HOMECOMING March 2011

Ok, yes it has been a while, I am not going to even pretend to think I can get this thing caught all the way up. BUT for now we had a wonderful home coming for Rob and I did want to share this with everyone. Thank you ALL for the many, many prayers that have gone out for him and us while he was gone for seven months. They were are very wonderful and we are grateful. Here is a little recap of our wonderful day!!

http://www.tonypix.com/galleries/oplove/2011_tanksley_hc/

A little catch up....

So I know I have been really bad at the blog thing. I just am so crazy with the kids and trying find some normalcy to our lives right now I for get about it. 

 

Arianna is doing great in school and really seems to enjoy it. Her behavior is about the same we are still working on please Jesus which in turns makes mommy happy. We are also working on the way we talk because Christ wants our words to be sweet like honey. We have to make sure our tone is how Jesus would talk to us. I am saying we a lot because mommy is having a hard time with her tone too. 

Mattox... where do i start?! He is full boy these days. Wanting to fight any and every one. He woke up Sunday not wanting to wear a diaper. (well he has been fighting me for a week or more about it but Sunday was really bad) So I put him on the potty and went to get one of the girls dressed. I came back to a full potty and a very proud little man. He got to wear a pair of "big boy undies aka: pull up with Cars on it. He went to church with it on and stayed dry all through church. The girls were very sweet and even took him potty for me. After church he had lunch and nap and stayed dry. He had a wonderful day with only one accident. He is going to "school" two days a week and is loving it. The girls there tell me every time that his is hilarious. Which we already new. He loves being silly. 

Natalie is just growing up so fast. She is still 21 lbs and not to much taller than when we left IN. She loves playing outside when the weather is nice and is still mommy's cuddlier.   She has aI am writing is laying her head on my shoulder and watching me type. She loves being with and it is not really a bother but a cute thing. She is saying tons of words when no one is around.  (stop it, halsey, baby, mommy, nigh nigh, dirty, anna, and a few other that I have not caught yet.) She has gotten a bunch of Grandma time over the last few week as I have been working short time to help out Grandma's nursing home. So When I get to the nursing home she hangs out in the salon for a while and then after lunch goes home with Grandma to sleep and play. She is just the same girl just a little bigger. 

Well, I need to run in to town so I better check pull ups and diapers. I will try and post every few days to let you know what is going on. I have a few updates on Rob too that I will post later. 

We love  and miss everyone.

                                          

In His hands......

As I started the day in a rush because of over sleeping, I am hit with the thought of how far God has been carrying me and how I really must be getting heavy after all these years. I get the two little ones started on breakfast and hug the oldest as her and her grandma are on their way out the door for work and school. I ponder at the wonderful Lord who I worship and love. I am daily reminding my kids "use words that glorify Jesus", "Now would God want us to act like that?", and the all to famous "God commanded little children to obey their mommy's and daddy's". The whole time I am fussing at them i start to hear a small voice in my head specking the same words. "Jodi, now is that how I talk to you?", "Jodi, you your tones reflecting me?" and the all to famous, "Jodi, I have commanded you to protect these gifts and protect their heart and plant seeds of my wisdom in them". But the voice is so small most days I can raise my voice a little louder (plus the kids may even hear me this time) and then I won't hear Him speaking to me. 

This morning though I was not fussing so me yelling was not going to drowned out the voice. And our conversation went like this......

 "Jodi, I have been here this whole time and I am still here. Trust me, I have a plan for you. A plan to prosper you and your family."

 "Today Lord is really not a good day. I have so much to do. I have to make thousands of phone calls and email to find a sitter so i can take this four week class."

 "Jodi, I have a plan for you...................."

 

"OK, If you have a plan then I need a sitter who is not $125 a week per kid and that can take BOTH kids for only four week, and the ONLY four weeks is ok. And Lord while you are at it I would really love for this to be a Christ centered place close to my class." 

"Jodi, trust me and All thing will work out for my glory."

 

"Lord I know this is to much for you so I will just get on line and look. Thank you though for helping I just need to get this done now since class starts like Monday morning."

"Jodi, my child, I have a plan for you......"

Then I head off to web surf for child care and get busy with kid tending and web surfing. I find a few hopfuls but nothing really promising as of all the hairy detains of the situation. The kids and i head over to  local taco place and have lunch with grandma and then off to look for a few things for the summer. 

As both of my littlest are so ready for a nap but yet i am not ready to stop looking they melt down for all of the Old Navy shoppers to see. Thus a clear sign for me to just put it all back and head home so they can get a recharge.

Diapers all changed and everyone tucked in snug. I once again jump on line to work things out myself...

oh, one new email...(though I send ten out)

It is from the Christian SAHM. ......yuck she can't watch the kids, but.....

"I have a plan for you......"

One phone call and 45 minutes later a sitter AND a new Christian friend!!!!!!

"I have a plan for you. To prosper you AND NOT to harm you..."

I realize how long my Lord has carried me and how light I am getting and how He really does not mind carrying me. He has a plan for me and it is in His hands, safe and warm, to prosper and not to harm.

A servant for God...

I was catching up on all my friends and reading about all the goodness God is spreading when I came across a new blog. This new blog is by a lady that reminds me of my mom in so many ways. (M- if you are reading thins know I love my mom with almost all my heart and she is my super hero so when I say you remind me of her is is the best.) The author of the new blog is such a godly lady and becoming very wise. We have been friends for almost three years now and her and her family have been such a blessing to my family. I suggest if you don't ad things to your top bar or favorites this is one that HAS to be there. You will grow and learn and be so encouraged. Today was my first day and I am telling you my heart is heavy in so many ways and full in so many others. God is working and lets keep spreading His word and love......

http://lookingcarefully.blogspot.com/

Oklahoma Land Run Founders Day

So, Arianna had to dress up like the founders which I have to she is loving. Grandma and mommy through this outfit together in less than two days. I got the dress from a local thrift store, Grandma worked her magic and had the apron in a trunk and she made the bonnet from a hanky. (Laura Ingals... only with blonde hair) We had been watching "Little House on the "Farm" in Indiana for months and Arianna loved dressing up like it today and getting to pretend. They were going to have fun games outside and a picnic which I am sure she loved. 

The rest of us (Mattox and Natalie) headed off to Wal-mart to do a mush needed day of shopping for you name it we needed. Plus I forgot to get rob an Easter box off so we headed to Dollar Tree to gather goodies. I had forgot to keep my "baby-hawk" out and it ended up in storage in CA, so, I went on e-bay and ordered another and it got here last night. The lady who made it did an amazing job and Natalie was in hog heaven being in it again. She loved being it it and everyone in Wal-Mart thought it was the greatest thing. 

As it has been said many times... I don't know much more. We are adjusting and settling in to Owasso. Get to go to a big "baby" sale on Saturday like the one in INdy. I am so excited and the best part.... I am ten seconds from the front door because of where my in-laws live. Will let you know of all the great deals I find. 

An Over Dew Update.....

So, feeling a little out of the loop? Don't feel bad we have been so busy the last few months we were not even sure what was going on. 

So in the last few months we have put our house in the market, deployed to the "squid" side of the world, sold our home in less than three weeks, lived on the farm for a week, made a twelve hour drive to Owasso, OK with just the kids and I, Arianna started a new school and Mattox is now in a "school" program two days a week. 

You can say it, I have been for months now. WOW!!!!

I am going to back date a few things from Rob but this is what the kids and I have been doing.....

Choyster Cash $200 giveaway

Though in times right now this would be good for anyone of us. 

That contest over at Bloggy Giveaways got me all worked up! We're gonna do something really nuts here at Choyster Cash and go ahead and give away $200 in cash or check. Yup - $200 whole dollars sent to your mailbox in a check or cash! I will draw a name on Thursday, February 5! (psst - If you want to know where the cash is coming from, I got a very generous birthday present that I returned for $!)

Here's how to win:

1. Sign up for my newsletter (it's on the top of the left sidebar under the banner if the link gives you an error message) and my RSS feed here. Leave a comment to tell me you did both and you get 1 entry point!

2. Want a double entry? Post about this giveaway on your blog andput me in your blog roll or sidebar! Leave a comment telling me you did so you'll get 2 entry points!

I will announce a winner on Thursday February 5 and will email the winner. However, the winner will have to tell me the code word that I include in my newsletter that day, so you better be doing your reading!

So - to recap - you should be leaving either 1 or 2 comments on this post.

If you leave 1 comment, it means you signed up for my newsletter here (it's on the top of the left sidebar under the banner if the link gives you an error message) and my RSS feed here.

If you left 2 comments it means that you wrote a blog entry about this post and put a link to Choyster Cash in your sidebar.

In the meantime, I'm still running my other birthday giveaway, a $30 CVS Gift Card!