gang members. And, you know, sometimes a little respect ain’t all that bad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">However, the negatives abound. </span></span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">It is a beast to park, especially in the Bay Area where they try to promote clean air vehicles by making all parking spaces the size of a SMART car.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The doors open wide...very wide, as opposed to sliding like a minivan. Not only is this problematic with our postage stamp size parking spaces, but little boys don’t really care if your Mercedes is parked next to us. They will mindlessly bang any car door in their way, thus the reason I have the child-lock on their door so they can only exit upon assistance.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">There is no storage space. Groceries, hello? If I am in need of this many seats in a vehicle, that means I also have that many mouths to feed. Strollers? Beach toys? Luggage? “Here kids, hold this on your lap for me.” (An XL edition would be imperative were we ever to buy one of these things.)</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">It takes two strong arms to close the trunk. I cannot be multi-tasking or holding anything else in my hands when I close the trunk. No, this activity requires full engagement. And I</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">have to pull down on that thing as zealously as those people spin the wheel on “The Price Is Right”.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The third row does not exude kid-friendly accessibility. The seat on the middle row must laboriously be pulled forward each time we get in and out of the car. As a mom trying to quickly squeeze in an errand or two between naptimes, those are precious minutes lost. Our kids have resorted to climbing over the middle seat instead.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">It has been fun driving around my Monster Truck for the past couple weeks. I believe I may have achieved a level of coolness that I've yet to experience in my adult life. My neighbors probably think I keep parking it in my driveway just to brag, but the reality is it won’t fit in our garage. It’s just that big.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I must say, I’m kinda looking forward to getting my minivan back with it’s sliding doors and trunk that can open and close with a simple push of a button. I realize that my lameness will automatically increase as soon as we make the trade, but for me, convenience outranks coolness in this stage of life. </span></span></div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-52446788254588698302014-06-30T15:14:00.001-07:002014-06-30T15:14:45.320-07:00And then we ate ice cream for dinner...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Most nights I like to "re-set" the house before I go to bed. Toys stored away, dishes washed, couch pillows back in place. It seems silly, at times, to do this because I know that first thing tomorrow morning, I will stepping over toys, have a sink overflowing with dishes, and won't be able to find the missing couch pillows. But, I like order. And a nightly reset gives me the illusion (mirage?) that I still have a bit of it left in my life. </div>
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Order is nice. Routines are helpful. As a rule, that is my preferred modus operandi. </div>
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But every one like me needs a friend like her.</div>
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The text comes to me, "Hola Amiga! You want to go to the beach on Wednesday?" </div>
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Why, yes, I think I do. </div>
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My other friend, Dawn, (who, like me, is also a scheduler/planner/orderly type) decides to throw caution to the wind and join us.</div>
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No naptimes for the Littles. No laundry or cleaning or meals getting made that day. No Daddy's to help us carry our gear or supervise our seven children. But no worries. We've got this. (We wore our capes under our clothes.)</div>
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It took us 2 hours (instead of the predicted 45 minutes) to get from my house to sitting on a blanket by the beach. But we would not be swayed by the traffic jam or deterred by the long trek to the bathroom. Dawn & I both just brushed off our tattered mom-pride as we picked up our strollers that we accidentally flipped (with babies inside) because we loaded them with too much stuff. We would have our beach day no matter what. </div>
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The hike from the sidewalk through the sand to the ocean was a long one. I dragged my big ol' BOB stroller loaded with a baby and all the fixin's. A beach umbrella. A portable exersaucer. Blankets, towels, sand toys, diapers... </div>
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And then there was Dawn. As I trudged through the sand I kept looking back at my friend who had 22 month old Tyson to encourage along. She was so weighted down by their bags that she couldn't carry him. By the time they made it, she said, "I feel like we just spent 40 years wandering through the wilderness."</div>
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But somehow, the stress seems minimized when you're with friends. </div>
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And in between yelling for the big boys not to go out too far and nursing Karis and comforting Dawn's Littles who were not huge fans of the beach, we talked. And laughed. And did life together. Because it's better that way.</div>
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After our shoulders had been kissed by the sun and all the children had as much sand on the inside of their swimsuits as the outside, we decided to go get a treat. A special treat at a special place I knew about. So we begin the long journey of rinsing sand toys, shaking out blankets, collapsing umbrellas and exersaucers, and hiking across the sand. Back through the wilderness.</div>
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On the other side of wilderness were showers. Cold showers. And I'm not quite sure what all the onlookers thought as I held my son under the water while he laughed and screamed and tried hard to run away. </div>
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Once everyone was pottyed and dry clothed, we loaded our gear back into the car, buckling 7 kids into carseats. We drove to our long awaited treat spot, unloaded 7 kids, and walked up to the door to find it closed. They closed at 6:00. My phone said 6:01. </div>
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Dawn's kids were too tired and young to be obsessed with the treat, but there was no way Lina and I were getting off the hook that easy. Thank goodness, Lina knew of another great ice cream shop.</div>
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So then we ate ice cream for dinner...</div>
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Eat up kids. This is dinner.<br />
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There were no high chairs at this joint so I held Karis in my lap while feeding her with one hand and eating an ice cream cone with the other. The thought ran through my mind, "Sometimes I impress myself." But then I had a flashback of the flipped stroller with Karis laying helplessly on her back. Ok, ok, not too impressed.<br />
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Lina said, "I'm glad we did this."<br />
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Me, "Yeah, it was such a fun day."<br />
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Lina laughed and said, "It's funny how so many things can go wrong and we still think it was such a great day."<br />
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Yep, and (cue Jack Johnson song), it's always better when we're together.<br />
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Laundry and dishes and couch pillows can wait for tomorrow. Some days you just gotta get to the beach.</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-20275238315262891212014-06-28T13:37:00.003-07:002014-06-28T13:37:59.132-07:00Family Friendly Activities at Lake Tahoe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've had several people ask me what we like to do when we visit Lake Tahoe in the summer time. So I decided to put a list together of some family-friendly activities that we've enjoyed. I would LOVE your suggestions as well because I know we have not found all of the secret treasures there!</div>
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1- <b>Where to stay</b></div>
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We prefer North Lake Tahoe as opposed to South Lake Tahoe. North Lake Tahoe feels more natural and undeveloped whereas South Lake Tahoe is more commercial. They are both great and, in some ways, South Lake Tahoe may have more "to do", but we just really like the feel of Tahoe City. </div>
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We love to lodge somewhere in/around Squaw Valley and hang out in Tahoe City (which is really no "city" at all). This past time we found a cabin on the Truckee River through AirBnB for a great price...less than what we would have paid for a hotel room for our family of 5. </div>
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There are also tons of places to camp at Lake Tahoe. Every time I talk to someone who likes camping, I get so inspired to want to try. It really does sound like such a wonderful experience, especially for children. But, truth be told, Andy and I just aren't much for camping. We're more the "glamping" type, with hot showers, real beds, and a toilets that don't require a flashlight. :-/</div>
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The Truckee River where our cabin was located</div>
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2- <b>Hit the Beach</b></div>
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Tahoe City has an awesome park called "Commons Beach". There's a free parking lot so loading/unloading is simple. There is a beach where the kids can play in the lake (it's super shallow for a long way), a grassy area perfect for soccer, baseball, and picnics, and a great playground complete with swings, a rock wall, and jungle gym. </div>
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Commons Beach is pretty much our "Headquarters" whenever we go to Tahoe. We can literally stay there for 5 hours at a time without getting bored. There are typically other kids to play with and so much variety of activity that the kids are endlessly entertained. </div>
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We take a picnic, blankets, sand toys, a bat & wiffle balls, a soccer ball, changes of clothes for the kids, and a book for me & Andy. </div>
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3- <b>Ice Cream at Gear & Grind Cafe</b></div>
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As a mid-afternoon treat, we will sometimes walk from Commons Beach up the path to Gear & Grind Cafe. It's just a small little coffee shop with a nice selection of ice cream and treats. There's a beautiful path along the lake to walk between the Cafe and Commons Beach.</div>
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4- <b>Hike to Emerald Bay</b> </div>
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This is a family friendly trail that even fairly young kids can do. It's about a mile one way and you'll be breathing heavy on your way back up, but it's not too steep and the path is wide. (Our boys are 5 1/2 and 7 1/2 and they did much better this time than when they did the same hike 10 months ago.) There's a beautiful beach at the bottom with a few cool areas to explore. </div>
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We also continued along the trail up to Eagle Falls which was less than a mile further. It's gorgeous. Andy & the boys ventured out beyond the guardrails right into the waterfall.<br />
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On the way back down from Eagle Falls, we stopped by the gift shop and got everyone an ice cream treat.<br />
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5- <b>Rent a kayak </b><br />
Andy and the boys have done this the last 2 times we have visited Lake Tahoe. It's about $45 for one hour of fun. The boys feel like they've had a big adventure out there trying to steer and paddle around! There are some other fun, adventurous activities that we've seen but not yet tried such as a ropes course or rafting. Maybe we'll do those another time.<br />
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6- <b>Take out instead of dine in</b><br />
This past trip, we stumbled upon something great. We typically eat breakfast at the hotel/cabin (we always try to find a place with a kitchenette), pack a picnic to take with us, and then eat dinner out. But all the parents out there can testify that it is not the most relaxing experience to try to eat dinner at a restaurant with 3 tired children. So one night we thought, "Let's do take out."<br />
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Andy & I wanted Thai food and I knew the boys wouldn't. So we picked up some delicious food from Thai Kitchen in Tahoe City and a movie from Redbox. I made the boys a hot dog back where we were staying and we all enjoyed dinner and a movie in our PJs. SO much more relaxing than trying to eat out! Another great restaurant that we enjoy is Fireside Pizza in Squaw Valley.<br />
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Caedmon & Sammy, feeling like they just conquered the world</div>
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Here's to family vacations, making memories, and enjoying the beauty of God's creation! If you are familiar with Lake Tahoe, please leave a comment with some of your favorite things to do there or places to eat. </div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-45767417871324254592014-06-23T15:59:00.004-07:002014-06-23T15:59:45.524-07:00Vacation Bloopers & Gratitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Family vacations always take on a unique personality that is impossible to forecast. Regardless of how thoroughly you plan, no vacation is 100% wrinkle-free. How we respond in those moments has the potential to enhance or ruin the memory. </div>
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Last week our family enjoyed a getaway to Lake Tahoe...truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's a huge attraction in the winter for all those who love winter sports and a snowy wonderland. We have yet to get up there in the winter (which we hope to do someday), but we absolutely LOVE Tahoe in the summer! The lake is so blue it looks aqua, the natural landscape surrounding the lake is bursting with life, and the snow peaked mountains hover over as a physical barrier between us and the outside world. </div>
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About an hour in to our drive to Tahoe, my eyes bugged out of my head and I said, "The Pack-N-Play!" Oh. My. Gosh. Kinda an important thing to remember when traveling with a 7 month old who already has major sleep issues. Andy suggested stopping at a Target to buy one, but I shot down that idea right away, informing him that those things are, like, $150. </div>
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"I'll figure something out. We can make do." </div>
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When I saw that little cubby hole under the desk, I naively thought, "Oh, this is perfect. I'll just make her a little pallet down here and she'll feel all cozy in a space just her size." Not so much. Our sweet Karis is not in the running for any awards associated with "Most Flexible Baby". After a nightmare of a first night, my hero-husband found a children's consignment store in town where we bought a pack-n-play for $32. Possibly the best $32 we spent all week. Although Karis wasn't completely keen on the pack-n-play either, it was much better.</div>
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After an awesome (albeit sleepy) first morning at the park, we ran by the grocery store and then headed back to our cabin only to get tail-ended pretty bad. It was the worst car wreck any of us had ever been in and it shook us up a bit. The guy behind us clipped our right bumper which pushed us in to oncoming traffic. Thankfully, we were able to get back over to our side of the road and avoid a head-on collision. With hands shaking, we thanked Jesus that there were no injuries.<br />
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That was a bit of a rough start to our family vacation...Very little sleep the first night followed by a car wreck. But I can't even count how many times that week that Andy and I mentioned how thankful we were that we were all okay. The car wreck reminded us of how fragile life is and it framed our whole vacation with gratitude.<br />
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The final day of our vacation, we lounged on a blanket at a beautiful park overlooking the lake. While I played with Karis and watched my boys climb rock walls and swing across monkey bars, a family walked by pushing an oversized stroller with their handicapped son. The child looked to be about Caedmon's age. In my heart I whispered a prayer for strength and endurance for those parents as they courageously love and raise their son. That child is a blessing to be sure, but their lives undoubtedly face difficulties that I know nothing of. Again, it helped me remember what a gift it is that my rambunctious and rowdy boys have healthy bodies. </div>
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I said to our family this week, "You know, we are among the most blessed people on earth." There is always something for which to be thankful. Sometimes the blessings are as bright as neon flashing lights, and other times you have to look under rocks to find them. But they are there. Let's look around today and remember to give thanks. </div>
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<i>Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17</i></div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-69299170591783336402014-06-12T14:52:00.001-07:002014-06-12T14:52:29.275-07:00Family Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We have been blessed with a ton of time with our extended family the past month and a half. 35 out of 49 days to be exact. That is always a huge gift to us since we live so far from all of our family. And, of course, any time you're with out of town family, that's the perfect time to eat a ton of desserts and experience all the fun things your city offers but we rarely take advantage of. </div>
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We visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium and drove the Golden Gate Bridge. We played tag in front of Coit Tower and tried in vain to keep our food from flying away while we gobbled Gott's burgers at the ever-windy Ferry Building. We took more than one trip down Lombard Street and played "Papa-Pitch baseball" at Ortega Park. We hiked, swam, and had wrestling matches in our living room. We ate an obscene amount of ice cream because you have to try Cream when you come here. And at night, after the kids were asleep, we talked. </div>
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Andy's mom, Marcy, came in January to meet Karis and then again in April to take care of the boys while Andy & I had a getaway (with Karis!). Two visits in 3 months. I told her I could get used to that!</div>
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Andy's brother, Josh, and his wife, Jamie, came in town at the beginning of May.</div>
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Andy's dad, Pete, and stepmom, Denise, came in town at the end of May.</div>
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We flew to Florida to spend time with my family at the beginning of June. Picture above are nine of the eleven grandchildren on that side of the family. </div>
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Jonathan (8), Caedmon (7), Caleb (5), Sammy (5), Drew (4), Taylor (2), Daniel (18 months), Luke (18 months), Karis (7 months) </div>
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Here's Karis with the other two grandkids from that side of the fam. Jacob & McCoy are my brother's 9 month old twins. They are posing as Karis' body guards in this picture!</div>
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Getting time with extended family (especially family that lives clear across the country) requires spending a little extra money, breaking normal rhythms, and some planning. But these times are the richness of life...what memories are made of and how relationships grow. I'm so thankful for the gift of this time together.</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-15645874580883050182014-06-04T14:26:00.000-07:002014-06-04T14:26:00.067-07:00Summer Reading<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I always get motivated to read in the summer. Maybe it's because I don't have to think about homeschool so my mind is a little more free. I think this year my motivation is due, at least in part, to pure desperation. I feel like we are reaching a new stage with our parenting and running into some barriers that we don't know how to handle. So, I feel very motivated to put some new tools in my parenting tool belt. Thus, I am devoting my whole summer reading program to parenting books this year! (Exciting, right?)<br />
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In case you are also in need of some good parenting books, these are the books that I'm considering reading. I'm sure I won't get to all of them, but I'm going to give it my best effort.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Homeschooling-Moms-Believe-Wilson-ebook/dp/B006CXKYOQ/ref=la_B001KHMVYK_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401485112&sr=1-2" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nAoYFsqJMU4/U4j1jWxoP3I/AAAAAAAAEtw/McGTG7-lX4o/s1600/lies+homeschool.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Watch out, kids! Your mom is about to be armed & dangerous!</span></div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-3037804345802029252014-05-30T13:58:00.000-07:002014-05-30T13:58:06.468-07:00(Home)School's Out For Summer!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ain't no doubt about it, teachers are EVERY bit as relieved as the students when that last day of school finally rolls around. Pretty sure I've been counting down the weeks since February!<br />
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<b>"How do you like homeschooling?"</b><br />
Uhhh... I feel like I'm <i>supposed</i> to love it...Like getting to spend this much time with my children is glorious and watching the "lights come on" for them is the most fulfilling thing in my life. Some days really were great, with neurons connecting and visible brainwaves floating across the room. Some days I felt like I was investing deeply in their core values and shaping their world view around things that are important to our family. Those were good days.<br />
<br />
Other days were less than great, with stomping feet, thrown pencils, and scribbled papers. There were moments of defiant refusal to do anything I asked of my "students". My patience was stretched to the very limit as I continually prodded along the distractible, half-hearted efforts of my boys. My husband has received more than one phone call or text with my 2 weeks notice.<br />
<br />
<b>"Are you homeschooling again next year?"</b><br />
I seriously re-evaluated whether or not to homeschool again next year. Some people have really strong opinions for or against homeschool. I'm not one of them. We homeschooled the past 2 years because we felt like that's what was best for our kids right now. I'm not committed to doing it indefinitely and I certainly am not trying to make a statement that I think everyone should homeschool their kids just because I do.<br />
<br />
After weighing all the pros/cons of the different educational options, we decided to stick with homeschooling for at least another year. It's just what's best for our family right now.<br />
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<b>School's Out!</b><br />
There was a great sense of completion for me on the last day of school this year...probably because last year we fizzled out with no real "closing ceremonies" due to being super-duper sick with my first trimester of pregnancy. This year, however, the boys and I sat down together to remember some of the things we accomplished this year. I wanted to record it here for my own records so I can remember 1st grade and preschool in years to come. It was meaningful to me to see the cumulative effect, because there are many days as a teacher (or parent) that you don't feel like you're making any progress at all.<br />
<br />
Academic Highlights:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Caedmon memorized all the books of the Bible in order.</li>
<li>Sammy learned all his letters and sounds.</li>
<li>Caedmon's reading and fluency has improved so much. He went from sounding out every single word at the beginning of the year to reading level 2 & 3 readers from the library. </li>
<li>Sammy learned about 50 sight words and can read simple sight-word books.</li>
<li>Caedmon completed 1st grade math and is 1/2 way through 2nd grade math- started the year memorizing addition facts and ended the year adding 4 different numbers with multiple digit addition</li>
<li>Sammy could only count to 14 at the beginning of the year. Can now count to 100.</li>
</ul>
PE Activities:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Both boys played baseball this Spring. Caedmon also played fall ball.</li>
<li>Sammy played soccer in the fall.</li>
<li>Both boys took swimming lessons throughout the school year.</li>
<li>Both boys took ten horseback riding lessons and Sammy conquered some major fear of animals.</li>
<li>We also rocked some circuit training in our living room on occasion.</li>
<li>And of course, plenty of bike/scooter riding, climbing at the playground, & wrestling matches with Dad.</li>
</ul>
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Field Trips:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Monterey Bay Aquarium</li>
<li>Tall Ships Tour- Redwood City</li>
<li>Longs Marine Lab- Santa Cruz</li>
<li>New Leaf Market Tour- Santa Cruz</li>
<li>Happy Hollow- San Jose</li>
<li>Ardenwood Farm Christmas field trip</li>
<li>Deer Hollow Farm- Fleece and Milk</li>
<li>Gizdich Ranch- apple orchard</li>
</ul>
Other Noteworthy Things:<ul style="text-align: left;">
</ul>
</div>
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>We are really bad about getting around to science & history. I need a more structured plan for these subjects next year.</li>
<li>We have tried at least 4 different ways/curriculums to teach Spanish. I'm not doing back flips about any of them. Still on the prowl...</li>
<li>We added a baby to our family this school year. All school was accomplished with a sleep deprived teacher in between breastfeeding and trying to get Karis to take a nap! :-)</li>
</ul>
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Diplomas the last day of school.<br />
This picture is <u>Classic</u> in every way.</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-20278056082905866862014-05-28T15:21:00.000-07:002014-05-28T15:21:12.509-07:00That Awkward Moment...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've had two rather awkward moments recently:<br />
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1- I bought a new pair of jeans from H&M a couple weeks ago. When I put them on to wear them for the first time, I noticed something was in the pocket. That's weird, I thought. I pulled it out to find a receipt. A receipt from Auntie Anne's Pretzels, a place I've never bought anything from before. Definitely NOT my receipt. Which, obviously, brought me to the question of, "Whose butt has been in my jeans? And what kind of unders was she wearing?!?" In that moment, I felt deep regret for not washing my new jeans before wearing them. Gross.<br />
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2- Andy's brother, Josh, and his wife, Jamie, recently came to visit us. On the morning that they were leaving I heard Josh open the front door and say, "Hi, I'm Josh...pause...Were they expecting you?" I came downstairs to see what was going on, thinking maybe it was a repair man or someone selling something. But instead there was a man I've never seen before standing in my foyer with a suitcase. He'd already taken off his shoes and clearly intended to stay a while. My mind was racing as to what in the world could be going on while we all stood there looking at each other nervously.<br />
<br />
"Oh!!" I finally exclaimed. "You must be here for the wedding!"<br />
<br />
"Yes, yes." He rapidly shook his head in agreement.<br />
<br />
I just happened to remember that our next door neighbors were getting married that day. He was <i>almost</i> in the right place. So close. But so awkwardly far away!</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-67442730735663356662014-03-17T15:14:00.002-07:002014-03-17T15:14:34.792-07:00Take me out to the ballgame!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I am officially a baseball mom. </div>
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I never wanted to be a baseball mom. Honestly, I don't even like baseball that much. I was hoping my kids would enjoy a sport where people actually move around, like basketball or soccer. But they like baseball, so I am a baseball mom.</div>
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Saturday was opening day. Last night I sat down with their schedules and wrote everything in on our calendar. Just wanted to let you know that if anyone needs to find me this Spring, I'll be at the ballpark. Evidently I'll be spending about 5 days a week there. Another mom told me that eventually your butt gets used to sitting on the bleachers. Kinda like riding a bike, I guess. </div>
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Watching this guy, though. That makes it worth it. </div>
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Because the boys are on two separate teams, Andy & I often have to divide and conquer. Andy was with Sammy on Saturday for his first-ever baseball game and he said it was amazing. Like Sammy came alive out there! At one point Sammy was positioned on the pitchers mound and every time one of his fellow 5-year-olds hit a ball off of the tee, Sammy would dive for it. And get it! He was in his element and had such a blast.</div>
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Caedmon was in his element eating a hot dog and drinking root beer! Ha. I think he'd like to wear those bright green crocs in the game if cleats were not required. He is such a funny kid!</div>
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Sammy was awarded the game ball and named "Player of the Game" for his hustle. He was so happy and proud of himself! It was a priceless moment.</div>
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Below is my "No-More-Yelling-At-Sammy-Card" that I created. Before you go thinking I'm a horrible person for ever getting frustrated with that sweet face, I'd like to invite YOU over to get the child ready for baseball one afternoon! Then you, too, will appreciate my little check list. </div>
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Sammy is slow-moving, frequently loses things, and often can't even remember what he's looking for. This was a formula for unending frustration for Mom as I try to get them out the door for baseball multiple times a week. So I came up with a check list for Sammy to work his way through. He starts getting ready for baseball at 4:00. Computer time starts at 4:15 and we leave the house at 4:45. So if he takes longer than 15 minutes to get ready, he just eats away at his computer time. No sweat off my brow. (This was Andy's genius idea.) We created a tub for each boy to store all of his baseball stuff in for easy access. I sure hope this alleviates our headache. </div>
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So, here's to sunshine, fresh air, snack shacks, and bleachers. May we make many wonderful memories and friendship this Spring through the great American game of baseball!</div>
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Play Ball!</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-74104579337974106122014-03-14T17:21:00.001-07:002014-03-14T17:21:15.168-07:00Please Don't Leave Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear Hair,<br />
<br />
I think we may have had some kind of misunderstanding.<br />
<br />
You seem unhappy to be with me. I'm deducing this from the handfuls of hair that come out every time I shower. I know you've been a little neglected lately. You get spit up on regularly, washed irregularly, and jerked up in a pony tail most days. I'm sorry. Truly, I am.<br />
<br />
But just because I'm head over heels in love with a baby doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore. You are still a very important part of my life. It would be helpful to me if our relationship could be more low maintenance right now. I promise we'll get some quality time together at least a couple times a week (namely, before church and date night). Please don't leave me simply because I had a baby.<br />
<br />
I'm really hoping we can resolve this issue quickly because, at this rate, I may be bald by summer.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Stacie</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-7205154350013613622014-03-12T21:50:00.000-07:002014-03-13T12:56:09.912-07:00A Hot Mess<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was a hot mess last Saturday.<br />
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I was not supposed to be. All the attention was <i>supposed</i> to be directed at my friend whose birthday we were celebrating. But I guess we don't typically get to choose the timing of our messes.<br />
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It all started when we met at my friend's house to drive together. I was going to drive because Karis came along as an honorary member of our girls' breakfast. Everyone arrived, we piled in my luxurious minivan, and then...the sliding door got stuck. Would. Not. Budge.<br />
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I called my friend's husband to come outside to look at it, sure that he'd be able to glance at it and immediately see some silly mistake that I was overlooking. THIRTY MINUTES LATER we still sat in that driveway! We googled our problem. We figured out how to check the fuses. We got on the phone with Honda. Finally, I told my friends to head on without me. Andy was on his way and we'd just drive the van to the mechanic (with the door open, mind you). As my friends began to unload and Andy pulled up with my boys (still in their PJs), my friend's husband found a small broken cable and figured out how to shut the door. Long sigh. We piled back in the van and headed to breakfast.<br />
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I was a little rattled at this point. I don't really like being the center of attention, ESPECIALLY when someone else is supposed to be. And I absolutely hate it when people are inconvenienced because of me. But, alas, these were some of my best friends, I reasoned, and they were not upset.<br />
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When we got to the (very crowded) restaurant, a table for 6 became available. There were 4 of us plus a stroller, so that's where we were seated. However, as we approached the table I realized the awkward seating arrangement would be me and the stroller on one side and my 3 friends scrunched shoulder-to-shoulder on the other. And then one of my friends wanted to hold Karis for a bit so there was a 4 to 1 ratio going on. This was not helping the feeling that all eyes were on me.<br />
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Towards the end of breakfast, Karis was lying across my lap. I bent down to pick up her passy that she dropped and when I did I accidentally smashed her sweet head into the edge of the table. It left a red, indented line across that perfect little scalp. She (understandably) started screaming and I swooped her up in my arms and fled out the back door of the restaurant. As we stood outside, I kissed her over and over and told her how sorry I was...and maybe I shed a tear or two myself.<br />
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Finally we got ourselves back together and returned to the party. My friend, who knows what I'm thinking in almost every situation, knew I was trying really hard to hold it together. So she told me a great story about the time she dropped her baby's car seat with her baby strapped inside and the carseat flipped over. And then, even though her baby was completely fine, she still reported herself to her pediatrician out of sheer guilt! Ahhh, I am not alone unintentionally victimizing my child. Thank you for the validation.<br />
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But no sooner had her story began to calm my nerves then Karis had a blowout poop that soaked through her clothes and onto mine. (I am not making this up, People.) Seeing that this restaurant did not have a changing table we decided we'd better just call it a day. We fumbled back to my not-so-luxerious minivan that now doubled as a changing station so that I could strip Karis down completely naked, give her a wipes-bath, and re-clothe her, all while the birthday girl and my two friends looked on. I even had to take back the gift bag that I had just given my friend which was holding her birthday present so that I could use it to transport Karis' dirty diaper. Talk about tacky!<br />
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I know people who also carry a change of clothes for themselves in their diaper bags. Now I understand why...Because it's a little uncool to walk around with mustard colored poop smeared down your white blouse.<br />
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Not one of my finer moments...</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-32719783600063856182014-03-07T16:48:00.000-08:002014-03-07T16:48:01.671-08:00Two Gifts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The darkest pain lays a backdrop for God’s blessings to shine most brightly. Maybe that's because when darkness closes in, our eyes strain to see anything that resembles light. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">I’ve seen this working itself out in my own life recently. </span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
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My two biological children are just over 7 years apart. According to the calendar I had set in my head, the age gap should have been more like 18 months. It seems like neatly aligned bookends now, but the middle ground was anything but tidy. My heart was a mess many-a-days. </span></span>The pain of infertility and miscarriage (which I wrote about <a href="http://www.staciewood.blogspot.com/2012/11/hope-deferred-makes-heart-sick.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.staciewood.blogspot.com/2012/11/faith-tested.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.staciewood.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-strength.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.staciewood.blogspot.com/2013/01/lead-with-what-ya-got.html" target="_blank">here</a>) was suffocating.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When you're suffering people will tell you "God's going to work this all together for your good," and "He makes all things beautiful in His time." I've even said those words myself. But when you're sitting in ashes, you can't see beauty. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">However, I've had time to take a shower since then and, though I may still have a few ashes clinging to me, I'm beginning to see some beauty popping up. Two gifts in particular.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Gift #1:</span></div>
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Sammy. </div>
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Our infertility was the motivating force that urged us to begin our adoption when we did. The timing otherwise didn't make a lot of sense. We were less than one year into starting <a href="http://www.southbaychurch.org/" target="_blank">South Bay Church </a>and had, perhaps, one or two minor lose ends hanging around (read: our lives were crazy). If we had been able to conceive naturally, I'm almost positive that we would have waited several more years before pursuing adoption. And in the process, we would have missed our Sammy...a possibility that seems more than I can bear. </div>
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The sweetness of his smiles, the sound of his belly laugh, the shy way he snuggles close, the dance moves he'll perform (until I grab my camera), his deep love for sausage and tomatoes... We could have missed it. But, by the grace of God we didn't. Sammy is our gift. </div>
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Gift #2:</div>
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Every single part of mothering Karis is a gift to me. I don't think I would have felt so strongly about that if the journey to her wasn't so winding. I remember being mesmerized and enthralled with Caedmon when he was born, but I also remember getting frustrated over sleep issues and feeling desperate for a little time to myself. </div>
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With Karis, it's different. We've got our share of sleep issues (probably even more than we did with Caedmon) and I have even less time to myself these days now that I am the mother to 3 children. But somehow, every temptation to sigh is linked to my constant awareness of what a gift she is. (Please don't read this as a confession that I love Karis more than my other kids...it is more a confession that I had no idea how to fully appreciate each moment with them.) </div>
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I delight in breastfeeding that baby (even if it means that I don't get to go to <a href="https://catalystconference.com/westcoast/" target="_blank">Catalyst</a> this year and my "getaway" with Andy in May will include a diaper bag). It is no burden to me when I have to excuse myself from a meeting or a dinner early because she needs my attention. Her smile is pure sunshine to me and I would pay a lot of money if someone could figure out how to bottle the smell of her head. </div>
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We receive gifts with deeper gratitude when we know the pain of going without it. </div>
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What gifts do you need to thank God for today?</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-47686883812520354532014-03-04T16:47:00.002-08:002014-03-04T16:47:22.842-08:004 Months<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Four months later and we're still in the honeymoon phase.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1r_wYVIN8C8/UxZw6j3vQEI/AAAAAAAAEpk/HfYeLljzwb8/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1r_wYVIN8C8/UxZw6j3vQEI/AAAAAAAAEpk/HfYeLljzwb8/s1600/DSC_0230.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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She is all smiles now. She recently "found her voice" and loves to sing me songs from her swing while I cook dinner or tell me stories while I change her diaper.<br />
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I'm sure a day will come when she will make me mad or I will hurt her precious feelings, but for the life of me I can't imagine it. To me, at least for now, she can do no wrong.<br />
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I have to force myself to put her to sleep most nights because it feels so good to have her in my arms. The worst part of getting strep throat was not being able to kiss that sweet face a thousand times a day. Any time something trying happens (like screaming during dinner or waking up 5 times in one night), I think to myself, "She's finally here. And she is so worth it."<br />
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Princess Karis, you are unending joy to me.</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-9213852335067228952014-02-27T15:42:00.001-08:002014-02-27T15:44:55.098-08:00Confidence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A middle school girl does poorly on a math test and thinks to herself, "I'm so stupid! How did I make that mistake? I just can't do math."<br />
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A middle school boy does poorly on the same math test and thinks to himself, "My teacher sucks. She can't explain anything. This test was ridiculous!"<br />
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The scenario above is a middle school example that totally captures the difference between how men & women (stereotypically) cope with difficulty. One turns the frustration inward and one turns it outward.<br />
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My whole life, every mistake and failure has felt incredibly personal. Like a reflection of my worth. And the fear of failure has crippled me from attempting great things. I prefer low risk/high probability of success options. I tend to be a mid-course adopter of any new idea or initiative...let those crazy risk takers roll the dice and, once the chances for success look pretty good, I'll jump on board too.<br />
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I can get in horrible, downward spirals of negative self-talk. Especially while doing laundry. (Anybody else?) Satan feeds me a whole buffet of lies and I stuff myself by tasting each one, often going back for a 2nd portion.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>My whole life is wrapped up in menial tasks. Nothing I do counts for anything worthwhile.</i></li>
<li><i>I'm no fun at all. I feel sorry for my kids. I wouldn't want to have me as a mom either.</i></li>
<li><i>There's never enough time in the day. I am living in survival mode.</i></li>
<li><i>No matter how much I get done today, I'll have to re-do it all tomorrow. </i></li>
</ul>
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And on, and on that ugly, well-trodden path.</div>
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But no more. This is the year that I change the sound-track in my head. This is the year I start speaking God's truth louder than the lies that Satan tells me.<br />
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<li><i>God has called & anointed me for this.</i></li>
<li><i>God has given me everything I need to do this.</i></li>
<li><i>There is more in me.</i></li>
<li><i>I can get better.</i></li>
<li><i>God is going to help me.</i> </li>
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I once heard Craig Groeschel say, "My language will not reflect limitations. My language will reflect nothing is impossible with God."</div>
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Confidence. </div>
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I've let my insecurity hold me back too long. This year I will lead with courage. I will believe that God can use my life to do things that seem so far beyond my capacity right now. I will do the hard work of removing obstacles in order to pursue dreams. There is more in me. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>David encouraged himself in the Lord. </i></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>2 Samuel 30:6</i></span></b></div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-21101820217298327292014-02-24T16:51:00.002-08:002014-02-24T16:51:55.565-08:00Sunnyvale Campus Launch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday was a historic day. <a href="http://www.southbaychurch.org/" target="_blank">South Bay</a> became one church in two locations as we launched our Sunnyvale campus! After years of dreaming and months of intense planning, the day had arrived!</div>
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Andy preached an awesome sermon as we began our new message series called, "Overloaded." Over the next five weeks we are asking God to teach us how to "escape marginless living." Click <a href="https://soundcloud.com/southbaychurch/check-your-load" target="_blank">here</a> to listen to his sermon.</div>
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It was a PACKED house at the Sunnyvale Community center. There was standing room only in the auditorium as we all squeezed in like sardines to be apart of the excitement. The total count was 496! Pastor Filipe announced at the end of the service that we will immediately be starting a 2nd service NEXT SUNDAY! The new service times will be 10:00 and 11:30.</div>
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BayKids really showed off yesterday. Every child was greeted with balloons and tons of friendly volunteers. They had music, Bible stories, crafts, and snacks. The kids also loved the bouncy houses and goodie bags! What kid wouldn't have a blast and beg their parents to bring them back?!?</div>
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The space for elementary kids was amazing. So big and bright. They even had 4 games stations for the kids to play with before and afterwards!</div>
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My heart was bursting with pride as I saw all of the volunteers serving so diligently with such joy. There is SO MUCH joy and life and community in being on a team serving in ways that truly make a difference. God used these people (and many more not pictured) to pull this off! I pray they feel a deep level of fulfillment and the smile of Jesus as they offer their heartfelt service to Him!</div>
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I can't wait to see all that God does through this Sunnyvale campus. Unending potential!</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Lord has done great things for us,</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">and we are filled with JOY!</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Psalm 126:3</span></b></i></div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-49710774712356087492014-02-19T16:41:00.001-08:002014-02-19T16:41:37.790-08:00Picking Up Steam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
2013 was not my favorite.<br />
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It felt like running (mostly walking) against the wind with a parachute on my back. Like living with a low-grade fever or chronic headache. Still functional, but definitely not my best.<br />
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I started the year off in a dark place. I was still deeply grieving the miscarriage we had suffered a couple months prior. And I hated that I was still grieving. I wanted more than anything to feel better, but I didn't.<br />
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When we lost the pregnancy, I felt smothered in grief. Like someone had wrapped my in a huge, dark blanket and I couldn't see a thing. I kept hoping and praying that one day it would suddenly be lifted and, aha, there's the light again.<br />
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But I discovered that healing from grief is not like that at all. At least not for me. You don't wake up one day and just feel better. It wasn't one thick blanket that I was smothered in. It was more like a thousand layers of chiffon. And day by day, layers were slowly lifted so that what was all darkness slowly gave way to hints of light. It takes a long time to see life clearly again, without a veil.<br />
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The darkness that I began the year in lingered on longer than I would have ever wanted (or predicted), but layer by layer, light returned to my eyes.<br />
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When we found out in March that I was pregnant again, I thought for sure that would lift the grief. But instead I felt very guarded and fearful to receive the pregnancy with pure joy.<br />
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The pregnancy was more difficult than Caedmon's. I was 24 years old when I had Caedmon so my young body just thought it was born to birth! This time round I had more nausea, more complications, and a lot less sleep. I've never wrapped Christmas presents at 3 AM in October, but I did this past year.<br />
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In the midst of pregnancy woes that forced me to slow down my pace, I felt such deep gratitude and joy over the gift of being pregnant.<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Nausea? Worth it.</li>
<li>Sciatic pain? Worth it.</li>
<li>Insomnia? Worth it.</li>
<li>Contractions beginning in the 5th month? Worth it.</li>
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And then she was here. My JOY had arrived. Karis Joy.</div>
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We walked around for the final 2 months of the year like happy zombies. No sleep and total chaos. But she was in my arms and it was pure joy to me.</div>
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It's strange, though, the grief thing. Even after Karis was born, grief would surprise me at unsuspecting moments. Driving down the road one day my mind wandered back into the treacherous territory of our miscarriage. I tried to reason with the tears on my cheeks that there was no need to cry because my precious Karis was riding in the carseat right behind me. But, even so, I guess we carry a piece of our losses with us always. </div>
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2013 was grief and pregnancy and life with a newborn. I didn't make a lot of personal progress...at least not towards my goals. But I have a feeling that God was growing something IN me that will one day shine THROUGH me. </div>
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So 2014, I'm comin' for ya! I may have been in a sleep-deprived fog during January, but I'm like a freight train leaving the station. And I can feel myself picking up steam! </div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-18911045526793337162014-02-17T14:58:00.001-08:002014-02-17T14:58:19.311-08:00Sick Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thermometer. Advil. Water bottle. Banana peel.<br />
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That's what's sitting beside me on my bedside table right now. Sick day = no fun.<br />
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I went to bed feeling crummy last night. Achy & chills, but no fever. I thought I was just exhausted from a long Sunday and not getting enough sleep the past few days. But as I slept fitfully for a few hours I could feel the achyness increasing and by 3:30AM I had a 102 fever. Bummer.<br />
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When mom gets sick, life gets complicated. Especially when mom is the sole source of nourishment for a 3 month old baby.<br />
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My husband is a rock star, and a saint, and an awesome example of what a husband/father should be. Not only did he totally readjust his morning to be able to stay home and help with the kids, he did it without ever giving me the slightest hint that it was an inconvenience for him. Love that man. I stayed quarantined in my room and just passed bottles out to him every 3 hours. Praying God protects the rest of my family (ESPECIALLY Karis) from this sickness!<br />
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Random side note, I wasn't sure whether or not I could give Karis my breastmilk while I'm sick, so I Googled it, of course. And wouldn't you know, that miracle liquid from God is exactly what's best for her even when I'm sick. In fact, the immunity that my body is building to fight off this sickness is being passed to her through my milk to protect her from getting it! Amazing. (The older boys are on their own though because I do NOT plan on passing out cups of my milk to everyone else in the fam. That's a little weird to me!)<br />
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So thankful my friend, Darlene, could come this afternoon to help with my kiddos so Andy could get a little work done. Thanks, Darlene!<br />
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I would totally appreciate your prayers as I feel like the timing of this sickness is less than coincidental. We are launching <a href="http://www.southbaychurch.org/" target="_blank">South Bay's</a> Sunnyvale campus this Sunday (SIX DAYS!) and three of the people (2 staff members & me) who directly support Andy are sick today. Does anyone else see a pattern there? While your at it, please cover our whole staff and the Sunnyvale team with your prayers. Satan does NOT like to see the Kingdom of God gaining ground in the Bay Area.<br />
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That's all I've got for ya today. Nothing too spiritual or profound. Signing off, in my PJs in my bed!</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-74785414232216491852014-02-13T14:52:00.001-08:002014-02-13T14:55:15.896-08:00A Prayer for the Princess<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our family shared a really special moment a couple weeks ago as we formally dedicated Karis back to God. </div>
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At <a href="http://www.southbaychurch.org/" target="_blank">South Bay Church</a>, we celebrate Child Dedication as an opportunity for parents, extended family, and close friends to publicly commit themselves to raising their child in a way that honors God. By no means will perfection be attained, but we vow to live our own lives according to the life-giving model of Scripture and to train our children to do likewise. </div>
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As part of the dedication, each family had a chance to share around the table a special prayer for their child. Many of the parents had written something down to read to their child so that, in years to come, they can show their child the prayer.<br />
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I wrote Karis a poem that I wanted to share with you (see below). It will be framed and hang in her room so that we can pray it over her often as she grows.<br />
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We had the great joy of having Andy's mom, Marcy, and brother, Jon, with us to celebrate this special evening.<br />
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Karis was clearly quite excited about all of this!</div>
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Mi corazón.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dear Daughter of Mine, </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">You are the answer to a thousand prayers,</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The fulfillment of desire so deep.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My heart dances with joy to watch your face</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As you lie in my arms fast asleep.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You’ve done nothing to earn my affection</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">No mold to which you must conform</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This rapturous love bursting out of my heart</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Is yours simply because you were born.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You came wrapped in grace and tied up with joy</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But you are more than a gift just for me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You’ll bring grace and joy to the world God loves.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You were born with a sure destiny.</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May you be a lover of Jesus</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Following hard after the King.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In Him may you find everything that you need.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This world offers no greater thing.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I pray that you love without limits</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Seeing others the way Jesus sees</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With compassion and grace, believing the best</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">People are His priority.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I pray that your life sets the standard</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Pure of mind and body and heart.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In this crooked and depraved generation</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May your purity set up apart.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> </span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">May you be a woman of courage</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Not buying in to the Enemy’s lies.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dare to dream and think big and believe that He can</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Your God has an endless supply.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The calling you have will take work to fulfill.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You’ll be tempted to settle for less.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But I pray that you are never content</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With anything but God’s very best.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Keep yourself yielded to the Holy Spirit.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May your life overflow with His fruit</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">His power and anointing will rest on you</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As He guides your every pursuit.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May you be secure in who you are.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You’re designed by the Master’s hand.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Uniquely crafted and sealed with His love</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As apart of his Sovereign plan.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We will watch with anticipation</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Of all God will do with your life</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Your Daddy and I are cheering you on</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And praying with all our might.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew'; min-height: 9px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So today, before our family and friends,</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We dedicate you back to the Lord.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May Jesus always capture your heart</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For He is your great reward.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: 'Corsiva Hebrew';">
<br /></div>
</div>
Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5803084545985791286.post-21115098128483792642014-02-12T11:27:00.000-08:002014-02-12T11:27:53.368-08:00How Bad Do You Want It?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Recently I started attending staff meetings at <a href="http://www.southbaychurch.org/" target="_blank">South Bay Church</a>. Not so much because my role at South Bay is changing, but more because South Bay is changing. You see, in the early days, staff meeting was in my living room during Caedmon's naptime. I knew the ends and outs of everything that was going on with South Bay and felt very much a part of the team.<br />
<br />
But as South Bay has grown and our family has grown, I've begun feeling a little disconnected. My desire to be a part is as strong as ever, but we're a far cry from staff meetings in my living room these days!<br />
<br />
Andy invited me to start coming to staff meeting and I don't know why we didn't think of this sooner. I absolutely LOVE being there! I really don't contribute much, but I am learning a ton by sitting under Andy's leadership as he takes our staff through leadership development. (He's a pretty remarkable leader, by the way!) I feel so much more connected to our staff and I have a much better understanding of what's going on in the organization. Staff meeting is one of the highlights of my week. Win! Win! Win!<br />
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HOWEVER, it is not at all <i>easy</i> for me to get there! No, no, no. Quite the contrary.<br />
<br />
For example...<br />
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Last week my childcare fell through the night before because her son got sick. So I was scrambling to find a friend who could help me out on short notice. I spent the morning texting back and forth to work out the details.<br />
The meeting was scheduled to begin at 11:00. No biggie right?<br />
* Shower? Check!<br />
* Breakfast? Check!<br />
* Homeschool? Check minus!<br />
<br />
I began packing the car around 9:30. I'd get the boys rolling on some schoolwork and then go stick a bag in the car. Help with a math problem. Another bag. Sound out a word. Put mascara on. Practice sight words. Soothe my crying baby. It was controlled, productive chaos.<br />
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Might I mention that it is no small feat to get myself and three Littles fed, clothed, and somewhat clean? I just recently got back in the routine of daily showers for crying out loud! But, somehow I did it AND found matching shoes for everyone. WIN!<br />
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The thing that blew my mind was <u>how much</u> I had to pack for a 3 hour outing!<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>unfinished schoolwork</li>
<li>picnic lunch for the boys</li>
<li>toys (my friend doesn't have young kids at home, thus no toys)</li>
<li>milk for Karis, bottle, bottle warmer</li>
<li>bassinet & swaddling blanket so Karis could nap</li>
<li>diaper bag fully packed</li>
<li>breast pump</li>
<li>storage bag for milk, insulated bag, frozen cold pack to keep milk cool</li>
<li>calendar, journal, bible</li>
<li>snacks leftover from a party to take to staff</li>
</ul>
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I was practically panting and in a dead sweat by the time everything was loaded in the van!</div>
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But, by golly, I got there. An embarrassing 15 minutes late, but you better believe I enjoyed every single second of it. Something to challenge my brain and stir my heart. It is WORTH the effort to me. </div>
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Don't we all have things like that? Something that seems like a ridiculous amount of trouble to someone else might make perfect sense to you. Because some things in life are not worth the hassle, but other things most certainly are!</div>
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It's all comes down to: how bad do you want it?</div>
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Staciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10436437686002595546noreply@blogger.com4