The Legacy

I have thought of my sweet mother-in-law a lot in the past few weeks.  Nathan remarked on our trip to Mexico that she would have been a great missionary. 

She would have been...

I can just picture her loving on those sweet kids and listening to the women share their stories.  That was her way.  She had a way of just bringing it out of you...she was so easy to talk to.  Even the way she shook hands or offered a hug seemed to be filled with such love.

I have thought a lot about the legacy she has left for me and my family.  A legacy of life, hope, joy, love, and a passionate pursuit of Jesus.

Her legacy of life is what I want to write about today.

Even in sweet Re's difficult battle with this ugly disease her and my father- in -law, John sought to bring life and hope.  Together they founded the Maria Lorick Heart of Hope Cancer Foundation. 

The foundation’s objectives are:

1. To increase the level of knowledge concerning various life-threatening female cancers with special emphasis on ovarian cancers.
2. To promote research for cancers for which there is no early detection test or cure with special emphasis on ovarian cancer.
3. To establish a faith-based universal support system known as Journey Counselors. These special counselors are cancer patients, spouses, and first line caregivers specially trained to use their own journey as a source of counsel, information and inspiration to newly diagnosed patients.

The statistics are staggering...

Roughly 20,000 women in America are diagnosed each year and 75% of those will die from this grueling disease.
One OB/GYN oncologist said that women have a 1:70 lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer.


Like Maria most women do not find out they have this cancer until it is too late.
The symptoms of this disease are vague and could be explained by many other problems...

The Mayo Clinic advices that you should see your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms for more than a few weeks:

• Abdominal pressure, fullness, swelling or bloating
• Urinary urgency
• Pelvic discomfort or pain
• Persistent indigestion, gas or nausea
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits, such as constipation
• Changes in bladder habits, including a frequent need to urinate
• Loss of appetite or quickly feeling full
• Increased abdominal girth or clothes fitting tighter around your waist
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia)
• A persistent lack of energy
• Low back pain
• Changes in menstruation

  It is vital that we spread the word and let women know that it is important to pay attention to these things even though they may seem minor at first.

You can help add to Maria's life giving legacy by donating to the foundation.  Maria and John shared a big vision for this foundation.  John is continuing with this big vision (just so you know Nathan is a lot like him and you know how big Nathan's visions are:).  I cannot wait to see what God does through the Maria Lorick Heart of Hope Cancer Foundation.

It's not even lunchtime....

Those were my thoughts as I got home opened the car door and the new milk fell to the ground and, sure enough it was busted.  Luckily I had another almost empty milk jug in the frig and I was able to salvage some of the new milk by pouring it into the other container... but that was only after I left a milk trail from the front door to the kitchen.

I know what you're thinking...it should take a lot more to get my feathers so ruffled.

Well...let's rewind to this morning.

I woke up late only to realize I missed the trash man.  But still we went on with our breakfast and storytime and things started looking up.  Until I noticed Karter was out of diapers and I had to put him in one of Kolson's size 3 diapers!  (It looked sort of like bikini underwear!:)

Since I realized last night that my printer was COMPLETELY out of ink and that there would be no way for Kaden and I to do school until I got new ink, I loaded the boys up and headed out.  By now you know that I am all about bargains so I decided to stop off at CVS where they are having a great diaper sale.  I also had a coupon for $3 off so I ended up getting 2 packs of Huggies, a gallon of milk, and a kit to dye Easter eggs for $16.  I was feeling good about my frugal shopping until I got to the register and realized that I forgot my wallet in the car.  I grabbed all three boys and walked back to the car.  I got my wallet and headed inside.  Since I was just going to be paying I decided that the Kaden and Karter could stand by me and I would just hold Kolson.  That may have worked if there had not been a wall of candy right at Karter's eye level.
So there I was trying to write a check with one hand and using my leg to keep Karter out of the candy.  Kolson pulled out my earring and the lady behind me in the line was just staring with that look I mentioned in my earlier post...you know that one that is a mixture of pity and "wow, you are crazy"!

We finally made it out of CVS but I still needed to hit Wal-mart for some ink.  Karter screamed the ENTIRE time because I refused to let them have a donut after their lovely behavior in the CVS.  I found the ink and when I went to write my check I noticed that I had used my last check at CVS  by that point I was so frazzled that I couldn't even think straight, luckily I did have my credit card with me, however, it is the credit card that I promised Nathan I would only use in an emergency...I am thinking this qualified!:) Sorry babe!


Just thought someone may be able to use some humor today!
There is no where to go but up from here!
Happy Monday!

Dear Kaden,
The house is quite and I am thinking of you.  What an experience Mexico was.  I am so thankful we were able to bring you along.  I am so proud of you!  The days were VERY long.  We woke up at 6:30 every morning and you feel asleep each night during our church time around 10 or 10:30. 
(I am sure that is why you were so grouchy when we sat down to do some school work today.  As much as you didn't want to, I think you will feel much better after a little nap today!)

Even with the long days you were so good.  I rarely heard any whining from you.  I am not sure I have ever seen you play harder.  We spent most of our days doing VBS with kids from the Colonia where we were working.  It was so fun to watch you and your best friend Austin play with the other kids.  You both seemed a little reluctant in the beginning, but by the end of the week you guys were playing "pato, pato, gonzo" and "uno" like champs.  It was amazing to see that "play" has no language boundaries.
I also loved watching you do the puppets with Austin. You also did a pretty good job painting the school house...it was very sunny that day so you told me you were putting sun screen on the house...what an imagination you have!:) 
You had to learn some hard lessons in Mexico as well.  Like the day the kids were coloring and you had to give up the eagle picture you wanted to color so that the other kids would have a chance to color.  To be honest, you were pretty mad for most of the morning, but by the end of the day you seemed to understand that the children there didn't have crayons in their playroom like you do and that their mommies and daddies couldn't just run to the store to pick up a new coloring book because they got tired of the old one.  At one point you even told me that we should give the children in Mexico all of your toys.

I am not sure how much of this trip you will remember or what God has taught your sweet little heart through it but I have been so blessed to hear you praying for those sweet children each night since we have been home.  I pray that we always remember how blessed we are and that we constantly look for ways that we can bless others and take care of "the least of these".
God has started a great work in you Kaden!  I know that He will be faithful to complete it.
I am so thankful for you and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be your mom!

Love,
Mommy

29 and TROUBLE and a prayer request...

****We spent last week in Mexico!  I am still processing all that God taught me there and waiting on the pictures.  I will be sure to share that experience when I sort through all of my thoughts!  I think you need like a week of just quite to come back and seek the Lord after a trip like that...too bad we came home with 10 loads of dirty laundry!:)*****

Saturday was my 29th birthday!  Yes, that's right I only have one more year left in my 20's...sounds kind of scary!  Since we stopped at my parents house to pick up Karter and Kolson and to stay the night they surprised me with a special cupcake and lunch at one of my favorite restaurants!

I absolutely love cupcakes!  I was so surprised when I saw this for my birthday!

A cupcake big enough to feed 12-15 people!  It was so good!  That is white chocolate frosting on the out side...it was also filled with the white chocolate frosting...so yummy!

And speaking of trouble...when I left my little Kolson was barely crawling and was able to stand when I stood him up next to something he could hold on to...by the time I got back, he is crawling like Speedy Gonzales and pulling up on EVERYTHING!  I even saw him do a little cruising around the furniture!  I am in  TROUBLE!

  For a long time now I have been saying that three kids is not that much different than two.  However, I was saying all of that while one was strapped in a seat and not able to move :)!  Now that I have three mobile and VERY active little boys I may be eating my words!

I also wanted to ask if you could pray for my sweet college friend Jennifer and her family.  Her precious 19 month old daughter, Mollie, is having surgery today because of a suspicious swollen lymph node.

We know that God is good and they are trusting Him completely but they would sure appreciate your prayers for good results and constant peace.

Zucchini Soup

I know what you are thinking....green soup!  Green as it may be, it is a creamy and delicious soup that our family loves.  And why wouldn't it be good...it has a whole stick of butter and 2 cups of milk!  Even my boys love this soup...they have affectionately named it Christmas soup since it is green like a Christmas tree.

And what could be better with soup than a bacon sandwich!

Yes, that is real white bread!  We have tried them on wheat bread and well, they are just not as good.  So, every once and while we splurge on a loaf of white bread!

Here is the recipe if you want to try it for yourself!:)

4 cups sliced zucchini (I cut mine length wise and then scoop out some of the seeds with a spoon, then I slice them in half moon shaped slices)
1/2 cup of water
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 large onion chopped
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk

In a sauce pan bring zucchini, water, and bullion to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
In a frying pan saute onion and butter until onions are translucent.  Push onions to one side and add flour to the butter.  Next add milk.
Add the milk and onion mixture to the zucchini and simmer 10 minutes.
Blend soup in blender until smooth.
Enjoy!

Pick your battles

I have always heard people say that you need to pick your battles when it comes to your children.  Not long ago I decided to use that advice when Karter wanted to wear this to church one night...

It seems to be becoming a trend...last Wednesday his sweet little friend Kaitlyn came dressed as a bumble bee!

The Look...

There are lots of looks...

• there is the look your mom gives you from the choir loft at church that means you are in BIG trouble when you get home!
• or what about the infamous "teacher look" we give to our students during an assembly
• I am sure we have all seen the "you are so stupid look" from someone at least once in our life
• even better is the look my 5 year old gives me when I tell him "no"

Not all looks are bad...

• there is the look on my boys faces when they see their Daddy
• or I love the "light bulb" look on a student's face when they finally "get" something
• there is the look you get when you know someone is proud of you
• or my most favorite is the look Nathan gives me that I know means...I love you, no matter what, I love you.

But the look I got yesterday was a different look! It is a look I have been getting regularly since the birth of our third little boy.
Yesterday as I strolled through the mall, with Koslon strapped to me in a front carrier, Karter riding in the stroller, and Kaden walking beside me, I got a look that said...."lady, you are crazy"! And if it wasn't that look it was one that looked a little more like pity!

While I will admit that my trip to the mall with three little boys was not exactly what I would call leisurely, it was fun and we did get what we needed to!

So I wonder what kind of look the Duggar's get when they walk into the mall?=)

Friends!

I love those friends who are literally like a breath of fresh air.  Luke and Kathryn are like that to us!  We have known Luke and Kathryn for more than 5 years now and I have loved every minute of it.  When we met these sweet friends Nathan immediately recognized God's hand on Luke's life and desired to help him in the ministry God was calling him to.  Little did we know that less than a year later we would move to Martin's Mill as pastor.  As soon as we arrived Nathan saw the great need for a youth minister...the church is literally in backyard of the high school!  God led Nathan to call on Luke and thus a beautiful partnership begun!
We spent tons of time together...including the time that Nathan used the wrong kind of paint on our parsonage walls and Luke and Kathryn came over to help us peel the walls piece by piece by piece!:)  They stayed at our house most Saturday nights and we would stay up talking and laughing late into the night.  Nathan and I had the great honor of standing in their wedding and we were also blessed to be able to visit when their sweet little Madelyn Kate was born.  It has been a blessing to watch God use them!
A lot has changed since our good 'ole Martin's Mill days...they have a baby now and live in Tyler...we have 2 more babies and now we live in Malakoff!
But, like they say...absence does make the heart grow fonder!  Luke, Kathryn, and sweet Maddie came over for dinner the other night and it was so much like old times (plus 3 kiddos =).  We enjoyed some great fish that Nathan fried and then an ever better dessert that Nathan made up!`

Kolson and Maddie are only 4 months apart so they seem to really enjoy watching each other.  Although Kolson really loved her bow so we had to take it off so he would quit pulling it over her eyes!

And there is just nothing like a naked baby or two!:)

We are so thankful to have such great friends...the kind that will drive an hour to eat dinner with you, or the kind that you feel like you don't have to clean like a mad woman before they come over.  But more than that Luke and Kathryn are the kind of friends we can call when we are hurting or when we need someone to really pray for us! 

I hope you are all blessed with great friends!

8...

Is the number of years I have been married to my sweet husband.  Today we celebrated the wild ride we have been on since we said "I Do"!
I thought God left all of His adventuring back in the Old Testament...I was wrong!  In 8 years we have lived in 5 cities, been on staff at 4 churches, been pregnant 6 times, owned more vehicles than we can count (remember Nathan's dad is a car salesmen...the apple doesn't fall far), and we have been able to see God move in amazing ways!  We have walked through trials and triumphs.
There is not another person I would rather be on this adventure with!

Happy Anniversary Nathan!

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/Orderpage.aspx?pi=0HK800FO000333&po=333&pc=885

Thanks to a the Ferrell's who kept the "K-crew" we were able to enjoy a quiet meal together!  I love slipping away with my husband...holding hands and having real conversations!  I can't wait to see what year 8 will hold!

I don't want to grow up...

Kaden just cannot understand why Karter is getting to wear all of his old clothes.  Tonight I found him in these pjs...

They are a size 2T!  Makes me think of Tommy Boy..."Fat guy in a little coat"!:)

I love that my boys always keep me laughing!

March #1

February was a crazy month and I found memorizing Philippians 4:8 a little challenging since it listed so many characteristics and I was having trouble keeping them in the right order so I made up an acronym!!
The
New
Red
Pants
Look
Amazing
Excellent
Praise worthy

This helped me to remember that  I need to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praise worthy.  It was really pretty fun and my boys have enjoyed hearing me practice my verses in the kitchen.

For my first verse in March I decided to go with Proverbs 13:4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing; but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

This is a verse that grabbed me several months ago...you can read my blog about it by clicking here.
Because it had such an effect on me I wanted to make sure that it is hidden in my heart and that I will always remember the promise God gives to those who are diligent.

It's not too late to join up!  Leave your verse for March in the comments of this blog or on facebook and work on it until the 15th then choose another verse to add...before you know it your heart and mind will be full of God's word. 

I believe this is so important!  The bible says that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).  Our minds are powerful tools but they can get terribly weighted down by all of the junk that we allow to consume our minds (yes, I am talking about TV, music, magazines, the Internet, etc.).  I used to tell my students last year that the distance from our head to hearts is not very far.  What we put into our minds will eventually end up in our hearts.  The bible says that out of the overflow of the heart a man will speak (Matthew 12:34).  I am pretty sure there are some shows I have watched that I don't want  coming out of my mouth!  By committing scripture to my mind and heart I am assuring that I will not only be transformed but I will also be speaking truth and love to those around me!

It's so worth the effort...don't ya think?