P.K.s

I knew in 8th grade that I would grow up and marry a minister. I was totally prepared to marry a youth minister and felt confident that I could handle the position of youth minister's wife. So, it was no surprise, when I met and fell in love with Nathan, that God was calling him to youth ministry. We had a blast serving the students together. I had our cute little life all planned out. And although any ministry position is difficult, I really thought I had every thing under control!!

God had other plans...

After several years in the youth ministry, Nathan felt a strong calling from the Lord to enter the pastoral ministry. YIKES is all that I could think!

Thank goodness we serve a God who loves to work through us and do the things we think are impossible! I felt inadequate of this new calling. After all, I don't play the piano, or teach Sunday School, and up until the last couple years I have always hated sitting on the front row!:) I was afraid my clothes were not right and that I didn't have enough scripture memorized. I even tried to convince Nathan that God might be calling him to be an associate pastor first.

I am so thankful I have a husband who listens to the Lord and follows His leadership even when his wife tries to drag her feet a bit!

So for almost 6 years now I have been "the preacher's wife". I am blessed and humbled that God has allowed me to serve in His church and that he has given me such a wonderful husband to serve alongside.

It is just like God to give us His best for what we thought was better!



Our kiddos on the other hand didn't really have a choice. They are preacher's kids, or P.K.s as some like to call them, sort of by default. And like everything there are pros and cons.

Like, not being able to get away with anything because someone is always watching and everyone knows where to find your parents!!;)
Or the fact that our kiddos are at the church every time the doors are open and sometimes even when they are not!

But really the pros far out weigh the cons!
Our boys are constantly showered with love. We have so many members who are committed to praying not only for Nathan but also for our boys. Karter is a walking testimony of what a praying church can do. Kaden, Karter, and Kolson are loved by the nursery workers and I am always blessed by the those three ladies spoil our K-crew and take such great care of them. Kaden and Karter have at least 3 ladies who always gum, mints, or candy on hand just to give to them. We have sweet church members who volunteer to watch our boys and give us a night out every once in a while.
It is difficult not living close to family but I know my boys feel they have several sets of adopted grandparents and aunts and uncles in our church.

We experienced that sweet love first hand today when a sweet family handed me a bag full of Christmas goodies for the boys! They weren't just any gifts...they were gifts that this family knew our boys would love!

Our little P.K.s were in heaven with their new gifts...




We are truly blessed to serve the Lord in His ministry and to serve with such wonderful people.

The Happy Hinotes!!

Right before Christmas my college roommate and her family came to visit! The Hinotes are such a fun family! They love the Lord, stick to their convictions and they love to laugh!


Picture this...4 adults with 5 kids...doesn't sound too bad until you realize that 4 of them are 3 and under and 3 of them are still dealing with potty training and diapers!:) Really, the kids were great. We made through a dinner out with some other friends and their daughter, a trip to the zoo, and a REALLY LONG stay at the McDonalds playground (thanks Nate)!

Some pictures from the zoo...



Pretending to be Rhinos


It was such a fun visit. We ate and hung out, watched a movie (no comments, Wes), and just enjoyed spending time together.

Nathan and I really loved getting to see what little girls were like. Cadence and Kylie are just too cute!



I absolutely love Rhonda and I am so thankful for her friendship. She was the perfect roommate! I was a little quiet and nervous about meeting new people, Rhonda is bubbly outgoing and has never met a stranger. She pushed me out of my comfort zone and we made some of the best friends while we were in college. Our freshman year was so fun (I have lots of silly pictures to prove it). One of the best things I remember was how we encouraged one another to have our quiet times and to grow in the Lord. Today, Rhonda is also married to a minister and we still find ourselves encouraging one another and lifting each other up through the hard times!

And now...the DONUT slayer!

Our great friends, the Hinotes, told us about a yummy donut shop in Round Rock. But Round Rock Donuts is not your typical donut shop. Not only are their donuts slightly orange in color, but they also have a 5 POUND donut. Yes, a donut that weighs 5 pounds.

While I am not a huge donut fan, the 4 guys in my life would eat them for EVERY meal if it were allowed. In fact, Kolson already knows how to say donut and crys when we walk by them in Wal-mart.

And while I am spilling the beans I guess I will confess that I almost always bribe my children to be quite and listen while we are in Wal-mart by giving them a donut to eat as we go through the store...the shame...I know. (And yes, I do pay for them when we get to the front)

So I am sure it will not surprise you that we ventured off of I35 on our way home from San Antonio to experience the 5lb donut for ourselves.

Here it is in all it's beauty...half chocolate/half glazed


Kaden was so excited he could hardly wait


The down side to Round Rock Donuts...there is nowhere to sit inside. They have a few tables outside...but it was freezing. The cold was no match for my donut lovers. Although they did shovel it in pretty quickly!:)


When we got back to the car Kaden proudly declared..."Daddy, I can be the deer slayer, but YOU are the donut slayer!"

Fun Memories!

"Just call me deer slayer..."

During our Christmas week (as I am calling it) we saw a lot of this...




So that the guys could do some of this...


My dad has a deer lease outside San Angelo and invited Nathan and Kaden out for a hunt. So we stopped off at my Grandma's house in San Angelo and my two big boys went to make some memories!

Kaden was so excited to take his brand new BB gun and test it out (not on the deer...he shot a bird with it)!


Nathan shot a deer with Kaden for the fisrt time!



I have never seen a daddy and son more excited!

In fact Kaden told us that we could just call him the "deer slayer"...looks like we have many more seasons of deer hunting in our future!

What fun my boys and their daddy will have in the years to come!

My Word for 2011...

I feel so unprepared...a new year dawning and I still there is stuff to finish from the last one.
I told my friend Jennifer that I wished I had more time to prepare my heart and mind for these big events...Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's...they just seem to seek up on me. It just seems like I can never find that quite place to sit at the Lord's feet and let Him speak to my heart.
I am thankful today that He has provided just that...quite...just me and the Lord (and the occasional opening and closing of doors from boys playing outside and then inside again.)
As I have sat with Him today one word has come to my mind. I have decided to make it my word for the year (thanks for the idea Janelle).

Treasure.


No, not the kind that you find with a map or under an x. For you see I have already found the only treasure I need. I have found the treasure of Jesus. The blessing of family. So many times I find myself searching for other things to satisfy when really my treasure is right here waiting for me.




I am talking about the verb form of treasure.

Webster's says it means to:

hold or keep as precious: Cherish, Prize



So my word, my goal for 2011 is to treasure, to cherish, to prize. To stop striving and searching and trying to make everything meet my crazy weird expectations and to just stop and treasure what is sitting right in front of me. To live fully right here and right now...making the most of every moment to love, and laugh, and grow in His ways.

Do you have a word for the year?

Unredeemed

It was such an honor to sing on the first Sunday of the New Year this morning at our church. How exciting it is to bring in the New Year, a clean slate, a fresh canvas, another opportunity to stand back and watch God in all His wonder work all of the details together.

For this day Nathan and I felt truly drawn by the Lord to a song by Selah called "Unredeemed". The song has grabbed our hearts and will not let go.

I love these words:
"Life breaks and falls apart, but we know these are places where Grace is...soon to be so amazing. They may be unfulfilled, they may be unrestored but when anything that is shattered is layed before the Lord...IT WILL NOT BE UNREDEEMED."

I almost want to shout after I read those words. No matter what has happened, or is happening I can trust that at some point my God, the God who created me, who chose me as His own, and who loved me enough to send His son for me will redeem the broken places.

It almost makes me want to pray that the Lord will break more places in my life just so I can see how He redeems them.

These are not just words to me. I have experienced this redeeming power in very real ways in my own life.

Without a doubt the biggest story of redemption for me is the redemption of my very life. You see God sent His own son to redeem me. Apart from Him there is no good in me, I am just another girl striving to do on my own what I cannot do. It is only through the life that Jesus gave for me that I am redeemed and set free from the striving. I cannot save myself, I can never be good enough, I can never give enough...I can only trust in Him and His redeeming power. So I trust in Him and I know that He has redeemed me and I will spend eternity with Him.

God could have stopped right there. The redemption of my life is far more than I deserve and everything I really need.

But He doesn't stop there. He is a great God who loves to lavish us with His love and promises to make all things new.

My life and dreams where shattered when we lost Konner and the next two precious babies. I wasn't sure where to go or what to do. And then He stepped in and started the redeeming process. He showed Himself to me in ways He never had before and I began to know Him like I hadn't known Him before. I finally understood what joy in the midst of pain was. And that right there would have been enough...just to know Him more. But He didn't stop there...He gave us a precious miracle boy named Karter. I call our sweet red head a walking testimony of the power of prayer.

And the redeeming continued when God surprised us with Kolson. I thought it would end there. 2 precious miracles and the awesomeness of knowing Him more was more than I could have asked for.

But He didn't stop there either...now God has blessed us with the calling and opportunity to adopt. Another precious miracle (or 2) to add to our family. Another chance to know Him more and to trust His leading in our lives.

I am so thankful for a redeeming God!

What is your redemption story?

Click here to view a video of "Unredeemed".

Chritstmas #3

We finally had Christmas #3 on the Wednesday after Christmas! We traveled to San Antonio on Tuesday evening after a short stop in San Angelo (that is another blog to come)! As a matter of fact we made so many stops on our Christmas journey that when we went to leave my parents house Kaden asked...well mom what is our next stop?

I wonder if this is what the wise men felt like when they made the journey to see the Christ child so many years ago?

My sister, my mom, and I stayed up late on Tuesday preparing cinnamon rolls, and breakfast casseroles, and making sure that everything was set to go for "Christmas" morning! I love the special times with my mom and my sister when we don't have a lot of distractions...it is so fun to laugh with the people you love.
(I told you I am from a family of foodies...when we eat, we eat good!)




It was a wonderful morning filled with love and laughter.





Baby Addy seemed to enjoy her first Christmas!


Gabby and the K-crew had blast opening gifts and then playing all day.





It was a beautiful lazy day that ended with some great steaks and even a late night date for Nathan and I!

So thankful for this Christmas day...or week! What a blessing to be able to spend it will all of our family!