A Martin Minute

Philippians 1:9-11 New Living Translation (NLT) 9  I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.   10  For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.   11  May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ [ a ] —for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Love this. How have I never noticed this? I think I will start praying this for my kiddos. No matter what they do, or don't do, in life I want their lives to bring glory to God.

Moments of fun & laughter. Moments of tears. Moments of fear. Moments of joy. All these moments are times when we need to remind ourselves - GOD IS SOVEREIGN! As I sat at the hospital today I sat with some of my original gang I cried.  God placed me in this family in HIS omniscient plan we are where we are supposed to be.  The hospital waiting room was not on our radar, but on HIS.  It was there we prayed & cried & laughed & counted our Mom as one of our top blessings. Prayers - the C word is scary. Prayers - for doctor's steady hands & wisdom. Prayers & rejoicing - the lymph nodes are clear. Prayers of thankfulness for putting me with this bunch. There are times people thought my parents were crazy for having 6 kiddos.  (I get funny reactions sometimes when I tell people I have 4.)  Well, if you were there today you saw a family who places God first.  The moments like today, full of every emotion under the sun, are mome...

Whitty-Whitt is 7! He has started FIRST grade & is starting to read. He is making new friends! He is learning new sports & growing his imagination. He is loving life! It is a joy to be Whitty's mom - he is so real.  He is who he is & you cannot help but love him.  He is his own version of AWESOMENESS. Whitty, Thank you for your sweet smile & your special hugs. Thank you for smiling at me from the baseball field - I love that. Thank you for letting me still give you a kiss in the lunchroom & not being too embarrassed. Thank you for being brave at a new school - you were way braver than me =) I love you & cannot wait to see what this 7th year will bring.  I know it will bring easy days & hard days, but each one will bring more love. I love you ~ Mommy P.S. for the record I am early on this post - yay me!

Some people have BEAUTIFUL pieces of furniture in every room on every wall. I do have some nice pieces, but I am being real - sometimes they become race tracks. The trunk that used to sit at my grandmother's house is one of Littlest Baby's favorite places to play cars.  His second favorite place is the dining room table I inherited from my other grandmother, and then my other grandmother bought me a pad to top it off & protect it - THAT was being real. The table has about 8 Hot Wheels on it & the trunk has about 10 behind it. I have the table double-covered, but he sits in the chair & lines up his cars & trucks & has a blast. REAL = Hot Wheels in the dining room Now if I can just remember this - being real & present s more important than clean & pretty.

Sweet Baby is in the Monkey Class at MDO this year. He likes to carry in his lunchbox. However, FYI he is OBSESSED with keys & locking cars. If he ask you if your car is locked please answer in the affirmative - LIE if you have to. ~ Mommy

"Say what you will about the South, but nobody retires and moves up North." Just passing this info along . . . a Southern baby's dirty feet seen in my van

First Grader! Third Grader! Fifth Grader! Pretending like he is driving off to leave Mommy =( Well, we have them all at the right school & in the right classes & Aunt B is checking on the middle ones in a few minutes.  Littlest Baby is pitching a fit & did not understand why we left Whitty this time.  Then when I explained for the 10th time that Whitty is staying each day at this school now he said "Bye Mommy!" as if he was going to stay too. Everyone was brave & I only cried a little =(  I miss them.  I do not wait for school to start at the end of the Summer. More later . . .