Full Plate

Do you ever feel like if one more thing gets on your plate that is it,

the whole thing is going up in the air

and all over the place?

Well this last couple of weeks there has been a lot of family stuff in Ar going on. That has been very emotionally stressful. This is my third year at FBC and this time of year is normally very stressful. Summer is here which means VBS, volunteers going on vacations, turn over of volunteers is huge in the summer, plus we still have to work on what is coming Aug promotion Sunday. So May and June are normally crazy. Well VBS we have had the best response of volunteers since I have been on staff. The last two weeks I have had a good 10 new volunteers who are joining us weekly or biweekly. My Wednesday night Wacky Wed volunteers are staying. I know this is a lot of work details, sorry BUT my point is that My God knew that I needed a break and He gave it to me. So I just wanted to give Him a big Internet THANK YOU. So honored that the God of the universe is "My personal God" and that he cares about the littlest details of my life. Thanks again God!

Karl - 4H and Karly

You have to check out my hubby's blog to read about 4H. But I just wanted to post that he is such an amazing father. He took three days off to go to 4H camp with Karly because she wanted her daddy with her due to she was a little nervous. I think she asked him because she thought he might be able to protect her a little better then mommy. They had a great time and he informed me that he was doing it again with her next year. Boy he has set the bar for their future husbands that is going to be hard to match. Karly even told Madie "don't you hope our husbands are like daddy".

I've Been Tagged

Ok so Michale Hall tagged me. I think I am suppose to tell you the rules. I write about 7 interesting facts that you may not know about me and then I tag 3 more friends and on and on we go.
7 Facts:

1) I am a "California Girl" and was "Born in East LA" yes two songs titles were written about ME. haha. I have lived in four States; CA. AR. MO. and now TN.

2) I graduated from High School at the end of 11th grade so I could go to college with my best friend, (Deborah Tedder). From K - 11th grade I attended 7 schools. We moved alot.

3) I am PK "preacher's kid" and for the most part was a good one, now my brothers I could tell some stories on but they all turned out to be great guys so we will leave the past alone.

4) I hate my name Ruth, Ruthie, Ruth Ann all of it and when I was a teenager I wanted to change it to Samantha or Stephanie and be called Sam or Steph.

5) As the only girl in my house with three brothers I escaped to my room to play dolls and barbies for hours. Unlike Becca, Michale and Gwen I was not a tom boy. I was all girl and loved to play alone in my imaginary world where I was the mommy to all my dolls, stuffed animals and barbies. I scared my parents by telling them I did not want to get married I just wanted to be a mommy. Thank God I changed my mind and I also figured out how babies were made and I would have to have some help with that.

6) When I was in high school I was a "Days of our lives" fan and actually faked being sick the week Bo and Hope got married. Oh that makes me laugh.

7) I love to read but never have the time. So whenever we go on vacation i will research and ask my friends to suggest a great book for me to read. A good vacation to me is having read a great book. So far my two most favorite have been when "The Note Book" first came out. I sat on the beach and just cried. Then last year I read "Redeeming Love" oh and at Christmas I read "The Scarlet Thread". So if you have a good read please leave me a post because it is getting close to vacation time.

ok I am going to tag Melanie Simpson and my husband Karl and Kelly Stewart.
They are all on my favorite reads list i don't know how to my a link for you like Michale did.

My Not So Secret Blog

Ok so I started blogging and I told a few friends and mainly family. I was trying to keep it a secret from the guys but I believe it is out. Which "whatever" I am sure they will not check it out often because it is just going to be "Mommy stuff", nothing about golf or a sporting event, no deep inspiring words, just life at home with the girls and my "hot" husband. That's right Kyle I said it again my "Hot husband". Hey after 15 years the boy is still looking good and I am proud. HAHA
So to all my friends who were trying to be loyal and not let certain guys know I am a blogger it's ok, they know. Thanks for trying. They will read it one time, roll their eyes and say "there she goes again talking about Karl and the girls".

I AM A MOM!!!!

This was a crazy busy Mother's day. We had to be at the church at 7 am due to Karly was on stage performing for service. She did a great job! I had 47 babies in the Parent Child Dedication today. So I really did not even think about what today was and that I had a gift and cards until all that was over. It has always been our tradition to go get food and take it to the park on Mother's day, no busy restaurants for me. So we got Zaxby and headed off to the park. It was then that it hit me I AM A MOM!!!! As Karl and I sat watching them I went back about 11 years when Vandy's "finest" told Karl and I we would never be able to have health children. Man am I glad doctors can be wrong and that God answered my cries.
To my mom, my mother in law and to all my friends - Happy Mother's day so glad that I get to celebrate this holiday with you as a MOM.
Oh my pastor got his baby girl and we saw live feed of them today during service. Check her out at pathood.org God is so good.

My Pastor's China Baby

Our Church is amazing and I am not just saying that because I am on staff there it is just amazing. Our church has made me think outside the walls of our building, out in our community, out of our country. It has given me a heart for adoption - it started with Izzy. Izzy is Madie's best friend. She was adopted from China in 2001. She is so precious. Since Izzy our church has gone crazy with adoptions, not just from China but Russia, Korea, US.... And tonight I can not sleep because my pastor and his wife are in China as I type picking up there daughter. Pat had on his blog some pictures from the orphanage. So sad...so unimaginable that children suffer like that. I asked Pat to bring one back for me, I wish. Please pray for them Pat, Amy, Seth, Zack and Jadelyn. Here is a picture of Izzy and you will see why we love her.

Take Me out to the Ball Game!

Today Monday May 7Th, I took a vacation day so I could go on a field trip with my girls. the field trip was to a Nashville Sounds game. We had a blast, the weather was a perfect 78 degrees with a nice breeze. We all walked away a little pink which we needed a little color. This was a rewards field trip for a reading program at their school. Karly has three field trips this week. Today's for reading, Wednesday is a third grade field trip and then on Thursday all the students who have been on the Principals list all year are rewarded with another field trip. She is loving life. Third grade has been a hard year. The work load has just about killed us all so we are beyond proud of her for keeping up her grades. Oh and on top of that her goal this year was to not miss a day of school and guess what she has so far been successful in achieving that. She is amazing and some times pushes her self way to much. Madie is so different, not so self motivated or driven but boy is she pure joy to have. She is our carefree girl who helps us all stop and laugh often. It was a great day to be with my girls and just enjoy being their MOM.

Saturday in Nolensville

I wish I had pictures of today Saturday May the 5th. Karl told his girls he had a surprise for us and to be ready by 11 am. So we all piled up in the truck and off to our surprise. He took us to a little town in Middle Tn called Nolensville. So quaint I felt like I was in the Ozarks of Ar. We heard some great singing by Jessica Marie Miller on the front porch of the old feed house. At one point she even called Karl up to sing back up for her to "Jesus take the wheel". I leaned over and told the girls "man your dad is cute" Karly smiled proudly and Madie giggled. It was a very relaxing Saturday morning. Jess sang "I am blessed" it was a great reminder as i looked around at my little family,my dream came true and I am so BLESSED.