Sundays

Awwwww.... Sunday! This is a day that is typically one I long for and yet it is the one day all week that I seem to be on the go constantly. I am exhausted by the time I am through with a Sunday. This particular Sunday, I did not have to work at C&B. What a treat! I made up for it yesterday and worked a lot. I was thrilled to not have a ton to do today.

Church was awesome. I enjoyed the Sunday School lesson and the sermon. Apparently, God has something to tell me about jealousy. It was spoon fed to me in several ways. I didn't really feel I had an issue with it but it seems I do. So, there is plenty of work to be done in this evil heart of mine. We then went shopping and miracle of all miracles, the whole family got along. That is also a rare treat on a Sunday. Then it was home to get Aaron and go to the park for baseball practice. Another activity I miss out on quite a bit.
The sun was shining and the wind was blowing but the fresh air was so nice. It was the kind of Spring day that finds young and old out being kids again. Kites were flying, dogs were walking people, and kids were playing. The world seemed right if only for a short time. I am not sure if my lips are sunburned or wind burned but burned it seems. Jessica spent the whole time on the swings and Justina played on the slides and the swings and she also played make believe. I love that part of childhood. I had imaginary friends and played a lot of make believe and pretend. We walked on a walking trail and found a stream of water, of course she is afraid of water so we didn't stay long. As I was looking at the water, I did not expect to see much but rocks and cement beneath it but to my surprise there were minnows. It brought my childhood back to mind. I remember sitting for hours along the creek bed trying to catch these tiny little fish in the palms of my hands. Don't know what I thought I was going to do with them or what I did with them but I do remember catching them. I also remember trying to catch butterflies, flying kites, riding my bike, etc. Childhood was a fun time. So glad I get see it through the eyes of my own kids. It is quite a bit different now though.

Now we are home. Dan fixed the garage door and now he is cooking dinner. He is even making provisions for this most ridiculous diet that I started. I am so blessed. He loves his family, he works hard, plays hard and gives his all. What more could I ask for? Thank you Lord Jesus for loving me providing all my needs, even ones I take for granted or don't realize I even need.

Well, not only has Spring come, but Summer is quickly approaching. We are already counting the days til school gets out. Some of us more closely than others. We are also counting the days until we get to go on vacation. I can see the mountains in the distance. Until then, we are in "get ready" mode. It seems there is always so much to do. I am looking forward to just having some time with the kids where they can just be kids and not have to worry about "getting ready" for something.
We cross two milestones this year. Jessica will be graduating from 8th grade and transitioning into high school. Aaron will be graduating from 5th grade and moving into middle school. So hard to believe! They have come so far and it seems like such a short time. I am so thankful that I still have one little one. I am able to enjoy her at this age because I know it will be gone soon. I was so intent on moving the older two along and getting them ready for school that I may have missed some of the joy of the preschool age. Justina just gets to take her time in life and move through at her own pace. I love that. It seemed like such a challenge and sometimes still feels that way but I am so happy to have them in different stages. It makes life crazy and interesting but gives them each time to themselves too. One thing is for sure. There is no shortage of prayer time in our family. I am at a complete loss. My job is to train them up in the way they should go, the problem is, I am not so sure as I go along my way that I am doing such a great job of that. Thank goodness we only see today. As we train them, God is training us. That is my saving grace. I know that as I am called to release my babies and let them grow, God is always holding us in his hands, ready to catch us.

Ok.. well, thanks for the walk down memory lane and the moment of reflection on my part. I am so serious, I can and will ramble about anything and everything and in the end, say very little. That's ok. I have the freedom to do that!

What's your blog about???

When first thinking of starting a blog a friend asked, "What are you going to blog about?" I wasn't sure, I thought just life and stuff, I guess. Then when setting up the blog I needed a name for it, so many things come to mind for something like this.... oh the decisions... hmm.

Blessings, prayers and promises came to mind. Upon further thought, I really liked it.

So I started to reflect on life and the name of this blog.

Blessings: God has given me so many. In fact, more than I can count or comprehend. I think of the obvious ones, my family, my children. The bible tells me that children are a blessing from the Lord. So I know beyond a doubt they are my greatest blessing. There are other basic blessings, things we all have and often take for granted. Isn't that the way with our blessings usually though? We really realize how blessed we are when we lose something, or someone near us loses something. For instance, I love my husband. I know he is a blessing to me. However, it isn't until I hear of someone losing their husband that I start to wonder how I would survive without him. I know God would provide, because he is faithful, but there would be such a void. Dan is a more than a blessing.
Then I thought of all the little blessings; sunshine, smiles, hugs, rain, flowers... well, the list could go on forever. God shows us in a million little ways just how much he loves us. We just are usually too caught up in being busy that we miss so much.

Prayers: Well, I don't even know where to begin with this one. Prayer is one of the most amazing privelages in my life. To think that a Holy, righteous, perfect God wants to "talk" with me. That he is concerned about that things that concern us, is beyond what I can understand. He knows everything, so why pray? Because God wants to be our friend too. He wants to dwell among us. He wants us to rely on Him, to trust Him, to find our greatest joy in Him. He is crazy about us. His love for us knows no limits and no bounds. In fact, there is not a love like it, because we are human and incapeable of loving the way He does. It is the kind of love we all long for and want and seek, but seldom find and when we find it in Him I am not sure we really understand what we have found. The power of prayer has been proven in my life over and over again. I am so thankful that I have a Savior that loved me enough to grant me access to my creator and Heavenly Father. Prayer ...... so much more can be said but for now, it is the center of my life, the most vital component of my day!
This leads me to promises: In the world we live in promises are made and broken daily. In the life God has given us, we have promises that are never broken. He will fulfill every promise he makes to us.

This blog is sometimes lighthearted and fun; upbeat and optimistic. It is also spiritual and thought provoking. It is a place where the day to day things of life can be shared. Where friends and family can come and see what is happening in the Reeder house. A place where we can laugh and cry and enjoy the life we have been given. There are so many things to discover and learn as we journey through this life. The backdrop of it all is the blessings, prayers and promises that God has given us.

Spring

Well, it has been a very busy Spring already! We bounced forward and have been hopping ever since.

My oldest just turned 14 on the April 1st... no joke. She is a teen in all her glory and even with all the changes she is going through I love her more with each new day. She has brought me the greatest challenges as a mom and has really been used by God to stretch me in ways I didn't know I could go. Life is never dull with her around and I am so thankful for the laughter and the tears. Right on the heels of celebrating her big day, or shall I say... after two weeks of celebrating her special day, we jumped right into Easter.

What an amazing time.

Dan's Mom and Aunt came for a visit. They spent 10 days with us and we all enjoyed the visit. They took Jessica shopping for her birthday which was an adventure. We all managed to find a compromise in buying clothes and that was a true blessing for sure. Dan was gone for the first few days of the visit, but when we he returned he jumped right into the fun. We enjoyed coloring Easter eggs and I think the adults had just as much fun as the kids, go figure.

In addition we did some sight seeing. We went to the Botanical gardens in Fort Worth and had a full day of sight seeing. It was a beautiful day and the fresh air and walking were great! We also took Linda and Hope on a tour of the South Fork Ranch. This is where the hit tv show "Dallas" was filmed. It was really neat to walk on the famous grounds and to hear the story behind the show. The gift shops were so neat!

After all this bouncing I have hit with a thud! So thankful for the fun but so glad to be getting back into the routine things of life too. Don't worry, this is just a pushing off point as the momentum never dies down much with three busy kids to keep me hopping.