Randomness and Lee Pitts

A few random pictures. The top 3 pictures are of our classroom. We had the shoes out for Clayton's Math lesson on pairs. My kids had some friends over to play last week. They had fun making cupcakes. Clayton's cupcake was the one with all of the swords. Unfortunately the tea party I was fixing for them was cut short. I was on the phone a lot that day about my Mom who has been very sick. I got really distracted about my Mom and accidentally took them home early! I thought the article below was so sweet!

These Things I Wish For You -- By Lee Pitts
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse.
For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.
I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.
I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days, when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.
If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.
I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

Jesus Brought Freedom to Women

"Despite the anti-Christian prejudice evident in much of the feminist movement, it is to the teachings and example of Jesus Christ that women owe most of their freedoms. The advent of Christianity raised the dignity, freedom and rights of women to levels never before known in any other culture or religion. Indeed, as one historian put it: 'The birth of Jesus was the turning point in the history of women.'" - Dr. Peter Hammond

A POEM BY MOTHER TERESA

People are often unreasonable, illogical,and self centered;Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse youof selfish, ulterior motives;Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win somefalse friends and some true enemies;Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,people may cheat you;Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

Haiti

I'm lying in the bed watching CNN reporting on the earthquake in Haiti. It is so very sad. I have been praying a lot for the people there. Thousands of people are dead. There are Americans missing. There is an orphange with 25 babies and toddlers that have been waiting to be adopted by American families. All of their paperwork is now gone. There is no telling what will happen to those children now. They can't go back into the orphange for fear of collapse. I have seen Christian Haitians interviewed on the news, talking about their faith in Jesus. One horrible situation is that some UN doctors were forced to leave their makeshift hospital because of threats of violence. I guess the people are hungry, without hope and getting desperate. Unfortunately the patients at the makeshift hospital are now on their own. Some of them have just had surgery. A doctor/reporter from CNN is the only doctor left to treat the patients. Please pray for the people in Haiti. It is very tragic.

The Blizzard of 2010, ha ha!

It really didn't snow a lot at all, but it was enough for us to get excited about. I bought a sled 2 days before the snow, just in case. (3rd picture from bottom.) I'm not sure why I posted a picture of Carrington's new bike. I just think it's so cute! The night that it snowed was really pretty as it was coming down. We all went outside at about 9:00 to play in it. I was reminded of a time when we played in the snow at night one time when I was a child. It was in Illinois and there was a LOT of snow that night. It looked like a winter wonderland. It has been so cold here for over a week. When I got up to go to church this morning, it was 18 degrees outside! Needless to say, I was wearing pants to church! I do not like to be cold, but I'm trying to adjust. Big thick socks are helpful. We have a small lake in our neighborhood. We walked down to look at it yesterday and there is a sheet of ice on top. We threw rocks at the lake and they skidded across the top of the ice. Well, I better get to bed. It's midnight and we've got school tomorrow.

Demographic winter

http://www.demographicwinter.com/index.html

Please watch the trailers on this website. I've heard about this phenomenon from Dr. James Dobson, the American Family Association magazine, and Dr. Voddie Baucham. Western societies are NOT having a population explosion. We actually need to be having more children, not less. The American population is dying. It's also happening in Europe, France being one of the worst scenarios. Please watch the trailers and share with people you know.

More Christmas pictures

Carrington's new bike. I love the retro look!

Some of the chaotic fun at my Mom and Dad's house.

Sweet Lily Kate

Madeline and Carrington in one of my Mom's

new snuggies. My Mom is wearing the

pink one. They remind me of choir

robes! :o)

Clayton digging into his stocking.

Stocking time for the girls.

After the show. "Cousins Productions" puts on a

performance every year at Christmas time.

The ballerinas. I hope my nieces won't be
mad that I posted this picture. :o)

I LOVE this picture! Lily Kate looks shocked

that Myles is crying. I'd be crying too if I

had to wear that suit! Marcy put it on him

for a joke. She doesn't normally dress him

quite so formally! Haha!

The little couple on display.

Carrington playing one of her piano pieces.

McKenzie turning the pages. She's a great

pianist.

Carrington doing a dance she learned in her

worship dance class.

Carrington playing a duet with her MeMe.

MeMe is a great pianist and plays by ear.

Clayton playing the spoons with his cousins

Brandon and Spencer. It was a lot cuter than

this picture depicts. There was too much

sun coming in the windows.

Uncle Fred

Spencer and Carrington

Ali, the oldest cousin and Aunt Leisa, Warren's

sister.

Aunt Kelly and Uncle Barry (Warren's brother)

MeMe and PaPa. I should have taken more

pictures of their house. It looked so pretty

decorated for Christmas.

Me and my young 'uns.

In front of our tree at home. We always have

Christmas at home before we go to Grandma's

MeMe's house to have more Christmas. My kids

were absolutely thrilled to get a Wii this year.

I thought it would be a fun thing for us to do

together. I have had as much fun as the kids

have with it! The thing I like about it is that

you are up moving around the whole time

you're playing. You can't be a couch potato

and play it. I actually get sweaty playing the

games. It's a lot of fun. I have realized that

Clayton is an encourager. When someone else

is playing a game and he's watching, he cheers that

person on the whole time. "You can do it, Mommy."

or "You're doing great!" It's so cute!

Well I better get to bed. School starts back in the

morning.

Happy New Year

A few very random Christmas pictures. I'll post more later. I'm working on my list of New Year's resolutions. Do Hard Things in 2010!!! We're going shopping for a picture with a Bible verse on it. Hope I can find a pretty one. Thanks Mom and Dad for the Christmas money!!!