Refreshing

The last 2 days I spent at my parents with 2 of my friends. It was such a nice time to get away and relax a little. I am always thankful for times like that to relax and renew and hopefully to come home a better mom than I left. Even though it wasn't scorching hot, I enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoyed some
one- on-one time with Lily. I really enjoyed getting to know my friend Courtney a little better and, of course, enjoyed time with an old "golden" friend (Christy). It is hard to find someone that is better at her than relaxing and enjoying company! Oh my goodness, I just went to download the pics from the weekend and found only ONE on my camera. I guess I took all of them with Christy's. So, she will have to send them to me.


The whipped cream on the sundae....
When I arrived home, I was greeted with dinner cooking on the stove and 3 clean and organized garages!! Amazing! My husband and kids are great! God is good! Thank you family for a little time for me!

The Invisible Woman

I don't know who wrote this- some anonymous email. But, this is for all of my "cathedral-building" friends out there! I hope to be building a couple myself.

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!


One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Game of Tag....

This is a little friendly blogger game.

The inquisition...
1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player tags 5-6 people, posts their names, then leaves a comment in their respective blogs to let them know they've been tagged.
4. Let the person who tagged you know that you posted your answers.


Questions...
1. What were you doing 10 years ago? I lived downtown in my Grandmother's apartment. We had lived in B'ville for 1 year. Those were the days of women's Bible study and play groups for my little girl.

2. What are 5 things on your to-do list today? 1.Unpack 2. Unpack 3. Unpack. 4. Unpack 5. Unpack

3. What are some snacks you enjoy? chips & salsa or sour candy

4. What would you do if you were a billionaire? Hmmm..... lots, but mostly help Bo with his ideas

5. What are 3 of your bad habits? I should ask my husband that one....not putting things away where I found them, going outside barefooted, eating peanut butter out of the jar

6. What are 5 places you have lived?
1. Bartlesville, OK
2. Fayetteville, Ar
3. Plano, TX
4. Jackson, MS
5. Little Rock, AR
6. Tuis, Costa Rica

7. What are 5 jobs you've had?
1. Nurses aide
2. Kanakuk Counselor
3. Preschool Teacher
4. Fragrance Model (you know, those annoying people that spray you when you walk in Dillards?)
5. MOMMY!

8. What is currently playing on your IPOD? I don't have one, but I listen to Chandler's a lot.... Casting Crowns and Spanish Worship music

9. What are the last 5-6 books you've read? Love & Respect by Eggleston, The Treasure Principle by Alcorn, When You Rise Up by Sproul, Jr, Making Room For Life by Frazee, Family Driven Faith by Baucham

10. Who do you want to tag?
Stacy
Marci
Laura R.
Chandler

Ironing.....

Last weekend I decided to do some touch-up ironing for our church clothes. This is pretty unusual for me because I don't iron much. #1 I don't buy clothing that needs ironing & #2 I don't often iron it even if it needs it. It has always been a little joke in our family. Once, when Chandler was about 3, we took her to her Sunday school class, there was a plastic kitchen set with an ironing board and she said "Mom, what is this?"

Ok, so this time George walks up to me and says "Mommy, what cha' makin'?" hee hee. THEN, RandiKate comes around the corner and says in her most dramatic hysterical voice, "MOM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DRESS???!!!"

....... I guess ironing is not witnessed much in my house.

Cute

8 and 80

Charlie and our "Pa-Paw" share the same birthday. This year Charlie celebrated 8 years and Pa-Paw celebrated 80! Most of my Dad's side of the family in south Arkansas got together to celebrate! We had a great time seeing many of the cousins that we haven't seen in years!Happy Birthday Charlie! My first born boy! By the time I had my 3rd child, I had relaxed a little bit and really learned to enjoy my babies. We were so excited to have a little boy! Charlie was the happiest little toddler! He is still so much fun to be around!

His biggest love is baseball! He loves to watch with his dad and loves to play any time! This season he is especially enjoying playing on an undefeated team! I just love to watch him play! He loves the game and almost always knows what is going on! He runs on and off the field with excitement and is always happy to be there! He can't seem to get enough of it! Of course, Bo loves coaching him and the time they spend together playing and watching!

Charlie is a great big brother to his 2 little brothers! Here is a picture of all of the boys (before the haircuts) We are blessed to have him in our family and I look forward to seeing what plans God has for his life!

Happy Mother's Day...late, as UNusual

Ever since we returned from Costa Rica, I cannot seem to get anywhere or do anything on time! I have always prided myself in being on time, but I am afraid we have turned into one of those big families that is always late! Maybe it is our recent "Latin influence", maybe it is that "I have always prided myself", or maybe I don't know... anyway, Mother's Day....

I am so blessed to be the mother to 6 children. Of course, they are beautiful and amazing, but I would love them even if they weren't. We had a great day with THE mother (my Grandmadel) and my aunt, uncle, cousins, etc. So I want to say I am thankful for the best job on earth, mother. What other job can you eat PB&J everyday, play in the park, read Dr Seuss, build train tracks, sing Miss Mary Mac, have "friendship talks", get genuine hugs and kisses and work for people who (usually) think you are the greatest person on earth???!! I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I am blessed also to have a wonderful mother who taught me so many things. She taught me how to properly load a dishwasher, fold a towel, change a diaper, organize a cabinet (all of which I don't do much of) So, the most important things she taught me are to love the Lord and seek Him, be His friend, love and honor your husband, cuddle and laugh with your children and that motherhood is the most important job out there- nothing is more aspiring. Thank you Mom, for the confidence in that! You are the best!

I am also blessed with a wonderful "mother-in-love"! Bo's mom is a wonderful example of how to be a good mother-in-law! Her servant's heart and positive attitude are an inspiration to me and I am sorry that we live so far apart!

Thank you Lord for my blessed life!
The ones who call me "Mom"