Happy 4th Birthday Jordan

In the days leading up to May, I can usually tell that my emotions are starting to get a little wonky.  It's almost like my body realizes Jordan's birthday is coming before my brain does.  I have some wonderful friends who sent me sweet cards or messages to check on me and I am so grateful for them.  This year we were able to go to Great Wolf on the 1st and returned home today.  It was a great time as usual.  There were no crowds at all which meant no lines for the slides.  The boys loved that!  They probably rode each slide 20 times each day!  Joss is fearless this year and loves to have her face in the water.  Both sets of grandparents gave the kids money to spend so the boys got new toppers for their MagiQuest wands and played that while Joss made a stuffed wolf "to sleep with".  Daddy-O and I just enjoyed watching them and playing in the water and being big kids ourselves.  This trip is truly a blessing for us each year.  It allows us to focus on each other while remembering our sweet Jordan.

When we got home we went to the cemetery to release balloons which is also our tradition. 

The past few days, God has been reminding me of some of the verses He gave to me in the days and weeks after we lost Jordan.  He reminded me how those verses meant so much to me then and how important it was to hold them close to my heart.  With different events they have surfaced and have almost been like an "aha" moment.  While my heart will always ache for my son on this side of heaven, I rest in the fact that one day we will all be reunited in the presence of our King.  

The fam

Getting ready for a little post Easter egg hunt, LCHE style ;)

Being good sports and letting us take a group shot

Daddy-O is getting a little fresh with this bunny!!

Joss and her BFF, Sienna

Who could that bunny be?!?

Walking the dogs with Nana

A little early morning UNO on NTT

Watching my boy play first base on a cold April night!

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

We got 2 pet bunnies this week.  Their names are Hank and Agnes.  Hank after Hank Aaron (Go Braves!!) and Agnes after the little girl in Despicable Me.  Jaxon asked me what the first thing was I thought of when I saw them and I said "IT'S SO FLUFFY!".....so Agnes it is.  {side note: I fought for the name Trixie.  Short for Beatrix.  After Beatrix Potter.  For reasons I am not at liberty to speak of on my blog, Trixie was shot down.  If you wanna know, ask Daddy-O.  ;)}  We didn't get the bunnies for anything Easter related.  We actually picked them out 2 weeks ago but they weren't ready to leave their mom.  We are pet people 'round these parts.  {another side note: warm blooded pet people we have found...cold blooded pets....notsomuch}

Anywho, being this is Easter weekend, I have just been meditating on the sacrifice Jesus made for us. ALL of us.  The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.  He DIED for US.  He chose to take every bad thing we've ever done or will do and He took that weight on His shoulders.  Jesus was our atonement for sin.  Can you even wrap your mind around that?  Completely. Amazing.  Period.
So, while bunnies are cute, candy sure does taste good, and egg hunts are lots of fun, let's pause and thank God for what Easter is really about.  One son, One cross, One brutal death, One Risen Savior.

"Jesus paid it all,

All to Him I owe;

Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow."

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. 

Matthew 28:6

Seussical Jr.

Jaxon was in his first production, a musical, Seussical Jr.  He played Sam I Am.  The whole experience was wonderful for him.  (I really enjoyed it too)
He made some great new friends.  High Point Community Theatre is full of a great people!
After a few weeks of rehearsals, they had 5 shows.  Those kids were amazing!  I was exhausted just being at all the shows....(ok, so maybe that makes me sound old).

Jax and Hailey Lou,aka, Sam I Am and Cindy Lou Who

The Barber boys came to see Jax and Tatum (the Sour Kangaroo).  That girl can sing!

Jax getting his award from Mrs. Bridget and Mrs. Courtney

The cast!

Super model, work, cover girl

and boys.....
You're welcome if that song is now stuck in your head for the rest of the day ;).
Belk just opened a new store near us.  Nana signed Joss up to do a fashion show and Camron and Caden were later recruited.  (Jax would have been in it as well but he had rehearsals for his upcoming play)
It was adorable.  A lot of the kids in the show had obviously been practicing their runway moves at home.  They were eating the crowd and the cameras up!  My littlest super model practiced at home too.  She practiced her walk, her wave and her turns.  My girl had it down pat!  That is until she got there.  And that music was blaring.  And all those strangers were staring. And saying ooh and aah at her cuteness.  Then she just barely walked down holding Camron's hand (they were supposed to walk down solo) and when she saw me the waterworks began.  Bless her little heart.  The boys on the other hand worked it.  They walked with their cute little hands in their pockets and smiles on their faces.

Cute pic post

Nothing to say really...just a few cute pics...

Joss and Kennedy reading a little Sandra Boynton 

Me and my big boy.  Love this kid

Joss and Cohen playing at Chickalay

 

My girl enjoying the beautiful sunshine

Car ride with the kiddos ;)

True Worship

But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.   John 4:23

This past weekend was our women's retreat at the beach with church.  I cannot even begin to tell you how blessed I was during this time.  The company before the retreat began was amazing.  The speaker, my dear friend Lara, was amazing.  My small group was amazing.  My roommates were amazing.
Kelly and I went down Thursday to help get things ready.  Kelly treated me to a pedicure when we arrived because we were early.  Her company is such a treat.  The team got there and we got to work. I cannot even begin to tell you all the behind the scenes work that goes in to a weekend like this.  The ladies who plan and prepare for this weekend don't let a single detail get by unnoticed.  To help them was such a blessing to my heart.  When the sessions began, God used Lara in a mighty way.  Not that we ever doubted it, but He.showed.up.  It was so evident.  Her friend Abby was our worship leader.  Let me tell you something, that girl can sing!  A-ma-zing.  (I might be overusing that adjective...hehe).  I just loved my small group this year.  I truly believe God hand picked each of them for my group.  I had a few ladies from Life on Lexington who I was able to get to know better, a few younger ladies who were just a breath of fresh air, a new friend who I am so thankful I am able to get to know better, and an old friend as well.  There were things we were able to share and I saw commonalities with each of them in some way.   I think God really used my small group this year to show me that often times in situations like this with a group of ladies, He wants to use your stories and similarities to "help" each other more than anything else.  My roommates this year rocked too of course.  We had SUCH a great time in our room. We stayed up late, laughed a LOT, ate junk food, drank coffee (and coke, aka coca cola, aka soda), and laughed some more.  These girls are friends that I thank God for daily.  I am blessed by their friendships.  I could go on and on about this weekend. But I honestly think you had to experience it to get the full jist of just how awesome it was.  I pray each of us came away with a better understanding of True Worship and continue to strive to live it out daily.