Are You Ready to Party?

 .....I sure wasn't!   Even after spending all day Friday getting ready and waking up at 6:30 am Saturday morning.....we still were running like crazies to get everything done on time!


Riley requested Dad's homemade pizza...mmmm  mmm  mmm!


Lego Indiana Jones was all he wanted....pretty cool, except that it's been forever and a day since  the last movie and now everything is considered "collectors"..aka Expensive!   Oh well, had to get creative for the cake (I'll post some kind of instructions later)....but I have to say, this is hands down the coolest one yet!


Corey wanted to get Riley something Captain America....and Jamie made him an Indiana Jones  "whip" from brown yarn and duck tape.

 The mask still hasn't left his face......

Well, maybe for a second when he opened Grandma, Grandpa, Duane and Crystal's present...yeah, they've been playing with it all morning.....Corey cracks me up because he sits there helping Riley put together this set and the whole time he's humming the Indiana Jones theme song...da da dadaaaaa, da da daaaaaa....


We had a full house, but it was a great party!   My Aunt Beth and Uncle Dutch were in town from Seattle.  Wow, the stories they have of their travels!   I could have sat there for days soaking it all in!   Jim's little brother David was home on leave for the week before heading off to his new base.   Then, right before we had to leave for church, Jim's middle brother John and his family pulled in from St. Louis....we thought that we'd miss them so it was really nice to sneak a few hugs and kiss the baby ;)

Of course, there was lots of cake and ice cream...thankfully all but his head is left today!


Happy Birthday Buddy!   Hope that it was one to remeber!

Eight is Super Great!

Happy Birthday Riley!

Let's see..8...what a year of great things...


Now you're completely past even a smidge of being considered a baby, or little guy (even though I keep protesting!)


You still humor me and let me kiss your soft little kisser cheeks :)

Always the dare devil....


You never stop moving...Ever..even in your sleep...


Indiana Jones and John Wayne are about the coolest guys on earth...except for your Dad.


You love math, bikes, and skateboarding.


Sports   Sports    Sports!    If it has a ball then you're gonna play it!  


I love the fact that you give your brother's a run for their money....never letting being the youngest hold you back!

You're stubborn and won't back down (I know that right now, it gives me a headache..but someday that strong will is going to serve you well!)


You love Jesus....secretly sing worship songs...until you see that I'm smiling and watching ;)


Happy Birthday Little Man!


May this year be a year of growth and firsts and nothing but good things!!!


Love,


Mom   xoxo

Wrapping Up

I thought that I'd do a quick wrap up of the week.....early...because Saturday is Riley's birthday and things will get hectic quick!

Last weekend we went to a fall festival at the camp ground where my grandparents keep their rv.   What a blast---games (which Riley cleaned house), hay rides, smores---cool temps, but perfect fall day!

The past 2 days, I've been battling a stomach thing...not really flu, just yuck....maybe my stomach has turned into Seymour....Feed Me (twinkies ;))

Yuck, I hope that whatever it is passes quickly!!!

We just finished chapters 7 and 8 in Made To Crave....the past few weeks have really hit me hard on how we as women actually view ourselves.

We are God's beautiful craftmenship...a crown jewel...princesses......and Satan wants to keep that thought smashed down in the dust!

One of the questions for group was on a scale, place an x

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o  o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

my body is flawed                                                                     my body is a gift

Where would you rate yourself?   What if that same mark was placed by someone you loved?

UGH!  That would kill me!!!  

So, here's the real question:  why is it ok for us to have these feelings about ourselves....

I had this revelation that I'm a super cheerleader---I'll encourage you until the cows come home and then some.   But....when it comes to myself, I'm a total downer.   God brought the word self-loathing to mind the other day.  Yep, pretty much sums it up....I can't take a complement without down playing  or joking....

Just something else on the list of things that I'm going to have to work through on this journey....Hopefully that question made you think about how you view yourself too.

You are beautiful, the perfect handywork of the perfect creator!  God loves you exactly where you are---But--He also loves you too much to leave you where you're at!  

Grow in Him, Learn who you are through His eyes, and run with it!!!!