Monday, November 29, 2010

CHRISTMASTIME!!

The most wonderful time of the year is here!! I ABSOLUTELY love Christmas.  We have decorated the tree and I have already bought a couple of yummy candles and some scented pine cones to make sure my house smells like the holidays.  What do the holidays smell like?  Cinnamon, spice, and everything nice! Is this the cheesiest blog you have read today?? I hope so!! Don't be a scrooge and scrunch up your nose at my cinnamon excitement.  We have all of Benny-roo-magoo's presents purchased and wrapped.  He is dying to open them.  He tries to peek...he told me he saw some black under some of the wrapping paper.  He was pumped.  Sam is moving and grooving.  That sweet boy does not stop moving unless he is asleep.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and food!  Ben got to open a present at MiMi's house..and then one at Lolly's.  Lucky boy.  I don't remember EVER getting a gift at Thanksgiving.  Hmmm.  What is it about grandkids?

Hope all is well with you and yours. Yes, I am in a gooey, cheesy, smiley Christmas mood.


Friday, September 3, 2010

New Music? Yes, please.

If you know me well you know that I am a big fan of music....but mostly for the lyrics.  I have stumbled upon another great artist, Mindy Gledhill.  I read NieNie's blog (so inspiring) and she is always promoting Mindy but I have never clicked....until today.  And I am in love!!  Soooo, here is the first song I will post and why I love it.  Many more to come (including Anchor, All About Your Heart, Pennies, and Crazy Love).


 

Hourglass

Mindy Gledhill

© 2010 Blue Morph Music (BMI)
Little boy, when you speak
I can’t help but kiss your cheeks
I love the way you grab my hands
And tell me all about your plans

Rocket high, comets fly
You and I could take a ride
And fly away to Neverland
And give our best to Peter Pan

When you reach for the stars
Don’t forget who you are
And please don’t turn around and grow up way too fast
See the sand in my grasp
From the first to the last
Every grain becomes a memory of the past
Oh, life’s an hourglass
Life’s an hourglass

Story’s read, prayer is said
Close your eyes sleepyhead
While angels linger in your dreams
And hold you in their feathered wings
Just like you, I was small
Not that long ago at all
I wish you all the happiness
That God gives freely if you ask



I LOVE this.  I don't agree with all of the theology...but what a sweet, little song. I love how she captures the essence of a little boy.  I so understand the feeling of hearing your son speak and just wanting to grab his sweet face and smooch him up!  Oh, and how I LOVE when Ben gets really excited about something and tells me all about it.  The wonder in his voice and the joy in his eyes is something special. I also like how she puts a little pretending in the song through good, ole "Petah" Pan.  Who doesn't have great memories of that story?  ("Are you hurted, Wendy?"....for Chuck).


One of my favorite lines is, "When you reach for the stars don't forget who you are." That is my desire for my boys.  I want them to go for it in life. But I want them to always remember who they are and Who made them.  My prayer is that they become confident men of God with hearts of servants...like Jesus!


And the image of the hourglass.  What a good one! Life goes so quickly.  I look at Ben and have no idea where the past four years have gone (except that first one which was pretty exhausting;) and Sam is almost 6 months old! What?!  I like the reminder that life is short.  It helps me get through the long days and remember to savor every moment with my sweet, precious gifts.  How blessed am I to be a mom to Ben and Sam?!

Mindy Gledhill - Hourglass

Thursday, August 19, 2010

TWO RECESSES!

        Today was Ben's first day of pre-school.  He is in a Tuesday/Thursday program and he absolutely LOVED it. We started the day with cinnamon rolls and fruit.  He was super excited about the JUMBO rolls.  He raved about how yummy they looked.  When he walked into the kitchen he saw his 'first day of school surprise' taped to the wall....a Super Mario Brothers poster. He saw it at Wal-Mart the night before and went crazy. (I decided that night that  I was going to be the mom who lets her kid hang super tacky posters on his wall....he is only a kid once).  When he walked in and saw it he was shocked.  When he got dressed he put on his backpack and wore it around the house with his Toy Story lunch box (again, they are only kids once...and yes I really liked the solid  red and gray lunch box that matched his backpack from Aunt NayNay, but.....Buzz Lightyear it is).  He was so excited for school.  So much so that he couldn't eat his yummy cinnamon roll.
         Yesterday we had a "practice lunch" so I could show him how to eat from a lunch box...you know, like taking the food out of the baggies and then throwing the baggies away...and asking someone to help him with his juice box. Ok, let's be real.  I wanted to make sure he knew that even though Mommy wasn't there, he still needed to eat his sandwich and fruit before his gummy snack.  (When I asked him later today how his lunch was he said, "I ate my fruit before anything. And I ate my whole sandwich." When I opened his lunch box there was still a triangle of peanut butter and honey left...but everything else was gone! Thank you, practice lunch.)
     So, we get to school pretty early and Ben got to put his backpack in his locker. (He really likes his locker...I think it makes him feel professional).  He handed his teacher the extra set of clothes they asked us to bring in case of an accident.  He said, "This is for when I peepee."  The look on her face was priceless.
      He walked into the class and went right to his "desk".  (I made the mistake when I picked him up from school of calling it a table which is what it actually is and he quickly corrected me.)  His teacher had smartly put a worksheet with the letter 'A' and some fruit loops on the table.  She told Ben he could glue the cereal on the polka-dots that were on the 'A.' She is now his favorite person.  Ben loves to "cut" and glue.  As Ben started to glue I gave him a hug, told him I loved him, and said good-bye.  He stopped what he was doing and very quietly whispered, "Can we eat these?"
      

***********************************************************************************


       When I picked him up he was a sweaty, grinning mess.  He had an amazing day! Thank you, Lord! He talked and talked about how much fun he had.  He told me that they had TWO RECESSES!!! (He was super excited about that).  And that they got to play whatever they wanted during recess.  I asked him who he played with....he said, "The girls. I followed them around. Cade followed  me and I followed the girls." And so it begins.
         On the way to the car he said very matter of factly and out of the blue, "I love you, Mom."
                                                      I love you, too, Ben.
     

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Live at the Lake

Tonight I had the pleasure of listening to excellent music performed by my very own brother Kevin Rhine and his buddy Ashton Gustafson. They were awesome and were a joy to listen to.  We had a great time with lots of friends and family while we were there.  I love nights like tonight. We took lawn chairs, blankets (to sit on....it was 102!), and water.  We also took a spray bottle complete with fan to help us cool down a bit.  I loved getting to sit next to Josh, hold sweet Sam, and watch Ben run around with his friends. We went to Orange Leaf after for yogurt...yummy!!  I am blessed.  Thank you, Father, for these sweet memories.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Steadfast Love

Josh took the 3rd and 4th graders to camp for a few days.  This is my first time alone with two kids for an extended period of time! So far, so good!! Ben slept in this morning...Mimi and Doogie wore him out this weekend. (Thanks Doug and Elaine!)  He said, "I want to visit them forever!" So thankful for good grandparents.

This morning I was reading the Psalms and came across a verse that I think will get me through this week:
"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night..."
Psalm 92:1-2

I am no theologian like some in our family (Charles Rhine, ThM) but I really like what this verse means to me. I like how the Psalmist wants to declare God's steadfast love in the morning and faithfulness at night.  I think it makes a lot of sense...I need his patient love in the morning to get through the day.  I fail many times throughout my day...especially in my parenting! How nice to have this reminder that He is right there with love that NEVER wavers and ALWAYS sustains! And at the end of the day I can look back on that love and praise Him for being faithful to provide it. God is good all the time.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Take me out to the ball game


Today is Ben's first Rangers baseball experience...and I am missing it! Sad! But on the up-side...he is getting to experience this first with his Daddy, Mimi, and Doogie.  They left this morning and are getting there early enough for something called "Chatter Bat"? Not sure what it means but I think he may get a free bat out of the deal.  He and Josh are both wearing bright red shirts and royal blue shorts. How cute are they?! I didn't think it was a good idea to get little man out in the heat for that long so we are stayin' cool and layin' low.  I know this will be a fun time for my boys...I will post a pic as soon as they get home!