Good Friday

I wanted to express my feelings about Good Friday.

I used to think that it was just the Friday before Easter. But as I learn more about God and develop a relationship with Him on a more personal level, Good Friday takes on a different meaning.

Good Friday was NOT GOOD for Jesus. It was a very painful day. A day that Jesus knew was coming. (And I doubt He was looking forward to it!)
A day that Jesus was beaten, spit on, yelled at, laughed at, nailed to the cross and died. The day an innocent man died for YOUR/MY sins.

In Matthew 27:45-46,50-51 it says
"From the 6th hour to the 9th hour darkness came over the land. About the 9th hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?'
And then Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At the moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split."

Can you imagine being there the day that Jesus died? Losing a loved one is hard, in any way, but to watch your son, as Mary did, be beaten and nailed to the cross, must be the worst thing to be witness to. I have a hard enough time watching my girls fall down and bump their head, let alone seeing them go through torture, it would be horrifying!

As terrible as this day was for Jesus and everyone who loved Him, it was a day that God had planned even as Jesus laid in the manager as a baby. This day HAD to happen, God's wrath was satisfied. This day HAD to happen in order for you to have grace, God' grace poured on you.
To think that Jesus died for you can seem strange. I mean, that happened SO long ago, before you were a twinkle in your parents eyes. To ponder that you were on Jesus' mind as He died is mind-boggling!!

If Jesus could give His life for your life, what are you willing to give to Him? Your time? Your talents? Your kids? Your love?

This is not the end of the story.....remember "Joy comes in the morning..."

"When the centurion & those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake & all that had happened, they were terrified & exclaimed. "Surely he was the Son of God." Matthew 27:54

Storm Anxiety

Well, it is that time of year again...the time of the year that I spend a lot of time watching the weather and worrying about storms. That's right, it's Spring time in Oklahoma, which means tornado time!!!

I HATE tornados!! From March to the end of May, I should just live in the storm shelter!! Yes, I MADE Scott build me a storm shelter when I was pregnant with Lydia. It's like a little short coffin, but I would rather be in there, then anywhere else.

I watch the weather very closely in the spring. I watch all three weathermen, I check the internet, and I worry. If we are predicted to have storms one day, I worry about it for days in advance.
If we are in a tornado watch, I have to watch the "regular" channels that day, and I have to repeat to myself "If you are in a tornado watch, that doesn't mean that EVERY town in the watch will have a tornado!" I'm so freaked out, I won't eat or leave the house!
If a storm is headed our way, I go prepare the storm shelter. I turn on the light, I get the battery operated radio ready, the flashlights ready. Then I "stock" the shelter with ALL my scrapbooks and DVD's of the family memories! Scott jokes about not having enough room in the shelter for ALL the scrapbooks & us!

Last Sunday, we had some tornados. They were west of us for a while, but I could tell they were moving our way, so I was prepared! At about 7:45pm, the tornado sirens started going off and they said it was a tornado warning for Oklahoma county. I FREAKED out!! I started yelling at Scott to get the girls and go to the shelter!! Scott said NO, he was going to watch the weather and see where it was & to stop freaking out! Even Lydia said "Dad, shouldn't we go to the shelter?" I said, "No, your dad wants an invitation from the tornado to go to the shelter!" The tornado was straight south of us about 20 miles and was moving east. We didn't go to the shelter, but I would have!!

After all the chaos calmed down, I thought "Katy, you are not relying on God in the spring time!"

In Matthew 8:23-27 is the story about Jesus and his disciples on the boat and a furious storm came up, washing waves over the boat. Jesus was sleeping and the disciples woke Him. They were afraid! Jesus said to them."You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" and he rebuked the winds and it was completely calm.

God has the power to stop tornados if He wanted to. I don't know that He would stop a tornado from coming to my house if I prayed before it hit, (I'm not saying He can't! He can do ANYTHING!) but I do know that God would protect me and my family.

Please pray for my sanity in the Spring time and that I will rely on God to protect the things that are most important: my family!

" I know the Lord is always with me.

I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me."

Psalm 16:8

Happy 32nd birthday to Katy!

Wow, do I feel old!!! Yes, today is my 32nd birthday!

I have had a GREAT 32 years of life!
I grew up in a small town called Perry. My mom is a teacher and my dad is a "jack of all trades" out at Ditch Witch. I have a sister, Tori, who is 4 years younger than me. I grew up in a wonderful Christian home and had a great church home as well.

I graduated from Perry High School in 1994 and went to the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. I graduated with a B.S. in early childhood from UCO in Dec. 1998.

I got my first teaching job at age 23 teaching Kindergarten in Mustang.

Scott and I got married in June 2000 at the age of 24 & 29. (Scott's b-day is a week and 5 years after mine!)

I taught first grade at Bryant Elementary for almost 7 years. (ages 24-30)

I was 28 when Lydia Claire was born on November 3, 2004 & I was almost 31 when Caraline Grace was born January 8, 2007.

Today, Scott's birthday gift to me was the "day off". He stayed home with the girls today so I could go and do WHATEVER I wanted!!

I first, I had NO IDEAS what to do!! (If I had a few days, I would have gone to see my best friend, Jenn, since she had a baby 4 weeks ago in Iowa, but it would have been a 10 hour drive.)

But I soon had a schedule! First, I went to Barnes and Noble and looked at books. (mostly children's books & I almost bought the girls some books, but I thought, "No, this is MY day, I'll buy something for myself!")

Then I met Becky, Shelley, & Erica, some teacher friends, for lunch at our favorite lunch spot, Mazzios! (Kathy was home with a bad knee! I miss her!) The girls bought me lunch for my birthday!! They are the BEST!!

Then I went to Books-A-Million, then to get a much needed haircut. Then on to Gordman's, Target, Sonic & Mardel's.

I came home by 4:45 and Scott and the girls had made me a green cake as a surprise! (A surprise Lydia told me about this morning before I left!:))

I love my life, my family & friends! I wouldn't trade those 32 years for anything!! I look forward to 32+ more years to enjoy my family & friends!

I hope that anyone reading this blog has a birthday as wonderful as mine!

"We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done."

Psalm 78:4

"The Lydia Show"

Lydia is a natural performer....for the right crowd! She can be very shy, but she loves to sing and she gets on her bed as the stage and we have to clap and chant "Lydia show, Lydia show!" then she sings!
Caraline is in this video and we were so excited that she walked and I got it! If you listen really closely, it sounds like Caraline says "Lydia" in the first few seconds!

Check out the video! We had a GREAT time!

"You will live in joy & peace. The mountains & hills will burst into song, & the trees of the field will clap their hands!"

Isaiah 55:12

Caraline turns ONE!

Today is January 8th, 2008. Today is Caraline's FIRST birthday! It has been the longest & shortest year of my life, but I wouldn't change a thing about it!

Let me tell you somethings about Caraline Grace:

Caraline was born a few days before an ice storm. (If you know me, I was freaking out about an ice storm a week before it happened! I HATE ice! I imagined ALL the horrible things that could happen if she was born in an ice storm!) But she beat the storm! Scott thinks I willed myself into labor so I could avoid the ice!
Caraline was a little early, she weighed 5lbs 14oz and was born at 11:36pm.

She cooed a lot. She smiled a lot and loved sleeping on her tummy. She is a tummy sleeper still. She slept in her crib for the first time at 2 & a half months old.

At three months, Caraline was rolling over & grabbing things.

At four months, she was laughing & her eyes were turning brown, not blue.

At 5 months, she started looking for me when I left the room & getting on her hands and knees. She went to Vacation Bible school and in the church nursery for the first time. I was in there with her. She got sick that week! I felt So bad!

At 6 months, Caraline started getting more active, scooting, "army" crawling and trying to get a tooth.

7 months old, she was pulling up & standing up, could crawl so fast and started trying to wave.

Eight months was when Caraline got her two bottom teeth at one time! She had a pretty high fever of 101.9 on the day of Tori's rehersal dinner. She slept that night from 5:30pm until 7:30am the next day. She was fine for Tori & Russ' wedding. She started cruising!

By nine months, she was walking while she pushed things, waving bye, making different sounds. She was working on 2 more teeth.

By 10 months, Caraline was clapping, eating more table food, playing peek-a-boo, and trying to stand alone.

At 11 months, Caraline got her two FRONT teeth for Christmas, was reaching up for people to be held, & climbing on everything! She has taken a few more steps alone, but she needs an audience to perform for!:)

Today we went to the dr and she was just talking and being silly & happy! Caraline weighs 16lb 10oz and is 27 3/4 in. tall.

She is So much fun & I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for Caraline!

I love you, my sweet Caraline!

"Train up a child in the way he should go & when he is old, he shall not depart from it."

Proverbs 22:6

A year in review 2007

2007 has had great moments & sad ones. We have had births of babies & births of angels, weddings and anniversaries.

Let me try to give a run down of our year month by month:

January 2007:
Tori, my sister, met her future husband, Russ on New Year's Eve.
Caraline Grace was born Jan, 8th and made Lydia a big sister. She came home one day before the "ice storm" 2007".

February 2007:
Lydia went to the eye dr & she needed glasses. Her eyes were crossing. She looked so CUTE in her glasses! Scott & I had our 36 & 31 birthdays.

April 2007:
Caraline was 3 months old for her first Easter.
Grandma Betty & Grandpa Bob had their 60th wedding anniversary. We had a big celebration in Pawnee. Many family & friends came. My grandparents had a great time & felt so cared for & loved.

May 2007:
Lydia had eye surgery May 1st. She did a great job & recovered well. Her eyes are straight, but she still wears her glasses.
This was my first Mother's day of a mother of TWO!
Tori got engaged to Russ.

June 2007:
I started a bible study & met & got to know four wonderful women! I'm so glad I took a chance to met these amazing ladies!
My best friend from Iowa, Jenn, came to visit us with her son, Landon. Lydia and Landon are 3 weeks apart in age.
Scott & I celebrated 7 years of marriage.

July 2007:
We had a great Fourth of July!
Addyson Layne Barrett, my cousin Lindsay's daughter, was born & had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.

August 2007:
Addyson had open heart surgery and made a wonderful recovery.
Lydia went to the allergist. We found out that she is allergic to nuts, eggs, peas, and pears. We have to really watch what she eats now.

September 2007:
Lydia started Mother's day out, school to her.
Tori & Russ got married and Lana, Russ' daughter, joined our family!


October 2007:
Caraline was Minnie Mouse & Lydia was a ballerina princess for Halloween.
Finlee Dvorak, my cousin Timmy's daughter, was born one day before Halloween.

November 2007:
November 2: Addyson Layne became an angel at 3 months old.
November 3rd was Lydia's third birthday. We celebrated by going to the zoo with Tori, Russ & Lana.
My dad Ralph truned 60 this November. We had a party for him. His family came and lots of friends! He felt so blessed that everyone came to celebrate him!

December 2007:
Caraline had her first Christmas! Santa brought the girls a swing set! Lydia was so excited!

As this year comes to a close and a new year begins, I have thank God for the blessing He has blessed this family with and praise Him for the blessings he will give us in the coming year 2008!

HAPPY 2008! Hope you have a great year!

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!"

II Corinthians 5:17

The TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas

This Christmas Lydia is three and this will be Caraline's first Christmas. I prayed that this year I would show my girls the TRUE meaning of CHRISTmas. I wanted them to know that Santa is fun, but Christmas is really about the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
We have a Little People Nativity set. The girls love it!! One night Lydia said to me, "Mom, you be the manger, I'll be Mary, and, Dad, you be Joseph! Who's going to be the angel?" Lydia asked. I said, "Well, I can't be the manger, so I'll be the angel and Caraline can be a wise man."
So Lydia took one of her baby dolls as Baby Jesus, and put him in the compartment in her step stool. She kissed baby Jesus, made "Joseph" hold him. It was the sweetest thing.
When we go look at Christmas lights, she is more concerned with the Nativity in people's yards then Santa.
Sometimes when she plays with the Nativity scene, she will say, "The angel of the Lord is bothering Mary!" She likes to pretend she is Mary. One time, as Mary, she said "My tummy hurts, I need to go to Bethlehem!"
Lydia knows the whole story of Jesus' birth, from when the angel appeared to Mary, to the trip to Bethlehem, to the birth, star, the angels appearing to the shepards, to the wisemen.

I love that God has put his TRUTH in her heart! I pray it stays with us all year long!
You can find the Christmas story in the Bible in Luke 2.
Jesus is the reason for the season!

Merry Christmas!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11