Covert Christian

What if you did not have the religious freedom our country allows? Would people still be able to tell you were a Christian? This is a question that was posed in an online devotional from Proverbs 31 I received today.

Hmmmm... well, hmmm...

What if we weren't allowed to post on Facebook all the Christian like things we do and quote how awesome our God is. What if you weren't allowed to wear your cross necklace, have your "In Case of Rapture..." bumper sticker, or pray in the middle of a restaurant so that everyone can see how great a Christian you are? What if you were never permitted to say the name of Jesus aloud? Would people still know you were a Christian? Would people still look at your life and notice something different or would you blend right into the crowd?

Tough question, huh.

If I look at the ugly truth I think that I would blend. There is said it. I'm a blender. It's awful, I know. But, I am working to change it. I would love to live the life of a covert Christian. I would love to live a life where, even if I was never able to profess it out loud, that people would look at my life and think that I was a person set apart- as God has called us to be. So, off I go living my life out loud- as quietly as possible.

Happy Birthday Kamryn

Kamryn- you are the best daughter a mother could hope for! I love you my special girl. With your beautiful songs and fabulous pictures that you draw for me no one could ever replace you. God truly blessed me when he gave me you!

Just A Little Hello

I'm back. I don't know for how long but for now I'll be blogging away. We are in and beginning to become settled in our new house. But for window a/c units the house is just once step up from perfect for us. Mainly because the house is far from perfect by worldly standards therefor perfect for us. We still have two rooms full of boxes, and I have been sharing a bed with 3 of my kiddos, who all have their own rooms, but I still wouldn't trade it.
I have been diligently preparing for homeschool. I got very lucky when unpacking my boxes I found a lot of homeschooling curriculum a woman I used to work with gave me before Kamryn even started kindergarten! It was almost everything I needed to get this school year started. Many books that I was about to purchase! What an awesome reminder of how God provides for us and how he knows our plans long before we do.
We celebrated Melanie and TJ's birthday with an actual party recently (as you may remember those kiddos birthday's were a month ago- but , nobodies perfect, right?) Siarah turned 12 yesterday! Yikes. Next year I'll be dealing with two teens, one starting to drive, and I won't even be thirty! There's God's sense of humor for you. Kamryn will be 8 on Tuesday. My baby will be 8. I don't want to even think about it.
Greg has been living in Huntsville and only coming home on his days off. Talk about absence making the heart fonder. I miss my husband like crazy. But that's a whole other day of blogging. So, I've been trying out this single parent thing. It's tough, but thank goodness for Xbox and gogurts. They truly are my sanity.
Well, that's about it in a nutshell. Stay tuned...

A Lasting Impression

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2009/06/auburn_swim_coach_richard_quic_2.html

It was a very harried morning one Sunday as I rushed to get my 5 kiddos ready for church. I didn't want to go. I was pregnant, I was tired, but the Preece's just did not miss church- so here we were. I heard mentioned in the hallways through out the week that we would have a guest speaking. Yay. Wonder what excuse I can use to get out of church early was the only thought in my head. (Did I mention I was tired, pregnant, and had 5 KIDS. I did? Well, just so you know.) The man that stood up to speak captivated me by his very presence. He began talking about his life, his love of Christ, and regaled us with stories from his experience as an Olympic swim coach and of the fascinating people he worked with. I was awestruck. This man was fabulous. He was a man who truly lived for and loved Christ. Immediately after church, a group of us gathered for lunch and I learned that this man was not only a guest speaker but they were new members to our humble small town church. Through the next year or so I had the opportunity to get to know the man and to a greater extent, the man's wife, Ms. June. I loved watching the slide shows of their mission trip to India with a team from church (btw, this was the 2nd mission trip I missed because I was pregnant!). He was headline news in that country and used his celebrity to reach many who any other time wouldn't give the time of day to a missionary. They were such wonderful people, that most of the time when I found myself in a crowd of people at church I naturally gravitated to them. June, Richard's wife (who was a MOPS mentor), made me want to be a better mother and wife. Richard made me want to be a better Christian, even though I'd probably only spoken to the man once.
In December this fabulous man was diagnosed with a brain tumor and passed away this past week. I am sad. Not sad for him, he knew where he was going and was probably eager to get there. Not for his family, who knows that they'll join him one day. But for all those who never got to meet the man. Because, if you only met the man once, he would have left a lasting impression.

Happy Birthday TJ

Wow! It's been three years since this precious little kiddo came into my life. He came to us an almost 6 year old boy with severe anger and behavioral problems. Those first few months I thought God was punishing me. Now I know that he was truly blessing my life. T-man, I am very proud of the 9 year old young man I have now.


Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Melanie

I know this has been said a million times before, but it really does seem like only yesterday I was walking into the hospital ready to have this little 9 lb. 15 oz. bundle

then that little doll grew into this little blue eyed wonder

who turned into this outrageous one year old

who is now ** gasp ** this fun loving toddling two year old

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Melanie! You are an absolute delight and I cannot remember our days before you were there to brighten them!

Public Enemy

So... I just saw a trailer for a film called Public Enemy. Now, not one to normally go overboard on "must see" films I have to draw attention to the fact that this movie stars this duo:





Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, my two ALL TIME FAVORITE ACTORS OF ALL TIME! I have been in love with both since I was, oh, about 13 years old. And now the universe has gone and blessed me with both in one awesome movie. Also, I cannot fail to mention that I have a mild obsession with old gangster movies and history involving the years 1920 - 1950. Oh, Lord, you are too good to me!

God's Cake

God's Cake.....such a good reminder!

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?"
Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong: she's failing algebra; her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake.'

'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers..
'Yuck!' says her daughter.

'How about a couple raw eggs?'
'Gross, Mom!'

'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'

'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together
in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times.
But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!
We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

A Night to Myself

It's true. It happened. I actually got away from my kiddos from one bless-ed evening. Two of my friends were having birthdays and people were coming from out of town. Months in the making the evening turned out to be a blast. Don't believe me? Let me show you ...

The Setting

Dave and Buster's


and Brian O'Neills



The Cast of Characters

Ina and Dante (with a guest appearance by my Misty)

Ina with my best friend from high school Misty

Ina and me with her husband, Dante. Dante and I went to high school together.


Free birthday shots from Brian O'Neills. Ina turned 27 on Sunday. Meka's birthday was the 2nd.

Meka

Meka. Meka is a definition all her own. Oh how I love this chicky.


See, don't you wish you were her friend?



Meka and me with Malibu Barbie. What? No wait, that's my friend Stephanie.

Stephanie

Stephanie was my other best friend in high school. Isn't she pretty?

Bryan and Courtney

Who knew my brother in law would be such a ladies man?


My beautiful sister Courtney with Stephanie and Meka


Jeff

Jeff has a band. Jeff is a rock star.

Being a rock star is hard work.

Especially when you have to deal with the groupies!

(For those concerned we all took a fabulous cab ride to our hotel that evening)

I missed my kiddos like crazy and couldn't wait to get home, but it was by far worth it.

Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party

Last weekend brought us round 2 in the birthday gauntlet. Stacy turned 14. 14! I remember 14, I'm not ready to handle 14, but alas, here it is. (I had my first real boyfriend at 14. AHHH)

Stacy decided that she wanted to do a mall scavenger hunt for her birthday. Only a few people showed up but that didn't deter her good time.

Here's some of the fun stuff they had to "capture":


wearing prom dresses

laying on a bench

hailing a water taxi

in a bathroom stall

The party was great fun. We did the theme in camo and I gave out camo necklaces to the girls and camo bandanas to the boys. I had so much fun we've decided that we're going to make this a 14 year old birthday tradition. Of course, by the time Melanie's 14 we'll be taking pictures in flying cars, right?

School Happenings in May

May brought us Tony's Field Trip and Siarah's Band Concert

Tony's field trip was to The Woodlands Children's Museum. It was actually pretty fun and the kids seemed to really enjoy it.


My peeps

Tony's Class

Science Experiment

Hopefully a sign of things to come

Ahhh... Red Rover

An end to an exhausting but very fun day.














Siarah plays clarinet in the Intermediate School Band. She was a little disappointed in the fact that she was something like fourteenth chair but it didn't seem to matter much when she realized she got to sit in front. The crowd was outrageous. Standing Room Only! So, given the resourcefulness that is me I let Kamryn snake her way to the front and take some pics. I have to give it to the band. Those fifth graders sounded better than our high school band ever did.

Kindergarten Graduation

Yesterday was Tony's kindergarten graduation. Here are some cutie pics my dear friend Ina took for me (since I was so late). Thanks Ina.

It's A Big, Big House...

with lots and lots of rooms. (Sing-a-long now) Okay, so I may be presumptuous in comparing our new house to Heaven, but even if the roof falls in on our heads I'm sure it will feel like it. We sign the lease tomorrow after 2 and 1/2 long months of not having a house.

Details: The house was built in 1950, so "charming" and "nostalgic" are good words to describe it. It is 2200 sq feet and indeed has a lot of rooms. Here are some pictures:

Front of the house

Side of the house

Kitchen / Dining Room
Stairs


Upstairs Landing (i.e. playroom)

One of the upstairs rooms (there are three)

Utility Room (thru that door is the Study)

Downstairs (front area: entryway, breakfast room, living room)

The house is old and needs repair but all in all I think it is a perfect fit for our family.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day I decided that a fun day at the lake would do... here's a little of the action...

The Picnic

Eating sour candy