!SURPRISE!

So, Andrew arranged for his mom to come and get the kids this evening so that he could take me on a "birthday date" because Monday is my birthday. I have been asking him for days where we were going and he wouldn't tell me. He kept saying it was a surprise. I was all ready to go when he got home from work. Now, where we were going I had NO clue, and to top it all off he blindfolded me when we got in the car. I rode the entire way to destination "surprise" blindfolded. I thought I was going to throw up by the time we got there. He was not kind with his driving either. Lots of sudden stops and speeding. Anyway, when we got there he helped me out of the car, ya know because I couldn't see and all, and he led me down a little pathway. When he took my blindfold off I was standing in front of my sweet friends and my babies and they all yelled "SURPRISE!". I cried! It was so sweet. I love! love! love! being with people, and to have some of my most favorite people in the whole world gather together to celebrate my birthday with me was just amazing. I was stunned. As a matter of fact I was so stunned that it took me forever to gather by bearings and talk and enjoy everyone. I really hope they all realized how excited I was because I was just in shock for the longest time. They had decorated with pink, and of course "pink is my signature color". (If you've never seen the movie "Steele Magnolias" then you will not get that line, and if you've never seen "Steele Magnolias" you need to get off the computer right now and go rent it because it's like the best movie EVER!) They had a pink birthday tiara for me to wear that was fabulous. The cake Andrew had gotten had a beach scene on it, and if you read my previous blog then you know that I LOVE the beach. 8-) I got some really precious cards and sweet gifts. The whole thing was just precious to me. Here's the deal. For as long as I can remember I have wanted a surprise birthday party, but you can't tell someone you want a surprise party because then it's not a surprise. So over the years I have had wonderful regular birthday parties, but no one has ever cared to surprise me. So this was an incredible gesture to me. I was absolutely honored and blessed by every ones presence tonight. You thrilled my soul, and I was TOTALLY caught off guard. THANK YOU to my sweet husband, the friends who helped put it together, and the sweet friends and family who attended. I love you all with all my hearts and circles!

MADNESS

So, I'm having a hard time keeping up with this thing. Andrew has a blog and he hasn't had an entry since January or something absurd like that. It's driving me INSANE! I still check the stupid thing like every other day just to see if he has graced us with another entry. I think he only has 3 entries on the whole thing anyway. Oh well. The truth is that the things we find thrilling in our lives aren't exactly exciting to the rest of the world. I think that is God's grace for us in this season of our lives. He gives us excitement over the little things in life. 8-) Like for instance, Isaiah has started rolling over. Now when we share this with other people they're like, "yeah, sure, that's great", but we are just beside ourselves. I mean, it's like the most thrilling thing in our lives right now to sit around and watch Isaiah work his way from his stomach to his back. Everyone in the family gathers around and watches in anticipation, and then when he finally flips we cheer like he's the first person in the world to accomplish such a feat. Now does that sound like fun to you? Probably not, but we think it's an evening of extraordinary entertainment. The killer thing is that this will be one of the sweetest times of my whole life. Watching my sweet little babies grow into big people. I hear older women say to me every day that they long for the days when they could pick their babies up and hold them in their arms. I want to cherish every moment of this precious season of my life even if I do smell like spit-up and have dried up crusty boogers on my shoulder. 8-) I know, it's so gross, but I love it anyway. What I don't get is how he can make me smell so bad, and yet he still smells like heaven. Hmm..., it's a mystery.

Oh well, I warned you in the beginning that my thoughts are like cotton candy. Sometimes they're sweet and fluffy, and sometimes they're just a big sticky mess.

LONGING! I am longing and desperate to get out of town and get to the beach. The youth at our church(New Hope Baptist Church) left for camp this afternoon in Panama City. I am so jealous! I wish I could tell you I am just jealous of the incredible spiritual experience they're going to have, but I would be lying. I'm pretty much jealous that they get to go and sit by the ocean. What's even better is that they get to go grow spiritually ON the beach. That is like the greatest combo EVER! That is one of my favorite things to do in the whole world. Vacation at the beach. I have loved it my whole life, but since I have gotten married and have children it's even better. The beach is twice as much fun when you get to watch your babies play and be amazed at all they see. Oh, and romantic, the beach is soooo........ romantic to me. Going with the man that you are in love with is just amazing. The very first time Andrew and I went to the beach together we stopped to check into the condo, and I hadn't seen the ocean yet but I could smell the salt in the air and I was so excited. Anyway, he looked at me and told me how beautiful he thought I was and that was it. I knew that being at the beach with a husband that I loved was going to be even more fun than the beach had ever been before.

So LATE! It's 2:50am and I just cannot make my mind slow down long enough to go to sleep. Andrew and I went out this evening and enjoyed time with our sweet friends Trisha and Justin at Starbucks. Evidently either the conversation or the coffee was just too stimulating because now I can't make my mind stop going. 8-) It was probably the amazing pink playing cards. We played hearts for hours using solid pink playing cards that I found at Walmart today, and let me tell you they are positively magnificent. No, really, they are so pretty. I am fairly certain I am the only one who enjoyed the pinkness of our playing cards. Trisha did say she liked them, but the boys seemed to be a little overwhelmed by them. Ok, enough about pink cards. We really did enjoy our evening.

I read something from a Beth Moore study that I have done twice in one year, and it has just played over and over in my mind. She was talking about the different kinds of people amongst the body of believers and how there are two extremes in the area of believing in what God can or will do. She said that to one extreme people don't believe that God is in the business of doing miracles this day in time, and to the other extreme there are those who focus and obsess on God doing miraculous things all the time. She made the statement that people can become more concerned with what God "can do" rather than focusing on who "He is". I have come to the realization that I have spent much of my Christian walk asking God to "do" things and not nearly enough time just praising Him for the awesome God that He is. I'm quite certain that if we open our eyes and look at the amazing work of God all around us we can find a miracle in everything He has had His hand on. When my 5 year old daughter goes to God in prayer most of her words are thanking Him for anything and everything. That is the walk that I desire to have with my Creator, my King. Don't you know that He would be so pleased if I spent more time talking with Him about how amazing I think He is, and if I showed Him proper gratitude for the miracles He does in my life every day. After all, that is why He created us. If He never gave me even one more breathe in my lungs He has given me more than I ever deserved, but He loves me so much that He continues to bless me.

Alright, if I don't somehow make my mind stop and go to sleep I may not make it tomorrow.