Sometimes I want to lock 'em up!

Some days these kids of mine drive me so crazy I just want to lock them in their rooms and tell them not to come out till morning.  All the bickering, whining, and tattling just gets on my nerves.

So tonight I was afraid it was heating up to be one of those nights.  We had actually had a great day up until this point, spending time at the local Children's Museum (which is much improved, by the way, compared to a few years ago) and then hanging out with my mom and stepfather.  The kids spent the day laughing and playing well together.

But, if you're a parent, you probably know how things go when it's time to wind down and get ready for bed.  The kids somehow find this last burst of energy and begin running around like crazy people trying to delay their fate of the inevitable bedtime that looms ahead.

I managed to corral them both and give them a 2 minute scrub down in the bath before I jumped in the shower.  They were given instructions to get dressed for bed and brush their teeth and this was to be completed before I got out of the shower.  Knowing they would delay as much as possible, I lingered in the shower for quite some time (it was all for their benefit of course).  And then, after a few minutes into my shower I heard one of their bedroom doors close.  It wasn't a slamming of a door so I wasn't concerned that they were mad at each other over which color underwear one of them chose to wear or anything like that.  But instead it was the gentle closing of the door that made me think they were hiding something from me behind those closed doors.  What kind of trouble were they up to this time?

I got out of the shower and took my time getting ready, hoping they would decide to shut down whatever devious antic they were up to before I was able to discover it myself.  I leaned in to the closed door to listen to their whispers.  To my surprise, from what I could make out, it sounded rather innocent.

But, I've been dooped by that trick before.  You know the one.  Everything is exceptionally quiet so you ignorantly believe it's A OK only to find out they are crafting up some evil plan to destroy the world, or at least to hide your car keys so they don't have to go to the grocery store as planned in the morning.  So I faced a delimema...open the door and risk interrupting a rare moment of peaceful play between the two.  Or, bust through that door and take them down along with their plan to wreak havoc on me and my world.

I chose a plan somewhere in the middle.  And when I ever so slightly cracked open the door and peaked my head inside, this is what I saw...

Now isn't that the sweetest thing ever?  Both kids with pj's on.  Big sister reading a book to little sister.  Just hanging out in the toddler bed.  Now that makes my heart happy.  And it reminds me that these kids of mine are such sweet blessings from our gracious and loving God.

Tomorrow, they might be locked in their rooms for the night.  But  tonight, we cuddled and savored the moment.

Disney Day 2 - Magic Kingdom

Disney Day 2 - Magic Kingdom Let me back up a minute before I give the rundown on our day at the park. The night before, once I got settled into bed and began dreaming about all the fun we were going to have, I kind-of started to panic just a little bit. I kept thinking, "What if we spend ALL this money and all we do is stand in line all day? What if we don't get to see the characters and ride the rides that are top of our list? What if? What if? WHAT IF?" I was driving myself crazy! So, being the calm and cool person that I am (I'm not being sarcastic. I really am calm and cool just like you know me to be...most of the time. But we won't go there.) I decided to make a plan. I spread out my park map and times guide across the bed. I pulled up the Disney site on my iPad and my free Disney apps on my iPhone. And I got to work! I made lists of all the attractions we hoped to see, the characters we wanted to greet, the rides designated as FASTPASS, and a few low dollar/highly nutritious places to eat. I decided we'd start at the back of the park and work our way forward collecting our FASTPASSes when available. Somewhere I read that was a good strategy and I thought it sounded like a good plan, and that night I was a sucker for a plan. Whew! I had a plan. But just when I thought I had it all figured out, I realized I had no idea how to get there, or where to park, or how much time it would take to get there. Once again I was back on the iPad trying to find some good advice on how to navigate straight to a spot in the first row of the parking lot. Not too long after, I stumbled upon a guy that boasted numerous visits to Magic Kingdom and how he had the trick to avoiding a 2 mile trek from parking spot to gate entrance. His advice: park at Epcot (since the parking lot is smaller and less crowded) then jump on the monorail to the Magic Kingdom parking , then get off and hop on another monorail to the entrance of Magic Kingdom. Sounded a little complicated but I decided to go with "the expert". I can't say it was the best advice I received during our trip, but we tried it and it got us there just fine. We did land a prime spot at Epcot...as in, if we were ONE car back we would have started a brand new parking row which would have literally been about 300 meters from the monorail and that translates into about 2 miles at the end of the day. After going through the bag check at Epcot we boarded the first monorail. The kids loved it and I was already snapping pictures of my cute kiddos. We hopped off one rail and headed for the next and we were met by a swarm of preschoolers and their parents all heading the same direction we were. Fortunately, this was one of those lines that even though it looked like it would take an eternity, it actually moved pretty quick. We were on and off fairly quick, went through another bag check, and then scanned our tickets and our fingerprints (What? You want my fingerprint? Whatever, just get me to the Mouse!) and we were finally inside the gates of Magic Kingdom! Let me just say, when trying to navigate around the park, it is two totally different perspectives when just looking at a map of the park and actually STANDING in the park. We walked in the front gates and I was completely in awe and overwhelmed. My plan to head to the back of the park first was completely pitched straight out the window and I don't think that was even a conscious decision. I was just seriously overwhelmed by the masses of people, the grandeur of the buildings and the enormity of things to do. With having scrapped Plan A, I quickly created Plan B which was to stand in the first long line we came to because obviously there must be something good to see at the end of that line. (Plan B actually started with a potty break since it took nearly an hour to actually arrive in park after leaving hotel...seriously, it took that long.) I have to give myself a little credit because I did manage to locate a FASTPASS for both the Mickey (and Minnie) Mouse Magical Meet and Greet and the Disney Princess Meet and Greet (it was right at the entrance so really I don't deserve much credit at all). Once again, the long line we just happened upon moved rather quickly and we were delighted to know it was a character meet and greet for Daisy Duck. The girls and I stood in line while Chris found a shady corner to make a work conference call (there is no such thing as a vacation for Chris. Oh wait, work IS a vacation for Chris. Now don't you DARE tell him I said that!) We waited only about 15 minutes, and then 3 more minutes while Daisy went to powder her nose, and then FINALLY it was our turn! The cast member who was assisting the photographer asked for my FUNPASS. "Funpass?" I thought to myself. I then nearly lost it on the inside because I thinking, "Lady! If I waited ALL THIS TIME in line and NOW you're going to tell me I need a FUNPASS..." But before I had a chance to blow my lid (yeah right, like I ever blow my lid), she could read the words "newbie" written all my face and simply handed me a brand new Funpass and then informed me that not only would the photographer take our pictures (and later our pictures could be downloaded off the Funpass), but she was also willing to take pictures of the whole family with MY camera if I wanted to be in the picture as well. Not a bad deal. So sorry, sweet cast member, for those few short moments when I wanted to rip your head off. With Funpass in hand, Josie ran right up to Daisy and gave lots of hugs while Izzy started freaking out and was literally climbing up my leg trying to get me to hold her. We were a little worried this would be the case with our youngest child. She has never been fond of anything in costume. So when we knew this trip was coming up I purposely looked for and took her to places that characters would be. Luckily, there is a Chic-fil-a about 20 minutes away that brings in characters once a month. In Feb. we saw Tiger and Pooh and then in March we visited Hello Kitty. Each visit elicited a crying fit from our child. So, it was no surprise she didn't want anything to do with Daisy. But, the well experienced cast member quickly told me to hold my child and stand next to Daisy so that Izzy would not be next to the duck. Now why didn't I think of that? Her advice worked like magic and just as we stood next to Daisy, Chris showed up, jumped the line divider, hopped in the picture, and we all smiled real pretty for a great family photo! Up next we greeted Pluto. Izzy even grabbed one ear to take a look under it while I was holding her. Then it was off to see Mickey and Minnie and the princesses. And there's just something magical about that Mouse because as soon as the doors opened and they let us in, Izzy ran right behind her sister for lots of hugs and kisses from Mickey and Minnie. And once we got in to see the princesses, both girls soaked up every minute with Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Cinderella. By this time, it was already time for a some lunch so we hiked half way across the park only to find that the restaurant I had chosen was only open seasonally. Apparently, April isn't "seasonal". But we found a replacement with a waitress that obviously knew more about what we wanted than we did, because the grilled chicken we ordered arrived as fried chicken. Well, we survived...but just barely. Alright, this post is officially way too long, and knowing myself all too well, I probably won't finish it if I continue at this rate. So, here's the quick version of our second half of the day. It's a Small World - Line so long but moved so fast. The girls LOVED it! And were sitting on the edge of their seats and pointing at everything in amazement. Wish we could have done this one again because I'm sure we would have seen many things we had missed the first time. The Barnstormer - It's a roller coaster for little kids but maybe not for as little as our 3 year old. We kinda tricked her or at least just chose not to tell her exactly what we were going to do. She was cautiously excited at first. And then we hit the first drop and she freaked. Meanwhile, my Josie was laughing hysterically with her hands raised high in the air the whole way. Kind of a bummer it was such a short ride though. I have a great picture at the end of the ride when the coaster slowed to a roll and Chris said to Izzy, "Put your hands in the air!" She had stopped crying at this point, so with a smile on her face, both she and Chris raised their hands real high as the coaster was rolling to a stop and I snapped the pic. Totally looks like she was having the time of her life. Mickey's PhilharMagic 3-D movie - No wait for this show so a total bonus. We donned our 3-D glasses and enjoyed this 20 min. show. Josie and I giggled like little school girls as we tried to grab all the 3-D items headed our way. Dream Along with Mickey celebration - A fun show outside of Cinderella's castle with Mickey and friends. At one point, Josie turned to me and said "Mom! I think they're real! Look, their eyes are blinking and their mouths are moving!" I ate it up. We have always told her the truth about characters, including Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc. so when she had a brief moment of believing these characters were actually the real deal, I just loved it. Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse - Not a whole lot to report on this one. It was neat and what kid doesn't like to climb a million stairs so they were well entertained. Only problem was Josie kept whining, "That's not fair. I wanna room like that (one way up high in a tree)." The Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride - Fun ride but turns out it's nearly the same as the Dumbo ride (which we didn't actually ride because we realized it was the same as this one) AND the dinosaur ride at Animal Kingdom. With all the thought and imagination that has gone into the making of Disney World, I would think they could come up with something different. Peter Pan's Flight ride - And last, but not least, Peter Pan's Flight! We landed the FASTPASS for this one and waited no more than 5 minutes. This one was a hit with the kiddos and they loved seeing Captain Hook overtaken and cheered when he was in the jaws of a crocodile. We trekked our way back to the front of the park, and as promised Chris let the girls pick out a toy or two. Josie chose a small Minnie Mouse stuffed animal dressed as a fairy, a colorful bracelet with Mickey shaped beads, and a princess art supply case. What a happy girl she was! Izzy chose a Disney themed sticker book and a baby Pluto stuffed animal. And then...we called it a night around 6:00pm On the drive back to our hotel Izzy crashed hard while Josie and I reminisced about all the fun we'd had that day. I had to carry Izzy into the hotel and it was very much out of character for her to STAY asleep as I carried her in. Normally, once we wake her, she is up for good with no turning back. But not this night. She was whooped! Fortunately the 40 minute catnap energized her just enough to eat some dinner, take a bath, and antagonize her sister by stealing her toys, before heading to bed. Once the lights were out so were the kids and we didn't hear a beep till Day 3.

A dog for Disney...it's a fair trade.

It was over a year ago that our family was just giddy with excitement when we picked up our 8 week old Boxer puppy. How sweet it was when she fell asleep in our laps, chased us around the backyard, and played tug-a-war with a chew toy. Unfortunately, the excitement waned quickly when that puppy began chewing on anything and everything, including little 2 year old, Izzy's, toes. Along with many other reasons, after only 3 short weeks (actually, they were 3 really LONG weeks for me) we decided the puppy needed to be with a new family who could love her more than we could. It was a tearful experience for our then 5 year old as we all watched Macie leap into the arms of her new owner and slobber doggy kisses all over her face. We said our goodbyes with some not-so-slobbery hugs and kisses of our own...and then they were gone. It was difficult convincing our child that this was the best decision for our whole family. No words seemed to console her. And then my husband, completely out of desperation, told her we'd take her to Disney World to make it up to her. The tears dried up and finally a smile could be seen on her face and as you well know, a 5 year old isn't going to forget an offer like that! So, close to exactly a year after Macie left our home, we packed up the kids, including: 2 carseats, 2 strollers, 4 checked pieces of luggage, 3 carry-on bags, 2 blankies, 1 overflowing tote filled with snacks, and all the energy we could muster....and off to Orlando we went! April 23, 2012 - Day 1 The best part of this day for my now 6 year old was simply the fact that she got to miss school. Day 1 was just a travel day, but zooming through the sky in a big jet airliner is pretty awesome when you're only 3 and 6 years old so it went down as a great day in their books. Before we took off though, we headed over to the part of the airport where my husband flies out of and checked out his new "office". He is now officially type-rated to fly the Challenger 300 and it is one sweet ride. I'm anxiously awaiting my invitation to take my first flight! (I actually was already offered a ride but turned it down considering it was their very first flight. I'm not stupid. I realize they receive that type-rating after only flying in a SIMULATOR. I'll be waiting till the guys have a few more real-life landings under their belts.) :-) Anyhow, back to our trip. We arrived in Orlando with no complications. I have to say my kiddos are excellent travelers and they even toted their own carry-on bags...or should I say "they dragged, tripped over, tripped each other over, twisted, and flipped their own carry-on bags". Buuuuut, they got there and they did great! We arrived at the hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn and Suites - Lake Buena Vista, with plenty of time to check-in and unpack, then headed out for dinner. We're not big eaters and fine dining really wasn't on our priority list, so when we circled the parking lot three times looking for a spot outside of TGIFridays, we gave in to the kid's chantings from the backseat for... Taco Bell. See! It's not true that all I eat is chicken and veggies - so there! With full bellies and a ticking gut bomb (gross I know, but the truth must be told), we headed to bed with dreams of Mickey Mouse frolicking through Cinderella's castle. Okay, that's a total lie. But once we finally got up and put a pillow down the middle of the girls bed so they'd stay on their own sides and stop whining "she's kicking meeeee", everyone had a good nights sleep. Stay tuned for Day 2 at Magic Kingdom!

Why?

Why? It's the word that I hear most often out of the mouth of my soon-to-be three year old. For a few months now she's been asking "WHY?" and I hoped it would be a short-lived phase, but it seems to be sticking around for awhile.

She wants to know why I put my pants on like that. Why do we have to wait at the red light? Why do I comb my hair like that? Why do we wash the dishes like that? Why do we have the turn the TV off? Why? Why? Why?

Most of the questions are valid. And usually I have a pretty good answer. At least I think I give a good answer. But inevitably, the first WHY is always followed by another WHY. And then another....and another. My answer is never good enough and I usually have to end the conversation with, "That's just the way it is, sweetie."

So, this morning as we were sitting at the breakfast table, I was shocked when my answer to her WHY was finally satisfactory.

We were sitting across the table from one another; just the two of us (Chris had already left early for work and Josie was in the bathroom brushing her teeth). She was munching away on her Cinnamon Toast Crunch and I was enjoying my peanut butter flavored Puffins while I read out of the 4th chapter in the book of James. I picked up my pen and underlined a portion of verse 7 and 8 then wrote a "P" for promise in the margin and circled it. (James 4:7-8 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.) And that's when our conversation started.

Izzy: Why do you have that pen?

Me: So I can mark in my bible.

Izzy: Why?

Me: So I can underline God's promises to us.

Izzy: Why?

Me: So I can remember them.

Izzy: Why?

Me: So I can be more like Jesus.

Izzy: Hmm *with a nod of her head and a look of satisfaction*

Really?!! Did I just answer the question that never seems have a good enough answer?? I FINALLY answered the WHY and she accepted it.

And then I thought, isn't that funny?

"Jesus" was the answer.

I should of known.

Jesus is ALWAYS the answer.

How It All Began

In celebration of our 12 year anniversary tomorrow, here is our love story: (it's a quick one, so don't blink)

The summer of 1999 I had returned home to my mom's house in TX after receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Butler University (in Indianapolis, IN) and I had BIG plans following that summer. Before I left school, my track coach offered to pay for graduate school if I would be his graduate assistant for both the cross-county and track teams. I was thrilled! I didn't even care that I would have to study for a Masters in Chemistry (that was all that was offered for the career path I was headed down). Besides, it only took me three tries to pass Chemistry 1 in undergraduate school. And, not only would I get to prolong my college/partying days, but I had always hoped to be a coach and inspire many athletes as several coaches had done for me along my athletic journey.

Buuuuuut, things didn't necessarily go as I had planned that summer. During the dog-days of summer (my first REAL summer in TX - ugh) I found myself contemplating who I had become during those 5 years of higher education. I really didn't like who I was and felt I often lived a double-life. With friends I was a foul-mouth, partying and drinking girl. With family I was reserved but poised and gave the impression that I had it all together. It was hard living like that and I was desperately searching for who I REALLY wanted to be.

That summer I started attending a church close to home. It was there that I met a group of folks my age who invited me to attend a small-group bible study. Over the next few weeks I began to study about the character of Jesus Christ. And I don't remember exactly how it all happened (if I had known how monumental it was at the time I would have recorded the whole thing) but when I discovered my true identify in Christ, I knew I wanted Him as MY Savior and MY Lord. And so it was, that one evening, near the 1st of June in 1999, I accepted Christ as Savior and Lord...no turning back! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!!

Within a week of my conversion from living in darkness to living in the Light, I attended a fun outing at Lake Conroe with the other members of my bible study. I had a great time but for whatever reason I had to leave early. And just as I was saying goodbye, some new guy opened the sliding glass door to the lake-front condo, jumped right into the conversation, and started blabbing his mouth about how great Texas A&M is as a school. He sounded so arrogant and I didn't want to hear anymore so I quickly introduced myself then exited out the front door.

About a week later I was feeling lonely so I decided to hit the gym for a good workout. I walked towards the locker room, past a long line of elliptical trainers, when a male voice yelled out, "Hey! Don't I know you?" I stopped and quickly checked this sweaty guy over but had no idea who it was. He explained that we had been introduced at the lake and he probably used some "christianese" terms that I didn't know at the time. I politely let him know that I was at the lake the previous weekend but didn't believe we attended the same outing. Not wanting to be rude, I stuck out my hand and introduced myself in hopes of ending the conversation and getting on with my workout. Just as I was about to turn to walk away, he said "I'm pretty sure that was you at the lake cause you were wearing that same shirt." Well, ok, maybe it WAS me. I really wasn't trying to deny it. And I did have to admit there weren't too many girls around Texas wearing a Butler University cross-country t-shirt. Thinking that this guy probably thought I was a total liar, I awkwardly left the conversation and went to the far end of the gym to lift some weights (and stay far away from the cardio equipment). He may have thought I was a liar, but HE was a total LOSER! I mean, obviously he didn't have a job if he was working out at the gym at 10am on a Tuesday.

So I was minding my own business, lifting a few weights (when I really wanted to be on the treadmill), and then I saw sweaty guy walking towards me. I thought, "Maybe he's just taking a shortcut to the drinking fountain. Don't make eye contact. Don't. Make. Eye. Contact." Crud! I made eye contact. And then I smiled and he came over and sat down at the machine next to me. Surprisingly, conversation flowed easily. I found out he actually DID have a job and a pretty cool one at that (and that got him off the Loser list). After a few minutes (I have no idea how our conversation ended up here) he asked if I played ping-pong. I paused briefly, trying to play the pong-shark, then said "Yes. I've played a few times." What I didn't tell him was that I grew up with a ping-pong table in our garage. That I first started playing at age 6 by standing on a chair. That I had made a guy in college so mad when I beat him 5 games to nothing, that I never got a second date. That I rarely lost. So when he told me he had a ping-pong table as a dining room table and invited me over for dinner and a match, I played it cool.

Let's just say dinner was great (I believe he made manicotti) AAAAAAAND I killed him at ping-pong. (And then his roommate came home and I beat him too.) And it was then that I learned the first thing I liked about him...humility. After a great date, he walked me to my car and he hugged me and didn't try to make any other smooth moves, and I knew I liked that he was such a gentleman. And then a week later when he took me to the lake to go water skiing, I knew I liked another thing about him...his hairy, muscular chest. :-)

At this point, I wasn't even close to falling in love or being head-over-heals, I was just enjoying spending some time with a great guy who didn't mind me beating him at ping-pong.

Not much time passed before I was baptized in the backyard pool of one of the pastors at the church I was attending. It was a very intimate occasion, nothing flashy. Just me, my mom and stepdad, the pastor, the sweaty guy :-), and my profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

With wet hair and a big smile on my face, we all went to dinner that evening. As I sat next to this gentleman, who was full of humility, who had a great career, rock-hard pecs, and a deeply rooted love for the Lord...I realized that I wanted to be close to him. I wanted to hold his hand. To snuggle next to him. To feel his arm around me. I was really starting to like him.

So just to put this into perspective time-wise, the day we met at the gym was right around the first week of June. The first two weeks after we simply spent time hanging out. And after that, we started dating. It all happened pretty quick so don't think I'm leaving huge chunks out of the story. It really happened this fast.

It's hard to remember the exact time frame, but sometime within the first two weeks of dating, Chris (I don't want to call him sweaty guy anymore) had to go to work for a few days. Granted, he had been to work during these first fews weeks but mostly it was just day trips here and there. This time, he was gone for three days. And when he returned after those three days and I opened up the front door of my mom's house to greet him, I knew I never wanted to be away from him again. My heart was his.

On July 3rd we arranged to meet a few of his friends at Lake Conroe to watch a fireworks display. I remember it being magical. We were snuggled up on a blanket watching the colors bursting into the night sky. And that's all I remember...'cause he kissed me that night and nothing else mattered.

And seriously, the rest is history. Within a few more weeks we were engaged, at the top of a hill overlooking the city of Santa Rosa, CA at night. And six months after that, on January 7th, 2000, we were married...with two ping-pong tables at the reception. (I think the pastor beat me that night, but COME ON! I was in a wedding gown for cryin' out loud!) I never returned to Indianapolis to be a coach and PRAISE THE LORD I never had to attempt a Masters in Chemistry. (Believe me, the biology degree makes me sound WAY smarter than I really am.)

It wasn't my plan for my life, but it was God's plan. And I'd choose His plan ANY day!

Saying Goodbye

I vividly remember the first time I had to say "goodbye". I remember the hurt, the loneliness, and the fear of the unknown. I was 7 years old when I had to say goodbye to my best friend whom I had lived next door to for 5 years. She was the only neighbor my age on our lonely dirt road out in the country of Santa Rosa, CA. So the day we backed the station wagon out of the driveway for the last time in order to move 2 1/2 hours away and we made our way down that dirt road, I wondered when I would see her again and if I'd ever make another friend like her.

Not too long after our move, I made a wonderful new friend. Our families were totally different but I loved the time spent at her house with her 5 siblings. It was loud and crazy and so much fun! Three years later her dad was transferred for work and I rarely saw her after that.

In junior high, I acquired a new best friend who was the complete opposite of me. She was totally girly and I was all tomboy. She wore pretty dresses and played in piano recitals. I wore sweat pants and played every sport. Somehow we fit together. Within a couple of years she and her family returned to their home state of Oklahoma. Although our visits since then have been few, I am so fortunate she remains a dear friend!

Throughout the college years I had to say goodbye to many friends as some transferred schools and even as I transferred from Boise St. to Butler University. And of course upon graduation there were more goodbyes. Most of those friends I've seen only once or twice in the past 15 years.

But no matter how many goodbyes I've had to say, it doesn't get any easier. Today I had to say "farewell" to one of my dearest friends. Knowing she will return in 3 years or that Skype will keep us connected hardly seems to bring much comfort. You see, this friend isn't moving across town nor to another state. It's not even a desirable location to visit. My dear friend is moving to a city where three-quarters of the 16 million tightly-packed residents live in the slums; where the government can not be trusted; and where she and her family will not be able to navigate the city without a native guide. Within the next 48 hours she will call Lagos, Nigeria "home".

My only comfort is found in knowing that my God goes with her, even BEFORE her. That He has plans to prosper her and not to harm her. And that He hears all my prayers for her.

Goodbye sweet friend.

A Little Bit of Grace

It's December 31, 2011 and that means my first-born is 6 years and 1 day old. We celebrated her big day on the 29th at every parents 2nd favorite place...Pump It Up! (Chuck E Cheese wins first prize on that favorites list.) The kids bounced their brains out and had a great time and all I had to do was pay an arm and a leg to make it all happen. The party was so easy I think I may sell my other arm and leg next year just to not have to deal with the hassle of having an at-home party. So many great friends came to play with Josie and we're thankful for each and every friendship!

So yesterday was her actual birthday and Chris and I decided to save her "big" gift from us until the actual day. We thought about giving it to her in the morning but since we had early morning plans to ride horses at a sweet friend's house, we choose to wait till later to give her the gift. Well, the horseback riding was a blast and lasted longer than expected (but we didn't care cause we had so much fun), and that made for a late lunch, and then an immediate nap for little sister (and the rest of the fam) when we got home. So unfortuately the presentation of the gift was held off even longer.

I had hidden the gift in the usual gift hideaway (my closet, of course) and both her father and I had given Josie strict instructions NOT to enter my closet. As soon as her sister woke from her nap, I went straight to the closet to retrieve her present. But much to my dismay, when I approached the closet, I noticed the bathroom and the closet light were on. That little stinker had been in my closet!! As soon as I asked her I knew by the look on her face that she had been in there. I asked her if she had seen the gift and to my surprise she admitted that she had (I did have it covered. She actually had to lift the sheet to see it.) I was SO MAD! That little turd disobeyed AND spoiled my fun of surprising her with a new bike! I was mad. Her dad was mad. And she went to her room crying.

Fun way to celebrate your birthday, huh? At that point, Chris and I didn't know if we were still going to give her the bike or take it back to the store. Besides, she didn't even seem very excited about seeing her new bike. Since I was still so mad, I headed outside and challenged my dad (he's in town for a few days) to a game of ping-pong. Nothing like whooping up on your dad and reminding yourself that you're STILL undefeated on your own ping-pong table to make you feel a little better. :-)

After that, Chris and I had a conversation about what to do next with the bike. We both REALLY wanted to teach her a lesson and take that bike straight back to Toys R Us. But then, we both were reminded (almost at the exact same time) of grace. The grace that we are offered every single day by our amazing God when we mess up and make bad choices. And so, we decided to offer a little grace too (with a stipulation that if she EVER peeks at another present it will most certainly be returned!) And so we waited until this morning...one day after her birthday (there had to be some sort of consequence)...and then she got the bike...and she loves it! She walked it around the house for about a half hour till it was time to take it for a spin outside. She was a little nervous since it's been a few months since she's been in the saddle, but with one push she was riding down the driveway and I was taking pictures like crazy.

Just a little bit of grace was all it took. :-)