Spring Peepers & Flowers

                        How about this weather!!! I am loving it! I feel like I could go outside and shake all the winter dust off of myself. We were talking about the spring peepers the other day at work. A few of the guys didn't know what a peeper is. For those of you who don't know either, it's a little frog. Yesterday while driving home from work, I had the windows down and these guys were so loud!!!! I could hear them over Toby Mac! Peepers not only make their existance known, but also the arrival of Spring known! Not to mention the pretty flowers that are popping up through the ground. Last fall I had planted bulbs and I was fearing they wouldn't come up. But alas, they have shown their ever so tiny heads! Thank you Jesus for the changing of the seasons!!!! (All except winter, sorry Virginia)

A Spring Peeper

(by any other name, could be called a frog)

Praises

                      So last Friday Coleson had surgery on his face to remove skin grafts and expanders that were stretching his cheeks. Everything went so great! Thank you Jesus! Doc wanted to keep us overnight, but I told him Coleson does so much bettter at home, so we were able to leave! Coleson's face is still a little swelled up but is diminishing everytime I look at him. He has stitches from ear to ear as well as a smile as big as a cheshire cat's! His whole head looked like a mummy until yesterday when the Doc removed the gauze and mesh.  Doc had a mirror for Coleson to look at himself with and was he beaming! I can't believe the difference in this child's demeanor. He is normally a happy kid but when we walked out of the hospital he was holding his head higher. He didn't shy away from strangers when they looked. Coleson still has a large piece of tape covering the incision that will have to wear off in the shower. He also has 6 or 8 stitches in his chin that come out in about a week. Coleson is planning on returning to school tomorrow. He is excited to show his classmates and friends his 'new' face. :) I will be posting pictures of before and after at a later time. Thank you to all of you who prayed and have been praying for us as a family, especially Coleson. Some days I think God has given me (and Marv) more than we can handle. Phillipians 4:6 says- 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.' I have been anxious and scared (I'm human) but I am so thankful that we serve a God who is in the business of  answering prayer. In His time and the way He sees fit. This answer was better than we could have hoped for!

Last Step

                     We are on the home stretch in our journey with Coleson's surgeries! Can I get a hip-hip-horray?!!! Hopefully this is the last one for a long time. Monday we met with the surgeon for one last look. Doc asked Coleson if he was ready for Friday and Coleson said 'YES' really loudly and gave the Doc a hi-five. Can you tell he is excited? Most kids, even some adults would be dreading going under the knife, trying to find away around it. Not Coleson, he wants to look like Kendall (his twin) more than anything again. He is willing to gag on his anethesia mask, have his face taped up, go through the up & down emotions that his meds bring, not to mention the pain of having his chin cut open from ear to ear. He is my super trooper! He never complains or whines. I am so proud to be his mom! I feel like I have been holding my breath since December. Praying that we can make it until March without popping an expander, getting sick, or having the surgery foiled in any way. Marv and I gave up a vacation, because we didn't want to leave Coleson for fear he got another infection or we would miss an appointment. March 27 it will be 2 years since the accident. Every time baseball season rolls around I think about the day our lives change forever. If we happen to cross your minds on Friday, please lift us in prayer. We press forward knowing that the Lord is going before us.

Motive

       Motive. This word had me thinking all the way home from bible study this evening. The question was raised 'What is our motive for looking good, exercising, losing weight?' Is it because we're afraid of what other people think, to become healthier, to have your husband notice, to have other men notice, to keep up with girlfriends, is it because your body is a temple, a living place of the Holy Spirit?
       Several years ago, during one of our heart-to-hearts, Marv said a few words that I'll never forget. I was feeling insecure about my weight and not being fit after having the twins. In a nutshell, I asked him if my extra weight bothered him at all. His reply will always stick with me. He said, "Inside you're still the woman I married." Inside. Hit me like a ton of bricks. Still makes me tear up. He didn't care that my outside had become mis-shapen and I had grown extra skin, he fell in love with my heart! God loves us, loves our hearts, no matter the scars and wounds. God doesn't care if we cover ourselves in the fanciest threads. It's the inside He cares about, that only comes from a relationship with him. My motivation for dieting and exercising back then had been to look good for Marv. I believe that my heart wasn't in the right place, that's why I wasn't successful. I would be lying if I didn't say that Marv's enjoying the new tansformation and tells me almost daily. I workout and run because I love it!!! There's almost nothing like the feeling of getting done with a workout, shirt soaked in sweat, heart beating like crazy knowing I kicked butt! If your workouts pale in comparison, call me, we will hit the gym.
        I realize there is more working out to be done on my inside, my heart, but I am accountable to several people. As one lady said, "You can tell beautiful people from the inside out, they shine." I want to go to my grave as having been known as a beautiful person, not because of the cothes on my back or the size jeans I wear, but because Christ shines THROUGH me!

Compliments (For Men)

         Not sure if I have any men reading my blog, but for those of you married men who are reading this, consider this post the frying pan to the head! Maybe I have been living in denial or maybe I'm just ignorant and didn't see it, but I can't believe there are married women in this world who don't get compliments from their husband! What on earth is wrong with you men?!!! In your dating years, you pursued your wife, said all sorts of nice things to wow her, bought her special thought through gifts. What happened? Do you have any idea what a "honey, that dinner was delicious." or "I like the way those jeans fit you." would do to her self esteem, especially if you don't pay her compliments often or at all?!!!!! She will store that away in her heart for as long as she needs till you pay her another one. If your like Marv and have no problem sending emails that say "ur hot hot hot tanks for ur patance" (written in his own spelling), or if you send your wife texts during the day saying "hey sexy don't forget the milk" then consider the frying pan a hand to pat your back with! Men encourage/compliment your wives, even when she's part grizzly and it's that time of the month. It's at those times when we need a hug or a kind word the most (and chocolate never hurts). It will work wonders!!! Find something throughout the course of the day to compliment her on. My prayer is that all women would feel consumed by love from their men!

New song

I like music and while I can't sing a tune to save my life, I sing anyway. The Lord doesn't care what it sounds like, just that your praising him right? I am liking everything Matt Maher right now. Here's one that I particularly enjoy, it's called  As it is in Heaven. He's taken words from the Lord's Prayer and re-vamped them. It's one of those songs you can really jam to on a warm summers day with the windows down! Enjoy!

Change

           Usually I'm not opposed to change, I even enjoy it most of the time. I can, for the most part 'roll-with-the-punches'. Call me crazy. Change brings new goals, new people I haven't met, a new pep in my step. However yesterday I wanted to kick change to the curb with the trash! Everything hit me at once and my emotions went through the roof! Do you ever have days like that? Maybe I'm the only one. Coleson has yet another infection, in his cheek this time, another round of anti-biotics. Marv sold his business (one where he was his own boss for 11 years), started a new job working for someone, and took a pay cut. The pay cut doesn't bother me, it's that Marv works hard and I know that he doesn't particularly enjoy that type of work. But he's working towards a bigger goal. Then to top it all off, last night as I was leaving home to go to bible study, I backed into my garage door and bent the bottom 2 panels! I was so frazzled at that point I had to laugh, as if it can't get any worse and then it does! Bible study ended up being just what I needed last night. Jocelyn Hamsher asked us what home feels like. Thinking our earthly home. (safe, peaceful-well maybe not always when I have 4 men in the house, a place where I can be myself- these were a few of the answers) Now think of our eternal home and those same words apply. I will be striving daily to be at 'home' with Jesus. My prayer is that you will to.