A Different Type of Cuisine

Levi: "I Want to eat a bat. Mom... can you cook a bat?"
Me: "a bat??"
Levi: "Yeah, cause I want to eat a bat."
Me: "I don't think I can cook a bat. That'd be gross."
Levi: "Well, I want to eat one."

More Firsts...

The kids and I had a fun weekend. We spent it in the country. I did a lot of firsts (for me) this weekend... including:
~ First time playing "Ghost In The Graveyard" (hide and seek in the dark.... Fun!!!!!!!)
~ First time ever playing tag on rows of hay bales.... the big round ones, not the square kind. (note to self: self... you are not 18 anymore. Jump on hay bales like a child and you WILL be sore the next day... even though it was very worth it.)
~ First time attending a tractor pull.

that's our weekend re-cap.

Happy Early Birthday To Me!!

Yesterday, after I'd just dropped Levi off at preschool, my phone rang. I looked at it and it was a number I didn't recognize so I almost didn't answer it.... but boy am I glad I did!!

It was my employer, calling to tell me that she had completely forgotten that they had tickets to last night's Cardinals game, only... they are in Michigan and couldn't use the tickets. So... if I would go to the game, they were mine.

HECK YES!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl. You look up "random" or "spontaneous" in the dictionary... and there will very likely be a picture of me next to the word.

All of that to say... I didn't already have plans... so last night we caught the Cardinals vs. Arizona Diamondbacks game in St. Louis.

There were six free tickets. Five of us ended up going. Me, both of my kids, and three of our friends. (I know you're doing the math... but Audrey didn't have to have a ticket to get in. I almost said she got in free.... but, well... we ALL got in free. free to us anyway. LOL. YIPPEE) The parking was even free. All I had to buy was gas there and back. I was treated to supper in St. Louis.

Our seats were awesome front row seats in the Casiono Queen section, which is like a party deck.

It was an awesome night for a baseball game. Everything from the weather, to the company, to the guy after the game standing on the corner serenading us on his saxophone with "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music. It could only have been made better if we'd won. :(

What my employer doesn't know... is that my birthday is in a week and a half. So... this kicks off my birthday week perfectly. Happy Early Birthday to Me!!!

This is Levi yelling "GO Cardinals!!!" (this was either of my kids first pro baseball game, by the way.):

My Princess

My baby girl princess was sick today and continues to run a fever tonight.

This morning she asked me to hold her, then crawled up in my lap in the rocking chair and fell asleep.

:(

please pray with me that she's back to her normal goofy self soon.

Thank you.

It's a Mystery To Me

I'm sitting here eating raw cookie dough.... and drinking a DIET Dr. Pepper.

what's the point?? haha.

Something else I want to know...

who in their right mind would name a town Ionia??

"I own ya" ?????

anyway... that's what I'm thinking tonight.

Deep thoughts by Becky. stay tuned for next months edition

Backwards Day

We were on our way home tonight and Levi pipes up from the backseat "mom, when we get home can we eat?" I told him that was the plan and asked him what he would like for supper tonight. His answer? "Scrambled eggs!"

So... we are having breakfast for supper tonight. This day has been backwards enough as it is... so why not?

Did I mention that my dad was here two weekends ago? And did I mention that before he left town he took us to HyVee and bought us a ton of groceries? (maybe literally!!)

so... for supper tonight we had scrambled eggs and fried ham (courtesy of the ham that dad bought us.) I also popped some whole wheat bagels in the toaster and smothered them with cream cheese.

And...

since I knew beforehand what we'd be having for supper... I may or my not have driven through starbucks for a mocha.

Ok... so I did.

It's a good rainy evening for one.

I use the term "good" loosely

Stepping Up

Dear Blog Readers,
Every so often on my blog, I really lay my heart out on the line...
... tonight, my friends and family... is one of those blog posts for me. Since I'm allowing myself to be so vulnerable, I ask that you respect that by at least signing your name to this post if you read it. You don't have to say anything... just let me know that you were here. If you don't know how to leave your name on here... shoot me an email. I'd like to know who's getting to see into the depths of my heart tonight. Thank you.
Becky

And so...
we've started another semester at Take T.W.O., the bible study here in town that I attend on Thursday mornings. This is my fourth semester at Take T.W.O and this semester could not have come soon enough. The irony of this semester is this...

while reading through the classes being offered this semester, this is how it went:

~Bad Girls of The Bible... which I've already done as a bible study a few years ago with a group of women from my home congregation here.
~ Marriage Uncensored... I would bet it's pretty obvious why I'm not in this class. right?
~ Proactive Parenting... I took this class two semesters ago. Although truth be told, I could use to take it again.
~ Invitation to solitude and Silence... I took this class last semester.
and...
~ Stepping Up, A Journey Through The Psalms of Ascent... A Beth Moore study.

now, I do love Beth Moore and would have willingly taken her class anyway... but it looks to me like I had no other choice, right? Funny how God works that way. He didn't ASK me to take this class... he pretty much forced me too.

Ok God... I'm listening.

Here's where I get vulnerable...

*deep breath in*

Lately I've been in a pretty big funk. I haven't felt like myself at all, and I've been letting a lot of people down. Starting with my relationship with others, my relationship with my children, my relationship with myself, and my relationship with Christ. I know that I am called to be the bride of Christ, and I have to say... I haven't been much of a bride lately. I haven't been keeping the house tidy for Him. I haven't been taking care of His children the way He calls me to. I haven't been making myself look very presentable for Him. I haven't been spending much quality time with Him. you get my drift, right? Pretty crappy bride.

The thing is... I feel this huge sense of being desperately overwhelmed. This single mom stuff.... Let me tell you guys... it's tough. It's tough physically, it's tough emotionally, it's tough mentally, and it's tough spiritually. And, for the most part, I think that I try to keep a pretty good handle on it... or at least I give the impression that I've got a handle on it... but here lately it's been a struggle. And it's becoming obvious to those closest to me. My friends are starting to call me out. By the way... I LOVE that I have friends that will do that with me... but it still sucks. Putting one foot in front of the other feels monumental.

Which is why I also think it's ironic that the bible study is called Stepping Up.

Yesterday when I was having one of my moments where I didn't want to get out of bed, I asked Audrey if she could cuddle with me. She climbed up into my bed and I asked her what she'd like to talk about. I kid you not... her answer was "God." I said "you want to talk about God??" and she goes "yeah." So I asked her "what did God make?" and she said to me "flowers." I said "you know what else God made? God made you!... and He gave you to ME" There I was, snuggled in bed with the most beautiful blond headed blue eyed little girl you'd ever see in your life... the kind of child that a lot of women who can't conceive desperately pray for... yet God has given her to ME. ME!!!!

*chokes back the tears*

anyway...

The good news is... I realize that I'm letting people down. That I'm in a funk. The bad news is, I can't seem to pull out of it.

I'm hoping that this bible study will help.

In the introductory chapter for the study, Beth writes this:

"You and I have places to go. People to meet. Dragons to slay. Foes to defeat. If God had already taken us everywhere he intended, we'd be at His glorious feet by now. That you and I are still here drawing terrestrial breaths tells us that God still has appointments for us."

The scary part to me is that... when we seek to know God better, Satan is always there trying to bring us down. trying to thwart us. So... in this season of mine, I will have to work DOUBLY hard to push past satan. I'm ready, but I can't honestly say i'm trying yet.

*sigh*

writing all of this is exhausting

*whew*

I just wanted you all to be aware I guess. no masks.

I found this video on YouTube. I don't know what church this is... but it's a good intro video of the Beth Moore study.



I'm going to end this for now... I have an appointment with God...

I'm a weary traveler with tired feet... taking the next step.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on the pilgrimage." -Psalm 84:5

7 Degrees

I forgot to mention.... a cool fact about my new truck...

Chip Foose, the host of TLC's Overhaulin' has signed the passenger side airbag. Kinda cool huh? I'm sure some Chip Foose fan out there would be jealous.

Don't hate, congratulate.

LOL

Firsts

Yesterday was my big boy's last first day of preschool before kindergarten next year. Where have four and a half years gone???

I missed my boy while it was just me and sis, but in all honesty... I know that Levi and I were both desperately ready for some time apart, and that this will be a good thing for us this year. It went very well.

Audrey however... she was missing her bubby. She kept asking me "where bubby is??" and couldn't stop hugging on him after we'd picked him up. Audrey getting some alone time with me will be good for both of us too though. I'm really looking forward to this. I'm pumped about the awesome school that Levi is in. They do soooo many neat things. I'm sure I'll be writing about it on here a lot.

here are some (okay, a lot) of pictures from yesterday. Did you expect anything different from ME?? Ha!

hugs from sis:


backpack hanging in cubby:


making new friends:


the big scary door going into the classroom:


the hugs from Audrey after we picked bubby up and celebrated the day with lunch out:





Levi,
I'm so excited for you and the amazing things you'll be doing and learning this year. It's been awesome watching you grow these last four years at home with me, and now I hand you over three days a week to the care of christian teachers who will hopefully only boost that growth. You seem SO big to me, and yet I love that you still need help tying your shoes. I love that you still call Zucchinis "bikinis". I love that you still call pickles "cucumbers". I love that you still call hospitals "hostables", and I love that you still need a hug for a good night's sleep. Levi, I've prayed my little heart out that this will be a great school year for you. I can't wait to see how much you grow this year.
Love, Mama
p.s.-- you let me know the first girl who falls for those dimples, Lord help us. I'll clobber her.
Love, Mama. =D

Big Changes

Some big news around the Bex and Co. household this week....

first order of business...

Levi starts preschool tomorrow. Where have four years gone???

here's a picture of him and his teacher Ms. Kay, taken last week at the meet and greet:



she's awesome!

she spent some time individually with each child at the meet and greet, making them all feel personally welcome. I loved that.



next order of business...

Up until four days ago... Levi WOULD HAVE been rollin' into preschool in this old junkyard jalopy...



but out with the old and in with the new...

five days ago we got a new car!!

and tomorrow, Levi will be rollin' into preschool in style...

in THIS:



a GMC Denali. We are in love. AIR conditioning!!!!!!!

I'll post first day of preschool pics tomorrow.