Happy Birthday Emma!

I know I need to update my blog...Ella's been home for exactly one week, and I so appreciate all of you who have been praying for our transition.
However, there's hardly time to shower, much less blog, I feel like. (Can I hear an AMEN!?)
But today, I need to pause this craziness in our life and celebrate my baby girl...my very first baby girl...Emma.
I am so thankful for this child. God has poured out his grace and goodness on her and made her His own!
She is a daughter of the King!
She loves God's Word, and many mornings snuggles next to me while with her own Bible, her own reading plan she has come up with.
The massive change that this adoption has heaped on her life could turn her inside out, but she has been steadfast this week.
Not unshaken. We've all been a bit shaky.
But she's leaning on the Lord with us and been adaptable when she probably didn't feel like being adaptable.
She loves us with all her might.
She reads like I always longed for my child to read.
(She got a Kindle for her birthday today, and has already downloaded "Pride and Prejudice" and "Great Expectations". I love it!)
She can run on all fours like a horse freakishly fast (when she doesn't have a broken arm). That's uniquely Em.
She loves to ride. She was born in love with horses somehow. She has taught me to love horses.
She actually teaches me all the time. I'm not sure who's homeschooling who?
She has her moments and struggles...because, duh! We all do!
But I adore my first baby, my sweet Emma Michal!
When she made her long awaited entrance, we had no idea what motherhood and fatherhood would really feel like.
I remember the amazing revelation of not only how much my parents must love me, but how deep the Father's love for us is.
We love you, Em. We have always, and will always, LOVE YOU!

Happy Birthday Emma!

9 years ago today, after about 45 hours protest in labor, little Emma entered our world. She was obviously comfortable where she was, and didn't come willingly.
She was born at 2:55am at Northwest hospital in Amarillo.
She had the loudest cry of any baby I'd ever heard, and the biggest, most alert, blue eyes. They seemed huge to me. From the moment she was born, she seemed determined not to miss a thing (so sleeping was not an option, naturally) and it was as if she was sure she could tell us what to do and we would comply.
I remember bringing her home and having the revelation I think many young mothers do...about how much God loves us as a Father, how much my parents love me, and not believing how much I loved this new little person.
So of course, I cried, rocked and nursed her, and Rusty would tentatively say "Are you okay?" wondering where his even-keeled wife went, and who was this blubbering woman in the rocker?
I would sob "Yes. I just love her so much!" Sob. Sob.
Post-Partum. There's nothing like it.
So entered Emma into our lives, and what a precious life change!
We've watched her grow, from that super active, strong willed little one, into the little girl we know who submitted her life to the Lord and loves Him with all her heart.
Some of my favorite things about Emma:
1. How she loves God and His Word! (It's 6:30 and she's sitting on the couch right now doing her Bible Study book. What's better?)
2. The way she reads. She is a voracious reader, and that has been one of my great aspirations for my kids. She devours her library books, and then we must make an emeregency library trip when she's done.
3. She begs me for "homework" and lots of it. I don't seem to give her enough work, in her opinion. Clearly, she gets the "nerd" genes from her father. It pays to marry a brainiac.
4. She's so her own person. Maybe this is intensified because she's homeschooled, but she has always been an intense animal lover, seriously, since before she could talk. Her obsession with elephants came first,before she was two, then dinosaurs, then horses. That one stuck. And if you know my daughter, one of her great talents is being able to "run like a cheetah", and she'll gladly race you on all-fours. It's a little uncanny how quick she is. She's just Emma. Not a girl who likes princesses, purses, dresses, or pretty shoes, but can tell you anything you want to know about animals, habitats, and is what we call the "animal whisperer."
5. She's a little bit fearless. I think her desire and willingness to do what she does on horses, and then compete against a group of older, more experienced riders at horse shows demonstrates this. I love watching her in action! There is nothing sweeter to me than this girl and a horse.
So Celebrating you is our joy, Em! Happy birthday, love! I hope today is a memorable one.

Emma got her ears pierced!

This was Emma pre-piercing.

This is Emma post-piercing.

Emma has been asking about getting her ears pierced for a while. We had decided when she was little that we would wait until she was older and make it a privelege that she looks forward to.
I also wanted her to be able to clean her ears herself and handle the aftercare. So we waited...she would bring it up and I would remind her that it hurts a little. She would drop it.
Then she decided she was brave enough. So Rusty told her she had to prove she was responsible enough by keeping her room clean for two solid weeks.
She did, so we had a special Mommy/Daughter date to the mall, just the two of us.
First, we got her hair cut. It looks so cute, don't you think?
Then we had a pretzel together, just us girls.
She was super excited, and a little nervous as we went into Claire's.
We stood and watched a little girl in front of us get her ears pierced, and she went from a little nervous to terrified.
My girl is pretty tough. She hardly flinches when she gets shots, so I think the anticipation got to her.
But look at her face- she was beside herself in fear.
I'd already stood there with her for a long time and filled out the paperwork, so I decided she was not backing out. We had built up to this day, and what were the chances that I was going to work out another time to go with her alone? So I told her she'd be fine. She was going to do it.
The lady doing the piercing lied and told her it wouldn't hurt. Come on, it hurts a little. We all know that.
But she did it! She said it did indeed hurt, that it felt like they stapled her ears, but not for terribly long, and she was so pleased with the way her cute little ears looked!
She got to pick out some earrings to wear when she can remove the gold balls. She chose cupcakes, the letter E, and bumblebees.
It was a precious day with my growing-up, third grade girl.

A "God" Birthday

If you know my kids, you know they plan their birthdays year round.
We love birthdays, and half-birthdays for that matter, and we love parties.
So it's not strange for my kids to come up with a birthday theme and plan when their birthday is six months away.
Out of the blue the other night, Emma tells me that she wants to have a "God" themed birthday party. She gave me some ideas for making the decorations, but the best one was her idea to play "Pin Jesus on the Cross".
Yes. My daughter said instead of playing pin the tail on the donkey, she thought we could put up a cross, and pin Jesus on it.
Okay, more than slightly irreverent.
But she was totally serious, and I know her heart was not amiss in this, so I did not correct her.
We WON'T be playing "Pin Jesus on the Cross", however.

We're leasing a horse.

Some people lease cars.
Houses.
furniture, maybe.
But we're leasing a horse.
This specific horse in the picture with my Emma, actually.
My daughter is amazing on a horse. She was born for this. Her teachers tell me often "she's a natural" and I know that to be true, despite my discriminating eye for riding technique, because she was in love with horses before she could talk or walk.
Emma loves to ride and has been riding since she was three. She has been competing for the last year in Peruvian horse shows, and it's such fun!
There are lots of kids who like horses. They have an interest in horses.
Some kids start taking lessons because, as one Mom told me last week, they'd already tried dance, karate, gymnastics, and cheerleading. None of them took. (Dear goodness.)
And then there are horse people.
Somehow, my daughter was born into this group of people.
This is a foreign world to me that I'm trying to be acquainted with.
She's not alone. There are lots of horse people! I can spot them a mile off now. They love horses like Emma does. They sometimes prefer them to people. They are gentle and kind people. Laid-back, easy-going. They run on their own timetable. They could be quiet, unless you ask them about their horse. Then they're on. They're generally just really nice folks, seemingly untouched by the carnal world. They don't have time to be corrupted by society. They're too busy with their horses. I'm happy to embrace the wonderful world of horse people!
So I'm a horse Mom. Horse Moms have responsibilities. Horse responsibilities.
I try desperately to fit in with the horse people and look like I know what I'm doing. But I don't. And I stick out like a sore thumb. I feel dumb more than half of the time. I wish I could tell people, I'm really a fairly intelligent woman. If my daughter were in the music world, or almost any other world, I would not look ignorant all of the time. But I'm just new to this horse world. I'm an alien here.
I sometimes explain to people, Emma is a first generation horse girl. It's not her fault I'm clueless. Most people do this, and their parents did it, and they come from a whole family of wonderful horse people. Some of the girls she competes with live on horse farms. Their parents are full-time professional horse people, and they ride daily.
Then there's poor Emma. She has a clueless horse Mom, who drags all four kids to the stables once a week only and still can't put a bit in the horse's mouth by herself. I stink at that!
Emma has a local show this Spring, and we decided to lease a horse so she could practice on one horse all the time and ride that horse in the show. It's the same horse she showed on the last two shows. This thrills her! She wants more than anything to own her own horse! Most girls do. But this is crazy expensive! (To get a show quality Peruvian horse. Not just any horse, mind you. Maybe she'll get a horse instead of a car someday.)
So we're leasing. It's kind of fun. We can pretend we own this horse for a few months and I can pretend to be a legit horse Mom.
I can tell you this: it bring me pure joy to see my child doing something she loves so much and is so good at! It's just fun.

Precious Words

My Emma loves mustard. So while we were eating lunch, she said "Mom, if mustard were a real guy, I would want his autograph."
I loved that!

Later on, I was reading a story to them before nap time. I read from Emma's reader a story called "The Arrogant Geese". I was explaining to them what arrogant meant, and how the Bible tells us to always be humble. Emma said "Mom, am I humble? Will you tell me if I'm not being humble? I don't want to be prideful."
I told her, we could both keep each other accountable to that. She ASKED ME to hold her accountable!? She genuinely did not want pride in her life.

How great is this kid!?

Is the moon blood-red, Mom?

Does that sound like the title to a cool new children's book? Maybe not.
My daughter, who is eight-years-old, is anxiously awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus.
She's waiting in expectation that it could happen at any time.
We read this passage together recently.

Acts 2:17-21
17'In the last days, God said,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
upon all my servants, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below —
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon will turn bloodred,
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21 And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.'
NLT

Last night, as I was tucking her in, she jumped out of bed, and went to her window, knocking things over, trying to catch a glimpse of the moon. I thought she was trying to see the phase of the moon, because I'm such a FANTASTIC teacher, she would be studying on her own the things we've learned...but I was totally wrong.
I asked her why she needed to see the moon?
She said "I try to look at it every night, so I will know if it's red and Jesus is coming back. I WANT TO BE READY."
I love this girl. I love the way she loves the Lord.
I love the way the Holy Spirit uses her to convict me.
She has done this before, when a storm was coming, she thought maybe Jesus was coming back. She watches the sky for the slightest sign, fully expecting to see Jesus burst through the clouds.
We can all chuckle, and say "how cute."
But the truth is, He is coming back. And we'll all be surprised...except for Emma.
She'll say "I told you so!"
She's living in expectation of his return.
I have to admit, I am not.
I mean, I know He IS coming back, and I'm longing for that day! I'm beginning to hurt for it. I want to be home with our Father, and hear the music in heaven (cause the band is gonna rock!) and dance around the throne!
But in my everyday life, I don't think about it much. I think about all the junk I have going on down here. I am caught up in the here and now, when Colossians tells me to set my sights on things above!
My daughter is living with an eternal perspective.
I need to. I need to see everything in my life through the lens of eternity. I need to stop acting like I have all the time in the world to talk to all the people in my life about Christ that I am unsure about their salvation.
I need to not let the little things in life swallow up all my emotions and energy, as if today is all I'm living for.
I need to care the most about all the things God cares about the most.
I need to start watching the sky and checking the moon with my Emma, and living in expectation that our time here is short. A change in our perspective is bound to result in a change of our hearts and actions.
We don't know when He's coming back. But we ought to live like we're ready. My eight-year-old taught me that.

Emma's 8th birthday party

Here are the pics from our fun party at Carousel Acres. She invited all girls (except for cousins and brothers, of course...they don't count as boys) because she's 8 now! I think it was special for her to share with her friends what she loves so much and is good at. You got to admit, this girl is precious on a horse! I even got to ride that day. Big change for me, and it was a blast! I can see why she loves it so much. (My rear didn't love it for at least 4 days.)
Enjoy the slideshow.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Birthday Emma!

My little girl went to bed last night a seven-year-old, and woke up this morning an eight-year-old. For some reason, that sounds really, really different to me! Eight!? My firstborn child cannot be eight! When did I blink and eight years went by?
Nonetheless, she is eight, and we are so proud of who she is.
A few things about Emma...as you can see in the picture above, she loves horses. In fact, she loves every animal God made, but she can't ride all of those animals and do cool tricks like she can on horses. (Although she absolutely would ride a cheetah if it were possible. She's convinced that will happen in heaven.)
Emma and I took a girls trip last weekend to her horse show in Glen Rose. We originally were all going to go, but Ike changed all our plans. So it was just us girls. I don't think we've done that since she was a baby! We did the horse show thing...I watched her ride and dazzle us with her amazing ability to control an enormous horse with her tiny little frame...we stayed in a hotel room together, and snuggled up at night, reading Ramona books together...we got take-out and had a hotel room picnic...we watched a movie, went to a strange church together, and had plenty of good conversation. It was just fun! I feel like I know her even better, and I can see how those kinds of weekends are going to be paramount to a sweet mother-daughter relationship as she gets older.
I'm proud of a lot of things about Emma, but most of all, what I tell her constantly that I'm most proud of, is the way she loves God. Her heart is His! She loves the Lord, she longs to please Him, and she loves the Word! Last night, her Daddy was teaching from Matthew 7 in family worship time, when Jesus tells us not to judge, and tells us to deal with the log in our own eye before we address the speck in our brother's eye. These sort of analogies can be difficult for children, who are concrete thinkers, to decode. However, I'm amazed at how the Holy Spirit speaks to them and gives them the ability to understand the scripture. Rusty started to explain this, and Emma shot up her hand and said "Oh! I know what that means! See, the speck and the log are sin! And it means you should confess your own sin before you try to help someone else out with their sin." Her explanation was even more thorough than that, and Rusty and I just sat there with our mouths open. Rusty then handed her the Bible and asked her to preach on!
Her pointed questions and observations continue to teach me. I'm watching her grow right before my very eyes.
Eight years ago, she kept me up three nights in a row laboring and delivering her. Yes, her labor was a marathon. She came into the world with wide eyes open, searching for us, and taking everything in she could. She hardly ever slept, afraid she might miss something. (She still doesn't sleep.) She cried...A LOT!!!...and was a high-maintenance, yet gorgeous, baby. (She loves these stories, how I came home from the hospital so tired from three nights sleep lost, exhausted to the point I couldn't do anything but cry. And how I would rock and nurse her and Rusty would walk in to find me bawling, and I'd say "I just love her so much!" Having a baby can make you crazy in the head.) But in truth, this day eight years ago, I was transformed into a new facet of me, which is Emma's Mom. It's been amazing, and sanctifying, and precious every day. Not a day has gone by, no matter how difficult or easy, that she hasn't been an enormous blessing to us. We are so grateful for you Emma! You are a gift entrusted to us by the Lord!
Our Bible reading this morning I selected for breakfast was Psalm 139:15-18. I memorized this chapter when I was pregnant with Emma. As amazing as it is, no matter how much we love all four of our children, God loves them more. Our love pales in comparison to His. His love is great. His love is sacrificial. His love gave His own Son for us. It's important for Emma to know she's loved by us. (And of course, she does.) But it's most important for her to know how God loves her.
Thank you God for September 18, 2000. We are thankful for Emma Michal Bacak.

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Amanda cringes when I use pictures of her, but tough! It's your birthday, and your picture is going up on my blog!
What a blessing this girl is to our lives! There are times when I am overwhelmingly grateful to live in a college town. Not necessarily when I'm driving around, like this week, and 50,000 people come back at once to clog up Texas Ave., but other than that, I'm SO grateful! Because it means that I have girls like Amanda in my life. Girls that I keep lasting relationships with. (I miss you girls, who have left me, much to my protest!) I am trying to keep Amanda here as long as possible. Of course, that means, she's working at our office right now. We'll employ her as long as we can. She'll use her super-organizational powers on our office for a while.
Thanks, Amanda, for loving my kids almost as much as if they were your own. Thanks for being their "favorite babysitter" who brings fun movies and lets them eat popcorn with M&M's in it. Thanks for always calling me when you're going to the store to see if I need anything. (EVERY Mom needs someone like that in their life, am I right?) And thanks for being teachable and growing right before my very eyes. We love you! Happy Birthday!

Also, for those of you who also love my Emma, check out her latest blog post "If I was a movie director." I think it's so cool! I love seeing her budding relationship with the Lord played out in her creativity! She also created a book club last night for her and the girls from our Core Group who come over for prayer each week. They decided they would read about Neil Armstrong and get back together next week to discuss it. Emma made her own sign-up sheet and everything. How cute is that?

Emma's educational blog-

Check it out. It's short and sweet (so sweet!) and you might learn something about bats. I just love this girl!!! And she treasures your comments.

Emma's Prayer

Emma has been asking tons of questions about Jesus' return lately.
Yesterday, when the sky got a little dark and a wind was blowing, she came in with the urgent question: "Mom, what's going to happen when Jesus comes back?"
Okay, sure. I'll sum up Revelation in a moment. Oh wait, I don't understand Revelation. That won't work.
So what did we do? We tried to call her Daddy. He didn't answer. (He was in the hospital.)
So we called Pop-Pop. He has a Doctorate in Theology. That will work!
He referred her to Matthew 24. We read it this morning.
This was her precious prayer this morning.

"Jesus, please make us ready for when you come back. And please, please, please come back soon...like maybe later this week."

I love that! There's nothing better than hearing them pray.

Emma's Horse Show

What a weekend! I have definitely been educated in the world of Horse Shows.
Here's a few tidbits of what I know...
1. These are Peruvian Horses, and Peruvian Riding. It's Western riding, but I think there are some things unique to Peruvian riding, like the type of saddle, and the strange enormous panchos and hats people wear. I'm not so sure about the weird panchos...if I were making decisions about her riding style based on fashion, this would be out! But I really enjoyed watching the show and learning.

2. When a horse stands on your foot, it freakin' hurts! Yep! Really sore big toe. But everyone has to learn the hard way, right?

3. Not everyone loves the idea of you painting a $20,000 horse. For our costume parade, we painted Cohete Indian style. Mr. Brad had approved it, but his wife was quite skeptical. It is pretty crazy, when you think about it! We don't own our own horse, so they were letting Emma ride the best horse of all. I was grateful! They made an amazing team! The paint washed right off when I gave my first bath to a horse ever. I knew how to bathe kids, so I just used what I knew and attacked this task best I could. Thank goodness for the people there to help me!

4. Horse people are not in a hurry. Everything runs late, and at a leisurely pace. Now I know.

5. My daughter has a natural talent with horses. We knew this, but it was awesome to watch! I didn't even think about her placing, but she did! She even beat all of the girls in her age group in the Parade class! She got fourth place in that one, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place were all grown-ups!!! We were shocked and pleased! We didn't stress winning or placing at all, we just kept saying "Do your best, and have fun." She did, and that worked well for her. I have to admit, it was fun! But all the girls did well, and we cheered them on all weekend. I realize a lot of this has to do with the horse they ride also.

6. I also learned that being a Mom means you will adapt to things you never dreamed of. I never even imagined being a Horse Mom. If my kids were interested in music, and we were doing any sort of music competition, this would be my total comfort zone. That was the life I lived. But horses...there I was, saddling horses, bathing a horse, mucking stalls, and giving her riding tips. What??? How did this happen? But this is what being a Mom is about. I love following their passions and seeing where they lead us. Any talent God gives them can be used for his glory, and I can't wait to see how He uses us in this world to share Christ with others and bring Him honor.
Col 3:17
17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.
I feel like the Lord has given us a brand new mission field, and I will be honest...I'm shaking in my boots, nervous about how to move forward in sharing the Gospel with these people. But excited, too, that God is giving us an opportunity here. And what fun!!!
Okay, here are the pictures:

This is Emma and her sweet instructor, Mr. Brad. This man is 72 years old, and still going full steam, all day everyday, in his work. Isn't that awesome? I so want to be like that! He loves, loves, loves teaching these kids! He gave them all these fun baskets after the competition, and then took them on a hayride around the Expo Center for fun! He's awesome!

This is Emma in the Parade class. After they all finished, they lined up for the judging. I think they deliberated for about three and a half hours. That's what it felt like to me. Thank goodness she was on a pro show horse, and her horse stood perfectly still as she waited. Not all of the horses did. She looked professional. I was so nervous I wanted to throw up. When they called out her name, she didn't go get her ribbon. I couldn't figure out why? Later she told me they didn't say her last name right, so she didn't think it was her! Ha! This girl better get used to having her name butchered. That's part of life in the Bacak Nation!

Here's our little Indian. That's not very politically correct, is it? Here's our little Native American.

My husband said "when I married, you I never would have thought I'd see this..." Well, me neither. I'm used to cleaning up human poop around here, so what's a little horse poop? I actually didn't mind cleaning the stalls a bit! Emma and I had fun doing it together. I think it's like kids. When you love your kids, of course you'll clean up their poop! We were loving Cohete, so of course we would clean out his stall for him!

That's it! Thanks to Pop-Pop, Jess, Amanda, and Matt & Erin for coming out to cheer her on. It made her feel very special. Also thanks to those of you who asked about it. It was a very special weekend for Emma!

I'm a Horse Mom

I have entered a new world, in which I am an alien.
the Horse Show world.
My daughter Emma, who I have mentioned is "one with nature", was born in love with horses. I have discovered there are many people like this. She's not alone. We weren't around horses. We didn't live on a farm. This was not an environmentally cultivated interest. It is built into her DNA. She loves horses. She has been as comfortable around them as she has been people since she was a toddler. Not kidding. She's never EVER exhibited fear of these enormous animals in her whole life.
She started riding at the age of four. We had gone to Camp Ozark for our summer visit, and since we couldn't tear her away from the horses all week, and she had such a nack for it, we decided to follow her passion.
She has been taking lessons at Carousel Acres since then, and they have been leisurely, enjoyable western riding lessons. (The picture above of the horse jumping is NOT what she is doing now, but I thought it looked cool.) We love watching her. She is incredibly beautiful, in her element, trotting her horse around. It's a joy. We pay the nice horse man, and we drive away.
BUT...she has entered a new phase. The competition phase. She is going to be in her first horse show this coming weekend, and preparing for it has been a whole new world.
Our formerly laid-back weekly lessons became super intense! We practice with the group of girls competing, some for the first time, like Emma, and some who are veterans.
In competition, everything is quiet. (I've never been to a horse show, so this is what I'm learning.) She has to listen to her instructor at all times, and I'm responsible for having her on her horse in the right place at all times.
I had no idea how to even lead the horse, I'm ashamed to admit. I was pulling it by it's lead rope, like an idiot. I have felt pretty stupid on a weekly basis.
This is what else I found I was responsible for...

-tacking the horse (I'm pretty sure this means getting the horse from it's stall and typing it up, with this special knot that I'm still trying to get the hang of, to the post in order to saddle it).

-Putting on the saddle and bridle. It's more complicated to me than it looks.

-Grooming the horse. This is where they threw me. This includes brushing it, which I like, but also picking it's feet. You heard me. I have to convince the horse to pick up each hoof while I use a very sharp tool and get all the rocks and dirt out. This scared me. A lot. But I did it for the first time last week. Hooray for me!!!

-I also learned last week that for the costume parade they are doing on the horses, I am also supposed to dress up the horse!!! I had no idea!!! I am finding these things out in passing coversations with the other Moms while I try very hard not to look retarded.

-I am also responsible, at the show, for feeding, watering, and mucking our horse's stall. Wow.

The problem is, everyone else knows what they are doing. They either rode horses themselves growing up, grew up around horses, or have already been trained in this stuff. Literally, everyone is doing this stuff without any instruction, and I'm completely overwhelmed and at a loss.
So like a good amateur horse Mom, I jumped in there. I am asking for help. The other Moms have been very nice and obliging. I am doing stuff I'm scared to do. But I'm doing it!
And Heather though being a soccer Mom was a different world! Come on! I have to pick a horse's hooves and put a costume on it! What the heck!
I'm trying to learn all the rules and look like I belong. Hopefully, I will pull it off.
We are super excited to see Emma in the show! She's going to be great! She is only participating in two classes. The costume parade, which I don't think is judged, and one competition class. Some of the other girls who are first-timers are doing up to six classes! Last week, when they offered to Emma to try a more difficult competitive course, she tried it but then declined. The thought stressed her out, and I was glad she realized one was enough for her. For our first time around, I prefer that as well.
If anyone is interested in coming to watch her, it's here in Bryan this coming weekend. I can give you the details. We would love to have a cheering section for her (when I figure out when we're allowed to cheer.) This will be my first horse show to watch. You can also come by and laugh at me trying to be a horse Mom. That might be etertaining too.
So soccer Moms, be thankful. Cutting up orange slices doesn't look so bad now, hu?

Bindi the Jungle Girl

My Emma LOVES this show!
It comes on Discovery Kids at 7:30am. (At least that's when we DVR it I think.)
If Bindi says it, to Emma, it's the gospel truth.
She is often saying "Well,Bindi says, yada, yada, yada".
This little girl is pretty cute. Sometimes overly articulate children can be annoying. But her show is informative, and so interesting to my Emma, I just can't be annoyed.
Bindi even signs songs about animals, and has videos of them, like where a fan is blowing her always crimped pony tails. Those are pretty funny.
Why the crimping? Does anyone still have a crimping iron? I haven't seen mine since 1988. Is this an Australian thing?
Emma wants to live Bindi's life.
When they show Bindi's baby brother sitting all giggly with some monster snake that could eat us all alive, it tends to freak me out. But that is the greatest heaven Emma can imagine.
Emma lives, breathes, and eats animal life. Raise your hand if you've been to my house and Emma has tried to race you on all fours, barked at you, jumped in your lap like an animal, or asked you to play the animal game? Let's take a head count...it's everyone we know.
I know this is not normal for a seven-year-old, but this is pure Emma, at the core, she loves animals. Jane Goodall probably wasn't normal either though, right? It might be a sign of greatness! Emma was obsessed with animals before she could talk. She seriously had a major obsession with elephants at age 18 months. She couldn't say much, but she said the word "efelun" about 100 times a day. She only received elephants for her 2nd birthday, and her party was animal themed. She rode an elephant at the circus at age 2. The dinosaur phase came after that, followed by the horse phase (which stuck because she's been riding horses for years now and is going to be in her first horse show in April!!! Woo-hoo!) It's just built into her DNA, passed on by her father, of course.
So if you have an extreme animal lover, or a child who also likes overly articulate children, check out Bindi.
Also, FYI, I heard there's an A&M Vet School Open House this Saturday from 9am to 4pm. It's supposed to be pretty amazing, with exotic animals, trick pets, and things to examine under a microscope. It's basically an event designed for my kids. So Rusty will be taking the big ones.

Hiding the Word in their Hearts

I just love this picture!
I think all kids should have plenty of time to make tents in their living room, don't you? Even if they collapse on you because your baby brother pushes the chairs down on top of everyone.
But this post is not about tents, it's about teaching our kids to study the Word.
This has been an evolving process. We have done different things, and as they are getting older, hopefully we are adapting to their abilities.
Last year, I did the Bible story, memory verses, and prayer time with them all together in the morning. It was a wonderful way to start our day! But Treston got louder at the breakfast table, and Justus more demanding, and this became very stressful.
In addition to that, Rusty was not apart of their daily Bible teaching, and he really wanted to lead out in that.
So we moved to this school year, me doing their AWANA verses with them over breakfast, and praying, and Daddy teaching the Bible Story and discussion at night.
And while that has worked well, I have always felt there was something missing in the morning for them.
So lately, I have asked Emma and Jax to go find a quiet spot in the house and take a Bible story book with them. I told them to look at a story (maybe the one we studied the night before) and then spend some time praying.
I have been amazed! When they come back, I ask them "what did God teach you this morning?"
One morning, Emma said "God taught me today that I shouldn't build myself up, I should only build God up." AMEN!!!!! She read the story of the tower of Babel. So we expounded on that, and it was good!
The next morning, I asked her again, and she said "God taught me that I shouldn't worship idols." AMEN!!!! So we talked about, what could be potential idols in her life that could become more important than God, and how God and pleasing Him has to stay #1. It was awesome!!!
I thought, how many grown-ups got that much out of their Bible Study time this morning?
I want to equip them to follow God for life.
If Rusty and I get up early to spend time alone in the Word and prayer, I want to teach them how to do the same. I want them to wake up every day of their life, and find personal time in the Word the most natural thing in the world to do. Like breakfast.
At ages 5 and 7, they are more than ready. It blows me away! We under estimate their relationships with God sometimes. They are insightful, and they hear His voice. Maybe clearer than we do sometimes.
I cling to these verses, as I ask God to show me how to teach them how to follow hard after God.

Prov 22:6
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
NIV

Ps 119:9-11
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
NIV

If you guys have other things that your parents taught you, or that you are teaching your kids about the Word, I'd love to hear about it.
And now, I'm off to run 10 miles. What? That's crazy! I hope I live to read your comments.

Let's Be Salt & Pepper

I have been studying the most amazing passage this week. It's so good! Let me share it! (Don't skim! read!)
Col 1:9-14
We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, you will learn to know God better and better.

11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power so that you will have all the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son. 14 God has purchased our freedom with his blood and has forgiven all our sins.

What an amazing prayer Paul was praying for the Colossians! Wouldn't you like to have Paul praying this for you? Every sentence is something I desperately want! It's the burning desire of my heart!

1. To have a complete understanding of what He wants to do in my life. Anyone else want that? Raise your hand...

2.That he would make me wise with spiritual wisdom. That's the only way I'm going to be wise. I don't feel wise, and yet in James 1:5-7, it says we only have to ask for wisdom and BELIEVE He will answer! "If you need wisdom- if you want to know what God wants you to do- ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."

3. Then the way I live with always please the Lord! Rock on!

4. I will continually do good and kind things for others. I won't miss out on opportunities to bless others, which I undoubtedly often do. We will be fulfilling His desire for us, as in verses like 2 Timothy 3:17, that He's equipping us with His Word to do good things. In essence to be salt and light for Him.

5. I will know God better and better! Yes!

6. I will be strengthened by his glorious power, with more than enough patience and endurance. Hello!!!! I have four little ones!!! Please pray this for me!!!

7.I will be filled with joy, and always thanking the Father! Wow! I want that. That would solve a lot of my sin issues.

If anyone wants to get my family something for Christmas, just pray this prayer for us. This is amazing. I want it all so much! Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we had all of this all of the time? Amazing!
When it talks about continually doing good and kind things for others, that reminded me of a talk I had with Emma recently. She heard a lesson in children's church by Mr. Howard (who by the way, Jax calls Mr. Coward...ha! He is not slamming Mr. Howard. He's just mixing up his words in the cutest 5 year old way! Who can correct that?) He talked to the kids about being salt and light to the world, from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5. This made such an impression on her! First of all, she didn't understand the analogy of salt. That was confusing at first. I think she raised her hands several times during the lesson. But when we got in the car, she actually told us about it, and you could tell, God was speaking to her heart. (Remember, Emma knows the Lord!) We talked about it again a few days later, and she wanted to know how SHE could be salt and light, except she kept mixing it up and saying "salt and pepper." (Again, so cute!!!) She and I stopped and prayed that God would show her how to be salt and light to the world in specific ways. I told her, because the Holy Spirit lives in her, He would nudge her heart when there was something He wanted her to do. (She had also been asking me good questions around that time about how do you know when God is speaking to you? Yes, she keeps us on our toes.) Then she gave me an example of a time God spoke to her heart about how to bless someone else. We started going to Crestview Nursing Home around that time. Rusty has patients there, and we took our HOPE group there one night to sing for them. Well, turns out, my kids are AMAZING with old people! I really love them too, so we have been going there once a week for most of the semester to visit with them. Emma felt the urge to go talk to one particular woman sitting in the lobby, and she did. You should see God working through her at Crestview! I wish you all could witness it!
This has been our way to be salt and pepper to the "widows", the often times forgotten, talked about in James 1:27. ("Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us." Our family in the past few years has taken this call to orphans and widows more seriously than ever!) I may not have found all my kids niche in their sports abilities, or their hidden talents, but I have found an amazing ministry ability in them in ministering to sometimes very sick, older people who will face eternity soon. We have prayed over some, and last week got to ask one of our favorite of Rusty's patients if she assuredly knew Jesus. She was sure she did, and she has been very ill in the hospital this week. What a blessing to know that when she dies, my kids and I can celebrate her being with Jesus and that we'll see her again!
I will try to post some pics of my kids with our friends at Crestview. And really, if anyone ever wants to go with us, let me know! We would love it! Come be "salt and pepper" with us!!!

1st Grade is fun!

Emma loves first grade. So do I!
I love teaching my kids! I love seeing their faces as they figure something out, hearing their responses, and I really love their artwork. I love that our house has become "nerdy" as Rusty puts it. Emma got really excited about the History channel today. What?
Drama seems to be a big part of our learning. When we learn about something, the kids like to act it out. There are only three of them, (Treston's not quite ready for the productions) and that's if Justus will do what they say (which is not often) so sometimes stuffed animals have to play parts too. Like a few weeks ago, when Sir Walter Raleigh got married, Jax was married to a huge stuffed bear with a skirt on.
This is a picture of Emma as Queen Elizabeth. She looks regal, doesn't she?

And then, can you guess? Pocahontas. Did you know she married John Rolfe, NOT John Smith. She never had a thing with John Smith. Disney lies. My kids will be happy to set you straight.


And when we decorated the tree, Emma put baby Jesus in a basket at the bottom, and she became Mary. She can become any character with whatever is handy. It's pretty remarkable! I love it!

This week we are learning about the American Revolution. But first we had to cover slavery. You may remember my post about Rosa Parks and racism today, when I had to sit the kids down and explain racism to them. They were appalled! They were confused! Emma has never forgotten that conversation, and brings it up often. Well, learning about slavery has been very disturbing to her. Which is hard to teach, but it ought to be disturbing! We talked briefly about the Civil War, and she was not happy the South was on the wrong side of that one. I love the South! I love Southern people, food, and culture, but I hate that our ancestors fought for slavery. I hate seeing Confederate flags in the back of trucks, as if we had anything to be proud of in the Civil War! Here are the journal pages about slavery from Emma's journal. She knows very little about what slavery was really like, but she is still very upset by it. She takes great comfort in the fact that slavery is against the law now. That makes her feel better.


It says "Slayv Trayd that's rong" translated "slave trade, that's wrong." (In their journal, they can spell things however they think is correct. On other work, I correct it, but their journals are a free expression of art and writing.)

When I see my kids' responses to sin, I can only hope that I am still appalled by the things that God hates. And yet, as Emma and I talked about today, God still loves all of us, despite how yucky our sin is! He sent His Son to die for us, knowing full well the bad things we would do.
I love teaching my kids, and I love even more filtering it all through the lens of God's love and His Word. These are precious days with them that are going too quickly. Even though I have been so sick and miserable with an evil virus, I still enjoyed teaching them today. I am so grateful for this crazy, wonderful time in my life. 1st grade is fun!

Scriptural Rebuke from Emma

My seven-year-old rebuked me with scripture yesterday.
It was awesome.
We were searching for the lost remote. This is a constant problem in our house. Why are remotes so fascinating to babies and toddlers?
We just got a new satellite system (saving us a lot of money each month versus the cable thing) and if you lose the remote, you cannot operate the satellite. So when I couldn't find it, I was kind of annoyed. I was muttering worried exclamations about not finding it, and searching everywhere.
Emma stopped me and said "Remember the verse, Mom? Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything?" (Phil. 4:6)
I love this girl! She was not afraid to stop me in my tracks with scripture! I was getting worried, and thus sinning. I told her she was absolutely right, and I was absolutely wrong, thanking her for the reminder.
So of course, I did pray, and of course, we not only found the remote shortly after (in a random desk drawer ???), but also found a lost library book I had been stressing over. So I went back in to the kids and "thanked Him for all he had done." (the rest of Phil. 4:6) We praised God for listening to our every prayer and taking care of our needs.
God is good, and hearing truth come out of my little girl's mouth, is SO beautiful!

Happy Birthday Emma! 7 Things I love about her...

7 years...7 freaking years! Where did they go? I could not possibly have a seven-year-old. And yet this articulate little girl with two front teeth missing is here, and I can hardly believe it!
There's something about your first baby...it's not that you love them any more than the others, it's just that you learned how to love as a parent starting with them. I remember the day I brought her home, and was rocking her in our sweet little yellow glider, nursing her, marveling at her, and crying. Rusty came in and asked me "What's wrong?" and I simply answered, like a blubbering, hormonal new Mom, "I just love her so much!!!"(sob, sob) God taught me so much about love through her. I learned that God's love is unfathomable. I loved her so much instantly, and God's love for her far surpassed that! I couldn't wrap my tiny mind around that. I also learned and appreciated suddenly how much my parents' loved me. Wow! I didn't really get that before Emma's birth.
I watched the video last night of the days before and after Emma's birth with her. We got to take in the moments just after delivery, when she came into the world. Priceless footage. (No, there was no footage of the actual delivery. I didn't scar her for life or anything.) She got to watch the first time Rusty and I crowded around her with tears in our eyes, sleepless, exhausted, in pain (well, I was; not so much Rusty), and completely oblivious to anything but her. She loved hearing about the details of bringing her home. It was great. What a day to celebrate. I came through a 40+ hour labor with her, and yet nothing else mattered. God brought us such a precious gift.
We had no idea who'd she be. I never could have dreamed up this crazy, unique little person. So here's my top 7 things I LOVE about our Emma:

1. She knows more about animals than I do. Seriously. Being her teacher is challenging. She thinks every unit study we take on is unbelievably fascinating. From dinosaurs, to Mayan culture, to presidents. It doesn't matter. She will read every library book I bring home, and then weave all of that into her imaginary world in which she lives. Like this week, we're studying the Mayans. She created her own Mayan costume out of butcher paper and feathers, for fun. She creates her own assignments for her work that are far more fascinating than the ones I come up with. Her creativity and love for learning make her so fun!


2. She is beautiful and talented on a horse. She has been riding for over 2 years now, and it's a sight to behold. She is AT HOME on a horse, and always has been. It's amazing to me.

3. She says "best" all the time, in place of the word but or except...or just whenever.

4. She lives in an imaginary world in which she is always some sort of animal. Always.

5. Her heart belongs to the Lord. She begs for more and more Bible stories. She eats them up, and stores them in her heart and mind. Her prayers are precious and honest. She loves Jesus!

6. Her very best friend is her brother, and she is pleased to have him with her all the time, co-joining their imaginary worlds. She is a super big sister, and adores all babies! She's going to be an awesome Mommy someday!

7. She can climb a tree much higher than is probably safe. She can't resist a good climbing tree. I love that!

I said I'd stop at 7, so I will. But all that to say, we love you Emma! You are unbelievably special, and we cannot wait to see how God grows you into a woman who loves and fears God with her whole heart, and serving Him with her life. You are a blessing to your Dad and me! Happy Birthday!