Easter Weekend

I know I know, I am a week behind on the times.  Better late than never huh?  Easter this year was a great time.  Grandma and Grandpa G came up form Florida to visit over Easter, and it was great to spend some time with them.  The kids really took up with them.  They painted Easter eggs together, Caleb and Grandpa loved playing the Kindle train game, and the kids made sure they gave them kisses goodnight each night.

On Saturday we got up and ready, and I got the kids all excited about going to an egg hunt.  The egg hunt was suppose to start at 12, and when we arrived at 11:55 ALL the eggs were gone!! There were so many people there, and it ended up being a complete bust.  We did take the time to play in the park for a bit, but the kids were unable to hunt for any eggs.  Thankfully the day was gorgeous so we spent some time outside playing with the new toys Meemaw and Paw got them for their Easter basket this year.

Sunday morning was a little rush rush.  The kids awoke to find their Easter baskets, and had fun playing with those. Kinlee was more interested in her snacks than her toys. Caleb was ecstatic about his purple and orange ninja turtles!

I attempted a few shots of them before church, but that was a fail.  We did not get a single picture of them together, looking at the camera.  Oh well, such is life with a 2 and 3 year old.

After church the R clan came over for Easter celebrations.  Caleb had a blast playing with his cousins, and the kids were able to hunt eggs!! Kinlee really enjoyed this activity once she caught on.  Caleb was an old pro.

After egg hunting we counted and sorted the money from their eggs, and just hung out with family.  Caleb was so excited that Tony was home for the day, and did not let him out of his sight for too long.  He misses him when he is at college.

Hello Spring

Today was beautiful, and I am crossing my fingers that it is a sign that Spring is here to stay.  I'm not holding my breath, but I am sure wishing.  Since today was so gorgeous we decided to head to the Zoo with the Pickett's for this first time this season.  Apparently we were not the only ones with that agenda.  Upon arrival we realized that the first parking lot was full at 10:30 am.  I have never been there when it was full, especially on a weekday.  We were directed towards the 2nd parking lot, and it took a million years to park.

It was crazy crowded, at the entrance, but since we are members we only had to wait in the short line. Surprisingly once we got inside the zoo, the crowd was not so overwhelming. Of course the train and the carousel were a no go due to the long lines, and the bathroom lines were interesting, but other than that it was all good.

We were able to catch the Cheetah encounter show, and Caleb was on cloud 9.  He always says, "the cheetah is mine and daddy's favorite animal because it is really really fast".  The show had 2 cheetahs chasing a toy to show how fast they were, and it was awesome.

His reaction when the cheetah's first started running! 

The kids ate their lunch, and loved looking at all the animals.  Caleb waked 95% of the time we were there, so I only had to worry about pushing Kinlee, which was nice. Towards the end Caleb was tired, so I put Kinlee in the ergo on my back, and pushed Caleb.  They are now both knocked out!! It was a great start to the Spring season.

2013

Equality, is a word that carries a lot of history, emotions, and baggage with it.  When one thinks of equality they may think of America's history, the Civil Rights Movement, Women's Rights, Freedom of Religion.  Equality in the modern day is now a question concerning the homosexual community, and every one seems to have an opinion.  I generally am not one to speak out on political issues, because quite honestly I am generally oblivious. However, this is an issue near and dear to my heart, and one in which I would like to voice my opinion.  I am not writing this blog today to sway anyone's way of thinking, debate, or call anyone out.  Instead, I am writing for my own personal memory.  I want to be able to look back at this post 50 years from now, and remember my view point and the person I was in 2013.  I want the passion I have concerning this topic to forever be a part of my history. So, with that being said, please do not comment in the form of debate, I am not one to debate, nor will I.  We are all entitled to our own opinions and I respect that right.

If you would have asked me 10 years ago whether or not I supported gay marriage I would have answered with a very quick and honest "No".  You see 10 years ago I was a senior in high school, who lived in a small town surrounded by mountains and sheltered from the world beyond them.  I knew very little of the homosexual community, and where I am from, especially at that time, there were very few citizens who were openly gay.  I was very close minded to the topic and I too used to think "The Bible says homosexuality is a sin, so therefore they should not be able to get married".  I did not understand people who were gay.  I didn't understand why they would "Choose" to go against God and indulge in such a "big" sin.  Quite frankly...I didn't get it.

10 years later I am a much different person.  I am still the God fearing and loving Christian that I was 10 years ago, and I am not downing the person I used to be.  I feel as though I was taught so much about Christianity throughout my young life, and God helped to build my character into a person who was on fire for him.  I am grateful for the teachers and mentors that taught me the ways of God throughout my young life, but I also feel as though there is a time when each Christian has to evaluate who and what they believe.  These beliefs do not need to be based upon anyone's opinion other than your own, and what God has personally taught you.  So, that is what this post is about. My struggle/study of the homosexual community, God, and what I feel as though I have been convicted to stand up for.

3 years into college I moved into an apartment with 2 girls from high school and a boy from my hometown who is gay.  This experience is when my eyes were really opened to re-evaluate my views on homosexuality.  Living with C really allowed me to understand the inner struggle of a person who has recently come out to family and friends.  C's  personal story tore at my heart strings, and caused me to ache in a way that I had never experienced before.  He grew up as a preachers kid, was saved and followed God daily, and upon coming out was basically told "God did not love him", and he felt as though his own family did not love him.  That broke my heart.  To me the answer was so simple.  God is love.  God loves all.  Why in the world would God love a homosexual any less?  I inwardly struggled with this question for a long period of time.  Throughout my experience living with C we had many discussions.  One in particular I remember was very emotional.  He broke down telling me how he had always been gay, even when he didn't know what gay meant.  He remembered being attracted to Aladdin as a young child, and thinking that Ken (the Barbie doll) was hot.  Of course, as many people who are gay do, he suppressed these feelings and tried to forget about them for years.  He had relationships with girls, he tried to force himself to not be gay, he prayed for God to make him straight, but you know what he was still gay.  Many people say that a homosexual chooses to be gay, and that they should just ignore it.  However, I feel that to be completely and utterly false.  I believe that "God created our inmost being".  I also understand that in the Bible it says homosexuality is a sin.  Insert my inward struggle.  If God creates everyone with a certain personality, and plan, then if homosexuality is a sin, why are they created this way?  That is an question that I have lamented and prayed over for years reaching out for an answer.  I have not received the answer yet, but I have received the conviction to love and accept, and sometimes fight for the respect of members of the homosexual community.  I have prayed multiple times "God if I am suppose to oppose gay marriage convict me" and time and time again I have not felt convicted.  I feel like since I have been so exposed to the members who make up that community, and felt compassion for their stories that it is utterly impossible for me to feel convicted about equality for them.

With that being said, that is my personal opinion, and every Christian is entitled to their opinion and convictions.  We all have a place in God's grand plan.  Yours may be to fight against it, while my place may be to stand back, and show love to my friends who the decision effects. I do not judge either way.  However, I do feel as though the question of equality is not one that we need to fight against.  I understand that America was founded under God, and I pray that God will always be in control of our country.  However, I feel as though the fight against homosexual marriage is not a religious issue.  I understand the points Christians are making, I honestly do, and like I said 10 years ago I would have said the same thing. However, now that my eyes are opened and I have so much love for the members of the homosexual community I do not see them being wed as an abomination to God, or taking God out of America.  What I see is the beauty and emotion of people crying out to be accepted for feelings that they can not change.  They are harming no one, but yet are being cursed at, ridiculed, and told they are sinners.  Phrases like "love the sinner hate the sin" are said to them.......how does that phrase express Love?  People say God Loves Everyone........oh yea accept the homosexuals.  I honestly do not understand how it is any of our business to judge them.  Sure you think it is a sin, and you are just trying to let them know, but you know what, maybe God is already working on them.  Maybe they are like my old roommate and "love Jesus, pray every night, but cry because everyone tells them Jesus doesn't love them back".  Oh how quick we are to place the plank in another persons eye.  Personally I feel as though God will handle each and everyone of us when we get to heaven.  Our job on Earth is to love God, show Gods love to others, and pray for one another.  God handles the rest.  He made these humans, he loves them, and I feel as though all the Christian community is doing right now is pushing humans crying our to be loved away from God.

Marriage to me is a beautiful thing.  If two people, regardless of sexual orientation, want to commit their life to one another forever, that is beautiful!! Everyone sins and falls short of the glory of God.  I lie, I complain, I doubt God, I am not always kind, I gossip, I am sometimes rude, I anger easily, I hate.......I am so filthy in terms of the Christian I should be.  However, that is the beautiful part about grace.  I fall short, I will never be perfect, there will always be sins/issues I struggle with. There will never be one day that I do not fall short of the glory of God. However, I am accepted because I am straight?  Because I do not commit the "horrible sin of homosexuality".  I will enter the gates of God because I am not gay, but too bad for that other guy.  I am sorry but how ignorant.  A sin is a sin is a sin.  We answer to God in the end for what we stood for, what sins we committed and the life we chose. Do I believe homosexuals can be Christians even if they never turn from their homosexual lifestyle? Yes! Do I believe they will be accepted into heaven? Yes! I feel as though our job as Christians is to love, accept, and worry eternally about ourselves.  I personally feel as though there are much bigger "religions/political" issues to fight for.  Issues in which people are actually being harmed.  Equality for people to make their own choices and love who they want, in my opinion is not our business as Christians.  My personal conviction and belief, but I do not feel as though equality for the gay community will bring America any further from God than it already is.  Love however, that can move mountains. That can make the difference.  That can be the Christ in this fallen nation.  Love is what it is all about.  

Learning the Value of a Dollar

As I stated in a previous post, it is very important to me that I start instilling the value of a dollar in my children early.  It breaks my heart in two to see that they are never satisfied, and are always wanting more at such a young age.  They have so much, yet feel as though they have so little at times....don't we all.  I want them to grow up understanding that it is okay to have wants, and it is okay to strive for more, but it is not okay to let those wants consume you.

I saw this pin a long time ago, and recently came across it again. It got me thinking.  We had been struggling with Caleb whining and complaining a lot, and I knew that was a habit I wanted to nip in the butt as fast as possible. One it was annoying, and two I come from a long line of complainers. I always joke and say "if my family doesn't have something to complain about, then we have nothing to talk about".  I personally have been trying to work on this character flaw in myself, and it is a hard habit to break.  However, I thought if I started early enough with Caleb...maybe just maybe, I could minimize it.  It was also a great pin about teaching the value of a dollar.

So I took the idea and ran with it.

Materials:

1. 2 clear cups...or any cups or jars you have laying around.
2. Bible Verse "Do everything without complaining or arguing" Phil. 2:14
3. Tape
4. Quarters-Caleb gets 3 dollars in quarters placed in his cup weekly (3 years=3 dollars)
5. 3 Labeled Ziploc bags (God, Bank, Child's name)

Steps: 

1. Tape the Bible verse on one cup, and fill the cup with a weeks worth of quarters.
2. Explain the Bible verse to your child, and let them know that if Mama hears them arguing or complaining that they will loose a quarter. (I always give one warning) 
3. Move quarters lost during the week into the empty cup. 
4. At the end of the week count the money left in your first cup with your child. (Great way to practice counting/learn how many quarters make a dollar)  
5. Divide it into 3 bags with child 
1. 10% of what is left goes to God. (I tell Caleb that we give money to God so he can help people who do not have money).  Your child can take his God bag to church to place in the offering, or use for a worthy cause.
2. 50 cents-1.00 is placed in the Bank bag.  I generally decide how much I place in his savings by how many quarters he has left each week.  Caleb knows that we put money in the bank so he will have money when he is older.  He loves to take the money to the bank to place in his bank account, even if it is a 1.00 :)
3. The remaining amount is placed into his Caleb bag.  This bag is used to save up for a toy, game, or something special that your child wants.  It may take a few months to save for a special toy, but it teaches your child to work, wait, and save. 
6. Refill the cup with quarters for the next week.

So, we have been doing this for about 3 months now.  When we first started this process I asked Caleb what he wanted to save his Caleb money for.  He immediately said "The red ninja turtle". So we went to the store, and wrote down the price of the turtle, and I told him that we would have to save until he had that many quarters and then we would go buy it.  Each week after we counted his money I would tell him how many dollars we were away from getting the turtle.  Well, yesterday was the day that he finally had enough money.  

Nick and I were shopping for Easter baskets when we realized that the turtle was 3 dollars off the original price. There was only one red one left, so we went a head and bought it for Caleb.  I wanted him to be able to go to the store with me to buy it, but I was afraid they would sell out.  So, when we arrived home we explained to him that the turtle was on sale so he had enough quarters to buy it.  

He and daddy counted his money

He put the turtle toy in his cart

He checked out and paid for it

He loves it

I love this picture even though it is blurry.  Kinlee did not understand the concept of "Be gentle", and got brother.  He is yelling "GENTLE!!!!!" :)

This is such a great activity, and one that has become a part of our every day life.  It has really cut back on the complaining and the arguing, and also on the "I want this".  If Caleb sees something when we are out that he wants I simply tell him that "You will have to save your quarters for it".  He says okay and leaves it at that.  Win Win for us all.