You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

One of the items on our Summer Bucket List is ice cream truck!  I am proud to say that we are raising Winston right in the right way.  We hear the ice cream sirens and we immediately stop what we're doing, grab cash and run out the door screaming and waving our arms so that the truck will stop and dispense it's delicious treats to us.  

There was this one time that the truck was on go-speed and didn't even stop at all.  So Benjamin jumped in the car and took off after it!  He caught it a few streets over and brought home a stock pile of Batman ice-creams.  Our favorite!

Duh nuh nuh nuh naaaaaa, Batman!!!

Even Lulu likes to get in on the sweet action!  There's not one member in the family {Truman included} that hasn't had a little taste of the creamy goodness!

A few Sundays ago our church had a picnic with inflatables and also what I consider a dream come true: our very own ice cream truck for the event!

Southern Ice Cream came and brought all of their Blue Bunny goodness along!  Not only did every kid line up for a tasty, cool treat so did the teenagers and adults!

So to sum it up.  We love ice cream.  All kinds.  Especially popsicles.  Ones that look like characters.  We will be eating them all summer.  And fall.  And winter.  And really, who are we kidding - in the spring too!  Because we are popsicle hoarders.  

What is your favorite summer treat?

Lent: Preparing for Easter

Growing up, the Baptist churches I attended did not put a large emphasis on Lent.  The emphasis was always on Holy week and the stations of the cross, walking through the death and resurrection of our Lord.  I remember my Catholic friends talking about Lent because they were required to give something up for 40 days.  I have always treated Easter and the days leading up to the celebration as a time to remember the sacrifice of love and the miracle of the resurrection.  Easter for me is the reason I believe.  My God loved me so much that he sent his only Son to walk on the earth, die for my sins, and to conquer death so that I may live a life rooted in Him! 

Since one of my personal goals is to be more intentional in spending time in the Word, I felt an interest in participating in Lent.  This year I am excited to be participating in the Naptime Diaries Lent devotional, Follow.  It is a forty day study designed to guide the reader through Lent in preparation of the celebration of Easter.  There are eight sections each with a devotional and Scripture to read and meditate on throughout the week.  

Through Instagram I found out about the Children's Lenten Guide designed by OodlesDoodles Print Shop.  Complete with coloring sheets and accompanying Scripture, the downloadable files also come with memorization cards.  While Winston is a bit small for the memorization and will more than likely not quite understand the full meaning of Lent and Easter, I am excited to spend time telling him the story of Jesus and the wonderful gift he so freely gives.  I feel that it is a great time to be intentional about speaking these truths into his little life.  My goal is for us to do the color sheets and one craft that ties in each week.  

But more important than my goals, is my prayer is that this season will be a special time of worship for my family as we intentionally focus on the life and ministry of Jesus, the road to His death on the cross, and His miraculous resurrection from the grave triumphant over death.  I pray that Winston's heart will be soft to the Scriptures that we will read and that our conversations would be on a level that he can start to understand.  

Since Lent starts today, you are not too late to jump into a study.  You can purchase {for $12} the PDF version of Naptime Diaries study here or you can participate {for free!} in the She Reads Truth study through their website, app on your phone or iPad.  And for your kiddos, check out OodlesDoodles for your own copy of the Children's Lenten Guide.  

I'd love to know if you are participating in a study and if so, which one.  Also, share if you are doing anything intentional with your kiddos in the weeks to come!

Dedicated unto the Lord

Benjamin and I experienced a sweet moment in our journey as parents - we dedicated our Winston Ace to the Lord.  In a Saturday night service at Ecclesia, Pastor Chris spoke words of blessing over Winston and anointed him with oil on his head.  The ceremony was simple and special to our hearts.

For me, it was the outward action of recognizing that Benjamin and I are caretakers of Winston as he is truly the Lord's set aside for a purpose.  The realization that the things we teach him and the ways that we encourage him to grow will shape his little personality and world view.  The values we instill in him and the outlets we provide for him to express his creativity will mold how he loves, listens and values others.  

Little baby had been teething hardcore, hence the hand in his mouth in almost every photo!  He also had a costume change after his moment on stage.  He had not been feeling the best but made it through the dedication service like a champ!

My prayer for my Winston is that he would...
... love God firstly and fully.
... follow, unabashedly, the plans that the Lord has for him.
... know that he has a family that loves him beyond words.
... love others well.
... be comfortable in his own skin.
... see each opportunity as an adventure.
... see that while life has challenges, they will always strengthen who he is.
... always know that he has a place at home.

Proverbs 22:6 | Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ecclesia: New Home

Last week Ecclesia held it's first round of services in their new location at 1100 Elder!  When we first started attending Ecclesia, they were purchasing the building, land, street and parking lot with plans to start doing a ton of the remodeling by themselves as a way to cost effectively revamp the old paper warehouse into a collaborative worship environment.

Although there is still work to be done, the space is amazing: open and functional with massive blank walls for displaying artwork!  There are larger dedicated children's areas and Benjamin and I can't wait for Winston to enjoy it!  There are moving walls, concrete floors, and beautiful old windows.  

Since it was the first night, Smilebooth was set up for snapping photos and providing a cute take home for folks who participated.  

We have started attending the Saturday service because it's a little less crowded and we figured that it might be the best time to take WAC when he arrives, but that has yet to be seen!  This week, in helping us continue the celebration of what God has provided, David Crowder will be leading worship!

And yes, that is an armadillo on my arm...he's from Kate Spade and he has been one of my favorite accessories this summer!  He makes a very good conceal-carry purse, just saying.

Project 52: Week 8

Last week was a little hectic as my client was in for the first part of the week and Benjamin was all over Dallas with his dental rotations.  This weekend was Chi Alpha for The Heights and we opened our home to 9th grade boys and two leaders.  Part of this year's activities were held at Group Dynamix rope course and the boys had a fantastic time!

And yes, we had shirts with our name on it and I cannot take credit for them as one of the moms made them for our group.

Until next week,

Chi Alpha 2010

This year was our second year to be a host home for The Heights Student Ministry Chi Alpha event. Growing up, Benjamin and I both participated our church equivalent, Disciple Now, and have such wonderful memories of growing friendships as well as understanding of who our God is. We had the privilege of hosting nine 8th grade boys and two leaders for the weekend.

This year's theme was Just God. Students learned that while our God is a loving, caring God, he is also a just and fair God. They wrote letters and created care packages for transition homes in Dallas. Neil McClendon was the speaker for the weekend and Branch led worship. It was a fabulous weekend - two of our boys made decisions to be Christ-followers!

The weekend also had a winter Olympics theme. Each group was given a country that the youth staff figured the students had never heard of. Our country was Seychelles. One of our boys did a project over this country in the 6th grade and arrived at our house armed with a team flag, team cheer and everything we needed to create T-shirts. Manfred made his youth debut as their mascot complete with matching t-shirt!

Although we were slightly tired after the weekend was over, we were blessed through the experience and look forward to 2011!