FIRST MONTH DOWN, 8 MORE TO GO!!

I know I haven't written much of anything on this blog lately...but even having a "2 day a week job" (yeah, right!), has had me busier than I ever dreamed! I only thought that I'd work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, & have the other 3 days to get stuff done in between our crazy hectic weekends.

HAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I'm sorry, that's me laughing at the fact that I can't tell a weekday from a weekend anymore! Who knew it was going to be THIS crazy? (and if you did know, why didn't you tell me????)

Anyway...I digress...

We have survived the first month of school! YIPPEEE! Megan is doing very well in school and has latched onto reading so well that we've begun the "Junie B. Jones" books here at home. We read one chapter every night, and she is loving it! She has to read and log 20 books a month in order to earn a "free personal pan pizza" coupon from her teacher. When she brought that coupon home last week, it was if she'd won the lottery! She is so proud of herself. She has struggled a bit in math, but starting to grasp it a bit better...that reminds me, would you mind praying for her? She needs to be a strong math student, because I'm not going to be able to help her after it get's past "fractions" a few years from now! I, uh...I mean SHE can use all the prayers she can get!

Ryan is loving being in Mrs. Hunt's K3 class. He comes home sounding just like his teacher! We all know the rules about coloring with crayons now, because Ryan tells us all the time "Mrs. Hunt say 'NO SCRIBBLE-SCRABBLE' ", and then he precedes to tell us which of his class friends scribble scabbles and which of them "go back and forth" like Mrs. Hunt says. He also enunciates the "Pledge of Allegience" just like his teacher...it's so cute to hear him say "with liverty, and justice fo awwwlll."

And as for my class...well, my goal was to make those kids LOVE ME! Because if they love me, they'll trust me. If they trust me, they'll leave the tears at home. I started off the year with only 2 of the 8 students crying every morning. Then I moved up to 3 of the 8 when one of them realized the other two got alot more attention when they cried,and Mrs. Barrett was giving away lots and lots of hugs, and lap time! With all those tears come runny noses, and with all the runny noses comes illness....for me! By the end of the first week of school, I was sick with Mychoplasma (bacterial pneumonia), Megan had bronchitis, and Ryan had a terrible sinus infection moving into bronchitis by the time we went to the doctor. Praise the Lord for credit cards, because it's not every day you have $230 in cold cash lying around to pay for prescriptions!!!!!!! By the second week of school, I lost one student to another classroom because his mom thought that going 3 days until 12 might be a little easier on him, and now I'm down to 7 kids (so if you know a 2 year old who will be 3yrs by March, sign 'em up! I have an opening!). I really am enjoying my little angels though. It has taken the entire 4 weeks of school, but yesterday we completed the day with NO TEARS! I'm singing praises with the angels in heaven! My little criers TRUST ME! THEY LOVE ME! THEY LIKE SCHOOL NOW!

HA-LE-LU-JAH!

Now, maybe I can actually get to teaching them something! I feel as though I haven't been able to get through to them these last few weeks, because having one (or more) of your friends cry while you're trying to learn the days of the week song, sing about the ABC's, and learn your shapes and colors, is very distracting! So, I'm planning to do LOTS of review. I want them to learn, otherwise, what are their parents paying for???

But alas, just as we start getting used to school, we're going to have some down time. This next week, the entire school goes to the pumpkin patch.

It's a family field trip, where I will have no responsibilities to my students other than greeting them at the beginning of the day and then they go off with their parents to find a pumpkin in the patch. (I'll have my own little BIOLOGICAL rug rats to tend to!)

Then, next Friday, I am taking my first "going out of town for work" trip! Yep...I'm leaving the hubby and kids from Friday until Tuesday,and headed to Pensacola!!!! Every year the teachers go down for a weekend of relaxation on the beach, and attend clinics at the Pensacola Christian College where we will learn and observe the teachers at the school responsible for the ABeka curriculum so many private christian schools use. I hear it's a fun time, and all the teachers seem to look forward to it every year. The whole school closes down on Monday and Tuesday, and it's all about the teachers! Wow! I'm excited, but man is that "mommy guilt" starting to sink in. Much the same as it did when I went on my "Beach Babes BASH" last May. But hubby has been great...he's wants me to go. For a couple of reasons, one...so that I can get to know everyone at the school and be a "team player", two, so that by being a team player, I can possibly have a job there next year! hahaha! (It's all about the money...huh, dear? WHICH BY THE WAY...I GET A PAYCHECK! I was so shocked! I didn't expect to make ANYTHING after they took out my money for tuition, so AGAIN, I'M SINGING PRAISES TO GOD! Now, we might have a good Christmas around here and not have to stress out about paying the "Christmas Card" off in January! haha)

So, with all the crazyness of teaching Pre 3K's 2 days a week, working some on Wednesdays to prepare, organizing crafts/bulletin boards, etc, and re-learning how to be a working mom AND a stay at home mom, AND be on the newly developed drama team at church which meets every Tuesday, AND try to continue my current leadership roles at church (which I'm failing miserably at...help!), AND try to get started back in church on Wednesday nights so my kids can be apart of Mission Friends and GA's, AND make the grocery store runs, AND still have time for homemade dinners (haha, yeah, right), a clean house( BWAHAHAH, I'm sorry, I tried to make that sound like I have put forth an effort), AND attend every birthday party/girls nite out/date with husband/family fun day/etc that we have always done, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'M QUITE OVERWHELMED.

One of the staff ministers at church called me this week to check on me, because he'd not seen me (or had me fill his email box full) in quite a few weeks/months. It was nice to know I was missed, and even more...he prayed for me while we were on the phone! I so needed that! I'm finding my way...the hardest part is keeping it all together sometimes. I really want to start reading my book "Passion On Purpose-Discovering and Pursuing a Life That Matters"...but I've had a hard time focusing late at night, and I usually end up falling asleep and not reading past the first paragraph.

If I can just get everything organized....

If I could just find more time...

If I could just be more energetic...

If I could just put for a little more effort...

IF I......

IF I ..........

IF I....................

But..HE CAN.

HE WILL.

HE WANTS TO.

I just gotta learn to get outta the way.

So, there's how life in the Barrett family has been...or at least my perspective. I'm sure eachof my kids, and dear hubby would have plenty to say...but they'd have to get their own blog!

Food for thought....

The "letter" below came in an email today, and it gave me chills. Beyond the chills, it got me thinking about how "busy" I am, and how I need to slow down and be ever mindful of the Lord, and his blessings. As a mother, I have the utmost responsibility to show my children how to live a life pleasing to God because if I don't, how will they be taught to do so? And of many hats I wear-mother, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, leader...the one I probably work on the least, is CHILD OF GOD!

It seems God is speaking to me lately about slowing down....looking for HIM.....coming to Him, and to stop thinking that because I am busy, I am productive, I am important, I am needed, and to stop thinking that being busy is a good thing. What good is being busy, if I'm not doing what God wants me to do? I'm starting a book called "Passion on Purpose" by Dr. Deborah Newman, and while I've only read a few pages, I am hooked! It's thought provoking...it's relieving, it's insightful, and my heart feels raw from reading it. I'm sure I'll be writing more about it in the near future.

Now, onto the email I got today. It's called, "A Letter From Satan".

A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN

I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores. You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you didn't even bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night.
You are so unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you have not changed your way of living,
Fool, you are mine.
Remember, you and I have been going steady for years, and I still
don't love you, yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate God. He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long as possible to pay Him back. You see, fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store for you. But you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your life a living Hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really hurt God.
Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your life with all of the good times we've had. We have been watching dirty movies, cursing people out, stealing, lying, being hypocritical, fornicating, overeating, telling dirty jokes, gossiping, being judgmental, back stabbing people, disrespecting adults, and those in leadership positions. No respect for the Church, bad attitudes. SURELY you don't want to give all this up. Come on, Fool, let's burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us.
This is just a letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say "THANKS" for letting me use you for most of your foolish life. You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to sin, You give in.
HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin is beginning to take its toll on your life. You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood. So go ahead and teach some children how to sin. All you have to do is smoke, get drunk or drink while under-aged, cheat, gamble, gossip, fornicate, and live being as selfish as possible.
Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do it too.
Kids are like that. Well, fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a couple of seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run somewhere, confess your sins, And live for God with what little bit of life that you have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your age and still sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I still hate you.

IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.

RAZOR VIDEOS...

Here are a few videos I was finally able to load up to You Tube of Dad and I riding in the Razor today. They were both shot with the camera on Jonathan's cell phone, so the quality isn't the best. The first video is Dad getting us stuck on a log on one of the trails...(see, I wasn't the only one!). The second is us hitting a small dirt ramp and trying to get a little air beneath us...and DAD gets the car up on the side two wheels! Both video's feature screams, ala JENNY!
enjoy...

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RECREATIONAL VEHICLES = BOY TOYS???

Today, I did something new! Jonathan likes going to ride trails with my dad in the 4 wheelers, and I've never been a big fan of the idea. A little over a month ago, my dad made a new purchase that was a little more appealing to me...he bought a Polaris Ranger Razor which allows seating for two, 4WD, and my favorite part - THE GRAB BAR!!!! (aka, the OH CRAP bar). Me being the girly girl that I am, I really had no interest in going and getting all muddy and dirty...but since both my husband and my dad asked me to go, I decided, "WHY NOT?". After all, mud is not anything I can't wash off!
The day began at a very early 5:30 AM! We checked out the weather forecast since we realized it had been raining all night long. "GREAT! IT'S GOING TO BE MUDDY!" is all I could think of. At least I'll be riding with Dad, which means he'll take it easier on me than anyone else would! The forecast said the rain was over and it was to be a sunny day....so, there was no turning back! We had to get Ryan up and take him over to Nana's house (Megan was already there having a "sleep over party" with her cousins...Ryan didn't want to stay). We got there a little after 6 AM and Jonathan and Dad began loading the vehicles. We had about a 30-40 minute drive to the trails, so by the time we got there, the sun was out in full force, and I was hoping it was drying up all the muddy trails! (haha). We arrived around 8am and hit the trails full speed. It didn't take me long to learn my first lesson! "DON'T SMILE!" Well, that is, unless you want dirt all in your teeth! All day long, I kept my mouth shut! I know, I know, THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING! haha! First, they took me to the top of the mountain where there was a beautiful rocky overlook! I had no idea it would be so neat! We brought the camera along and took a few pics of us climbing all over the rocks. I was reminded just how out of shape I am whenever I had to climb and maneuver through tight crevices just to make it to the top. But it was fun to do! We rode just about every trail we could find, and I was happy just riding along as passenger. But after one small break, Dad told me to drive and he got in the passenger side. I was nervous, but he tried to assure me that it was easy, and we were just riding down even trails. Yeah, right. It was even at first, until he directed me onto the "paths less traveled" because the trails we were on began getting harder with deep ravine's in the dirt. So, through the brush, the sticker bushes, up rocks, (or small boulders if you ask me!), downed tree limbs, and through COUNTLESS spider webs (eww!), we rode...all with me at the wheel! It was all fine as we were going down hill...but when we hit a dead end, I quickly realized that there was no way out and we were going to have to retrace our steps back up those tight spots on rocky hills! Dad gives me direction, we switch the Razor into low gear, 4wd, and started up the hill. The tight path was divided with a small tree, with the path on the left hosting a large rocky deterrent, and the path on the right with deep ravines in the dirt. Dad directs me to the right thinking (or hoping) it would be easier to get up. I was doing OK going up the steep hill, until the rear wheels slipped down into the ravine, and the jolt knocked my hands off the steering wheel, taking the front wheels of the car spinning into the air...TOWARD A SMALL BUT VERY "THERE" TREE!. I'm amazed at the calm voice I hear coming out of my dad sitting next to me. "It's OK, just hit the brake", he says. "What? You're not freaking out? 'cause I sure am!" I'm thinking? I hit the brakes, and we slide down the crevice slightly until we rest on the incline. Dad gets out to assess my predicament and I began begging him to let me out and HE can fix this mess of mine! And being the experienced driver he is...he got the vehicle out of trouble with ease. I was pretty much done driving at that point, and was ready to go back to being a passenger...after all, it seemed much safer for everyone!
The rain left plenty of muddy puddles, and slimy muddy roads for us to ride on, but Dad did a great job keeping me clean for the most part. I did get a little wet, but not too bad, and I ended up having a great time. We packed up and headed home around 1pm, and got the kids from Nana. THANKS TO NANA FOR KEEPING THE KIDS SO I COULD GO RIDING TODAY! When they get a little older (like, 10 or 12 years old) they'll have a great time going on the trails. A little bit young right now, but it's definitely something they're going to want to do. The minute we got home, they were both yelling "I WANT TO RIDE THE 4 WHEELER!" After a quick ride around the yard, we were loading up to go home where we all 4 laid down and took a 2 hour nap!
Having that much fun, wears us all out! Here are a few pics from the day. I didn't get any shots of the Razor being stuck from my little drive, but it would've been hard to get to the camera from the angle that I had left it in! Enjoy the pics

A+, AND DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE BONUS POINTS!

Megan came home with her first set of test papers. She didn't even realize they were in her folder and when I pulled them out of her bag today, she held her breath and clinched her teeth...she actually acted worried! I asked her what she thought her test papers said and she very shyly, no confidently, questionably asked " uh, A+? "
When I turned the pages around and showed them to her she got a huge smile on her face and screamed "YEAH BABY! I KNEW IT!"
She got all of her spelling words done correctly, and even the bonus word that we had not studied for. I hope that is just the beginning of many A's for her! As long as she loves making A's on her tests, she' hopefully love school too! I can't imagine how much trouble her dad and I will have when she gets older and we don't know how to help her with her homework because we're no longer smart enough! I guess I will be shelling out more of the green stuff to pay for tutors!
CONGRATULATIONS BABY GIRL! MOMMY IS VERY PROUD OF YOU!

The Skeptical Good Samaritan???

Why I always seem to struggle with this is really beyond me...Am I the only one that does this? Read on...tell me your thoughts!

What do you do when someone who is a complete stranger asks you for help? A few moments ago, my next door neighbor rings my door bell. The only thing I know about her are the following points:

• she lives next door


• she and her husband(?) are very quiet


• sometimes she drives a red car


• sometimes there is a white truck in the driveway


• there is a basket ball goal in the front yard, so she probably has kids

So, with that limited knowledge, and no more than an occasional wave (and when I say occasional, I mean probably twice) to say hello in the past year that they've lived there, she rings my doorbell and asks me if I am going anywhere today. Strange, but polite way of asking for something but not imposing on me. I reply "No, why?" and she just says that she needs to go to the post office to be dropped off. I do agree to take her to the post office, after all, I'm home and I am not busy. I tell her I'll be out in a minute I just have to get shoes on, and she waits outside for me. Then after closing the door, that person shows up in my head. You know, the one that doesn't have faith in human kind, the one that doubts the good intent of everyone she sees, the one that thinks anyone who asks favors such as these has demented, psycho intentions and therefore I will end up on the evening news as a missing persons story.

"YOUNG BIRMINGHAM MOTHER AND HER 3 YEAR OLD SON ARE MISSING TONIGHT IN A CLEAR CASE OF VANISHING. SHE WAS LAST SEEN DROPPING HER DAUGHTER OFF AT SCHOOL, AND HOURS LATER....SHE WAS GONE" (insert mystery music here...dun dun duuuunnnnn!)

So why did I agree to this total strangers request? At this point, I didn't even know her NAME! I had no idea who she was other than, she lives next door! What made me agree to help her when I had no idea if I could really trust her? I suppose one could argue both sides of this one.

On the SHOULD NOT have helped side..."you just can't be too careful these days", "in today's world you can't trust anyone", "you never know when someone is going to hurt you, or is setting you up for something".

On the SHOULD help side...Matthew 25:35-40 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

By the way,

• I now know her name,
• she has 3 kids, and is actually a grandmother of one and one on the way.
• She met her mother at the post office, and together they are going to drive 40 miles to her grandmother's house to check on her, and make sure she has lunch.

The previous verses describes acts of mercy we can be involved in daily. It doesn't matter if you are rich, poor, smart, stupid, physically able or not, they are just merciful acts that we are to do freely...without expectation. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs, whatever they are. We have to step up. The Lord demands our personal involvement in the care of others' needs in Isaiah 58:7 "...to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him..."

For some reason, this is a hard one for me. I want to help people, but my fear of the evil ways of some hold me back. It is definitely something I struggle with, and want to improve, however, with the meanness of the world, and the constant stories of people being kidnapped from shopping centers in day light, pregnant women being abducted because a lonely mother wanted her baby, children coming up missing in carjackings, etc...I wonder how to handle it. I think there is a fine line in today's world...and each situation is different and has to be interpreted by you and the Holy Spirit. I did pray as I got my things together for the Lord to keep me and my son safe as we helped her, and to bless our effort. I had no reservations once she came to the car...things were settled and fine in my heart at that point. To think, I could have let that doubting voice in my head hinder me from being the Lord's vessel today. I would have had to LIE to get out of it...and that would be more fault on me!

ESFJ...WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN???

I found this interesting....I origionally took the Myers-Briggs test as an assignment from our Drama Team leader at church. We are in the beginning stages of forming a Drama Team, and I guess the purpose was to find out the personalities/interests of everyone who has signed up. I pretty much find this to be dead on about me (plus or minus a few points), but what do you think? Have you ever taken a test like this??? What is your personality profile???? If you like this sort of thing, click on the links and take the test for yourself.



More about my personality type...
About the ESFJ Expert Quotes & Links

"Guardians of birthdays, holidays and celebrations, ESFJs are entertainers. They enjoy and joyfully observe traditions and are liberal in giving, especially where custom prescribes."
- ESFJ Profile (TypeLogic)

"ESFJs are people persons - they love people. They are warmly interested in others. They use their Sensing and Judging characteristics to gather specific, detailed information about others, and turn this information into supportive judgments. They want to like people, and have a special skill at bringing out the best in others. They are extremely good at reading others, and understanding their point of view. The ESFJ's strong desire to be liked and for everything to be pleasant makes them highly supportive of others."
- Portrait of an ESFJ (The Personality Page)

"...values relationships and families over intellectual pursuits, group oriented, follows the rules..."
- Jung Type Descriptions (ESFJ) (similarminds.com) "...take it upon themselves to arrange for the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the SJs, and thus are the great nurturers of established institutions such as schools, businesses, churches, social clubs, and civic groups."
- The Portrait of the Provider Guardian (Keirsey)

"At work, ESFJs contribute their ability to cooperate with others and to complete tasks in a timely and accurate way. They respect rules and authority, and handle daily operations efficiently. They tend to be well informed and up-to-date on organizational actions that matter to people. They do what they can to make sure that personal relationships are running smoothly. Because they pay close attention to people's needs and wants, they are often involved in work activities that meet people's practical, day-to-day desires."
- ESFJ - The Helper (Lifexplore)

FAMOUS ESFJ'S

Famous ESFJs

Real ESFJ People

Danny Glover - actor
Desi Arnaz - actor, comedian, musician
Dixie Carter - actress
Don Knotts - comedian
Elvis Stojko - Canadian figure skater
Jack Benny - comedian, actor
John Connally - politician
Mary Tyler Moore - actress, comedian
Nancy Kerrigan - Olympic figure skater
Sally Field - actress
Sally Struthers - actress
Steve Spurrier - football player
Terry Bradshaw - football player
William McKinley - American President


Fictional ESFJs (Characters)

Donald Duck - Disney cartoon character
George Babbitt - Babbit (Sinclair Lewis)
Hoss Cartwright - Bonanza
Leonard "Bones" McCoy - Star Trek
Monica Gellar - Friends
Nurse Haleh Adams - ER
Rabbit - Winnie the Pooh

The Hard Part Is Over...Right???

Well, I'm finally through decorating my classroom! Yesterday was "MEET THE TEACHER" day and I got to meet all 8 of my students and their parents. I really have a great group and I am so excited! Class doesn't start for another week or so, and I am more anxious than ever. Today has been a rough day because I think I was experiencing the beautiful let down. I had prepared so hard to be ready for Meet The Teacher day and when it was finally over, I finally relaxed! Exhaustion does not even begin to describe me today! I literally laid around all day as if I had the flu! Even though I'll really only be teaching 2 days a week once school starts, I have literally been up at the school nearly every day of the week since mid July~so that will seem like a vacation! haha!
Well, here are a few pictures I took the other day while at the school. The room isn't cleaned up of the toys because Ryan was there with me and he had been playing...but I guess it's going to look like that when my students come anyway!

DESPERATLY SEEKING DINNER HELP!

Going back to work (even 2 days a week) is proving to be a challenge for me. I never claimed to be the perfect "MARTHA STEWART" stay at home wife and mom with a organized, clean house, and dinner made from scratch and ready by 5pm. But, I did ok. I got us through each day with plenty of hugs and kisses to go around, books to read, and a prepared meal...even if it was just a hot dog on a lot of nights! (I know, I know...sad! I get the "sorry slacker mom" award!). But, even though classes haven't started yet, I have been spending virtually EVERY day at the school getting my classroom decorated, cleaned and organized. For the most part it is ready for sweet little children to come in and begin learning and loving school! So, as I adjust to my new "working" schedule, I need help from all of you mom's out there! Working or NOT I ask you to leave me a comment on this post telling me of your favorite weekday/workday recipie. Let me just say...I got the following covered:

HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS, SPAGHETTI, AND ANYTHING TAKE OUT! Haha! The $5 pizza deal from Little Ceasers is a life saver!!!

Sooooo, how 'bout it? Give me your quickie and goodie ideas! I sure could use them!

BLESSINGS TO ALL WHO RESPOND FROM A DESPERATELY TIRED WORKING STAY AT HOME MOM AND WIFE!

Jen

It's the first day of FIRST GRADE!

Well, yesterday started it all off for us! Megan began her official venture into elementary school. I feel so blessed that the Lord has chosen for her to go to private school for first grade. She has a class of 16, a wonderful teacher, and a whole lot of new things coming her way! I am amazed at what first graders learn these days. When I was in school (you know, way back in the dark ages when everyone walked over snow covered mountains for miles and miles), it was the 3rd grade before I learned to look words up in the dictionary and had to write book reports. This year, my baby girl (will I ever NOT call her that???) will be doing all of that and more in the first grade. She will learn to look up scripture in the Bible, begin learning to write in cursive writing (again, 2ND and 3RD grade for that with me!), and she'll be challenged to read 120 books over the course of the school year. She will have a sheet to write down 20 books and authors to turn into the teacher every month! WOW! It's going to be a busy busy year! And there are simply not enough hours in the day for it all! Well, even if I wasn't already, I better be hitting my knees more often so we can make it through first grade!! It only goes uphill from here!
Here are a few pics we took of the big day. Hope you enjoy!
FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON YOUR THOUGHTS OF FIRST GRADE! What did your child enjoy/dislike most...what did you do in first grade WAY BACK IN THE DAY? I'd be curious to hear from ya'll!

FIRST GRADE HAIRCUT

Last week I made myself an appointment for a much needed haircut and yesterday I went to see my lady at the salon. I took Megan along with me because I wanted to try to get her hair cut too, but I wasn't sure if she'd do it. She loves having her long hair, and everytime it needs a trim, I have to give her a 20 minute reassuring talk that we're not going to cut it all off to her shoulders, or make her bald! (She seriously asked me that one time...I have to wonder if it's because both her Daddy and Papa are bald on top and she's afraid it's because of haircuts!) So all the way to the Salon, she went back and forth...."Yes, I want to get my hair cut" and "Well, I don't know, maybe not". I told her she could watch me and decide later, or just let her Nana cut it like we usually do. We got there and she watched a couple of senior ladies getting their hair colored, and I think it may have made her a little nervous because after questioning what was happening to their head of hair, and Mom explaining it, she quickly pointed out that she didn't want any color in her hair, she liked it just fine like it is! Finally it was my turn...I went back to the shampoo station, and she watched intently....and was intrigued. I think ultimatly, she decided to get her hair cut so she could have them wash it! While I was in the midst of my hair cut, she decided YES! So Mrs. Rachel told her she could go back there and get washed, and with a big grin and a little pep in her step off she went! I couldn't get any pics of that, but I did get shots of her getting her hair cut. She loved the attention and the pampering! And, after it was all said and done, she loved her haircut. We didn't cut it short, it's still long enough for a ponytail, but short enough that it doesn't land in her food while eating a meal! (phew! big source of frustration for MOM!) When we got home, Daddy took a pic of both of us girls and our new haircut! She looks so big now! She grew up with just a couple of inches of hair being removed! Yesterday, she was this little baby girl, and today....SHE LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST GRADER SHE IS!

PHEW! I KNEW IT WAS TOO HOT TO BE CHRISTMAS!

This past weekend was the "TAX FREE HOLIDAY" here in Alabama, which means, anything related to school supplies (i.e. pens, crayons, notebooks, paper, and even clothes), were relieved of tax. It's a good opportunity to stock up on some of these items and save a little money. I had not yet bought Megan's school supplies, and was planning to so anyway when I found out it was the tax free holiday, so I was excited about it....that is, until I pulled into the TARGET parking lot! It was like Christmas time trying to find your way into the parking lot, much less finding a place to park. And if you think you are getting down any isle filled with lunchbox's, or other school needs, forget about it! ESPECIALLY if you have a shopping cart! I was alone with the kids, so I had to bully my way down the isle to get what I need. I wanted to buy Megan a "first day of school" outfit (mainly for pictures), but we were unsuccessful at Target. But, before we caved in, we did score an awesome HELLO KITTY lunch box and she found a back pack that she liked...can you guess what color it is??? YEP, PINK! That was really her only criteria...it had to be pink. She didn't care if it had a character on it (like a Disney Princess, or Tinkerbell, etc)...it just had to be pink. We also found her folder that was on her list, and I thought she was going to bust the eardrums of everyone in Target when she saw it...it was a "HIGHSCHOOL MUSICAL" folder and she is turning into every little starry eyed little girl with a crush on Zac Efron (aka Troy Bolton in the movie). Oh what fun I had with her this weekend picking out her school supplies. We (and when I say we, I mean ME) refused to go to WalMart in Trussville this weekend, because they are renovating the store, and there is only so much of that I can tolerate! So we made the long trek over to the WalMart in Gardendale just to be able to shop in a little more organization. We found her "first day of school" outfit there, but now I am worried that it may be a little too hot to wear. She wanted a pair of khaki pants (and when I say she, I mean MOM because they were on sale!), and she picked out a shirt (yes, SHE did) that is short sleeved, but it's made of that "thermal underwear" material, so I'm a little worried that it may not work. We still have tons of clothes to buy for school, because when kids grow so fast, they need an entire new wardrobe every year and every season! But I have to make sure she is with me to try it on and make sure she likes it! OH, YEAH! MY 6 YEAR OLD HAS AN OPINION ON CLOTHES NOW! Imagine that! We've definatly entered a new phase of life! haha! But, she'll still let me put hairbows in her hair! I know it's all over the day she puts a halt to that! I will have lost my "baby girl" at that point! haha! Hopefully she'll let Mom dress her a little bit longer.

So, here's to the start of school...it's not even here yet (11 days and counting), and I'm already broke! Why does school supplies cost so much????????

Graduating to the "BIG KIDS" at church

Well, next Sunday is the big promotion day at church. Megan will officially be a FIRST GRADER and move up to the "BIG KIDS"! I can not believe how fast time has gone by! It seems like I was just holding her in my arms for the first time, or the first day of preschool was here. I am so proud of her. She is turning into a beautiful, sweet, and smart young woman. I look forward to the day that she commits her life to Jesus and is ready to make it a public profession of her faith and love to God. This Sunday at church, all of the incoming first graders to the Children's ministry were presented new Bibles. They were encouraged to read their Bibles and learn everything they can. I am excited about this new phase of Megan's life. If the next 6 years of her life go by as quickly as the last 6, I will be on the brink of a new phase....TEENAGER! UGH! Let's not think about this. I am having a hard enough time dealing with her being in grade school! (tears are building!)
Well, before the keyboard get's soaked with my tears, I will leave you with a few pics we took yesterday. As you can see from the slide show...we are very proud parents!!!

Being "Mom"

Wow! Everything my Mom ever said to me growing up is in the video below, and it's amazing how many of these "sayings" I've used myself....and my experience only goes up to 6.5 years!
The lady's name is Anita Renroe, and you can click HERE to go to her website if you are interested in learning more about her. Take a moment to watch this video. It's pretty funny.

HOW SHOULD I HANDLE THIS?

As many of you know by now, I am venturing out into the work world. I will begin teaching preschool the day after Labor Day at HillDale Christian School. I have been so excited about this part of God's wonderful plan for me. I am very much looking forward to it. Last friday night, we had a dinner meeting with all the teachers and the principle where we all received our class list. I have 8 kids in my class, and I finally know their individual names, which has made it more real! I can now pray for them all by name! After talking with each of the teachers about the students that had been placed in their perspective classrooms, one of the teachers offered up a piece of advice about one of the boys in my class. She knows this family personally and has told me that he is VERY attatched to his Mommy, and will probably have a really hard time adjusting to school. So basically, I see myself having to pull him apart from his Mom every Tuesday and Thursday! Something I don't want to do! I, myself, have never had to deal with this because my kids were always happy to go to school. As a matter of fact, Ryan used to cry to GO because we'd drop off his big sister and not him. I guess if it had been an issue I had to deal with, I would have been heartbroken to see my child screaming and reaching for me as I left the buildin. So if this sweet little precious boy has separation issues when the first days of school starts, so be it. I will do my best to make him feel comfortable and earn his trust. Hopefully if won't last long. My main concern is also making the parents feel at ease with leaving their babies with me. After all, they are only 2 and 3 year olds!!!

If you have advice on how I should handle it...pass it on. It's greatly appreciated!

HAIRSPRAY

So, today, my sweet hubby let me outta the house for a bit to meet my best friend at the movies to watch Hairspray. What makes that sweet? Well, he wanted to see it too, but we didn't have anyone to keep the kids, so he let me go without him. (all together now...."AAAWWWW!")

Well, I've always wanted to see the Broadway show, and when it came to town, for one reason (no money), or another (no money), I wasn't able to go. But springing the movie ticket price was more doable, so off I went with only a slight tinge of guilt. (hey...it's a "mommy" thing)

First off....the girl playing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad was PHE-NOM-ENAL! It's hard to believe that it is her very first movie! She looked like a true pro and I couldn't stop smiling whenever she was onscreen! She's so cute! She did a great job, and I can't imagine any other girl (celebrity especially) playing the role!
Secondly, JOHN TRAVOLTA, aka Edna Turblad, was unreal! First off...he had the goofiest expressions on his face and I'm sure it was due to "overacting" since most of his body for the movie was FAKE! (haha) I was also amazed at how "light on her feet" Edna was, considering she was a pretty large lady (shemale)
The other "over actor" was the highly popular Zac Ephron, who is best known for his "High School Musical" fame (loved that one!), but even his portrayal of Troy Bolton was a bit over the top. I think he's a cute guy, but his "contemplative, I'm in a quandary and need to make the right decision" face didn't get any better in Hairspray as he portrayed the heart throb "LINK". But even still, he was fun to watch....and the boy can def. dance.
Also, even though I consider him to be a totally creepy guy, Christopher Walken was really good in his role as Tracy's dad. There's just something about him that gives me chills, yet I feel awkwardly drawn to him as a performer. He's the creepiest kinda cool, ya know?
But once again, one of my most favorite performers was MS. QUEEN LATIFA! She rocks! I loved her as "Mama" in Chicago several years ago, and I loved her in this movie....the only problem was that there was just not enough of her!
So, basically, I've never heard any of the music other than the famous "You can't stop the beat" that plays with the trailers, but I've bee singing (more like humming since I don't know the lyrics) "Good Morning Baltimore" all day! The opening number was great!
I love musicals. The only musical I recall hating was EVITA with Madonna. Yes, the story was interesting, but OMGOLLY! It was horrible having to listen to every line being sung! The absolute only line that is spoken is when her husband says "Eva, you are dying"! AAAAAHHHH! The only thing I find hilarious about musicals is the fact that they break out in song and dance, yet EVERYONE knows the lyrics to the songs, and the movements to the "spontaneous" dance! Or if they are singing/dancing as a solo in the movie, everyone around them is going about their business as if it's completely normal and no big deal! Can you imagine if you had started singing and dancing in the middle of the halls of your high school! The men in white coats would be coming for you with a special made jacket! haha
Well, here's the trailer. If you like musicals, and have the chance, be sure you check this one out! I will definitely be adding this one to my movie collection when it's released on DVD....and, if I can talk Jon into it, we might try to get away on a date to go see it together!

WHAT IS IN YOUR BUCKET???

Get ready...ramblings late at night from a thirsty soul.

Since Pastor Ryan is on vacation, the next few weeks at church will be filled with guest speakers on Sunday mornings. It's not that I don't like guest speakers, or that I don't "get anything out of their message", it's just that when you are under the leadership of an awesome man of God as my pastor, you miss it when he's gone. But alas, he deserves a rejuvinating vacation, and I pray he comes back more rested and ON FIRE for the Lord. This past Sunday's first "guest speaker" was certainly no guest. He is well knows to many CrossPointers, and has filled in many times before. Tim Tidwell is an awesome guy. I love to hear him preach. He brought lots of fruit to the table today, and I must say, I'm still feasting! Here's a few points that I'm still chewing on...

Scripture: John 4:1-29

Theme: The Woman At The Well

Now how many times have we all heard sermons preached on this particular scripture? For me it is far too many to count. And as Mr. Tidwell said in his sermon, there are so many different messages that can come out of these words and there's not enough time to get to them all in one day. That's just like God, huh? To fill us full of the scripture, and have it mean something in so many different ways, to so many different people, in so many different stages of life, so many different times of our life! I like the angle presented in this message...

How many times do you think this woman had come to this well with her bucket?

This was a routine for her. (remember that point...I'll come back to it) She probably drew water from this well daily, if not more than that! She carried her bucket to the well-probably a long walk from her home-and all the way there, her thoughts of her life surrounding her. When she get's there...a Jew is sitting near by and asks for a drink. "Wow! What's he talking to me for?? He's a Jew, I'm a Samaritan!" (as scripture references, Jews and Samaritan's have nothing to do with each other...much like many of the racial divides throughout time-black vs white, german vs jew, muslim vs christian, etc).

The verses 7-15 tells us alot about this woman's relationship with God...for she didn't recognize just who it was talking to her. Jesus tells her that if she only knew him, He could give her living water! Jesus is referring to her life style...not her physical thirst. If she would know, trust, love and live for Jesus, he can fill her heart so full that she would not thirst for anything else! (That whole "God shaped hole" that we all try to fill with worldly things at some point in our lives-nothing can fill a God shaped hole but GOD HIMSELF!). He "calls her out" when he asks her to go get her husband in verse 16, and she LIES to Him. Well, she told the truth by admitting she had no husband, but lying by omission is still lying! In fact, she'd had 5 husbands, and was shacking up with a dude even then! When Jesus confronted her with her sins, and offered her a drink from His well, she left her bucket at his feet and ran off telling everyone! (v. 28-29)

So let's turn this into a lesson for the day (one of the many)...as was asked of us in church, I ask you to ponder now...

"WHAT IS IN YOUR BUCKET?"

What is on your mind when you find yourself face to face with the Saviour? What to do bring to him? What do you pray about? What do you anticipate when you approach the throne?

• Do you fill your bucket with your bills and debts? An overly stressed financial situation can cause problems in more than just your checkbook. Marriages become strained over the fight of money, your availability to be used by God is lessened when you're strapped down and can't give to others to help His cause, you can't be obedient to the Lord and give what you want, or should give as commanded!


• Is your bucket filled with all your relationships? The good, the Bad, the Ugly? Are you astrained from your parents, siblings, or inlaws? How about the relationship between a husband and a wife? There is nothing more important than to protect and annoint a marriage with the Grace and Love of God! A couple who comes together before the Lord on a regular basis is taking steps to ensure they're remaining close to each other, and are seeking God and his will for them. Separatly pursuing God is good too, but when you draw nearer to God together, you also draw closer together! (see image below)

• What are your desires? Perhaps a better question would be, are YOUR desires HIS desires? Psalms 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." The closer one draws him/herself to the Almighty God, the less desire you have of your own, and the more desires you have of the Creator. His desires become your desires. So I ask again, WHAT DESIRES ARE IN YOUR BUCKET?

The woman at the well was going about her ROUTINE. It is imparative that believers not get mixed up in a routine! Christ didn't come here and die for us to have a routine! It's just not about a routine, it's about a RELATIONSHIP!

This message gave me conviction and I've been thinking of it all week. Far too often, I get mixed up in the day to day grind, that is not nearly as hectic and bad as I might believe it to be...especially when you consider the hectic, chaotic, and torn up lives of others. Ashamedly, I get so wrapped up in outside influences...TV (tivo is a great invention, but should be used wisely more wisely in our home! We watch far too much tv now!), internet (i.e. blogs, MySpace, etc...while they are excellent resources for connection to the outside world, too often I find myself spending many many hours surfing the net when I could be surfing the word of God and finding more of his desires for myself). I realize that these are all tools used by the greatest deceiver of all time to thwart my use to the Kingdom of God. My goal is to connect the desires of my heart with the desires of my head. My head knows the logic of turning the tv off, and setting limits for those outside influences. But apparently my heart has not caught up. It's time to draw near to God. I put my trust in the Lord, and not in the deceit of my enemy.

I leave you with this verse:

Psalms 145:1-4,10

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. 3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. 4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

May blessings from the Lord be abundant in your favor today....

SOOOO PUMPED!

So today, the kids and I went up to the school because Megan had been asking to see my classroom and she wants to help me decorate. I intended to go up for an hour or so, maybe clean a few shelves and then go over to a friends house to let the kids play. Once I arrived, there were other teachers there that had their children with them, so our kids got to play together...basically, we weren't leaving anytime soon when they were having such fun! I started cleaning out the desk, the cabinets, and before I knew it, I had a mountain of junk in the center of the room! This room had not been fully cleaned in several years, because I found multiple teachers names laying claim to many items in those cabinets....many of whom haven't taught at this school in several years! But, I had a great time cleaning out and deciding what to keep, what to toss out, and what to put in a pile for "fair game" in case any of the other teachers needed it. At one point, one of my dear friends, and FAVORITE teachers at the school, Mrs. Cathy Hunt, came in and she gave me a great deal of help trying to decide what to decorate the room with, what to put on my bulletin boards, etc. Then we decided we needed to go to the Teacher's Pet store just up the road. It was so much fun going in there and getting things for my classroom. I didn't buy much, because I wanted to wait and see what all had been left for me, but I will definatly need to go back! After heading back up to the school to work on our classrooms some more, the kids got settled in and actually layed down on the nap mats to watch a movie, and Ryan fell fast asleep! (I wish it was that easy at home...at school, he's always out so fast!). Before I knew it, Jonathan was calling my cell phone to ask where I was...He'd been calling me at home and I wasn't there....it was 5 o'clock! I put in a good hard day up there and time flew by so fast! I still have so much to do, and it will take such a long time to get it all ready like I want it, but it has just created so much spark in me that I can't wait to get back up there!

Who knew I'd be soooo excited about getting back into work! When I left my ambitions of teaching many years ago, it was for no other reason than, I WAS BURNED OUT! Even when I sent my precious 2 year old Megan to school, I admired the teachers then, because I just didn't have it in me! But what a transformation the Lord has done on my heart! He's given me a fire and desire for it again and I am so excited. Perhaps when I was in childcare before it just wasn't the right direction....I thought I was interested in running a childcare development center (NOT daycare...I hate daycares...they have low paid workers which create low "care" for the children....believe me I was one of them at one time!). But now, I'm going to be teaching Pre 3K (2 and 3 year olds), and the only drawback is that I'll be pottytraining them! But hey, it's nothing I've not mastered before!

What's more, is the group of ladies I'm privileged to work with, are all truly hand picked by God! The director of the kindergarten has lead so well over the years that she's been there, and she is really great at fostering close relationships between all the ladies by scheduling "girls nights", luncheons, and weekend retreats. I believe that God had this planned for me all along, and I am really excited to finally be part of it all!

Praising God for a job sent from HEAVEN!

IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!

One of my FAVORITE Family holidays has now come and gone. Independence Day is always a blast in the Barrett/Vinson houses. My parents started this tradition several years ago, and it's one day that is talked about for months leading up to, and for months well after it's gone. My entire family comes together for some awesome BBQ, mom's potato salad (even though I've got the job of bringing it now), Jon's famous Baked beans, and for dessert, Mamaw's banana pudding, and Aunt Sherri's famous Chocolate pie. IT'S AWESOME!
Now that there is a pool at Mom's house, there's always swimming involved, and this year we added, CMT KARAOKE REVOLUTION in which Lauren kicked our booties singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day" (although, I think Mary got her back later!), and my Dad has bought another 4 wheeler that is just the right size for the kids, so they had a blast with that! The day was awesome! I love any chance I get to spend time with my family, because whether we realize it or not, these are memories in the making. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day hassle and even overlook the times we all come together, but I am proud to say that we all have started making the most of our time together. I know this is special for me, and I hope that my kids will grow up knowing just how special it is when they look back on pictures taken through the years....here's a slide of a just a few pics I managed to take today!

AND HERE IS A LITTLE SOMETHING I SAW POSTED ON MYSPACE TODAY...THOUGHT I'D SHARE THIS TOO...

TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

-- Happy 231st birthday!!--

I'm honored to be a citizen within your borders.--

Thanks for my freedom.

TO ALL AMERICANS WHO SERVE IN UNIFORM:

-- You are heros. --

I wish America honored you every day like they have today, because you continue to be heros the other 364 days of the year.

-- Thanks for my freedom.

TO MY JESUS:

-- Without you, there would be no America.

--Without you, our troops would have nothing to fight for.

-- Without you, we would be nothing.

-- Thanks for our freedom!!John 8:36

-- So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

LOVE, PAIN, AND THE WHOLE CRAZY THING!!!!!

OK. So I let it happen. I let my CRAZY sis in law Mary talk me into trekking over to Atlanta to see Keith Urban in concert. For those of you who know my wacky sis in law personally, you know that Keith Urban is a package deal when your are friends with her! It doesn't matter if you only know her at church, play in the bunco group, or whatever...eventually you hear KEITH talk! She's been a fan for a long time, and she's nuts for him.
So anyway, back to the story. A few months ago, she found out he was coming to the Phillips Arena in ATL, and sent out a bulletin here on MySpace asking if anyone was interested. I remember showing a slight amount of interest, and POOF! All of a sudden, I was an honorary Keith NUT! She had us tickets, emailed me the seating info and even had a 360 degree camera angle at the Arena! I was a little excited, because the seats were great, and we were bordering front row with the placement of the stage setup! Granted...I don't know a lot of his songs. I certainly have heard them. I just don't listen to the radio a bunch, and therefore I barely know his lyrics.
Well, before I even GOT to the concert last night, I had been given the 411 on all things Keith! Everything from what kind of water he drinks (only drinks Figi), to the fact that he carries a trailer behind his bus that holds his motorcycle ( a Harley that he rides while out on tour). After we parked, we happened upon his tour bus, and stalked them waiting for a glimpse of his golden locks in the 90 degree Atlanta heat. Finally after giving up on that chance, we went to find nourishment to continue the Keith Hunt! We walked about 10 blocks to get to the Hard Rock Cafe and sat down for about an hour to cool off, and rest. (For the record, if you're planning to visit Hard Rock anytime soon...get the "Joe Perry's 'ROCK YOUR WORLD' Quesadilla...they're DIVINE!) I always love my visits to the Hard Rock and this was no different.
After a very good lunch, we walked around ATL and visited Centennial Olympic Park. At first glance, it was huge and majorly crowded, but we went in anyway, and it was really pretty. The Olympic fountain was still there, and it was a perfect day for it to be up and running. There were tons of kids jumping in it everywhere, and it made me wish my kids were with me because they would have had a blast. We then walked back to the Phillips Arena area and stopped in at the CNN building. I had no idea what we were walking into when we got there, but I just wanted to get out of the heat and have some air conditioned relief. We walked in and realized that it was also one big Food Court Mall! Haha! We could've saved ourselves the long walk to Hard Rock and just eaten there, but OH WELL! We walked around in the shops and wasted time, and then Mary had to take one last stalk of the tour bus! We went and watched the top of the bus for another 20 minutes or so to no avail. We did however see a drum line of a local High School band rehearsing to what we later saw on stage was a performance with KEITH! Kinda neat!
Back to the CNN building, we waited in the air conditioned comfort for the Arena to open....and finally THE CONCERT BEGAN. Mary did a great job getting us seats. We were right on the side of the stage, but we were so close to everything, we saw everybody as they were getting ready to go on stage to perform. The Wreckers opened up for him and did a great job. We saw them standing below us waiting for their time to go on, and it was neat to see that side of everything.
Keith put on a great show, and being as that was my first time to see him live, I had nothing to compare it to. Mary said it wasn't his BEST performance but I thought it was great. He gave alot of attention to the fans in the crowd. He sang a lovely song and dedicated it to his wife who was off filming a movie in Australia. He did an awesome encore...and got a new kind of "wave" going....everyone did the wave but had their cell phones all lit up & held up high, and it looked sooooo cool!
So, did I enjoy myself? YES! Would I go again...probably. Will I stalk him like Mary? Nah. Will I ever have to bail Mary out of jail for jumping onto the top of his tour bus....QUITE POSSIBLY!
BUT...THAT'S LOVE, PAIN AND THE WHOLE CRAZY THING!
THANKS MAR! HAD A BLAST!!!!