For Jill and Amy........

This weekend was BIG at Lifepoint Church! We made the switch from three to four services--two Saturday night and two Sunday morning--and, by all accounts, it was a HUGE success! Saturday night alone, we had more than 800 in attendance. And Sunday still looked awfully full to me from my vantage point behind the Welcome Center.

As part of the "movement" to encourage people to get involved and serve at Lifepoint, Kathy Schnoor (our amazing technical director) put together this skit (originally performed at Granger Community Church in Indiana). Brooke and Jeff had the privilege to be involved in this, and it was amazing! I'm sure all of the performers and attenders would agree it was worth all the practices!

Of course it got the point across but if you ask me, seeing Jeff "dance" was worth more than its weight in gold! Enjoy! (It wouldn't allow me to embed a "window" but if you click the link below it will take you to the video page on vimeo.com)

Volunteer Musical (2009.08.29-30)

Friday Dinner.......

Corn fritters (slathered in real butter and salt)

and homemade iced tea.

Both made from mom's well-loved recipes.

The perfect meal for a rainy end-of-summer evening.

Happy Birthday Sydney!

Although it's hard to believe, today is Sydney's 14th birthday! Sydney is our tiny and beautiful bundle of energy. She is reliable, organized, and responsible. If you want/need something done and done right, Sydney is your "man". She can (and does!) command small armies of rowdy, tired children with ease. She is a huge hit with those rowdy, tired children in the church nursery every week. Her nurturing side is very evident when she is with them. She is also an amazing babysitter. If you need one, give her a call.

Sydney is a loyal friend and sibling. She loves our pets dearly and, sometimes, treats them better than those aforementioned siblings (ahem....). She loves cheerleading and has been a willing "flyer" (all you cheerleaders know what that means) on the tops of those cheerleader pyramids for several years. We keep telling her that her petiteness really is an asset! Recently, she has shown amazing aptitude for Dutch Blitz, which, in this family, is a highly prized ability!

Just two short weeks from today, Sydney will enter high school. It's almost surreal to me that I have not one, but TWO, high schoolers. How did that happen? We are so excited for Sydney and the opportunities that await her. We know that God will use her energy and determination and all of her amazing gifts for HIS glory! We love you sweet Sydney, and we are proud to be your mom and dad.

Happy, happy birthday!

Quote of the Day.....

Payton: Mom, do we have any googly eyes?

Me: No. And why do you need googly eyes?

Payton: I don't want my pet rock to be blind!

Obviously Payton doesn't know his non-crafty mother very well. Why in the world would I just be storing "googly eyes" somewhere?

For the grandparents.......

I hope you'll indulge me for a moment and allow me to use this post as a "Proud Mom Moment" post. At the last minute this weekend (like Saturday at 3 p.m.!), Brooke was asked to sing this song in the Sunday services because the girl who was going to sing it was sick. I know she's mine, and I'm prejudiced but she can SING!!! We are so proud of her. Enjoy!

It's Official.........

It's time for school to start.

Sheer boredom has driven the children to do some very strange things with their school supplies.



Two more weeks! We are ready.

Unbelievable......

Someone sent this to Payton today. He showed it to me because he thought it was funny. I, on the other hand, was horrified.



And then I was reminded that behavior like this is why...

• We carefully monitor our children's time with video games, television, internet, etc. (This boy was behaving like this over a World of Warcraft game. World. of. Warcraft. Are you kidding me?)
• We read John Rosemond.
• We spank(ed) our children in the appropriate place at the appropriate times (and let me assure you that some days had many more "appropriate" times than others!)
• We pray... A LOT!

And, lest you be misled, I promise you that all of the above has not resulted in "cherub children" who sit quietly and read their Bibles, obey without hesitation, and exhibit nothing but love and kindness for one another. (Those of you who see my children regularly are nodding your heads furiously!) It's actually quite the opposite, I hate to admit. We are simply trying our best and trusting God to do the rest. And, thankfully He occasionally gives us glimpses that we are on the right track.

Somehow, I can't imagine that World of Warcraft is in God's perfect plan for the VeStrand kids. That's a chance I'm happy to take, and I'm willing to bet they'll survive just fine!

Boys and their toys......

Last week during our short stay at Club Knorr, my boys found that their cousins had a veritable arsenal of bb guns just waiting to be tried out in the backyard! Oh did they have FUN! And we had fun watching them!

And the best part? As you can see, these "accessories" go perfectly with swimsuits and can be laid down at whim when one feels the need for a dip in the pool!



P.S. My necessary disclaimer: please don't leave ugly comments or send me lecture-filled posts about kids and guns. I know. The boys were supervised and, frankly, we have no problem with them having toy guns. We respect your right to feel differently; we'll just have to agree to disagree. I fully intend to enjoy my "right to bear arms" while I still have it. I imagine it will shortly be going the way of all my other freedoms, never to return.

Quote of the Day.....

Payton: Mom, I think I want to grow up to be James Bond. There's just one problem.

Mom: What's that? (groaning and wincing)

Payton: I don't have an English accent!

Phew! Thankfully, I'm pretty sure the accent is a requirement for James Bond. And I doubt he'll pick it up living in Bawl-mer, Merlin!

Is it just me.......

or do you think the boys enjoyed the homemade pizza we had for dinner last night? I hear it's a "Club Knorr" specialty, and I think they would agree!






And this was an hour after eating! Thankfully, a dip in the pool cleaned up those dirty faces very quickly!

The Golden Cord...

Nearly a year ago, a dear friend of mine gave me this little gem of a book, telling me that it always seemed to "meet me right where I'm at every day". It has been on my nightstand ever since until recently I picked it up and realized what she meant and what I had been missing! Its short passages have been refreshment for my weary and busy soul these days. I hope this one will refresh you too.

Hope is a golden cord connecting you to heaven. This cord helps you to hold your head high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you. I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand. But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me. Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road. You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven. When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant. I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.

Be glad for ALL God is planning for you.
Be patient in trouble and always be prayerful.
Romans 12:12 (NLT)