Apples and oranges

Listen....so, my kids are different. 

I know.

Who knew?

All Olivia wants in life is make-up, skirts, leggings, shoes, and hair bows. 

Sophie? You know Sophie. Soccer, dogs. Dogs and soccer. Soccer dogs. Movies with soccer.  Movies with dogs. Movies about soccer playing dogs.

Sometimes their differences make me laugh. Like today, when we walked into Justice in the mall. 

Olivia: "Wowww! Everything is so sparkly! I love everything in this store, just everything!"

Sophie: "This store is terrible! I don't like a single thing in this store. GET ME OUT."

Old lady with grandkids overhearing these comments and laughing. Old lady says, "Don't you just love how different sisters can be?"

:) Yes, I said, smiling. Yes I do. 

There was one thing that they did agree on in the mall......

HANITIZER. 

We bought 5 little hanitizers from B&BW and the girls were BOTH thrilled. 

Who knew being germ free could be so exciting?! 

Here's proof that Olivia is my little girly girl. She did a cheerleading clinic last week and then cheered at half-time of the highschool football game. Suffice it to say, she was in hhhhheaven. 

And just for fun and for no reason, here are my other little cherubs. These photos were taken right before the girls dumped Eli at a high rate of speed out of the front of his little car and caused a total blonde baby meltdown while their mother stood by and tried to capture everything in photos. 

But you wouldn't know that just looking at these precious phots. So just pretend you don't and you can marvel at our wonderful happy times as a family. We're always safe and happy and healthy. Alllwayyys. 

You get the sarcasm, right?

Old Glory

We were on our way back from Sioux City this weekend where I, yes I, learned to ride a motorcycle.

I KNOW!!!!

Anyway, on our way back it was rainy on I-80, and the sky was swirling with a sick yellowish green soupy swirl. So Steve and I decided to turn on some AM radio to see if we were missing something serious weather wise. The kids caught wind of our conversation and concern and started freaking out...."Oh!!! We're going to DIEEEE! We're going to die in a tornado!!! Hellp us!!!"

And so on. And so forth.

So much so, that we started singing songs to calm everyone down. First, it was all the God songs we could think of. After Jesus Loves Me, Sophie went straight into, "Ohhhhh, Donnnnna....oh, Donna."

Right.

Then, Steve, known well for his amazingly BAD singing voice, broke into The Star Spangled Banner. After a rousing version of that by all the kids and Steve (I was laughing too hard to sing), it was quiet for a moment. We passed a rest stop, standard with bathrooms, candy machines, and a big American flag.

Like she has revered it all of her life, Olivia sighs while looking wistfully out the van window...

"Ah," she says. "Ollld Glory."

Steve and I looked at each other.....and then we peed our pants laughing. I laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face. And every time I tell that story, I do the same thing.

Thanks to whoever taught her that phrase! Holy moly.

She's 8. But she sure knows Old Glory.

9/11

I missed church this weekend because we were out of town. But our church now lets you watch the sermons online if you miss it, which I love, because I often do miss it.

The sermon this week was so profound to me. It was more than I can reproduce here for you, so I'm going to encourage you to listen. I listened while I was cleaning my house, but I found myself scrambling to shut off the water at the sink so I could hear the words better, and running back near the computer from the other room so I didn't miss a thing. And eventually, I found myself just glued to the screen, soaking in what God was saying to us through Pastor Mike this week.

Please listen here when you have time. Click on Rocky IV, Into the Mourning.

One part of the message that I will reproduce here, as I wrote it furiously in my journal as well, is this:

"What evidence is there that you have changed...that God has made a transformation in you? What is it that tells you that I was not put on this Earth for comfort? I was not put on this Earth to consume. I was not put on this Earth to see what I could get out of it. I was put on this Earth to serve, to love, to give, to deny myself and the things around me, to take up my cross and follow him. 

And the beautiful irony of that is that's where joy comes! That is where fulfillment in life comes. That's the life I've always longed to live! Have you figured that one out yet? That Jesus has called me to follow him in a very honest, down to Earth, and truthful way? To stop living for the things that don't matter." -Pastor Mike Householder

I don't know how God does it, but he speaks to my heart week by week through the church, in the most profound ways about the things I struggle with day to day....like....what does it all mean?! Why are we here? What am I supposed to be doing?

I don't know how He does it, but he speaks these answers through the pastors, the church, the people around me, and straight to the heart of the my questions in a way I just don't understand.

He must be God or something.

Listen here.