Fall Is Here!

Our neighbors gave each one of the kids a pumpkin a few weeks ago. It was so nice of them to do that, and thanks to Aunt Courtney, they each had a face to put on the pumpkin. Karis got to make hello kitty, and Noah got to make pooh bear. It has been so funny to hear Noah say "Bye-bye pooh bear," every time we leave to go somewhere for the last two weeks. Thanks to Papa John and Amma, the kids have their cute fall shirts. Hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather.

New Territory

I have officially stepped into new territory as a mother. My son has always loved his bed, sleeping and napping. He was sick a few weeks ago and his schedule got off some, then Justin was gone last week for a few days and his schedule continued to be off. Now the last few days, he has been crying when it is nap time or waking up crying after only sleeping an hour or so. Then the next day he would take a good nap. Now two days in a row, he has been crying. I have been listening to him yell for mommy to hold him now for about 45 minutes, it is very sad and my heart is hurting for him. I have gone in a few times to try and comfort him and all is does is start him over again, oh the joys of mothering. There is nothing wrong with him, all I can figure is he is testing the waters, seeing if he can win this battle. He is doing a great job right now of testing me.
I am thankful for God's grace since I am prone to just give in, but I must do what is best for him and let him see who God has put in charge and it isn't him. Oh Lord, strength and wisdom for today!

Anniversary Cont.

Justin and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary in Raleigh, eating at one of our favorite restaurants, On The Border, yes, I realize it is not a fancy place but it is good food! We were very thankful for The Scotts watching the kids for us, they live in Raleigh, so we dropped the kids off at their house and went on our date. After a long, uninterrupted dinner, we went to Lifeway bookstore and browsed and bought a few things of course. It was a great night reminiscing about the last 10 years and looking ahead to our future.

Happy 10 years Justin!

For my gift, along with our anniversary trip in November with the Tombrella's, Justin bought me a new wedding ring. We had talked about it for awhile back, and I knew I was getting one because he traded in my other one. For those of you who might not think I am sentimental, the wedding ring that I had was not my original one that Justin gave me. That one got lost in the mail ( a very long story). Anyways, I had told Justin what I like, and he outdid himself. I was pleasantly surprised especially when he gave me this ring just like he proposed to me 10 years ago, attached to the same Bible. Great job babe! I love you!

The Bible with my new ring.


Close up view.

Thanks Chris and Rebecca for watching the kids, they had a great time and so did we. You guys are a blessing to us.

Birthday Visit from my Parents

I was again blessed by my parents being here on my birthday and my Mom's birthday which are a day apart. I can only count two times in my life, all 31 years, where my mom and I have not been together on or around our birthdays. It is such a blessing to me, since in our family, birthdays are very special! Since my parents flew this time, they got to stay a week, Saturday to Saturday.
We had a lot of fun. Mom and I got to have a girl's shopping day, courtesy of Papa John and Justin watching the kids for us. We went to Raleigh and enjoyed lots of looking and eating at On The Border. We also took the kids to the Marble Museum in Raleigh, for the first time. They had a blast. There was so much to do that Karis was running around like a chicken with her head cut off to all the different places, and Noah just followed her wherever she went. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Click on the collage to enlarge

We did more shopping at the Smithfield outlet mall, where Noah and Karis got some clothes and of course I got to eat at Zaxby's. Friday we hung out most of the day since my parents were leaving on Saturday. We did get to have a date with just the grown ups, thanks to Nancy coming and babysitting. We went to eat at The Beefmaster, a place where you can only get steak, baked potato, and salad. It was very good and we had a wonderful birthday dinner thanks to Papa John footing the bill! Thanks Dad!

I am so thankful that my parents come and visit us. We always seem to pack a lot into a few days, but the time is always memorable. I love you guys and so do the kids. Noah still asks to kiss Amma and Pop John before bed!

Ten Years Ago....

Ten years ago today

A new chapter in my life began,

As I stood before family and friends

And married the most godly man.

Your passion and love for Christ

Is and was so contagious and pure,

It was the first thing I noticed

And what drew my heart to yours.

Here are ten pictures that represent 10 wonderful, exciting, adventurous, sometimes hard, and always fun years. May these memories of God's grace in our lives and marriage remind us from where our strength and love for each other come from, Him.

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Childers

Our wedding day, October 2, 1999

Hanging at my parents house with our first dog, Josiah.


Rangers baseball game when we were in seminary.


Celebrating a friend's wedding while still in seminary.

Graduation from seminary 2004

Thanksgiving 2005 at my parents house.

My handsome husband sporting his necklace from Karis.

Easter 2009 with the whole family. Justin is such an amazing, loving father, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Our journey in on this day in 1999 started with a kiss so my memories will end with a kiss. I pray God continues to give us many more years together, they have only grown more special and sweet.

I love you Justin more than words can say, and what I said at the beginning still rings true: I married the most godly man, who spurs me on daily and continues to love me in spite of my faults. It is an honor to be your wife, and I am so blessed to be first HIS then YOURS.

"Glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt His name together."

Psalm 34:3

Forts and Fun!

About a month ago, we took a trip to the farm, that is to visit Gordon and Betsy Bailes, friends of the family. We have been to their house many times, (Calvin lived with them the first three months we were in Wilson), but we had never seen the whole farm. Gordon and Betsy drove us around in his supped up golf cart and showed us the farm, watermelons growing everywhere, bamboo trees, and old buildings. After the tour, we enjoyed visiting with them and eating pizza. Karis and Noah had a wonderful time, as did I.

A picture at the Bailes' house.

One Monday morning, because it was raining outside, I built a fort for the kids in the extra room. They had fun playing in it, but mostly Noah enjoyed knocking it down!

Noah and Karis throwing the beach ball over the fort.

Karis setting up her kitchen in the fort! Fun times!

Daddy Helping with School

A few weeks ago, we did school on Monday, which we usually don't because it is Justin's day off. I asked Justin to do Bible time with the kids, which is a Bible story, coloring page and the verse we are memorizing as a church. This was Justin's take on God helping Gideon defeat the Midianites:

He set up two armies against each other, Karis' dolls against Noah's cars.

He then showed how God decreased the number of Gideon's army to one a few compared to the army he would face so God could show His glory.

Noah is raising his hand to blow the trumpet in victory like God told the Israelites to do.

I think this is the most interested Noah has ever been in one of the Bible stories. I took Justin's advice this week and used creative ways to tell the story of Ruth and Naomi. What fun to watch my children listen to Justin with excitement, even though you can't see it on their faces! They were delighted to have Daddy do school with them, especially Karis, she wouldn't let him leave her side the whole time!

Happy Birthday Jeanna!

Jeanna,

Karis and Noah made you this slideshow for your birthday. Thanks for being such a great mom and wife.

We love you,

Justin

Diet Coke Free!

I am now officially diet coke free for one week. I did have one last night with my pizza, but I only had one. It was a little hairy for a few days, the headaches were terrible, but God was gracious and gave me strength, plus a little Tylenol helped. It is not the caffeine that bothers me, it is the sweetener. I have also found that I am not as hungry in the middle of the day when I only drink water and unsweet tea. I am so glad to be free from this and feel much better, no more headaches. God is good, even in the small things!

Soccer Camp

Our church held it's first soccer camp the first week of August. Karis was actually a year too young, but they let her and some other 4 year olds do the camp anyway. She had a blast and is excited about playing soccer at the rec this year for the first time. Noah also had a great time running around and playing with the other kids. The camp was our first big outreach as a church, and we had a good turn out. Justin also got to share the gospel with the all the children and their parents the last night of camp.

Karis' first day of camp, minus shine guards.

She already has a great looking kick!

Karis and her coach.

Karis and Hannah going for the ball.

Karis already has drive to go for the ball, sorry Hannah!

Karis dribbling, or attempting to do so!

Playing a game with the coach.

Hannah, Noah, Karis, and Madeline sitting together the last night of camp.

Noah already working the charm on Madeline!

Noah and Madeline playing with the cones.

So cute, crazy boy!

ball head

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Karis and Noah are growing up so fast, and it is such a joy to see all that God is teaching us and them.

Sugar Anyone?

This is what I found when I got out of the shower before lunch today. Noah decided he couldn't wait until lunch!

No hiding his guilt, it is "all over his face!"

"Sugar anyone?"

This was a fun mess to clean up, it was caked to his face and the floor. Yes, you might asked the door was baby proofed, but the knob on the cabinet comes off easily.

Friday Funny - Hope you Laugh BIG!

Hope you enjoy, and that Noah's laughter is contagious. Have a wonderful weekend!

Love One Another

I have been overwhelmed lately by God's teaching me about loving one another. After going through the book of John on Sunday mornings and my own times with the Lord, along with our current series on the book of James, one theme keeps standing out, LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Why is it so hard for us to do that? What exactly does this look like in our lives and in the local church? Does is mean bringing meals to woman who have just had babies or someone is sick in their family? Does it mean watching someone's children so they can go to the doctor, get a hair cut, or run a much needed errand? Does is mean sharing our requests and praying for one another? YES, it means all of these and more! It means, "in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4). It means following Jesus' command in John 15:12-13 "love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." WOW! If we love God, we must also love our brother. Is my love for my church family selfish, desiring something in return, or is it pure and unselfish like Christ's love is? He laid down His life freely for sinners.

So many times in the past year, God has challenged me with this: "Are you loving your brothers and sisters in Christ?" Many times the answer is no, sometimes it is with wrong motives, and sometimes, only by His grace, I can honestly answer yes. Loving one another is a product of maturity in Christ, and if I really long to be more like Him, I will strive to understand and flesh out what this means.

A few things God has taught me is that, just as I teach Karis and Noah that they (people) are more important than toys or getting their way, I am learning that people are much more important than getting my "to do list" done everyday. If someone needs to talk, I need to be ready to listen. If someone needs my help, I need to be ready to try and do all I can to help them. If someone needs a sitter just to get some alone time, I need to be able to offer my services and pray that God will use each one of these instances to show my love and His love for that person. Our God gives us "sovereign interruptions" to our days sometimes. Sometimes they may seem like trials, but we should embrace them with joy and love for that person because that is what God commands us to do.

I am totally speaking to myself here, and am not there yet by any means. I know that sometimes writing out my thoughts and what God is teaching me helps me apply it better. Loving one another is such a grand command, and we can only do it with God help. Oh that He would help us love one another so that our church would display His glory to the world!

Fun with Friends and Each Other!

As you can see, blogging has not been high on my list of things to do this summer. I think I have been in a rut, and it is no surprise that sometimes, I don't even look at the computer for days. I think my rut is finally over, so here are a few pictures of what the kids have been doing this summer.
Awhile back, we watched the Brooks' girls for date night. The kids had a lot of fun, especially eating Popsicles.

Noah, Karis, Madeline, and Hannah

Wednesday during lunch Justin came home and watched the kids so I could get a haircut. I came home to a HUGE mess, toys everywhere (I am not complaining just stating the facts). The kids had been going to the store and buying bedding amongst other things so they could make beds to sleep in in Noah's room. They used my Harris Teeter reusable bags to make their purchases, it was a sight.

Karis is her newly furnished bed, pretend napping.

Noah just waking up from his pretend nap, as you can see toys all around. I don't imagine either of them could really sleep if all those toys were in their beds.

Karis loving her brother.

I have soccer camp pictures coming and more fun things ahead. Most of our summer has been spent at the pool, but pictures aren't possible this year as Noah doesn't like floats and he has to watched constantly, he liked to jump in. Hope everyone is having a fun summer.

Bye Lisa, We will miss you!

A few weeks ago, we had a "sending off" church party for my friend Lisa. She is in Virginia now doing her training to go to Russia. I, as her friend, am so excited for her and encouraged to see how God has worked so carefully in her heart to give her a love for these people to know our Savior. I am also so excited about our church sending her off. What a blessing for our church to share in God's love for all the nations. I got to make the cake for the party. As Karis said, "here is the BIG green mass."

Menu Planning Again

Well, August is upon us, and July is over. After a long month and going way over the budget, my parents were here for a week and we went on vacation, I have seriously decided that I WILL, NO MATTER WHAT STICK TO THE BUDGET THIS MONTH. I don't know why I have such a hard time, maybe my planning is not good or I just get in a rut for meals and don't want to cook what I have planned for that day. So after much deliberation, I plan on doing this for the month, making each day a certain type of food, except for next week, because we will be at soccer camp from 5:30-8:00pm everyday. The kids will have to eat before we go, and I will have to have something. I will also need some snacks for when they get home. Anyone have any suggestions? I can always use the help.



Here is my strategy this month:

Monday: Italian

Tuesday: Mexican

Wednesday: crock pot

Thursday: grill

Friday: pizza/new recipe

Saturday: leftovers/grill

Sunday: leftovers/ out to eat

We shall see if this helps. This week we are having a soccer camp, so the menu will be out of commission, but I will start hard next week. I stocked up on fruit and veggies for snacks and dinner. I am planning on making a few big lunches this week in place of a big dinner since we will have to be at camp by 5:30 every night. I have also planned a budget for my grocery budget. I am going to try and spend only $150 every two weeks. This gives me a little extra at the end of the month and for months that are longer than four weeks. Hopefully this will help. It is the 3rd and I have already spent $130 on groceries, however, I did get all of my meat and most everything else, besides milk and fresh fruit and veggies for next week. I have $20 left to spend next week.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday, off to laundry.

Beach Vacation 2009

We went on our family vacation to the beach on Sunday after church. Our time together was wonderful and we spent a lot of time just enjoying each other's company and having Justin with us for three full days, uninterrputed.

Sunday after we arrived, we walked on the beach after dinner. The kids couldn't resist getting wet! Monday, after sleeping in and eating breakfast, we headed out to the beach, loaded with all our beach gear, only to enjoy the cloudy sky and cold water for about 3o minutes until the rain came. We decided to sit on the covered porch, watching the rain, while the kids had a snack of fruit snacks and a capri sun. After playing, lunch, and a nap (which only Noah and I took), we took our chance again and headed out to the cloudy beach, again only for about half an hour.

Tuesday it was for casted to rain all day, but we woke up to a beautiful, sunny day. The high was only 85 degrees. Again, we headed out to the beach with all our gear ready to spend the whole day there, which we did except for a brief lunch back at the house, a good five hours enjoying God's creation, building sand castles, playing in the waves, reading (me mostly), and just being together. After a good nap and dinner, we went to feed the ducks. Noah has his first encounter with a very hungry goose, and he got bit on the finger. Poor thing, he wouldn't let me put him down after that. We saw a lot of deer on our golf cart ride that evening, and then we were off to Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream!

Wednesday I spent cleaning up while Justin took the kids riding on the golf cart. Justin said Noah was silent the whole ride until he saw the geese and he said, "bite." Children have such good memories.

Here are some pictures of our trip, along with some music, hope you all enjoy!

Necklaces for All!

I don't know what to say about my lack of blogging, except that I have been in a slump. Nothing seemed worthy of blogging, and I just haven't been that crazy about my computer lately. We are having a great summer, lots of swimming at the YMCA pool, playing, grilling, and just recently a wonderful visit from my parents, (more to come on that later).
One morning before we went to the Y, Karis decided to make everyone, including Calvin, a necklace. She and Noah sported theirs to the Y, and Calvin wore his all day long!

Strawberry Picking, Sort of

About a month ago, we took the kids to Dean's farm, a local farm in Wilson, that has all kinds of produce. They have a huge strawberry patch, so we decided to let the kids pick some strawberries. We didn't get to pick for more than 15 minutes because it started to rain on us, but we enjoyed our small bucket of strawberries, and the kids had fun.

Mommy showing Karis which ones to pick.

Noah jogging down the aisle, not sure what is going on.

Karis did a great job picking big juicy strawberries.

Noah reaching for a green one...

and eating it!