Happy Birthday Blondie

These kids are having a Birthday Party for Blondie.  I LOVE these children.

These kids bring me so much joy.

Yes, We Love the Silly Little Dog

...even though she peed on the rug so much that we just had to throw it away.  I'm thankful we don't have carpet.

Look Mom, I'm a Cowboy

He's got his PVC gun from one of his favorite neighbors, Mr. Wright.  :)

Thanksgiving at Nanny's

I had the hardest time writing this post and got so behind.  Pictures were scattered all over the place.  I don't remember what order things happened, so here's just a scattering of pictures and captions from our trip to Nanny's Thanksgiving 2009.  It truly was one of our best trips out there.

 

  Uncle Lowell showing Freed how to distinguish the REAL HotWheels cars from the fakes.  Freedom's got it down to this day and often shows people which one are the HotWheels cars.

 And it was at Uncle Lowell's house Freed discovered NERF guns.  Freed and Aunt Lana.  :)

There is always cooking in Nanny's kitchen and lots of loving too.

 The girls made Nanny a vase full of flower pens.  Nanny, M'Candia, M'Lea, Glory and Joy.

And there's always checkers.

Freed resting on Daddy at Nanny's house.

M'Lea with the pinata. :)

This was the PERFECT person to bust open the pinata and bust it open she DID!  Way to go Alora!

Joy taking a whack at it.

Freedom.

Glo.

Thanksgiving dinner - beautiful yard, beautiful weather.  Alora, Landon, Glory and Freed.  Joy and M'Lea behind.


Joy and M'Lea eating Thanksgiving dinner.




We love to stop at this rest stop to eat a picnic.  This is very near where Papa (Aubrey Blackstock) was born, Water Valley, TX.



Messing around at our favorite rest stop.  My parents rock.  My dad's always rigging something up on  a trailer and getting my mom to pack feasts in a cooler.  We used up every seat in the Yukon and had all our stuff on the trailer.  It was a fun trip of togetherness!  :)

Hanging out at our favorite rest stop.

There are more pics of the cotton stripper, but I can't figure out how to get them off my phone!

I was VERY thankful this Thanksgiving for my family.  I come from strong, capable, hard-working people and I'm so thankful for them.  I come from a people who give a lot of love to their children.

Glory's 8th Birthday Party

Glory wanted a slumber party for her birthday. She invited several 2nd grade girls and they had the SWEETEST slumber party! What a precious age! They thought it was SO exciting to get into PJs and set out their sleeping bags. Just a beautiful, sweet, precious age.

Happy 8th Birthday Glory! MOMMY & DADDY LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! You're BEAUTIFUL! You are Marvelously Made! WE LOVE YOU! We are FOR you!!!! May you draw closer to a revelation of the love of Christ in this 8th year of life as you finish up 2nd grade and start 3rd. May the truth that YOU ARE marvelously made sink deep into your heart. May the truth of who God is and who you are in Him compel your thoughts, words and actions! May you be full of joy and PEACE!

Fixing to open presents! Seems to be the best part for receiver and givers!

Cute!

They had fun making these little cross bracelets!

They had a TON of fun playing Trouble! The best part was saying the magic words, "Boogaly, Boogaly, Boogaly Mama!" to roll that special number 6!

Just finished reading the story of David and Goliath - now we're going to watch the VeggieTales movie of the story. After reading the story, the girls said they felt VERY POWERFUL! Lizzie felt like digging Goliath back out of his grave and whipping up on him some more! I guess the part about David cutting his head off got them a little riled! :) I pray these girls, right here, know they have NOTHING ever to be afraid of - but rather stand up on God's side and let God fight their battles for them - knowing DEEP in their knower that HE will and that He wins! May they know right now, in 2nd grade and may they see Him fight their 2nd grade battles. May they BE on God's side - walking in love.

Freedom was pretty good at the slumber party! He and Blondie snuggled up here on the floor with the girls.

Joy camped out where she's been sleeping ever since she broke her arm.

Nothing like a good scratch on the back with your electric toothbrush in the morning!

Apparently the David & Goliath story had an impact because when Jon came out and gave his Papa Bear Growl the girls although initially ran away terrified, they then rallied together screaming "Kill Goliath!" and attacked.

Jon was surprised and laughing. It was so funny.

Joy Broke Her Arm

Poor Joy broke her arm dancing around in the living room. I had the rug drying outside and there was a piece of material on the hard floor - she stepped right onto it and slipped and went down. She immediately knew she broke it as she screamed out, "I broke it! It popped!" I couldn't believe it. Jon took her for her word and started getting ready to take her to the Pediatric Urgent Care Center next to our house. When she started to turn pale, I believed it and helped them on their way.

Glory cried her eyes out. She probably cried for an hour after they left. I just held her until she fell asleep. I asked her if she'd like to pray together for Joy and she blurted out, "I already did!" We cuddled together on the couch with Freedom until the little ones fell asleep. Blondie, stayed on Joy's bed, waiting for her return.

The Pediatric Urgent Care Center said she needed surgery and sent them to the ER. I called my mom and asked her to come over so I could to the ER with them. A few minutes after I called my mom, Joy called the house hoping Glory, Freedom and I could come to the ER with her. The ER took better x-rays than the Urgent Care Center and sent us home. She got a cast the next day.

Joy was downright depressed over the situation. She continues to say, "I wish I never broke my arm!" This picture was taken right before we went to visit a nursing home with our life group two days after the cast. It was this trip to the nursing home that jostled Joy out of her depression. She came home herself - happy and playing.

Oh Joy, Grandma and I wish it was us who broke our arms and not you! We both told her that and she's just couldn't comprehend the strangeness of it. May it cause her to contemplate further that Christ loved us so much that He did take our place. Strange love - may we grow to know this strange love.

Glory's been taking excellent care of her sister as you might imagine. Although she's right there to do whatever needs to be done, she's still tough. When I asked Joy if she could do something, Joy said, "I think so." Glory responds bluntly, "Well, you got one good arm don't ya!?!?" So like Glory! She helps Joy get dressed and Joy says she does a MUCH better job than I do!

Rock-N-Roll Half Marathon

OK, 26 weeks ago, I could not run 2 miles straight! Now, here I am on November 14th, 2009 with three amazing ladies fixing to go pick up my packet at the Alamo Dome for the 1/2 marathon the next day! At the expo I had to choose what corral I was going to be in. My initial goal was to finish in 3 hours, so that put me in corral 29. According to all my training, I think the very best I could possibly do is 2 hours and 30 minutes. At the expo, I estimate 2 hours and 45 minutes (underestimating myself as Monique is always telling me) and place myself in the corresponding corral. These girls are fast and in corral 13. The girls encourage me to get in whatever corral I want - make it MY race. They promise to wait for me at the finish line. Thank you ladies! It was fun to walk around with these girls and look at all the running stuff for sale.

I got my Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon shirt! My dear friend, Kim, was sweet enough to teach me race etiquette: You can't wear the shirt until after you run the race!

Monique, I love you! Your enthusiasm is rubbing off on me!

Dawn is the one with the baby in the stroller! You go girl! Last year, she ran it pregnant. Yes, very impressive!

Kim & Monique, I LOVE YOU!!! Y'all are superstars in my life!

Here we are in the hood in front of Kim's RV. We're going to park it downtown over night 1.8 miles from the start line. This way, we avoid morning traffic and have a GREAT warm-up walking to the race. Getting to go downtown and hang out with these girls in the RV was like a retreat before the race for me! Thank you Kim! You were truly my shepherd - leading me to green pastures! My life was such a whirlwind in the days before the race...if I could only make it to this place right here, then I knew Kim would take care of the rest and I could actually have room to breath. Kim got us the fun "star" glasses! Thank you Kim, they were so fun! They reminded me of Sunday School when we taught the 3 year-olds to "Shine like stars for Jesus!"

Dinner at the RV. This is the place of rest I was looking forward to since Wednesday. Kim incorporated prayer and praise into this time and it was truly a retreat for me. It was exactly where I wanted to be - in a safe place where Jesus is glorified and leaned on.

Dawn, I couldn't do anything when I had little kids...I felt so paralyzed! Here you are running marathons pregnant and breastfeeding your 4th child! I had to wait until Freedom was 4 before I'd even try! I ADORE this picture!

Dawn and Kim getting their shoes ready for the race!

We've got our chips for our shoes! I'm so happy to be here. Can I really run 13.1 miles straight? Tomorrow I will find out!

This is the morning of the race. We're all ready to walk to the starting line! Officer Cheri stayed with us overnight b/c we were a little nervous about sleeping in the RV downtown. Thank you Cheri!

We're ready!!!!! I'm thinking like Monique, "Bring it on!" I'm also thinking about what my hubby told me, "It's just another run."

This is our post race picture - less than 10 minutes after I finished. I was downright ecstatic at this point. These ladies waited almost 1 hour for me at the finish - which almost makes me want to cry! I thought I was going to be totally alone in this thing - but these women were SO there for me! Thank you sisters!

I learned a lot of wonderful things preparing for and running this race. I'll try to bullet them all, praying that all the good gifts the Lord gives me pass on to my children...and all the things that are not of Him would fall away.

1. An example - Jon and I climbed the highest mountain in New Mexico with some friends a couple of years ago and I met a woman who ran marathons, including the Boston. Her stamina and energy level was so far above everyone else. I wanted that for myself. Her example sparked a dream inside of me. I began to dream about running a marathon.

2. A Listener and An Invitation - I entered into this race because a very good friend LISTENED to my dream of running and INVITED me to join a training group. Thank you Monique

Before I move on to point 3, I just have to stop and ponder the power of an example, a listener and an invitation when it comes to God's Kingdom. Is it that simple? We as Christians walk a life that imitates God's way of doing things. We listen to those around us and simply invite them to Christ.

3. My goal - My goal in running this race was to increase my stamina. For the very first time in my life, exercise was not about vanity. I felt convicted as a Christian to strengthen this temple for the work of the Lord as a mother and for whatever other jobs He has for me to do. I needed to outlast my children as far as energy levels go.

4. A goal reached - Before the race, I reached my goal of increasing my stamina. I outlasted my kids multiple times in playing tag. This gave me a lot of satisfaction. I was no longer a weary mother who had no energy to play tag.

5. A follower in training - I trained with a group in San Antonio and they grouped us according to ability. During each long run, I would look for a strong runner and just follow them the entire trip. If they would stop and walk, I would too even if I felt strong enough to keep going. If they were running when I was tired, I just kept running. I had no sense of pace or distance - but they usually had a watch that gave them that information. I considered the person I was following to be Jesus in the race of life. All I had to do was follow - it was that simple and how I felt didn't really matter.

6. The race

(a) During training, I made a friend and planned to follow her during the race. I got a new phone and didn't have her phone number with me, so was unable to find her at the race. I was glad this happened. When I was waiting for the race to start and I saw how many people were around me, I knew I was going to have run this thing "alone." I was going to have to listen to the training inside of me and follow that which I could not see (the Jesus inside of me). I was going to have to ignore all the people around me and adhere to MY training. I had no idea how I was going to do this without a pace watch, but I knew there was a beautiful lesson in it. I knew if I could stay on my pace level, I could finish in precisely 2 hours and 30 minutes. I had no idea if I could stay on pace for 13.1 miles - the most I ever ran was 10 and never without someone else pacing me.

(b) I prayed for the chidren I have influence over in my life. Make me a strong woman for them.

(c) At mile 5, the Lord came to me and told me I was anointed not only to finish this race, but every race ever to be set before me. Running became very easy and effortless at this point. I thought about my prayer warrior friend, Itza. I knew she was praying for me.

(d) I remember starting to cry as I told the Lord, "I didn't know you were coming!" Of course he is with me wherever I go! (Joshua 1:9)

(e) I began to ponder the power of the presence of the Lord. I considered that He could only take me as fast/far as I had trained my flesh to go. So it is with our time spent in His word.

(f) I remember getting nervous at mile 9. My joints began to ache. I asked the Lord for another one of those energy punches, but quickly submitted. I'm here to run this race according to HIS will - whether it be 2.5 hours or 3. I prayed His will to be done.

(g) I remember continuing to pass people and watching strong bodies rest to walk in front of me. In the past I would have followed their lead and rested myself - worried about getting myself into trouble. But, for this run, I knew didn't have to follow, and maybe, just maybe someone was following me! Some leadership grew in my heart and I thought of my friends praying for leadership to rise up within me.

(h) I considered that I could have never gotten here alone. It took lots of support to get here. An example, a listener, an invitation, a training group, advice from other runners, a husband who pushed when I could feel no ambition driving me and three amazing ladies who took me under their wing on race day. So it is with this race we call life in Christ. It starts with an example and an invitation. It continues with a group - a life group. It continues further with intimate relationships.

(i) Losing sight of your goal: At mile 13, I could not see the finish line. There was a hill that was kicking my butt and then the last .1 miles was a 90 degree turn to the right. I saw the 13 mile marker, but I didn't see the finish line. The hill was more than I could handle and I started to walk. A lady in the crowd read my shirt and yelled "Come on Amy!" I looked her in the eye and said, "THANK YOU!" I smiled and jogged up that little hill and then an amazing thing happened. I turned right and saw the finish line. Oh to keep your eye on the goal - Jesus. How empowering that is! I picked up the pace and ran in as fast as I could after a 13-mile jog. When I consider that moment in time, I think of Peter walking on the water. When his eyes were on the goal, Jesus, he could do anything. But to stop and look at the waves brings discouragement and doubt.

(j) As I crossed the finish line the announcer reads my shirt and says in his wonderful booming announcer-type voice, "Amy has run it!" He spoke a half-truth. The 2nd half was "by the grace of God!" WE finished the race in EXACTLY 2 hours, 30 minutes and 10 seconds. Ecstatic is the best word to describe how I felt - downright ecstatic! I have to laugh at myself b/c I didn't know what to expect at the finish line. They were handing out medals right then and there as we crossed! WOW! There were a lot of people holding medals out with one hand. I immediately noticed a man who held the medal different than everyone else. He held the necklace open with both hands. I caught his eyes and with my big, goofy finish-line smile went straight to this guy. I didn't take my medal. I dipped my head right in for him to "crown me." I knew I was being a major dork and he and I exchanged dorky smiles...but I didn't care. When I finish this race called life in valley of the shadow of death, I pray Jesus has a crown for me. I will receive it. I pray he gives me one so I have something, anything of value, to lay at his precious feet.

IT FELT SO GOOD TO BE WHO I WANTED TO BE!!!! Thank you hubby & friends - who got me there! I am so hooked and am definitely going at it again!

It was only a HALF marathon, MAYBE one day I will do a full if it's the Lord's will. Or maybe what He has for me is accomplished with the half alone. I'm not sure. But even though it was ONLY a half, this experience was SO rich for me!

7. A Legacy - So I had 3 BEAUTIFUL children waiting for me in the front yard when I got home. The girls cleaned the house while I was gone - they cleaned their bedrooms, the living room AND the kitchen! Their daddy didn't even have to tell them...they just wanted to bless me when I got home! The girls drew "Welcome Home" pictures for me. This so warmed my heart. When we pulled up to the house and saw those children in the front yard waiting, I told Kim, "That's what it's all about." She agreed. We've GOT to be who we want to be - for our children! The kids and I watched me cross the finish line online several times and listened to the announcer say, "Amy has done it!" over and over. It was so fun. Freedom kept announcing it later that evening and he eventually changed it to "Freedom has done it!" THAT is what it's all about! They can look at their mother and know that if she did it, they can do it! May we pass on to our children the truth that we truly have the freedom to be who we want to be! And we ARE anointed to finish the races set before each and every one of us!

My Dad and Raw Cookie Dough

My Dad is so funny. He called me the other day and said, "Do you like macadamia nut cookies?" I really wasn't sure if I did or not. He said he had a big tub of macadamia nut cookie dough. "Well, how did you end up with that?" I inquired. "I'll tell you on our trip to Lamesa," he says. After a minute or two of unrelated chit-chat I just have to ask him again. "So how DID you end up with a big tub of macadamia nut cookie dough?" He then unfolds the entire hilarious story.

He explained that one day at work he found himself very hungry so he went to check out what was in the fridge. He opens the door and sees many tubs of cookie dough stacked up. He thinks, "Oh this is GREAT!" He takes a tub out, scrounges up a spoon, removes a spoonful of that cookie dough and eats it raw. He then replaces the lid to put the tub back in the fridge and he notices Ken's name is on the lid! Oh No! So he puts the tub back in the fridge and notices each and every tub has someone's name on it. He goes down to Martha's desk and says, "Hey Martha, are you the one selling all that cookie dough in the fridge?" She says, "No, it's Sarah." So he walks over to Sarah's desk. "Hey Sarah, I'd like to buy a tub of that cookie dough you're selling." She explains that the fundraiser is over and she has no more to sell. Oh brother. He figures he'll go to HEB and buy a tub. So, he goes to HEB only to realize they don't sell cookie dough in the tub like that! There's only one thing left to do. He goes to Ken's desk, who is on the phone, and puts a $10 on his desk and starts to walk out. Ken interrupts his phone call and says, "Hey, what's this for." My dad simply says, "I owe you" and keeps on going. So then my dad goes back to his own desk and after a while Ken shows up.
"Hey, what do you owe me $10 for?" My Dad says, "Did you buy some of that cookie dough from Sarah?"
"Yes, I bought 3 tubs."
"No you didn't. You just bought two tubs. I bought one of yours."

My dad's beloved personality really shines in this story. So many things about it are so funny. He told me, "I'm just like a dog! I scrounge around and if there's food, I just eat it!"

My dad could never be the man that took a spoonful of someone's beautifully leveled cookie dough and then just leave it in that pitiful state. He's got to make the situation right. He's not the type that could live with himself doing a thing like that! The way he went about reconciling the issue cracks me up and is so indicative of HIM. I will lie in bed and laugh about "No, you didn't. You just bought two tubs." for a while. That line will stay with me forever, just like, when he walked up to the counter at KFC and said, "This biscuit needs a haircut."

I love you Dad.

Here's some pictures he sent me of him with the aforesaid cookie dough per my request. It looks like much more than 1 spoonful is missing.