We Don't Need No Stinkin Roses

Having 3 small children has put a small damper on Spencer and my Valentine plans. It seems that we always have babysitters who are cute and precious, which means they generally have BOYFRIENDS and don't want to spend their Valentine's Day at my house watching my kids while Spencer and I go out. And since it's illegal for them to stay home alone (just kidding, mom, I would never leave them home alone), we usually plan our Valentine festivities after they have gone to bed. Which means we cook and eat dinner after 8:30 PM. Romantic, I know. Plus, neither of us are all about the elaborate meals out at fancy restaurants while fighting the ridiculous crowds who have made reservations weeks in advance and spending what should be an illegal amount of money on flowers that will be 1/10 the price in two days. I mean, in case you haven't noticed, the economy is in a sad place right now which is negatively affecting my bank account and I would like for that to stop ASAP. Thankyouverymuch.

But you know what?

I wouldn't change it. I love spending time at home with my man. I love my girls and I love how they love their daddy. When I watch him get all smitten with them, I absolutely fall apart. Amanda, you are in for a FUN ride with your new little girl. There's just something about daddies and their little girls.

So, tonight, we are making a steak dinner at home. We are eating it on a candlelit table and drinking sparkling grape juice from plastic champagne flutes. All of us. I pray every day for my daughters' future husbands. I also want to show them what to look for when the time comes for them to start dating (in about 45 years...right, honey?). What better blueprint for them to follow than their own Daddy? And since his heart seeks The Father daily, they are in really good hands.

And he's my Valentine. And I love him to stinkin death.

I Apologize For All The Randomness

I've been a little incognito for the past few days.

Let's just say it's been a WEEKEND.

But I'm back and just have a few things to go over.

First, let's give a Praise to the dear Lord above. CAMILLE MADE IT THROUGH AN ENTIRE SERVICE IN THE NURSERY! I was so shocked at the end of the service that we hadn't been called out that I'm pretty sure I didn't hear much of what was said.
Wait, actually that's not 100% true. What I should've said was WE DIDN'T GET CALLED OUT OF CHURCH AT ALL SUNDAY! Because she did get a little upset so the Children's Minister (GOD BLESS HER BONES) took her for a walk and distracted her till the end of the service. But the result was the same. We got to stay in church. That's the first time in over a year that Spencer and I have sat through an entire service together. SUCH a blessing. My friend, Fran sent me a Twitter message that said "Well, my goodness....I just stood right here in my kitchen and gave God a handclap!!!" That pretty much sums up how we were feeling after church.

Second, Have you noticed that most of my posts as of late have been in list form? Have I ever mentioned that I'm a compulsive list maker? You should see the lists I make when I'm packing to go out of town. They should be published. My dad is nodding his head right now as he reads this. I have an app on my iPhone that's called Zenbe Lists. You make a list and it allows you to put a little check beside it when it's completed and it moves to the bottom of the list. I cannot even tell you how happy this app makes me.

Third, I want to like American Idol right now, but I just can't. I don't like it usually until Hollywood Week is over. Probably because of ALL THE DRAMA. Let's just say right now that TATIANA MUST GO. Amen.

Fourth, Today Tait got to take her Valentines to school to pass out to her classmates. They have little bags hanging in the room and she gets to put her Valentines in each child's bag. SHE IS SO EXCITED! As a former teacher, I can testify that Valentine's Day is more fun than Christmas to the kids. It was the one party that I didn't allow parents to come to. I tried to keep it low key because we were always in the middle of SAT practice. Valentine's Day can get waaaayyyy out of hand. It was fun to see the excitement in my 3-year-old even though she really doesn't understand what Valentine's Day is. Mary Emma gets to take hers to school Friday and I get to go to her party where the theme is "I Love Reading." They get to wear their pj's to school - which opens up a whole new issue as we have to find the cutest, coolest pj's ever. I'm hoping the Hannah Montana ones that she got for Christmas will do.

Fifth, I've just discovered Tweetdeck. I can thank Gayle for originally telling me about it - but at the time, my computer wouldn't load the program. Last night it worked and my Twitter life will never be the same again. Just what I need, more time to play on the computer.

Sixth, Spencer and I have been on a 2 year long struggle with what church to go to. We are members of a church that we love, but due to nursery/Camille issues, we haven't been able to really get involved. I a church with 4000 members, getting involved is crucial. Plus the pastor's teaching style is right up my alley, but not so much Spencer's. He BRINGS IT every Sunday. He's brilliant and very deep. So we started visiting another church. It's also fantastic, HUGE (it has its own Starbucks in the lobby), and due to Camille/nursery issues, we haven't been able to get very involved there, either. This pastor, however, focuses his sermons towards unbelievers. He is entertaining and funny and very easy to listen to. His sermons, however, don't challenge you or lead to any real spiritual growth. His "deep" sermons are on Wednesday nights and I've heard they're incredible, but again, back to the Camille/nursery dilemma. So some friends (thanks Grant/Christy & Chris/Brooke) invited us to another church. This church is much smaller (about 700 members) and relatively new. The pastor started the church with 8 members meeting in a classroom at an elementary school. 3 years later, they are growing out of their brand new building. The pastor is an amazing Precept Bible teacher and due to the smaller size, please refer to point #1 above. We are excited about getting involved and are so grateful that the Lord has led us here. It's a perfect match for Spencer AND me. The kids love it. And God is working in that place in ways that I want to stick around and be involved with. It's gonna be fun to watch.

Ok, me and my Zenbe list are heading to Target. My iron BIT THE DUST yesterday. I actually witnessed the death of an iron, complete with funny noises, sputtering, smoke, then poof - it was gone. My mom, who is OCD when it comes to ironing, will be pleased to know that I'm getting a new iron.

Here's a new-ish pic of the girls. I have no real reason for posting it except I feel that it is an ACCOMPLISHMENT to get them all smiling at the camera at the same time. So enjoy!