Baseball, Bushes, and Banjos

Yesterday was Opening Day for baseball here in Leeds. We started with Kenzie's team pictures at 7:30 a.m. and finished with Alex's ballgame wrapping up at 4:30 p.m.

Although it was exhausting, our day was a lot of fun! Between all the games and pictures, the kids played on all the inflatables that were at the park. There was also an auction to help raise money for the park. I don't usually bid on much, but this time I found a painting that I really like, and guess what..... I Won!!!! Now I just have to find somewhere to put it in my house. It is like a sidewalk cafe in Paris, but I don't have room for it in my kitchen (although I think it would look good there) so I think I will put it in my bedroom. I need a new comforter, so I may as well get one to match it.

After we left the ballpark we got cleaned up and went to see our friends the Key's. We haven't seen them much lately. They have been on a 7 month long field trip to Chattanooga, TN and now they are back in Hoover. We had a great visit. Elizabeth who is a vegetarian, although she will prepare "flesh" for my family to eat, made tacos for dinner (did you know they make a vegi product that looks and tastes just like ground beef?). It was great to see them I hate that we had to leave so early (Shane was falling asleep).

Today we worked in the yard. Shane cut the grass and I edged the yard, trimmed bushes and

and pulled weeds. Then we put out pine straw. I don't really understand the point in doing that. I spent a lot of time getting leaves and weeds out then we pay for pine straw and spread it all over our flower bed?! After we finished that project, we were on to a new one. Sydney has had 2 weeks to work on an instrument project and of course being our child, she waited until the last minute to do it. She chose to write about the violin. The report took several hours and a few breakdowns, but alas she finished writing it. Next, we had to make a violin. We cut, we glued, we colored, we burned our fingers and then.........

It may not sound great, but it looks pretty good.

All and all we had a great weekend filled with family time (doesn't get any better than that)!

Easter Sunday

Sydney, Alex and Kenzie

Being a Dad

You know I love being a Dad! But it is probably one of the most challenging things that I have ever done in my life. I have wanted children for as long as I can remember and I have enjoyed every moment of being a Dad. But the question I always find myself asking is, am I a good Dad? Balancing your time between work and a loving wife is hard, but when you add three Kids to the mix each with their own schedules and activities it makes life even more complicated. I coach Alex's baseball team and I get great enjoyment out of doing this, but I am so hard on him, so much harder then I am the other kids. Its only because I want him to do good, and succeed. But I too often leave practice thinking it is just a game, why am I so hard on him, why am I making something that is supposed to be fun seem like something that is so important when its really not. I pray often that my passion for my faith and me teaching my child that faith would become just as important to me. And I am ashamed to say that all to often its not. My beautiful girls mean so much to me too. Baseball takes up so much of my time right now, I feel like they feel neglected for Daddy time. I try so hard to balance my time with them, but again this is something that I all too often feel that I don't do very well. So Sydney, and Kenzie if you are reading this just know that I love you so much and I am sorry that I am not able to spend much time with you right now. Anyway I just thought I would share with you the latest thing I am stressing about. (Something I seem to do all too often.)

Shane

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, what a week! I feel like I have been going non - stop this week. It is nice to be able to sit back and ponder ( I like that word) and sort through my week, if I didn't I would just see a blur of activity and not the blessings within it. Monday, my mom (Mo) decided to call her doctor about some chest pains that have been getting progressively worse over the past month (or so). Well of course she was sent to the ER and spent the day there doing tests and finally being admitted so that they could do more tests on Tuesday. Our Monday ended with Alex and Kenzie having baseball practice until 9:00, this made our week start out with everyone tired and grumpy. Tuesday was very hectic, I chaperoned Kenzie's class (with Jackson in tow) to Leeds First Baptist to watch the Bham Children's Theater do Jack and The Bean Stalk. It was a very cute production. That night Sydney's girl scout troop had the honor of saying the Pledge of Allegiance at a PTA meeting and Shane called a batting practice for Alex's team because what in the world would we do if we had one night without baseball. This was also report card day the kids did great!!! I am very proud of them and how hard they work. Well I told you that Tuesday was test day for Mo. They tested her from head to toe and by that night they finally decided that they needed to do an arteriogram on Wednesday because she may have blockage in one of the arteries in her heart. This was no fun for her to hear, but I think she was happy to have a plan of action to figure out why she was in such terrible pain. Wednesday Kenzie had an Easter program, It was so cute. Whenever I see her on stage singing and having a great time, I think of the Thanksgiving program (2006) when she had a broken ankle and could not stand. She looked so sad and wouldn't sing I just sat in the audience and cried. It was such a blessing watching her with her hands raised singing and smiling (and standing). After her program, I left her at school for my mother-in-law to pick up after she hunted eggs and had her party. Heather and I headed to the hospital to see Mo (Dawn was already there). When we got there she was just coming out of surgery. They told us that they had to give her a pig heart and that she should be fine soon. We just ask that you say a prayer for Sal and his family, we are saddened that the pig had to die so that she could have his heart. Of course I am kidding although it sure was fun trying to convince her that she had a pig heart while she was coming off of the meds from surgery. Actually they did find a blockage, and put in a stint. They say she should be feeling better soon and in fact they want her to go back to work on Monday (her Bday). It is funny that some of the best visits you have with people are in hospital rooms. We had a good time hanging out. Heather and I left in time for her to pick up the kids from daycare (before they kicked them to the curb). That night Shane had a baseball meeting (probably fabricated since there was no practice). Thursday Mo got out of the hospital and went home to rest (her earthly home). Sydney and Kenzie had gymnastics and Alex had baseball practice. After gymnastics we changed Kenzie in the car and rushed her to her practice baseball game. Of course we could not leave empty handed, Jorden (Sydney's friend) came home with us. Friday, the kids were out of school for Good Friday and we also had Adam (my nephew which was nice-I don't get to see him much). We hung out here half of the day and then we picked up Mo and went to Heather's house. We had a nice visit. Friday night Alex's jump rope team performed at the AL vs AU gymnastics meet. So we travelled to Tuscaloosa and watched that. They did a great job. That brings me to today. I am cooking a pineapple upside down cake for Mo's bday party tonight at Heathers' house and I am also cooking for our Resurrection Day celebration tomorrow. Shane's mom (Linda) will be coming over to celebrate with us. I am sure she will dye eggs with the kids, she usually does this because that is one of the things I really don't like to do but the kids love. Well this has been my week in a nut shell (pretty big nut). As you can see it was full of blessings. My mom is alive, my Kenzie can walk, my oldest 2 are hard working, smart children, and my husband loves his son and wants his baseball experience to be a great one. Most importantly, God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die and be resurrected for our sins!!! Praise Jesus in all things!!!!!!!

Refined for a purpose

Malachi 3:3 And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver...

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three they came across verse three which says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it."

I don't usually like forwarded emails but this one is a great illustration of how our heavenly father molds us. I looked up the verse after I read this and I realized that the verse doesn't end there. I think it is important that we not leave off the last part of the verse....
....... that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
He refines us for His glory and purpose, not ours.

My zoo goes on a field trip

Sydney and Alex had their eyes checked today. As with most of my outings with 4 kids (my 3 plus my nephew Jackson) it was crazy!!! It is like trying to take the whole Orangutan exhibit at the zoo through an office filled with rows and rows of eye glasses hanging on the wall. By the way - you touch one and they all go down. I have to say that if you ever need an eye doctor in Leeds I can recomend Dr Pulliam and his staff. They did not seem to mind that we treated their glasses display like dominoes or that my nephew sang and shook his rattle for 2 1/2 hours non-stop (I think they put caffine in his formula today).

Having two visually impared parents has definitely caught up with my oldest two kids. Sydney has been wearing glasses for almost 2 years. I neglected to get her eyes checked last year and apparently that was a mistake, I dont think her current glasses are doing her a bit of good (other than making her look so cute). I know she will be happy to get her new ones, I dont know how she has been seeing the board at school. This was Alex's first eye check. He had a vision screening at school and was told that his left eye was a little nearsighted. We decided that it was because he keeps his hair in his eye all of the time. We even almost had him talked into cutting his hair. Then the doctor had to tell him that he cant see out of either eye and that he should keep his hair (Dr pulliam has a receading hair line). Hey thanks doc!
When they have their new glasses I will have to post a picture of them.

By 12:30 I had 2 of my little monkeys safely deposited at school and my other 2 back at home needing naps.

What I like

All three of my children are talented and unique. It is interesting to see how different 3 people, that have the same parents, can be. Alex likes all sports and Kenzie has just started gymnastics and baseball. Sydney is involved in gymnastics, girl scouts and she has recently started going to a writers workshop at school. In her workshop, Sydney had to write either a story or a poem. She decided to write a poem about herself. I loved it so much I just had to share it.

This is Sydney's poem:

What I Like
by: Sydney St. John

I like webkinz, books, and the computer
I like sewing, but I am more of a dancer
Most of all I like me
I like music and T.V.
I like the beach and the sea
But what I really like is me
I like sushi and ice-cream
I like hanging out with my friends
I like doing things with my family
But now you see what I really like is me

________________________
I like her too.

We are joining the bandwagon

I am happy to say that I am now an official blogger. It looks like everyone is having so much fun with this, so how could I not join in. I don't really have anything profound or earth shattering to say, but I do like to ramble on (as far as I can tell that is all you need to know to write a blog). For the most part I will probably be writing about my children, not because they are so interesting (well, I think they are) but because they and their activities consume most of our time. I hope you enjoy!
Have a Blessed day.
Jamie