Ride Like The Wind

As we all know, Jude LOVES horses. There is just something about horses, ropes, ANYTHING cowboy. So a friend of ours, Erin invited us out for Jude to ride their horse Peaches. Erin is AWESOME with kids. She just graduated from high school and is coming to ACU and cheering for them too! She is one of Jude's favorite people. Jude talked about riding Peaches everyday till we went. So on Friday we went about 30 miles out of town. Jude could not WAIT!!!


Gun: Check
Boots: Check
Rope: Check
Hat: Check

He was standing at the back door for a good 5 minutes like this waiting for me to get everything together. Usually he would've been complaining about having to hold ALL of that, but I didn't even ask him to do this. THAT's what was SO cute. I'm telling you. A total cowboy at heart.


I teared up a little when taking this one. They started walking off and I could hear her talking about what he needed to do to guide Peaches and he just looked SO big up there.


She led Peaches around this huge field. He was in heaven.


Then Erin got on with him so they could go faster. Erin said that when they were galloping, he yelled, "Ride like the wind!!!"


SO happy!


That look is priceless! Definitely worth the 30 minute drive out.


Riding all by himself. My big boy. She taught him how to turn and back up. He was eating it up!


Afterwards, they unsaddled Peaches and this is him carrying in the blanket, you know the stuff REAL cowboys do. It was heavy too! He loved it!
Jude got to brush Peaches after riding, with a little boost from Erin.

Then we jumped in their pool for a swim. Jude liked it.....just a little. :)


She just started teaching Jude to swim on her own. He learned SO much just in that 45 minutes. She is amazing! Thanks Erin for such a fun time!!

More Back Posts......

Ok. For those who don't have bloglines (if you don't and read several blogs, you need to check into it!! - go to bloglines.com) , I have posted a few new posts. You'll have to scroll down to June 30th, July 3rd and 4th. That's where you'll find them.

Giving another "talk"

Today has been a little different. Not because I am have a total of 9 kids in the house, that IS a little different but that isn't quite what I'm talking about when I say different. (The kids are napping if you are wondering how I am blogging right now.)

*****TOUCHY SUBJECT - READ AT YOUR OWN RISK*****

I have felt for the past couple of weeks that God was inching my heart closer to telling Avery about something I have been DREADING. Last summer (before her 5th grade year), we had THE talk. The one where she was SHOCKED and yelled, "You mean you and daddy have done that 4 times!?" (Cause I told her that is where kids come from) Yeah, THAT talk. S.E.X.

So like I said I really have felt God prodding me to tell Avery about............homosexuality. I know. Touchy, right? It is SO hard for me to talk about. I want to shelter my kids from all worldly things. I'm just like that. I probably shelter them too much, but as a mom that is my right. They are MY kids. I know with Avery going into middle school, she needed to have some true answers about the subject. After telling God no for the last few weeks, I gave in. Believe it or not it was because of Kathy Griffin. The tv was on a commercial for her show and it just hit me like a TON of bricks. (She talks about gay people a lot on her show) Don't ask me how. God spoke to me though. I knew it was time.

I took her to the laundry room and we sat on the ground. I started off talking about last years talk and how God made us to love each other no matter what. Everyone sins, but it is how we handle those sins that make us who we are. Then I began to talk about what it means to be "gay". She thought that it meant happy!! I LOVE that. I told her that it DOES mean that, but now adays when it is said it means that someone is a homosexual. She was a little shocked at what that meant, but I could see it soaking in within the context I had started the conversation.

I started crying talking about someone that we know is gay. I love this person beyond words and so does Avery. I told her that I didn't want to tell her about it until she loved our friend for WHO she is, not WHAT she is. She IS a WONDERFUL, CARING, BEAUTIFUL, GENEROUS, and LOVING friend. I have loved her for SO long, it is impossible to NOT love her. Avery felt that and cried along with me. That moment was VERY special to me. It will be a lifelong memory for me and her as well I imagine.

I am SO proud of how Avery reacted and handled the WHOLE conversation. It really can be an awkward thing to talk about, but she was more ready to hear it than I thought that she would be. She is so much more spiritually mature than I was at that age (11) and I am just proud of the little prayer warrior she has become. She really motivates me to be a better person and Christian. It is fun to look up to your daughter on a spiritual level. Strange, but really enjoyable too. Pretty soon I will be looking up to her in a different way. She is about 5'3". CRAZY!

I told Avery that if she EVER has any questions about it, to ask. She has already told me she has thought of one. I have so many questions MYSELF about it, I pray I have an answer for her.

It is what it is??

At my house we have a little pet peave with the saying, "It is what it is". Glen and I always look at each other when we hear anyone say it. It's just a funny saying. I am always so surprised at WHO says it too. I have heard some VERY smart people just throw it out there like it is something smart to say. That''s when Glen and I look at each other like, 'Did you catch that one'? and then of course we roll our eyes at each other. It's just a "thing" with us.

I have a few questions.....Where did it come from? Who started it? What does it mean? Do you or anyone you know say it?

I just think it is one of the funniest saying around and truly just don't get it. But I guess it is what it is, huh?

FUNKED!

I have a few more back posts to do, but for right now I am taking a SMALL break from it. That means that I will probably do it tonight. Ha.

Today has just been a day. I have been keeping kids this summer 3 days a week and I have been loving it! I actually have a little spending money this summer which has been awesome! Plus, my girls are SUCH helpers! I am paying them $2 each a day for helping me, which they have LOVED!! They each gravitated towards one child and that is who they are "in charge" of. Kind of like the Duggars mom does. You know she is the mom with 20 or so kids and each older child is in charge of a younger. Anyway. That is how our summer has gone......until today.

This week the girls are in Arlington having a blast at music camp. So...I am here alone this week keeping an additional 4 kids + Jude. The kids are GREAT kids. Really. I'm not just saying that! I LOVE them. But .....they TOTALLY outnumber me and if I'm not on top of my game, I get railroaded with fussing, fighting, and tattling. Today, I was NOT on top of my game. The kids were fine, I just was in a strange funk today, so....it was just a hard day.

Glen even stayed up (he drove all night) to help me, but I still missed my girls. We just have a routine, ya know. Bailey holds the baby while I make the bottle, while Ave puts one to bed, while Parker gets the mat out for another. We just have it down to a science!! Today it didn't QUITE happen that way. My point is.....I TOTALLY miss my girls!! All round, I miss them.

I DID make it through the day!! BUT my funk is still here. So, instead of moping around the house and trying to keep Jude quiet, WE are going to the pool. Get this! I am even going under today ya'll. Yep. It's a getting my hair wet kind of day.

Just keeping it real. Sorry if this sounds gripy!!

Happy Birthday America!

We had a busy 4th of July. First we went to Glen's family's celebration they have every year. I've posted about it before, here & here, but it really is a neat experience. My kids really look forward to it each year.


Here is a picture of Glen's Grandaddy giving the Flag ceremony talk. Look at that hat. We take this holiday very serious in our family.


Jude before helping carry his flag out


Sadly this is the best picture I got of the flag ceremony. We did it a different way this year and they all came out at once. I just couldn't get a good picture. Sorry.


That night, we went to the Sheets house for dinner and to watch fireworks. They live about 3 blocks away from the big event and had a GREAT view of all the action.


Jude being "the man" pushing his sister around. She seems to think it was fun. Not sure about Jude.


These are all of the kids doing sparklers. They had a blast spraying fire around. ha. Freaked me out a little.


Avery and Sydney - This is one of the kids I keep and the one that Avery has claimed. I literally have to tell her to put her down, not this night obviously!


This is where most everybody watched the fireworks. There were a few of us on the ground, but a lot of people watched from the boat.


Bailey during the fireworks


Parker posing for the camera


Parker wanted to take a picture of me and Glen and this is the one that she took. She loves to take pictures.


If you want to see a picture of the whole group, go here. Boat and all.

Happy 4th Everyone!!

Parker turns big #7!

Parker's birthday party was this weekend. She wanted a Hannah Montana sleepover, so a HM sleepover is what she got. She had 3 of her friends and one of Avery's. When I asked her why she was inviting Bethany(Ave's friend), she said that she wanted Avery to have someone there too. I'm not sure if that was selfish being that Avery and Bethany would leave them alone or what, but Bethany came too.

I want to thank LB for teaching my kids that you can slide down the stairs on sleeping bags!! :) They LOVED doing this. Squeals galore! Sorry for the red eyes!


The home-made Strawberry birthday cake (my first time to make that one). I have to admit, when I usually make their cakes, I use a box. I know, I know! Don't judge me! Even though this took more time and effort, it was fun and it made me feel like I was being a good mom. Don't ask me why. I know it sounds dumb, ok?


Me and the birthday girl (missing 6 teeth!) with her cake


The birthday crew (without Bethany - Parker's plan worked. Ave and B were playing outside!)


"Happy Birthday to you...." Blow out the candles!!


This picture is SO funny, because she was SHOCKED and SO excited to get this Hannah Montana doll!! Can you tell??? Ha. Thanks Cindy!


I love this one because she looks SO happy. She loved everything that she got.

Parker is such a fun loving, happy, life of the party girl. She was the first of my kids to get a dimple. I remember when the nurse said," She is pink as a little pig! AND she has a dimple on her left cheek!" I tell her that story often and we both laugh. Well, she laughs while I tear up. I love her so much and am so proud of who she is. And did I mention I think she is GORGEOUS?? I know I'm her mom, but I just had to say it, OK??