Man-Child

It's official...I have a man-child.

My son, Jack, turned 13 this week. While I celebrate his special day with joy, I confess this year has left me a little melancholy. Maybe because I see him eating his weight in food each day. Perhaps it's because I notice that before long, I will have to look up to kiss him on the cheek. It might even be because he is starting to have insights and opinions that remind me he isn't a little boy anymore.

More likely, it is due to the fact that I am more aware than ever than he is not mine. He's God's. And one day, not long from now, Jack will be a man. My child will be gone. And this birthday, more than any before, has that reality at the forfront of my mind.

Thinking about it hurts my heart just a little, for I cannot imagine not seeing his smile every day. Not taking in his laugh. Not hearing his silly jokes. Not listening about his day. It's a reality I don't want to face. Yet I know, indeed, the day will come.

When I look at my son, I am filled with pride that makes my heart burst. What a heart lives in this boy. What love runs through his veins. What a man he shall be! Strong and dependable like his Daddy. Passionate like his Mama. God has woven him together in such a complex and unique way. All for God' purpose. In this place. At this time. For God's glory.

I remember that day when my life changed forever and I became Jack's mother. I woke up and hours later, I was holding my son. My first born, he was three weeks early, but strong and healthy. Since Jack was born at 2 o'clock in the morning, I had been up most of the night in labor. And so, his Daddy and I greeted him, held him close, marveled at his perfect fingers and toes, praised God for him, and eventually went back to sleep for a bit of rest. When the nurses brought him to me for his first feeding, I woke up as a brand new Mom.

Clueless and inexperienced, I remember feeling so inadequate to raise this boy into a man. What did I know of legos and earthworms, scooters, and soccer practice? Jack has taught me so much in my walk through motherhood. What a beautiful privilege it is to be this boy's mom. And now, he stands with one foot in childhood and the other in manhood. Once more, I feel intimidated by the road ahead. For what do I know of being a man?

but I know what it is to love a man. I know what it is to love a boy. And I know this boy well. I know his heart. I know his passions. I know my son as only a mother can. Truly, the road ahead of us is going to be filled with ups and downs as Jack finds his way into manhood. But we get to walk it together, with our God.

And when I look at my son, and ponder all that he was, all that he is, and all that he will become, my heart lets out a shout of praise for "children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." (Psalm 127:3)

So, I look with new eyes on my man-child. How he makes my heart smile with his wonderful new teenage boy way. Leaving his socks on the floor and his dirty dishes in the sink, he fills my days with joy and my eyes with wonder. I know where we have been. I see where we are going. And I consider the promise of today with my son. Thirteen years ago, God changed my life with a 6 pound 14 ounce amazing baby boy. What a man this child shall be! But today, he is my man-child. Tall. Idealistic. Innocent, yet wise beyond his years. We have much to experience in the years ahead.

And through it all, even into manhood, I get to be his Mom.

Lily's Big Fat Greek Birthday

"Children are a gift from the LORD" -(Psalm 127:5)



Recently, Lily watched the edited version of the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Since then, she has been dying to try Greek food. So, for her 9th birthday, Lily had a Big Fat Greek Birthday party.

We took her to Zorbas in Plano, Texas for dinner the night before her birthday. After carefully studying the menu, our sweet Lilybelle chose the Zorba's Platter.


It included a feast almost as big as our little princess and included Gyro meet with Pita bread, lamb skewers, grilled peppers, Greek seasoned potatoes, and mousaka.


Yummo!



Afterwards, Lily recruited Daddy in selecting some delectable deserts, that were of course calorie free. NOT!






Lily loved everything about the restaurant...the music, the decor, the mood. I think she believes she is really part Greek. Ha! She and Jack especially enjoyed looking at photos of Greek celebrities that were posted on the wall in the back of the restaurant.



On Monday evening, we celebrated Lily's birthday with our framily (friends and family).



Lily's Life Group Peeps from FBC McKinney! Kinley, Gracie, and Molly. Love, love, love these girlies.




We had a red velvet bundt cakes from Nothin' Bundt Cakes and it even had flowers to cover up the hole in the middle, just like in the movie. Too funny! It was as yummy as it was beautiful!



We got Lily baking accessories for her My Generation doll, that she has named Emma. I also wrote her a personalized book to go with her doll called Emma and the Cupcake War. It tickled Lily pink, as she dreams of owning her own bake shop someday.



After an exciting night of cake and candles, Lily was tuckered out and she and Emma snuggled up for a bit on the couch. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow on the couch. ha!



I cannot believe my precious girl is nine years old. How I praise God for this child who brings glitter and sparkle into my life. Watching her grow is truly one of the greatest blessings of my life, and I am so blessed that this precious girl calls me "Mommy". Happy Birthday Lulu...we love you to the moon and back!

Glen Oaks Valentine's Dance 2011

Marty and the girls went to the Glen Oaks Valentine's Dance this evening. After getting all dolled up, Lily and Sofie felt especially pretty and ready for a night of dancing with Daddy. Of course, they insisted that their date for the evening wear his "fancy clothes". These are special moments that I know the girls will hold in their hearts forever, and I am so grateful that my daughters have such an attentive man as their father. Have an enchanted evening sweet girls...and thanks honey, for being an amazing Dad.

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Snow Day

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work,
he stops all people from their labor. -Job 37:5-7



OK folks. It's no secret that I am not a big fan of cold weather. And I confess, I have grown quite accustomed to the mild winters we experience in North Texas. However, it has been a very wacky here in McKinney, Texas for the past week as winter seems to have found us. And I mean REAL winter.

Normally we see very little snow and temps stay in the low 40's. This week has been the exception to every rule about winters here and this former Iowa girl feels like I somehow got transported to Central Iowa.

On Monday evening, an ice storm covered us in several inches of thick ice. Since the temperature didn't raise above freezing,and in fact dropped to single digits and a wind chill below zero, the ice clearly wasn't going anywhere. So, school was cancelled for the next...wait for it... 3 days. With so many people using so much power to heat their homes, Texas had to preserve the power grid and prevent a full blown blackout. So, we experienced rolling blackouts throughout the day on Wednesday. And those left commuting by mass transit, like sweet Marty, were stranded on the DART trains heading South towards downtown. After four hours riding trains both South to Dallas and North to McKinney, with no heat, Marty walked in the door on Wednesday afternoon looking somewhat like a popcicle.

We settled in under our warm blankets, lit a fire, and decided to enjoy the break in our usually hectic week. Still after days of watching movies, eating snacks, baking, and hanging out together, the walls started to feel as if they were closing in on us all. Which brings me to Thursday evening. The forecast predicted a "dusting" of snow, and I held out strong hopes that it would translate to a late start to school, but school nontheless. As much as I adore my three charming children, this mama was in desperate need of contact with the outside world. Instead, we woke up to 6 inches of snow and school cancelled for a 4th day. No, I am not kidding! So, what were we to do now? We decided to "cowboy up" and find our inner Yankee.

Friday afternoon, we chose to brave the roads and drive to a nearby hill to try out the slopes. Though we didn't have a sled, we used some good ole fashioned American ingenuity and decided to try some different things from the garage and see if any of them would work as a sled. We found Jack's boogie board worked great! It was so much fun, Marty went to Target and grabbed some inflatable tubes and they worked even better. We had such a fantastic time! I had forgotten how much fun sledding can be. And for the record...snow is WAY more fun than ice!


Jack, Lily, and Sofie finding their inner Yankee.


Frosty the Snowman has nothing on us...ready to tackle the hill at Adriatica! Cowabunga!!


Marty giving the girls a little push...


Jack learning to "snow board" on his boogie board. Not bad at all J-Man. Maybe he is ready for some real slopes now.


This is sooooo much better than falling!


Snuggling cheek to cheek to keep warm.


Beautfiul Bug beaming brightly!


Marty and Lily ready to take on the hill together.


Sofie was excited to see her pal Landon from next door at the hill. They had a blast sledding together and are truly two peas in a pod.


The men in my life make my heart smile.


Marty gave Lily and Jack this idea. Yep. Those apples fell right next to the tree.

The snow is pretty much gone today as the temperature went up to the mid 40's this afternoon. We have more wintery mix/snow in the forcast for the coming week. And we are all ready for our next day on the slopes. Bring it on Mother Nature...the Arbuckles are not Native Texans. We are transplanted Iowans now living in Texas. A little ice and snow don't leave us skeeered. No. This time we are ready for whatever you got for us! Even a 4 day spring break on ice!

Penny

When we said good-bye to our beloved Australian Terrier Sydney about a month ago, we were all crushed. And though we shall always love Sydney, our home seemed just a little too quiet without a dog. So on Monday we brought home our new puppy. Her name is Penny and we adopted her from the Collin County Humane Society. She is a Shitzu/Poodle mix that is just as sweet as she is fluffy. We are so excited to welcome the new addition to our family and we think Sydney would approve.

Glen Oaks Variety Show 2011

Lily and Sofie performed in the Glen Oaks Variety Show last night. Along with their sweet friend Brylee Lackey, the girls sang and danced to the theme song from the TV show "Shake It Up". Brylee's big sister, Brenna, helped them with choreography and coached them for the big night. She is a Color Guard at Boyd Elementary, so she knows the ins and outs of performing. :) They were so cute and had so much fun being on stage. Afterwards, we celebrated with some ice cream at Baskin Robbins. "Shake it Up!"

Prayers for 2011

One year passes as another begins, and I, like many others, find myself taking time to reflect on all that has transpired the past 365 days. The year behind us has been one of blessing for our family and I am so grateful for all we have witnessed God do in our lives in 2010.

With a grateful heart, I acknowledge that our Heavenly Father has answered many prayers and lavished us in His love.

Marty stepped into a new position at Ernst and Young and God has continued to pour His favor upon Marty's career. Now a Senior Manager, Marty is highly respected in his field and earns a generous salary that takes care of all of our needs. We give God ALL the glory as it is His work alone that has made this all possible.

This time last year, I prayed that our three children would grow in their faith, grow in confidence, discover their gifts and talents, and begin to develop them for God's glory. Jack has begun to nurture his gifts in the performing arts. Watching his confidence grow with his success in drama has been so exciting. He seems to have found his niche. Lily has discovered a new talent in dance, as well as a joy for performing that makes her light up inside. Sofie has taken up soccer, in addition to basketball, and she has discovered a love for competition in team sports.

Furthermore, all three of our children continue to grow in their faith, and Sofie accepted Christ in the spring and was baptized this past fall. It is such an amazing feeling to know that we will all be together in Heaven for eternity because of what Christ has done for us. I praise God for the work He has done in the hearts of my children and I anticipate all that He will do with their faithfulness as they continue to walk with Him in truth.

This time last year, provision was on my mind. Since we rent, our lease was due to expire and I was already in prayer about where God wanted to place our family next. Early in the year, we moved into a new house, located near a creek and on a quiet cul-de-sac filled with many kids. I have delighted in watching my children as they explore the great outdoors with their new friends. Summer nights filled with flashlight tag and popsicles made my heart rejoice as we settled into our new home.

God revealed himself and his power in extraordinary ways in 2010.We witnessed first-hand God's healing power as God brought us through the craziness of Sofie's broken leg. Even though she spent over 9 weeks in a wheelchair, our little Honeybug had a full recovery and we are grateful that her fracture did not require surgery.

By God's design, we experienced unexpected changes this year as well. August marked the end of our being life group shepherds. After five years of service, we handed the reigns over to Brian and Gretchen Reck so that we could prayerfully follow wherever God should lead. To our surprise, He placed us as small group leaders for sixth graders in our Youth Ministry at FBC McKinney. what a blessing it has been falling in love with tweens at our church.

My writing ministry continued to bud and grow as I became part of the writing team for three different websites and was featured in several publications this past year. Just days before the year's end, my manuscript for Mourning Glory was accepted for publication with Jebaire Publishing, Inc. I still cannot believe that God is going to allow me to be an author of a book! I pray it is a blessing for many, that it will accomplish it's purpose, and bring glory to God.

Through every challenge of the past year, we have found God faithful. He is truly worthy of praise and I am so thankful for all that He has revealed to us on 2010.

Currently, our family remains in prayer about many things. And as 2011 begins, here are the prayer requests nearest to my heart.

While the idea is still a bit daunting, we feel called to step in faith and adopt an infant. It is our great desire that this time next year, we find ourselves warming bottles and singing our new baby to sleep. Please, Father, if it be your will, bring our baby home to us in your perfect timing. We require your intervention to make our dream a reality, and we thank you in advance,LORD, for your miraculous provision.

Marty's commute is long, and we hope that in the coming year he might find a way to spend less time on the road. The kids have each expressed how much they miss him and we know, God, that you do not desire for Marty to away from home 13 hours a day. Much of his time is spent traveling to and from the workplace. We are grateful for Marty's job, and we thank you for blessing him with work, but please don't allow him to be robbed of the daily blessings of spending time with his family.

We continue, like most of the country, to strive for financial independence and hope to make gains to that end in the next year. Give us direction and self-control as we strive to be wise stewards of all that you have blessed us. May we bring you glory with our finances.

I pray, Father, that our family would be strong and bound by love and faith rooted in Christ. Though storms will howl around us in the days and months to come, I ask you dear God to build a hedge around us that shields our family from evil. Let nothing break the bonds of love which hold us together.

As my book is published, I pray it touches hearts and changes lives as it brings you glory my King. I don't know what your plan is for this book, Lord, but I offer it to you with thanks. May it go forth and accomplish your purpose.

Since we live in a rental property, the end of this new year will leave us looking at a lease that will be up for renewal shortly after 2012 begins. I pray, in advance,God, that You might guide us in wisdom and direct our steps as we seek your provision for our future.

I pray our family would remain healthy as we journey through this next year together. Father, may your loving hands protect our bodies and keep us strong in the year to come. And may you, the Great Physician, heal us should illness strike.

I pray that each of my children would continue to grow in their faith, Lord. May each of them passionately desire Your truth as they learn to live with devotion to Christ. It is my prayer that each of my kids might come to love you, Lord, more deeply and know You, God, more completely in the year to come. Don't allow the lies of this world to pull them away from your side.

I pray, God, that you would continue to make me into the wife and mother that this family needs. The most important task in my simple life is to love this family, that they might go forth and point others to the love of Christ. It is my offering and my legacy to you, oh God, and I pray You will equip me for all that lies ahead. I pray for wisdom. I pray for courage. I pray for understanding. I pray, Lord, that you might help me to know the hearts of my children and understand the needs of my husband more fully.

I pray, Father, for our safety...that no harm might come to any member of this family. May your angels go before us in our daily endeavors, and may we be safely delivered home each night.

Truly I am amazed when I reflect on all God has done in our family this past year. And I am reminded of one of His great promises for the all that is to come...

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.
-Isaiah 48:17

Whatever lies ahead, God goes with us. And so with Him, we step into the unknown of a brand new year. Happy 2011! May it be a year of favor and blessing in the sight of the Lord.