Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to everyone! We had a great New Year's Eve although not a typical one! Ty & his cousin Kamen spent most of the day outside playing water/mud wars which was interesting to say the least! After Kamen left we headed to Target to run a quick errand before heading home to fix dinner and have a quiet night together. Ty spotted the "cafe" as we were checking out and desperately wanted a hot dog. Tim & I figured that we might as well just grab something small so pizza, a sandwich and a hot dog made up our New Year's meal! The seating area was completely empty as was the Starbucks which is right there. One girl was working at Starbucks and Ty struck up a conversation (are we surprised?!). She was extremely nice, has 2 younger brothers and is studying to be a teacher (she'll make a good one!). Ty decided he would suggest some ideas for "new" drinks. He told her she should make one with milk, whipped cream, chocolate and candy canes. She told him that "Peppermint Mocha" sounded like a great name for it (lol) and that she would try out that "recipe". She made "his" version and gave it to him for free. He (and we) thought that was incredibly nice. We spent quite a while just the three of us eating and talking. In a really weird way, it was probably the nicest New Year's Eve we ever had! We came home and I went to bed by 9:30pm and Ty tried his best to make it till midnight with Tim until Tim told him that we could celebrate tomorrow and he finally laid down and fell asleep. Fireworks woke me up at 1:30am and I raced to the living room thinking it was midnight. Tim thought that was pretty funny!

In the middle of the day with Ty & Kamen I had the brilliant (not!) idea to talk to them about New Year's resolutions. They were giggling hysterically (the first sign!) as I tried to tell them resolutions were like decisions we made to make changes in ourselves or maybe to decide to help others etc. I then asked if they could think of some resolutions they could make. Kamen volunteered that they could stop peeing in the backyard (a practice they started when they were about 2 & 4 and unfortunately still continue to do!!). Ty said that he could help an old lady cross the street. Admirable resolutions but I figured we might as well let them go after that! ;-)

At Target, I figured out my New Year's resolutions. 2009 will probably hold many changes for us and many decisions and many unexpected things - but here are the 3 things I am going to strive for:
1. The Strength to serve Christ MORE!
2. The Wisdom to serve Christ BETTER!
3. The Courage to make changes even if difficult!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year!

"Will there be Nintendo in heaven?"

Ty actually asked me "Will there be Nintendo DS and dvd's in heaven?" the other night. Since the question came out of nowhere, I admit to being at a loss for words for a minute.

I guess I should say this, Christmas time always brings about conversations about heaven. Tim's mom passed away on Christmas Eve 6 years ago. Ty's friend, Janefar, has also lost 2 grandparents (strangely enough, in both the same way as Tim's parents - car accident and heart attack). I heard them talking about it one day and I guess with all of that - Ty came up with this question. I told him that I think that God has whatever we need to be happy there but I was pretty sure that after seeing Jesus - Nintendo DS and dcd's would be the last thing Ty would think about! He then asked me what his house would look like. I asked him what he wanted it to look like? He said, "I think I would like it to be wood and have doors and handles like those (the doors to our large armoire in our room)". I told him that I thought that since God could do anything - I am sure He could do that.

Fast forward to this morning. Tim got a call from a friend needing help this morning so Ty and I had "church" here at home including reading Luke 2. I came to work on the computer and Ty was playing a game on his DS when I heard him mumbling something. I finally listened closely enough to hear "Please Jesus! Please Jesus, help me to win!". He soon got upset that he wasn't succeeding as well as he would have liked. He came running in to ask "Why isn't Jesus answering??!" I told him that Jesus gives us what we need, not always what we want and since I don't necessarily think that winning a video game would be high priority on a "needs" list, that I think there was a bigger lesson to be learned.

I am glad his first thought was to pray and I don't want to change that. But we had a good conversation about asking for what God wants and that being a "winner" doesn't always mean winning a game.

"Big" thoughts around Christmas this year - and since several friends have lost loved ones within this past week - thoughts have turned more to the eternal than the material. Just the way I think God wants it!

Ty's first pro baseball game

He was hilarious! He loved the stadium, the view from the cheap seats(!), and we actually made it through almost 3 innings before breaking out the GameBoy for entertainment! His favorite thing - seeing the umpire get hit by a ball! I know - that's a boy for you. He said, "It was hilarious!" Obviously the umpire was fine, otherwise it wouldn't have been quite so "hilarious". Our Rays didn't manage to quite pull off a win over the Orioles but we had a great time anyway. Our funniest moment - when the Rays weren't doing so well - Ty volunteered to "jump down there and go help them out" (we were in the VERY cheap seats - a very LONG way down!).

"I don't want to ask for too much!"

IN pictures - finally!
With cousins at the Children's Museum (world's largest!) - Ty's favorite place

Ty at the Dinosaur area talking to the scientists on duty (I think they are called paleontologists - probably have that completely wrong!!). Ty enjoyed getting to talk to them and observe them working on fossils etc!
Let it snow - and it did!!!
It was cold - very cold!!
And now on to the rest of the story!!!!!

"I don't want to ask for too much!"
That is what Ty said when I asked him what he thought Santa might be bringing him. He said "Hmm... maybe 4 presents? I don't want to ask for too much." He was quite serious and although I have no idea what was going through his mind - it was not the response I quite expected. In fact he had only asked Santa for one thing - a blue power ranger (all of about $7). I'm not sure if he thought Santa couldn't carry it all or that Santa was having a hard year but for some reason he didn't expect much. He was quite excited Christmas morning to see an air hockey table (and enjoyed beating all of us!) and a lot of other presents but after the first couple, he started asking "is that for me too??!". It wasn't the excited glee you might have figured and to be honest, he looked a little confused. I think he really thought that 4-5 presents would be ok. The more I thought last night (after a wonderful day spent with my mom and sister's family and phone calls with dad and more family!) the more I realized how true of a spiritual concept that is. We so often don't want to ask for too much from God. And I think that we sometimes set ourselves up for diappointment when we ask for things that are only for our comfort and not really seeking the heart of God. But either way God has the resources of heaven ready and waiting. This next year I want to ask for too much. Too much of His grace and power and peace. And wake up expecting all of it to be available to me. What a gift to open that every morning!

Happy Birthday Ty!!

We celebrated Ty's 7th birthday with a Star Wars themed party with about 50 of our closest friends and family. Ty had a blast and I think the other kids did too as they went through JEdi Trials including Lightsaber agility practice, X wing flying practice, cleared the sector of asteroids and defeated Darth Vader. Some very good friends agreed to subject themselves to the humiliation of dressing up as Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Princess Leia, and Obi Wan Kenobe. It was certainly interesting!! The kids also loved jumping in the trampoline, playing foosball and generally just having fun!!The fact that I have never watched a Star Wars movie didn't keep me from trying to have a party that seemed to make at least a little sense to all those Star Wars fanatics out there. Ty wanted a Yoda cake - can I say what a hard thing that is to do??! And thanks to our friend Genniser who attempted to be in the "spirit" of the whole thing even if he wasn't Jabba the Hutt as Ty had originally wanted him to be. Pray for Kevan and Jeffrey (Darth & Luke respectively). After having kids chase and attack you for 2 hours - I am sure they are resting up and recovering!!