Happy Happy Happy

Our family is a Duck Dynasty family! When it is on TV we record ever episode (even re-runs)! Last week we listened to Phil Robertson's (the patriarch and creator of Duck Commander) audio biography book! This last month as been a regular difficult one.Chloe has really struggled with the upcoming move and because of some recent events I have been homeschooling this month. There as been a lot of tension between us, but I know that God' purpose will prevail.  I decided to ask the girls it they wanted to listen to it because we are now in the car 2 hours a day and they were very excited! Once again God was in the middle of our storm of life! Phil's book "Happy Happy Happy!" Is his story but more importantly God's story of redemption and healing in his life! 

We had so much fun listening to it and we were sad when we finished the book today. We all really listened as Phil told of how his youngest son Jep started going down the wrong path and how he came back to God. I am so glad Phil wrote the book because it really brought us together the last week! One thing that intrigued me (& there were many) is the fact that Phil often on the show and in the book refers to God as "The Almighty". I remember hearing older people use this word to described God but this time I wanted to find out what it really meant. I read several definitions online but these were the ones that I liked the best:

-having complete control and power

-extreme

-great

I then discovered that this word is used 58 times in the bible. I think my generation as made a relationship with God seem more of a friendship(which I believe to be true), ybut I think sometimes we have lost the idea of reverence and acknowledgement that is so much more... He is the Almighty! I definitely be using the phrase more often. I am sooooo thankful for a family is West Monroe, LA that has brought my family back together! 

LTC 2013

The last weekend in March we attended our 3rd LTC conference. LTC stands for "Leadership Training for Christ." The kids can pick from a list of events that they want to participate in and everything is centered around a book of the bible and a theme. This years theme was "Going the second mile!"

I will say the 4 months leading up to LTC get a little stressful with practices and deadlines but in the end it is worth it!

Chloe participated in :

Teaching challenge,

Service challenge,

Bible Quiz,

T-shirt design,

Puppets

Speech

Drama

Allie participated in

Service Challenge

Teaching Challenge

Bible Reading

Puppets

Speech

Drama

 

I think it is a great way for kids to discover their talents! This will be our last year to participate with Wilshire. Saturday night, I went down to the lobby to wait for Chinese food. I sat in the quiet and began reflecting on the blessing our time with our Wilshire family has been the last five years. We laughed a lot, cried a lot, & shared a lot. I am so thankful that although we will be leaving physically that we will always be "Forever Family!"

A Father, Father, and Daughter Dance!

Allie attended her first "Father Daughter Dance" a few Fridays ago. When she first came home with the information I did not want to influence what she would do. I assumed that she take either Misa or her dad but little did I know that she asked Misa to go and then asked her dad to go too. They both agreed to go and came together for Allie. I think the biggest thing I LOVE about this situation is that in her mind this worked and was not awkward at all. They danced the night away and Allie was the happiest I had ever seen her! She got all dressed up! We got her hair done at the salon and I even did her make-up! I am so thankful that the relationship exists between all of us and for the healing that only comes for God!

Allie is 10!!!

Well it is hard to believe that this little baby has now entered double digits!

 For her birthday we decided to invite a few good friends to Cici's for dinner, jumping at Elevations (the new trampoline park in town), and have the girls come back to the house for a sleepover! Her wish list for this years birthday was and Ipod, a Thunder Jersey, and money! She got everything she wanted!

Allie wanted Ms.Sue's Brownies instead of a cake this year!

Jumping fun!

Pink Chocolate pancakes for breakfast!

Allie, Nia, and Kamry

The next day Allie was itching to spend some of her birthday money so we headed off the the outlet mall to buy a pair of converse she had been eyeing for quite sometime! I was a little concerned because she had only had a few hours of sleep but she reassured me she wasn't tired. However after driving 2 miles I turned over and saw this:

One of the reasons she asked for money is she wanted to open a bank account! So we went to the bank later that afternoon and opened her one. She said her goal is to save $1,000 by the time she is 18!

To be honest, I cannot believe she is 10 years old! And with our new move she will be entering middle school in 5th grade! I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such a sensitive, kind, and funny girl. She loves God and with the "memorize and meditate" challenge (We try to memorize a verse a week and talk about it. We write it on the message board on the back of our front door and on the mirror in her room), we are doing this year it has been great to experience God's word together. She has asked that I leave "Don't worry about anything, pray about everything." on her mirror. This is something that we both struggle with and now we have created this accountability system where if one of us sees the other one experiencing "what-ifs", anxiety, or just worrying about something we say "What is the verse?"
I also love that Allie lives life as a musical!! This child sings all the time!!!
I love that she gets herself up at 5:45 a.m. because she wants to take a 30 minute hot bath every morning. She is a great kid with a great heart! For this birthday I prayed that she may always find her worth in being a child of God and that she always seek him!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLIE B!!!

Arkansas Home!

Well, Misa found us a great place to live in Arkansas! We decided to rent for now. We have gone back and forth about renting and buying but with the incentives with the relocation company we decided this was best for this time. I haven't seen it in person but I loved it in the pics! At this point it is really about having our family together and a place where both our "boys" can live. We were considering living closer to North Little Rock but we quickly discovered that North Little Rock and all the surrounding suburbs have BSL's (Breed Specific Laws) and if we chose to live there then we couldn't have our Buster Boy and if we did and he was reported by a vet or found animal control would take him and euthanize him. So CONWAY it is! I called several vets in Conway just to make sure it was ok to have him. I am planning on going there in Feb to see it in person but I am super excited and the pinterst pinning for decorating ideas has begun. If you wanna see pics here is the link to our new home!  

http://tomwatsongenerationbuilders.com/north_hills_1310/north_hills_1310.htm

God is good all the time and...

Well, the first week of "Operation: We are moving to Arkansas in June but Misa moved in January" has been a ROUGH one!
Monday was the 1st day of the semester, which means I eat, sleep, and breathe the student schedule. I have 600 hours to fill while having to work with 60+ students class and social schedules. So far, I have only had 2 quit in the first week and I have only had to hire 8 new people! That is a new record! Anyways, back to Monday... I was working away when Chloe texted she was sick. I left work as soon as my manager meeting was over and picked her up. We headed to the Urgent Care and they said she had an ear infection and strep. They gave us antibiotics and we headed home. Tuesday night she started running a high fever so Wednesday we went to see our Dr. and she was positive for type A flu.



Allie got her wire put in her mouth this week as well so her mouth has been sore. It has rained for a few days so the dogs have been a muddy mess and they keep playing tug-of-war with any blanket I put in the garage to keep them warm until it is in pieces!  This has happened 3 times. I tried putting old sheets out there as well and they are now all over the backyard.  I will say though that Chloe and I have got to spend some great time together watching movies together that we loved to watch when she was little.

This is a picture of my prayer journal on my phone:
 so maybe all this is God's way of bringing us closer together. I will say since my recovery journey, the tough times are tough but there is a constant and unwavering basline that has helped me to keep things in perspective and not so "life and death". I believe that baseline/balance to be God's presence and the frame I see the world through as I spend more time with Him. So while it may have been a tough week we are pulling together and getting through! We have made a lot more of "Remember Whens" these last few weeks!

NEWNESS

 

There is a lot of "NEW" going on this New Year for our family. The last 17 days have been a roller coaster of an emotions since we found out about Misa's job being transferred to Conway, Arkansas. Allie is REALLY excited (she is Misa's kid...LOVES change and new adventures). I think Chloe is coming to a place of acceptance but is not happy about it. I am excited for a new chapter but I am finding it hard to leave the place that has been more than Home for us at OC. I feel sad to leave the ministry TEAM at Celebrate Recovery and my "forever family" at both CR and Wilshire. I know that God has a plan for our family and that He is good. Just like life, these next 4 months will be a journey of "see you laters" and lots of "Thanks for loving us!" So with this new year we welcome new life, new things to remember, new environment, new beginnings, new endings, new hopes, and new blessings as we remember"
Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.