Hybernation

Yes...it's that time. Cold outside. Stuck inside. Bored. Well here is what NOT to do in those circumstances.

1. Cut your own hair when your 3.

Here are the after pictures ...daddy "fixed" it and now my poor son is, as Adrienne put it, "almost bald!"

2. Let your kids play with the guns that Nana & Poppy got them for Christmas. I think the pictures pretty much explain it.

And 3. Let your kids get a hold of your camera.

Funny Pictures

I found these funny pictures on one of my favorite blogs, Girltalk. The one with the kids(no idea who's kids) and the cat on the raft made me crack up!!! (I am laughing out loud as I type this). What in the world was the cat doing on the raft in the first place!!

This one is for my honey...because I know how much he HATES traffic!

Trust in the Lord

Bill opened up our 401K report this weekend and shared with me that we had lost about $25,000. On Sunday, Joshua Harris spoke about how this recession can be good for us. He reminded us that our faith is tested during times of trouble but that these times help us to put our trust in He who is trustworthy...God, our creator, the One who sees all and knows all. He talked about being content with what we have instead of always seeking more, more, more things, bigger TV, bigger home, better clothes, better car. Boy what a hard thing to get for everyone I think. So as we watch our retirement fund dwindle, the Lord has given me this little song. It is on the Kid's worship CD in our van..."Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock Eternal...". He is the Rock Eternal...never moving, never changing, never dwindling, steady and strong.

Cousins at Christmas

My mom sent us some pics we took over the Holidays. It was time for the family pictures to be taken. This is when my mom forces me, my sister, my brother, and girlfriend Kati & our husbands and the kids to get all dressed up and "put more make-up on than you usually do" (Thanks for the tip mom), then try to make our kids look nice for "2 seconds" while a photographer tries to capture our crazy families in a decent shot. We love you mom for forcing...I mean setting this all up. All jokes aside...it is nice to have these pictures that we'll have forever. Here's my favorite...

Musical Chairs

Ok, Ok...now that I'm addicted to Facebook (not a good thing) I have been slacking on my blog. Here's a picture of my 5 year old Adrienne after she won Hip Hop's musical chairs on Wed night at the Sixers game. It was so fun to watch all the kids out on the court with daddy...I mean Hip-Hop. Basically my 3 kids & one of Bill's friend's son were led out onto the court & the game began. Hip Hop cheated multiple times, pushing kids out of the way so he could get a chair...what a BULLY!! Until finally it was between A & Hip-Hop. The music stopped, they both grabbed the chair & A stepped on Hip-Hop's foot to win the game...Go Adrienne!!! The picture shows Hip-Hop in the background trying to recover from falling down. Maybe I could download the video too...(If I could figure out how).

A Little Inspiration

Last night at the Hare Raiser dunking practice, Bill started flipping off the trampoline. It has been about 7 months since he tore his ACL/PCL in his knee while performing. It has been a long & tiring journey for Bill so I wanted to do a post today to encourage him.

Bill has been spending 3 days a week in therapy...now his therapy sessions last 3 hours and leave Bill feeling exhausted. He still has the "go-all-out-or go-home" attitude he's always had from his competing days. He also continues to lift weights and has also recruited friends & co-workers at the center to run stairs with him. Even after all of this rehab to get his body back into shape so he can continue to provide for his family, he still comes home every night ready to spend time with us. He continues to help out a lot at home, willing to fold clothes, vacuum, and also takes the time to read to the kids every night he is home. Honey I am so proud of how you have persevered through this trial. You have never given up and have never given in to fear. You have stepped out of the boat and continued to keep your eyes on Jesus...for this the Lord is pleased! Keep up the hard work baby, we are cheering you on all the way!!

By the way...I found these old pictures of Bill on the web & thought they would be fitting to post today. Though you performed greater feats back then, you were no match for the kind of man you are today!!

Being A Christian

Because it's the New Year, I have been pondering my Christianity and evaluating my walk with God as well as how I am doing in my role as a wife and mom. My mom got me a Barnes & Noble gift card for Christmas so I used it to buy a new bible. It is the ESV One Year Bible . My goal is to read the bible every day and journal at least 3x a week. My journal for Jan 5th, 2009 begins with this statement..."I feel dull". My passion for God and His Word seems faded & God feels distant from me. I crave a close relationship with my Savior.I want to be excited about reading the Bible, passionate about telling others including my children about the wonderful ways of God, and anticipating answered prayers. This is what it's like to be a Christian I guess. Sometimes I am on fire for God, hearing from Him in the bible and through others, joyful, hopeful, obeying His Word, patient, kind, selfless. And sometimes I am selfish, filled with sinful pride, self-righteous, angry, jealous. You see, becoming a Christian doesn't make all trouble and sin instantly go away. It means you've entered into a battle. The battle is between my spirit which is one with Christ, which desires to please God & Love God & Obey his Word, and my sinful nature which desires to please only myself. But one thing is certainly true...not one day has gone by since I made a commitment to my Savior, that I haven't thought about my God and felt Him call me to himself. Though at times I may feel dull, the truth is, He is there, calling me back, like little whispers..."come pray", "open my Word", "trust in me". And every day my desire to know God is always there. My desire to Love Him more is always there. How can I not love my creator, who has loved me since the beginning of time!! So I'll end with a few verses in Psalm 63...it is one of the songs in our van CD player that the kids love to sing...

"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you."

Happy New Year!

Our Christmas break was very busy and lots of fun. It all began the weekend before Christmas when we celebrated Christmas with Nana, Poppy, John & Amy & their kids. They opened so many presents they did not know where to begin playing...but mostly enjoyed being with their cousins.

Christmas morning the kids opened a few gifts, we played a little, packed everyone up and left for Grand Island. We made record time on the roads (since no one was traveling) and arrived around 5:30pm. We had a wonderful time at my parents. My mom made her home so welcoming and cozy. The kids slept great every night and really enjoyed staying up late with their cousins. We opened gifts, saw movies, ate alot, talked alot...it was nice. We also had the chance to visit my Papa in his new home.

New Years Eve we saw Disney on Ice with Cars, Lion King, and Tinkerbell. The kids loved it. We spent the day with Nana & Poppy playing games & eating. The kids were pooped & in bed by 9:30. We kissed at midnight and went to bed as well. On the 2nd we went to the Baltimore Aquarium with Bill's family. It was lots of fun. Enjoy the pictures!!