The power of prayer, positive thinking, and practice!

Jackson plays rookie baseball! This sport consist of a pitching machine slinging balls at you going what must be the speed of lightning! He has gotten to be quite the fielder and quite the hitter. However, he tends to have his mom's stage fright! Jackson would practice hitting off the machine we have at home and at the ball field and blast them to outfield, only to get to the game and miss the balls under the pressure.

Jason and I really had to take a step back and look at how we were parenting and remember how different each of our precious guys are. So, Jason did more practicing with Jackson. He would speed the machine up and then slow it down to show Jackson that he could hit either way. This Sunday, you would have laughed to find me out in the yard fielding and hitting off the machine. I NEVER in a million years thought I would be playing sports. Actually, I had fun. Thinking of getting my own PINK bat and glove!

In the meantime, we started a mini-course in the power of positive thinking! Our mental tape recorder can be our own worst enemy or our best friend! I was reading The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino and realized that was what all of our children needed. This book drives home the importance greeting each day with love in our hearts, persisting until we succeed, remembering we are all miracles and asking God for help when we need it. The funny thing is I read this book years ago and then recently spotted it in the public library and mentioned it to my mom. By no coincidence, she found a copy this weekend and gave it to me. Amazing how God works, isn't it?

Can't, won't, impossible, and never are no longer in our vocabulary! Nolan is too cute as he recites, "I think I can, I think I can!" and then sounds out a new reading word or whacks the ball. He is such a giggler and such a carefree zest for life!

Jackson on the other hand is quietly taking to this new mantra. At tonight's game, he unpretentiously did a high five with the batter on deck and then looked over to me with a little grin and smacked that ball all the way out past second base! Tears glistened my eyes as I thanked God for helping to give him another building block of self-confidence. During the next inning he hit it again and on the way home told me that he wasn't nervous at all! We are truly blessed by his encouraging coaches and team mates. This is what prayer, practice, and the power of positive thinking can do!

Here are just a few of the things we hope to instill in the boys:
1. Try, try, and try again!
2. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.
3. I think I can, I think I can! (remember the The Little Engine that Could?)
4. Look at everything and everyone with love!
5. Build each other up!
6. Persist until you succeed.
7. God don't make NO junk!

Burt is Retiring:(

Burt, our dear UPS man, is retiring after 25 years of service. I hate to admit that I don't even know his last name. But, today when he told me of his news, I thought I might cry. Burt is a kind soul and will be dearly missed. A constant and ever-steady present at our home (especially when Jason goes on his ebay binges). Burt was always in a speedy hurry, but was never in too much of hurry that he didn't have time to get to know the people on his route. When we had Katie, our dog, he always brought her treats and knew her by name. Burt said it was so she wouldn't bite him, but I know different! Funny how you don't realize until someone isn't there, just how much they meant to you. Today I was reminded of how a few kind words and a smile go a long way. We will miss you, Mr. Burt!

Three Angels

Tonight as the boys and I were hurrying into Wal-Mart to buy colored hair spray paint for them to wear for "Crazy Hair Day" at school tomorrow, we met an elderly woman. Her eyes misted over as she saw my "stair step" boys in and around the buggy. She giggled and smiled as she watched them and said how much they reminded her of her own three boys. This sweet woman went on to say how hers were close in age like mine and she had lost all three of them through the years. It grieved me for her because just the other day I found myself praying that I would pass before I ever had to lose one of mine. This thought torments me at times. I cannot even imagine. However, she continually praised God and said she had to believe He knows all. I felt comforted by her words, when I should have been doing the comforting. We talked for a while and after we parted, I thanked God for my three little guys and I prayed that they were able to stir up some sweet memories from her soul. Did God send her my way? Yes.

"Go Fast" and "Amen"

Of course, I was running right on time to the minute to take the boys to school this morning. School starts at 8:30a.m. and it is my goal NOT to arrive a minute before 8:27a.m. Amazingly, I meet this challenge daily! I just don't have time for those out for a leisurely Thursday morning drive. So, as I pass a man in a van with no children (obviously he has time to piddle), Nolan asks me, "Mom, are you speeding?" I didn't even have to answer because Grayson already knew as he let out a gravely whisper, "Go FAST, Go FAST!" The boys and I all had a great giggle over that one.

AMEN
Tonight after I tucked Grayson into bed, he said, "Amen." A sweet reminder to mommy that I had forgotten to say his prayers.

Trooper arrives!

Well, we finally got a dog! A black english labrador retriever, named Trooper. Troop fits right in with this rowdy crew. Even Grayson is learning to boss him around saying, "Come on, Troop." The boys were taking a bath the other night and Troop decided to join them. I turned my back to grab a towel and the next thing I knew there were four boys in the bath tub. I think we have met our match!

Isabelle!

Here are the boys with Nolan's friend Isabelle! She is Mister Jennie's (a.k.a Virginia Jean) grandaughter. Isabelle hung right in there with these gregarious guys while jumping on the trampoline and riding the 4-wheeler!

The boys made Gator cookies for their friends at school. They had a blast! You can see their personalities shine through. Jackson being the one proudly displaying his creations and Nolan teasing while pretending to eat them! Of course, I can't leave out Grayson whose was able to single handedly empty an entire bottle of sprinkles on ONE cookie!

P.S. Excuse the mess on the counter. Jason has been renovating our cabinets!

Tebow!

We went to Kevin and Dana Blakenship's home to watch the Gators beat Oklahoma for the national championship. Unfortunately, I missed getting pics b/c my camera battery died! Meanwhile, Grayson stayed with Baba and Neenee. I thought he would be asleep, but should have known that Bab would have a future Gator in training! We picked him up around 10:30p.m. and went home. While changing him into his pajamas he proceeded to tell me about his night as best as a 26th month old can. As he lay on the changing table he said the littlest sentence, "Tebow, fuba (football), Baba." Well, that just about summed his night up!!! Baba said they were talking about Tim Tebow so much on t.v. that Grayson just starting saying his name! Too cute.