Date Night

This year Steve and I have bumped up date night from every other Monday to EVERY monday. I don't know how we would survive without date night to reconnect. And, there is such a cool feeling to sneak out of the house with my husband and we are so thankful for a great babysitter and the kids don't even NOTICE when we leave. They all love, Caitlyn our babysitter and immediately perk up when she comes in the door. Zachary even calls her, "the fun factory".

Last night we saw "Yes Man". It was laugh out loud funny. It got me thinking and then Steve and I talking at Chili's where we had our "after date". We love Chili's.. In the Movie Jim Carrey can't stop saying no and then his whole life changes when he says yes to it all... It was intersting because I analyzed BEFORE the twins I was a "yes woman" and in some ways that was good, I experienced so much and learned so much and it has been God using the twins in my life that I have learned to say NO. And, what was interesting is that Steve analyzed he is "no- man". We make an intersting pair :)

Anyways, I highly recommend date nights. I will give up internet before I remove date nights from our budget -- just wanted my bloggers to know how much I heart them :)

Only God...

I heard on a radio program the other day that many times with the loss of a child that a marriage dies shortly after that. The announcer stated it very matter of factly. I had heard this before. My sister just got back from a weekend getaway with her husband... They had a wonderful time and the romance they rekindled was just glowing from her as I spoke to her on the phone. It has been just over a year since they lost their 15 month old son suddenly and I have never seen them stronger in their marriage. Only God. They have always had this sickeningly sweet connection but it was glowing even stronger. Only God. She remarked that on the cruise her and her husband loved talking with the workers from other countries and learning their stories. She remarked that she has thought before "why me" in regards to losing her son. After hearing of their lives and reflecting on how blessed we are just being born American her thoughts reflected to, "why me" why am I so lucky. I was so touched. God is so awesome. I feel overwhelmed many times on how amazing it is what God continues to do through my sister Jenny and how that affects my walk... And, I pray and hold to God providing even more beauty and more blessing in her life- more beauty from ashes. God is in the business of transforming pain into something beautiful something amazing in a way we could never forsee. And, I believe he only just begun in my sisters life!

Perfect Saturday!

I love fall festivals. I love women's retreats. I love Fall. I love live music. All these things in one day - it couldn't have been more perfect!

Yesterday a local church had a fall festival with a kids concert, "Go Fish". It was just a perfect day. We ran into a bunch of people from our church and Zachary's school at the concert which made it even more fun --- it had a beautiful community feel to the whole day. This is a pix of Zack watching the concert with a school friend he ran into there.

And, here is Zane dancing!! The weather was perfect and we all had a wonderful time! Sorry it is sideways!!

God's redemptive power...

I hate when I forget important things. Not just where I put my car keys or returning an important email. Well, I hate that too. But, I go through life on automatic pilot and the important stuff dulls sometimes. And, then God in his beautiful beautiful mercy reminds me of his redemptive power.

http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

After seeing this it reminded me of participating in something very much like this at my church a year or so ago. I held a sign up saying "Approval Addict" and then it flipped and it said "I'm Enough for Him" on the other side... I felt I had conquered that approval addiction, kicked it. And, I am reminded all over again how far God has taken me but I constantly need to rely on him and be reminded that I am Everything in Christ and nothing without him.

Walking Calendars

A friend of mine used the expression "walking calendars" to describe the craziness of how fast our children grow before our very eyes and yet so slowly we don't even catch it happenning until we have one of those beautiful moments.

My babies are now toddlers and I can not believe it. It so feels like yesterday that I was pregnant with them. I am grieving the loss of my babies because I really love the baby stage. And, yet at the same time I am really enjoying learning more about their little personalities every single day. They are so precious.

Even on days where Zane manages to spill an entire bottle of concentrated laundry detergent and begin swimming in it and then while getting washed off Zoe manages to start playing in the toilet... Even on those days they are so precious. I think more and more about my nephew Carter as they get older and get to be his age... His life, has given me this incredible gift of embracing the challenges with two babies. I get frustrated when Zane escapes the baby gate and starts climbing the stairs while I am knee deep in Zoes poop I get seriously exhausted by all of that. But, I remember sweet Carter and it is like God has used his life, his short life as a testimony to viewing each moment as a gift. My next breath, their next breaths, they are all gifts. It's perspective in a pill. Tears are streaming down my face thinking about it. I am so grateful for them. And, I am so thankful and will CHOOSE to be thankful each day I have with them even if it means mass chaos. I am an emotional ball of mess right now!! Signing off before i start getting really sappy. Just feeling gratefully exhausted right now!

Before I forget to post...

I want to record a new song that has absolutely touched my heart.

It is Allelujah (spelled that wrong maybe?) by Bethany Dillon.

Love. Love. Love it. It makes my soul soar.

God rescue me from the petty...

I heard Gary Haugen say something like this at the Leadership Summit.

God Rescue me from the petty. It was in the context of a very powerful point about being a courageous Christian and not just playing it safe but being all that God has called us to be. Steve and I recently started reading "The purpose driven life" together. A verse in there we were instructed to ponder reminded me of this same thing... Colossians 1:16, "For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible,... everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."

I feel even as I am typing this that the connection isn't clear. But, it is to me. I really feel I am beginning to understand what it means to find my purpose in Him. The danger is I find petty things intolerable. I want to be rescued from pettiness. I want to be rescued from repetitious conversations. I want to be rescued from pity parties. Both mine and others... But, the truth is it isn't that I need to be rescued from these things but to change my attitude towards these things. It is my approach to these very things that defines my purpose and not that these things define my purpose. Loving God, Loving people. My purpose right... our purpose as Christians. It is so interesting to me the journey that i have been on in regards to people. Finding my purpose in him is also to me about removing yet another layer of my approval addiction. More later... Must go to bed the laundry has buzzed and can be switched :)