You know you've got a pretty good kid when...

My Chayce is your typical 13 year old.  Dirty bedroom, laundry everywhere, make-up all over the  bathroom cabinet, drama queen, forgetful, volleyball player, emotional, boy crazy, sassy-mouthed, girly girl...need I go on?


You wonder your whole season of motherhood whether what you say to them hurts them, what you say to them helps them, if they use their manners out in public.  You wonder if the discipline you give to them out of love is really paying off.  You wonder whether the morals and values you pound into their little brains somehow sticks.  You wonder if you show them enough compassion that when faced with a situation, they could show the same compassion to another human being.


I am not perfect, I am a sinner saved by grace through faith.  My children are not perfect...but every now and again I am shown God's love through my children's hearts.


I received a message from my daughter's volleyball coach last week.  She wanted me to tell Chayce that she was really proud of how well she played at the game and she was even more proud of the compassion she had shown to another player.  I also got another message the following day from the girl's mother, more encouraging words about my daughter:

    

I just wanted to share with you how Chayce reached out and gave my Ashley a huge hug & such calming words of inspiration at last nights game! It brought tears to my eyes & I just wanted you to know (as if you already didn't) that you have an amazing child.... I also sent Chayce a message too thanking her for her kind words. I just wanted to tell the woman behind the creation how touching it was to witness.

This made my heart so happy...to hear from not one, but two people that one of my kids was a blessing to someone.  I tell all three of my kids on a daily basis to be a leader and to be a light for God.    

This is my reward, this is was motherhood is all about.  This says "Hey Mom, you're doing an OK job!"

Thank you Heavenly Father that you live in my children's hearts and that they honor you by following your example when they are out of my sight.  In Jesus' Name, Amen. 

Thrifting and Dessertapalooza



<>

Mimi and Camden with all of our sweets

 Today was a GREAT day!  For one, it was my day off.  Something I haven't had in over two weeks, a full day of just doing whatever I want, with whomever I want.

Today I chose to spend my day with my mom and my baby boy.  Mom and I decided on thrifting, lunch and dessert!  We hit a couple of thrift stores and I found a few treasures...a sweater, a bright and fun tablecloth that said BEACH to me, so I bought it to turn into some sort of window treatment for the kids playroom.  (The playroom that will be beach themed once I get started on it.)  I also got a pair of super cute cargo pants, an even CUTER denim dress in a SIZE 4!  Ladies, I am SO NOT a size 4 but I tried it on anyway and it's a tiny bit snug but I loved it so it came home with me!  My husband was gracious enough to snap a pic of me in my new dress, it only cost me $3.59!

Mom, Camden and I had lunch at one of our fav places, Chiloso.  I had tortilla soup because I knew we were going to be filling up on yummy sweets afterwards.  My mom and I LOVE a good dessert and I just recently heard about a new place that opened up in a city near where we live.  We trucked on over and each bought several things so we could sample a little bit of everything.  IT WAS FABULOUS!!  

At Dessertapalooza, you can pick your flavor of cupcake THEN you can pick your flavor of icing and/or toppings!  OH MY GRACIOUS, the combinations are a-plenty!  Today's cupcake flavor of the day was raspberry...can you say heavenly goodness?  I chose a raspberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting, mom got a raspberry cupcake with raspberry frosting.  We also bough chocolate mousse, carrot cake, italian cream cake, chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and cheesecake balls.  The decor was cute, and there is a GIANT beanbag chair that you can lay on and watch a flatscreen that hangs overhead.  They serve drinks and coffee and many more yummy deliciousness that we will have to sample on another day.  All I can say is WOW, everything was amazing.  I highly recommend you pay them a visit.  Camden had a great time on the bean bag chair, so did my mom, the pictures say it all.

There's just something about spending time with people you love.  We had a great day shopping and hanging out and the sweets, well they were the icing on our day.  But really it was about being with my mom and sharing our hearts.  Watching my son and seeing him share special moments with his Mimi...laughing as he digs in to a cupcake in his own sweet 4 year old way...laying on a giant bean bag chair with my son in a store with no one else around.  Mom, thanks for hanging out with me and my boy; just being with you makes for a special day.       

Thrifted tablecloth



Dessertapalooza    http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/13/1544613/restaurant/Dessertapalooza-Garland



My thrifted dress, I can't wait to dress it up with accessories!



Camden getting some Mimi love  



Just in case you didn't already know...

‘Eclipse’ DVD Gets Official Release Date! » Hollywood Crush

12-4-10...I am soooo excited!


Twilight and Eclipse Pictures

A whirlwind of a week

My babies, my beauties...

Folks, I get on these kicks where I will blog like crazy and then life catches up with me and I get overwhelmed and knocked on my fanny.  If it's a while between entries, just know that I am probably dealing with something and can't bring myself to blog.  Sometimes I just need a breather and to have some down time.

I am a busy person.  I have a teenager, a 7 year old and a 4 year old.  I have two part time jobs, two of my children are active in sports this season.  I have a needy, high maintenance (but oh-so-lovable) dog, a husband who has been freaking UH-MAAAAAZING lately.  I'm talking laundry caught up, dishes done, cooked his first meal EVER since we've been married (uh-huh, it's taken 9 years...better late than never right?) and as I type this he is at the grocery store doing our grocery shopping, with coupons and all!  God bless him!

First day of preschool

This week, mother's day out started up, I have 13 kids in my class.  It's a bit overwhelming at first, new kids at a new place.  For some, it's their first time in a program, I'm new to them, they are new to me.    Camden started pre-k!  I had a slow week at the salon, but a busy weekend.  Chayce had volleyball, they lost but put up a good fight.  Channing won her soccer game today and we decided to go to Sonic and eat there (outside in the humid, sticky nastiness) as a special treat to the kids.  AND we had ice cream too, they LOVED it!  We followed that up with an evening swim in our neighborhood pool with a beautiful evening sky that God painted shades of pink and blue-gray and cream, just for us.

BONUS:  We got a check in the mail from the electric company today.  Yes, you read right, WE got a check FROM the electric company.  We are part of a co-op and so every year we get a little bit of money back (capital credits).  God is good my friends...money in our pocket that we were not expecting.  That is a BLESSING!               

I made BBQ brisket in the crockpot, my first attempt.  Let me tell you ladies, it was dreamy.  I searched recipes on the internet and found one that I already had the majority of the ingredients to.  It cooked all day Thursday and we were able to eat on it for two days.  I may just have to share the recipe sometime soon!    


I started journaling this week.  I am journaling to pray, to share my thoughts, to work through issues.  I find myself not seeking God enough, not waiting on Him, not taking my requests and concerns to Him and certainly not thanking Him enough.  In a way, this is holding myself accountable, by dating my entries I will realize how often or not often enough I am spending time with the Lord.  I was inspired to start journaling due to a book I am reading called Rachel's Tears.  It's about one of the teens who died in the Columbine tragedy.  Such a young girl who truly had a passion for the Lord, she died a martyr.  It's an amazing story, but hard to read.  I had to put it down many times and walk away because she reminded me so much of Chayce and I couldn't imagine losing a child.
       

I have come to realize that my mom is truly my best friend.  I mean, I've known this for years but it really came to light in a big way this week.  If I have something on my heart that I can't say to anyone else, I always know I can call my mom and tell her.  She's right there with me, feeling my pain, sharing in my joy, letting me cry.  I couldn't imagine where I'd be right now if I had lost her 15 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I honestly believe that God has a plan for all of us and though cancer was a fork in the road, it happened for a reason.  I am just thankful that God healed her and allowed her more time on this earth.  She's my biggest fan, my most honest critic, my shopping buddy, my sweet tooth sister and most of all, my rock.  Words alone could never be enough thanks Mom.     

Blessings to you all, I hope that when life gets overwhelming that you can turn to God.  The bible tells us to cast all our cares upon Him.  When I remember to do that, He's right there for me.  Breathing for me, surrounding me with His mercy and grace, giving me peace, telling me that it's all going to be alright.  God is SO good!  

Check out the form, the tongue has to be juuuust right!

For you Dad

Last Sunday, my dad left church.  He left alone because my mom was out of town visiting her mother.

He walked to his truck and planned on going to his favorite buffet for lunch. 

He found a letter sitting on his truck.  After he read the letter, he decided not to go for lunch.

He opened it to find the most mean, evil and hurtful things being said to him.  Of course it wasn't signed.  If you were going to be so hateful, surely you wouldn't be scared to pen your name at the end.

My mom called me and read the letter to me last night.  It hurt my heart and brought me to tears.

The letter told my dad that he can't play bass, that he must be deaf, how could he possibly stand up on the alter and punish people by thinking he could play the guitar and that he should be ashamed of himself and he needed to go take some lessons.

Oh wait, it was signed...it was signed "A bass player."

My parents attend a tiny little church in a small town near our home.  They have become very active in their church, my mom has lead vacation bible school, my dad plays in the church band.  The have taken many friends from their church on their boat for group fishing trips.  They have also grown very close to the pastor and his wife.  They love their little church, it is a home to them.

After thinking over all this, I wrote a letter to the 'man' that left the letter for my dad.  I was really hoping the pastor of my parent's church would let me read it to the congregation.  Not sure if that will happen though.

Dear Bass Player,

Who are you and why did you not sign your letter?  If you are such a wonderful bass player, surely you would want to share your talents with everyone else, which would be impossible to do unless we knew who you were.  Your words spew HATE; how can you sit in God's house with such anger and evilness in your heart?  God's word says 'make a joyful noise', that's what my dad is doing.  He's not on tour with a world famous band, he's not trying out for America's Got Talent and he's not trying to impress you.  He is doing what God has put on his heart to do.  That is to show up each Sunday and play his guitar to the best of his ability in order to honor the Lord with praise and worship.

Did it make you feel good to write such a hateful letter?  Do you think God was smiling down on you when you snuck over to my dad's truck like a coward?  Are you a thief out to steal other people's joy?

Do you know my dad?  Do you know of his love of music he's had his whole life?  Do you know that many of my childhood memories joyfully flash before my eyes because I will hear an old song that my dad used to play on his record player?  Do you know that he's a wonderful man who gives encouraging words, quotes scripture from the bible in times of need and writes heartfelt love notes to my mother in the cards he gives her?  Do you know that when he practices with his guitar at home that ALL his grandchildren gather around because they are fascinated and want to learn to play because they want to be just like their Pops?  Do you know that each of his grandchildren have a guitar or have interest in one because he has inspired them all with his love of music?

My dad is not a professional, he never claimed to be perfect nor has he ever stated that he was better than anyone.  It's people like you that give Christians a bad name.  If you were a true follower of Christ, you could've walked up to my dad and played beside him.  Knowing my dad, he would've admired your talent or ability and might have even asked for a lesson from you or asked to play with you sometime in the future...because that's the kind of MAN HE IS.

Not boastful or proud, not a goody-goody, not rude or jealous or hateful.

My dad is humble, peaceful, and funny.  He is a gentle giant, eager to learn from others, loving, giving and kind.  My dad displays many qualities that Jesus himself displayed.

So, "Bass Player"...since you are so disgusted with my dad playing guitar at the church, you should probably take your own advice and go ahead and find another church to attend.  I wouldn't want you being upset every Sunday in God's house, I don't think God would like it too much either.  God's house is a place of refuge, joy and peace, things it seems you care nothing about.

In his Grace,

Allyssa

P.S.  I'd gladly put this on your car if I knew who you were.      

P.S.S.  Daddy, you have so much heart and talent.  Thank you for nuturing our love for music and for never being afraid to try.  Your guitar playing is music to my ears!  God knows your heart and He is proud of you!  
I LOVE YOU!!           

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in an ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. - Mother Teresa