Clever little Boy

Today the boys had a blanket on their back and they were pretending that they were turtles. Jocie decided to play so she got on her hands and knees on the floor to crawl around like a turtle to. Well, the boys told her that she wasn't a turtle because she didn't even have a shell, but Jocie told them that her bottom was her shell. Spencer got a little grin on his face and said, "Then put your head in your shell".

Stinky Easy Mac!

Today my Mother In Law came over to let me rest this morning since we didn't get in from Six Flags until 2:00 this morning. She had the great idea to make the kids pancakes. (Us and our great ideas!) Well, she gets in the house with a mission to make pancakes, but the kids have other plans for Grandma! They wanted to tell her about every detail of their trip. Joey was going down the list of rides the he rode and the list of rides that he will ride next time. Melody got down a blown glass hummingbird that Spencer got on his trip yesterday, broke it, and Spencer went in hysterics! He was crying so hard. At the same time everyone of them wanted to help make pancakes with Grandma. When I walked into the kitchen Joey had the hot glue gun fixing Spencer's hummingbird, and Spencer was insisting that he knew how to crack eggs. It is true that Spencer knows how to crack eggs. He smacks them on the counter real hard and they crack all over the place! So, that's what he did and he got grossed out at the egg all over his hand so he ran to the bathroom to throw up. Did I mention that the two little girls had the spice drawer opened and their fingers in the powdered sugar? They did.
So, with all that going on I decided it was time to go back to bed. :) I was in bed all snuggled up just about asleep when Shirley comes to my room panicked because she thought she couldn't get my stove turned off so it was smoking up the place. I got up out of bed and walked into the kitchen that was full of smoke. It was terrible! Everyone was coughing and choking. Melody had taken her orange juice and ran for cover and spilled it all over the floor.
Come to find out Grandma Shirley makes different pancakes then Mommy does. She makes whole wheat pancakes so they are brown. My kids didn't think brown pancakes were going to work out for them so they wouldn't eat them. The girls decided they wanted waffles, Spencer wanted Toaster Studel, and Joey wanted a box of Easy Mac that I got free at the store the other day. He insisted that he knew how to make the Easy Mac. Unfortunately, his Easy Mac skills are as great as Spencer's egg cracking skills!
Shirley had turned off my stove correctly. Joey had cooked a package of Easy Mac for three and a half minutes without using any water! Oh my goodness that macaroni was completely black! It was horrible. Smoke was every where! We had to open all the doors and some of the windows. Jocie kept saying, "It's in my throat!" I can still taste it. When Randy came home for lunch he had a strange face and asked, "What's cooking?" I think he was relieved that it wasn't his lunch in the making.
So, my house smells like crispy pancakes! So does everything that you cook in the microwave! Joey can't stop talking about it. He was glad that Miles was still asleep because he didn't think that Miles could have handled the smell.
My Mother-in-Law said that I probably wasn't going to let her come over any more after that episode. YEAH RIGHT! If she thinks that smoking up my kitchen one time is going to prevent me from letting her take care of my five children while I take a nap she's wrong! She's going to have to come up with something better than that! :)
The ending...Joey and Spencer came to my room and said that they were going to make a banner that read, "Easy Mac Stinks!" and sit in front of Wal-Mart with it. Comments like that make it all worth it!

Tribute to Holli

Today is Holli's Birthday. I'm going to drive there today to Surprise her for her birthday! I'm so excited! I made her a scrapbook page with the following story on it and I felt like sharing it.

Once upon a time there were two beautiful Princess Girls named Holli & Brandi.
They were the best of friends! They enjoyed lots and lots of adventures together. Their King was the King of Kings! His name was and IS Jesus! He loved them both very dearly! In a book that the King wrote he said the he thought of Princess Holli and Princess Brandi more times than there are grains of sand!
Princess Holli & Princess Brandi saw each other through so many good times, and a few bad times. They watched their bellies grow when they were having babies at the same time. They also saw each other’s clothes size go up and down, up and down, and up and down. They discussed many times how they could keep their clothes from going up again! They attended countless birthday parties together. They enjoyed long talks with lots of laughing and lots of crying. They watched as their two children turned into eight children. They even tried taking all their kids to a movie once, but that didn’t work out too well.
One day Princess Holli moved away, and both Princess girls were sad. They thought things would never be the same, but then they realized that their Father, King Jesus had put something inside the Princess Girls that would forever make them friends. Jesus filled them with so much love inside that the Princess Girls couldn’t help but continue their friendship! He showed them that they could mail love gifts and letters, and that they could even talk on the phone. He even made a way for Princess Brandi to Surprise Princess Holli on her birthday with a visit! King Jesus was so caring to the Princess Girls.
There really is no end to this story. Princess Holli & Princess Brandi’s friendship does not even end in death! It goes on and on throughout eternity! You see, their King Jesus has a mansion in heaven where they will live some day. One day Princess Holli sent a card to Princess Brandi requesting that Holli’s mansion was right next to Brandi’s and I’m sure King Jesus will see to that!


Happy Birthday Princess Holli!

With Much Love,
Princess Brandi

Just so you know...

For those that were there last night I must tell you that I am not as disapointed as I may have seemed. I honestly went there last night thinking that anything in the whole world could happen.
Since I wrote last time that Miles healing could be compared to an expectant "water breaking" before a birth I would say that last night with Alan was like going to the hospital with contractions 3 minutes apart and then the labor stopping. It's a little heart breaking and the adrenaline is pumping, but it's not devastating because I know it's still going to happen. It just wasn't last night. I remember comforting myself when I was pregnant towards the end with the knowledge that I wasn't going to be pregnant forever. It was impossible. I feel the same way about Miles healing. It's impossible that he will be this way forever. The Lord has birthed something in me so real that you cannot tell me it's untrue.

So, you may ask why all the crying last night. I tell you, I needed that release! I've been here at this house with such hope and anticipation that I can't sleep. Yesterday after Brian's sermon I couldn't think of anything else besides my desert being over very soon. I had the whole excitment of Alan V. being there and since him and Jesus are "Besties" I had every reason to believe that it could have happened last night. Hey, I took my camera with me. Brian is always talking about having high expectations and I did. If bringing your camera to church to catch the action isn't faith then I don't know what is! Anyway, I needed a good cry! It felt great.

Also, I remember another reason I was crying. Being there last night I was again reminded about how much everyone loves my family and how they carry the burden along side of me. I didn't know everyone was around me while Alan was praying until it was all over. I looked up and everyone was there with broken and expectant hearts just like me. It's a feeling that I can't explain to you. The world doesn't know the feeling of being of one accord with so many people. I know that Miles is not my own. I share him with so many other people. If I could bottle the feeling that I felt/feel then I could sell Love. It's an amazing and unfamilar feeling to have with so many people all at once. Anyway, as I sat down I don't know why but I felt Pam's heart for me and I broke. It was all too much. I don't know why it was Pam, but I could just see her face in my head and it made me cry. We're all in this together. We will all take part in the celebration. We will all be forever changed.

Honestly, here's how I think it's going to go down. I'm not saying it has to go this way. I'm open for the Lord to do whatever his plan is, but this plan is just off beat enough to be from the Lord. I really think that I will walk in Miles room one day and he will be up and playing with stuff in his room. I don't think anyone will lay hands on him. I don't think it will be a special day. I just think that the Lord will flip the switch in Miles and he will be perfectly whole and he will be doing everything he should be doing at his age. No one will get credit for praying for him. Randy and I will not be patted on the back for fasting and praying day and night for him. God will only be the one that is glorified!

One thing I kept finding myself saying yesterday afternoon and last night was, "I will not trust in chariots." Do you remember that song...and verse where it says, "Some men trust in horses. Some men trust in chariots but I will trust in the name of the Lord." I don't want chariots, men or me to get any credit for healing Miles. I only want the Lord to be glorified forever for healing Miles so wonderfully and complete.

Yesterday afternoon I was praying and telling the Lord if he was ready to heal Miles that night that he knew I was ready. I also asked him if it wasn't in his perfect timing to heal Miles then I would love to have some encouragment or word to keep me going. Well, the Lord was faithful! Here's what Alan said after he prayed for Miles: He said that Miles was going to be okay. He said he could feel it in his spirit and in his bones. He said that Miles' healing would be miraculous. He prayed that Miles would catch up quickly and do the things that other kids his age are doing.
Those were the words of encouragment that I was looking for. That's what I've been saying already. I loved that he said that he was going to be okay. That word okay might not seem great to you but it's been the same word over and over to me from the beginning. He's going to be okay. I also got a word from Tina and she said that she felt like the Lord was making her tell me that I was going to recieve my miracle. Cole told me that he kept hearing that Hope does not despair. (That word HOPE is another word that has been spoken to me over and over.)
Before all those words I was sitting there with my head on the chair and pouring out all my heart and emotions to the Lord when I felt like he was telling me that this was the last time I was going to cry for Miles' healing. After I heard that, Patty Clark said that she heard, "It is finished."
Anyway, all that to say that even if it didn't look like it, I left there feeling more encouraged and excited than ever.

To go along with Alan's teaching last night I feel like with this situation I have experienced the death of Jesus with the first year of Miles' life, and I experienced the true resurrection of Jesus when he healed my heart. I was not and am not the same person that I was before my death. The Lord changed me and healed me in such a complete way that I don't even feel or process things in the same way. As I see it I'm now ready to experience Pentecost. I'm ready to experiece his power first hand and I will never be the same. No one around me will ever be the same. The Lord is about to birth something out of me that will change me forever and all those I know and will know. I'm already saying that every birth pain I have felt during this time is worth it. I know the Lord's plan is great and perfect. I'm glad that he chose Randy and I for this promotion. You know, something that Krissy told me a long time ago has stuck with me. She told me that the people in the Bible didn't get in the Bible for having an easy life. The ones with a easy life didn't make it in there. The "good stuff" is in the Bible. I'm glad to be a part of the "good stuff".
Bring it on Lord! I'm ready for Pentecost!

My Dream

5:50 A.M. I was awakened by a wonderful dream! I felt like I was supposed to get up and write it down. Here's the dream:

Randy, my Mom and I had taken Miles and maybe Joey to the nursery of a church we were going to for some function. After the service we all went into the nursery and Miles was sitting in front of Joey on the floor. When I was getting the diaper bag I thought to myself, "It sure does seem that he's looking right at me."
Then I noticed he was sitting up by himself. When I noticed this he looked at both Randy and I and smiled big and made a cute baby giggle. Then, he stood up or Joey helped him stand up and Miles bent over to do a summersault flip on the floor.
I stood there and looked at his shoes to make sure that was indeed Miles. When I knew that it was I said, "MOM-"
I was motioning to my Mom to see her grandson. I couldn't talk. My breath was gone. I fell to the floor in worship/shock/I want to hold my boy when I woke up.
My heart was pounding! My first thought was thanks to God for the encouragment that He had given me.
Miles' healing was the last thing I thought about before I fell asleep and the first thing I thought about this morning.

One thing that was encouraging to me was that in my dream Miles KNEW us! I've been wondering when God heals Miles if it will be strange to live with this new little boy. I've been wondering if we were all going to have to get to know one another. This dream settled that in me. Miles knew us when he saw us. His eyes were so full of life. They were twinkling.
I cannot explain how excited I am!

That ol' familar feeling...

I wrote this at church yesterday during worship. I was having this old familar feeling and I realized what the feeling was.

June 4, 2006
It's like when I was pregnant and I was always awaiting my water to break. Every time I would get up I thought it would happen. When I was at a place I would think about what I would do if my water were to break there. I would make plans on how I was going to react, who I was going to call and how I was going to get out of there. I imagined what I would feel like and the emotions that I would go through.
Just like that, I feel that way about Miles' healing. I'm expecting him to be running around at any minute. During worship I was expecting for Jennifer Fraiser to bring Miles to me any minute because he was running around.
Time is near. I'm almost due!

Buzz Cut

Today I took Joey & Spencer to cut their hair. We've talked about Joey geting a "Buzz Cut" for years but we've never done it. I thought the term Buzz Cut was official haircutting language for shaved head but the haircut performer was not familiar with this thing called the Buzz Cut. I immediately became nervous about letting the lady loose with a razor near my son's head. That was an unexpected tangent. I had planned on writing something else about the trip.

Okay, so we were sitting there waiting for the haircuts and we already knew Spencer was getting his red locks cut and the big debate was if I was going to indeed let Joey get a "Buzz Cut" this time or not. I was undecided so I just told Joey to pray about it and ask the Lord if he should get one or not. Joey agreed and closed his eyes and then he opened them back up and smiled big at me and said, "Oops...I prayed the lunch prayer".

Buddha

Last week Randy (my husband) planned to take our boys to breakfast on the last day of school. They all planned to eat donuts. One of my sons wanted to go to his favorite donut shop and the other son wanted to go to his favorite donut shop. Of course what happened is big brother Joey talked little brother Spencer into going to Joey’s place of choice.
So, they got to the donut shop and have their donuts picked out when Joey asked Randy if they could all eat in the van. Randy didn’t want to, and Spencer protested so they sat down at a table. Randy looked at Joey and he had tears filled in his eyes. Joey asked Randy if he knew why he was upset and Randy told him that he didn’t. Joey said, “Because they have the Idol Buddha here and I don’t want to be here”.
When Randy heard the reason he agreed with Joey and they all went to the van. They decided to eat their donuts at the park across the street from their school. As they were sitting there Joey was talking about how he couldn’t believe they had the Idol Buddha there. When Spencer heard this he was outraged and said, “You mean they had Idols there? Do they worship them?” Randy said that they probably did. Then Randy asked Joey if we should still continue to eat there. Joey thought about his for a minute and he said, “I really like their food, but we can’t eat there anymore because they worship Idols.”

I’ve been thinking about this so many times since that day. How awesome would it be if each of us were as mature as this 7 year old thinking? If something’s wrong we choose not to do it. If something goes against the Word of God then we stay away from it. If we enjoy something but it’s not pleasing or honorable to God we run to our van. So, I guess my tip for the month is:

If you’re around something the Lord said BAN
don’t sin just run to the VAN!