can i getta, "move that bus?!"

i must preface this post with one thing. we have been in constant prayer that God receive all glory in this project.

okay. so, here's the scene...

saturday was scheduled as, "demo day" for this extreme thingy home thingy. (just kidding around. i'm actually like the most supportive, bring my husband his chocolate milk and slippers when he gets home," kinda wife.:0 you believe me right?) but...it didn't happen. the start of the project was pushed back to sunday. how did that happen? hmmmmm. saturday's weather was dry and warm. sunday's, however, was not. cold, cold rain. that's what we got on sunday. cold, cold rain. and really, does it get any better than cold rain?

anyway, we were there to do some filming for the show that will air in may. we skipped church to go stand out in the (you guessed it), cold rain for four hours. some of us were waitin' for the rest of the people to be bussed over. and, on the corner of the street we all were waiting on, there was a little, old church. and they had already started service. hmmmm. how did that happen? then, someone from the congregation invited everyone to come in out of the, (i won't even say cold, rain again.)nasty weather. hmmmm. why did that happen? as everyone else was arriving, they didn't even think twice before goin' in. i'm guessin' they all thought they were supposed to be waitin' in the church service. hmmmm. don't you wonder how that happened?

you really wanna know why? i'll tell you why. because my God is, undoubtedly, the coolest. that's why.
and, when the four or five hundred people crammed their bodies into that little, old church, they flat laid it all out. never skipped a beat. they presented the full gospel and shared testimonies, and worshipped like they were at the foot of Jesus. this girl(that's me), 'bout started dancin' in the isles.

now how's that for, "to God be the glory?"


here's some pictures the photographer got from this day...

say it with "sole" (or not)

that will, he's so witty.

me: will, we are gonna be so late for your speech meet.
will: huh? oh, no. we're gonna be late? (and a bunch of over reacting,you know, classic will stuff.)
(two or three minute pause, who really cares about speech meet anyway? especially when sandlot is playing. what? it was over an hour trip, one way!)
will: huuuuuuuhhhhhhh! (how would you write a deep, loud inhale?) i think i forgot my shoes.
me: you think you forgot your shoes. you remembered the dvd, a pillow, a blanket, and a water bottle. but you forgot your shoes?
will: uh, yeah. but do i really need shoes to give a speech? it's not like i'm going to my baseball game.
me: uhhhh, well. i don't know. yesssssss. yes. you need your shoes! we're not in kentucky anymore, will!

didn't quite make speech meet. who needs speech anymore, anyway? they should have tweet meets. (smirk. giggle.)

pray for stellan.

i rarely do this, but i can't not.

a few weeks ago, i posted, not me monday! i don't know why the button is not on the side anymore. anyway, i follow this mother's blog. i don't know her, or her family, in the flesh. but she has captured my heart. she is a fellow believer, and her fourth child, the baby in this pic, was a miracle. he wasn't expected to live outside her womb. he has been a healthy child, until a wrong step was made by a doctor in the ER. (at least, that is what i understand.) i just have been weeping, because i keep putting myself in her position. anyway, if you would, please click on this button, read some of their story. and then get on your knees and pray for this blessed baby.



i know i have posted this scripture before, but it is what keeps coming to my mind.
psalm 139
15My bones were not hidden from You. when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.

song for a fifth chid

no. no. we're not expectin' twins. if we were, guarantee you, i would not be bloggin' right now. i'd be frantically rockin' myself back-and-forth in a bright white room somewhere. (gasp..shiver) anyway, that's just the title a poem that has been stuck in my head for a few days. so, i guess i'll make it my own...

Song for a Third Child (only it's not really a song, it's a poem. those artists! you never know what they might have been smokin' at the time:0) oh, i'm sure it's a song, and i just don't know the tune. okay, come back, beth.

mother, oh mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
she’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

oh, I’ve grown shiftless as little boy blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
the shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
and out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
but i’m playing kanga and this is my roo.
look! aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

the cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as i’ve learned to my sorrow.
so quiet down, cobwebs. dust go to sleep.
i’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

i have heard the last part of this before. (not the poisoned moth part...uhhh?). but, holy cow, this is me. i've always been so worried about emptyin' the dust pan. or, in my case, the dust buster. and, lately, i've added to this, my desire to take my photography to new heights, at a break neck speed. i am all about perfection. i rarely let "well enough, alone." but not today. today, i'm rockin' my baby. because, when i look at him, i see maddie and will, and...sigh. i won't put pressure on myself to remember this every moment of every day, but i will today.

on saturday, i got this pic of wes.


and then, i got this, yesterday.


when i uploaded these, it was at the same time. and it felt like he had, literally, gone from my "baby cakes", to a little boy, overnight. how did this happen?



wes bugg, do you think we could just stay like this for awhile?

love. love.

poppin' and poopin'.

the power of life and death is in the tongue. say it with me now. the power of life and death is in the tongue. one more time, for good measure. the power of life and death is in the tongue.

okay, here is the "wes mess" of the week...that i can show you.
i popped popcorn for his morning snack. hmmmm, is he old enough for popcorn? well, let's pretend he is. every mornin' at 9:30, wes enjoys his snack and his only cartoon of the day. (the dvd's in the van don't count right? 'cause i certainly do not let him watch dvd's in the van if we're not going on a long trip. that would be so lazy. what kind of mom would do that? can't even carry on a conversation with her kids for the four minutes it takes to get to wal-mart?) anyway, as you can see, he got to the popcorn and bowl before i did. yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

 

now here is where the title of this here blog comes in. i was takin' the above pics, and i said,"wow, wes! is this all you've got for your mess of the week? i can't blog this. it's boring." it's in the tongue i tell ya. so, movin' not too right along, wes has been showin' interest in pottyin' lately. i, however, have not shown interest in training. but, to heck with what momma wants. i mean, give me a break, he won't be two for over a month. but, he kept tellin' me "i poopy!" and i kept takin' him to the potty. like a good momma. but then, my phone rang. now, you all know, i rarely answer my phone, and this will now be my reason why i don't. while i was talkin', he was poopin'. and he got it in the potty, eventually:). only it was via his diaper. do you want me to paint the picture? cause i certainly was not in the mood to get the camera out. nor did i have a clean hand. so, he removed the diaper and, for whatever reason, he "scooped" it into the potty. well, some of it got into the potty. what is wrong with this kid? oh, my friends the power is most assuredly in the tongue. now, i am off to put the freshly laundered towel, socks, pants, shirt and bath rug, in the dryer.

can i be the bus driver?

no, that probably wouldn't work. i don't like it when people tell me what to do. i prefer any request to be in the form of a question. so, maybe, "excuse me, mrs. bus driver! can you please pull your bus forward?" hmmm. doesn't quit have the same ring.

guess i'll just have to hang out in the VIP tent! so, some of you already know about this. and, if you spend any time at all with my husband, you're probably about ready to poke toothpicks in his eyes if you hear another word about it. (okay, maybe that's just me.:) just kiddin', scooter. that wouldn't be like me at all. i'm totally stoked.:0) no, i am. however, it has been dominating the conversation for some time.

anyway, movin' right along. scottie's company is the builder for the season finale of "extreme home makeover." they announced on the abc morning show today. (i know, who watches abc news? who said that? i certainly do. (what's that channel number, again?) all jokin' aside, i'm really proud of scottie. he worked hard making this happen. and, even more inspiring to me, he has approached this thing with the, "how can my God get the glory?" i didn't realize how many people actually watch this show, world wide. i know we have seen every episode. so, my friends, if you would like to volunteer, or just follow along, click here,
Estridge Companies.

somethin' just hit me. no pics to post. build isn't for 11 more days...don't panic. think. think.
ummmmm....isn't my friend's daughter cute?

imagine me, jumpin' up and down on the couch with glee.

like i'm gonna make you imagine somethin'. here i am. jumpin' up and down on the couch with glee. well, that's a lie. it's an over sized chair. but you get the point.


maddie: can i take a picture with it?
me: @#** no! (just kiddin', i din't say that)no, baby.
maddie: why?
me: 'cause, if you pick it up, there is a chance you will drop it. and if you drop it, you will have to pay for a new one. and with the economy the way it is right now, i don't think a nine-year-old will get first dibs at any job. therefor, i will be forced to trade you in for a new one. and i don't know if i could get a d300 for you. (just keepin' it real)


now, these pics were taken with my old camera. i am not gonna lie. it may be weeks before i figure out these "hunka, hunka, burnin' love". but, happy "every special occasion in 2009 and 2010", to me!

p.s. when i told the sales guy i had been prayin' for him. he said, "huh?" and i proceeded to tell him that i had also been prayin' for a 50% sale. (on the camera and the lens). and he said, "well, then follow me to the used section." fair enough. that with, an extended warranty, is all i needed. thanks God. i love it.

i don't think we're in indiana anymore.

maybe we are. i'm confused. but, whatever. i'll take 75 and sunny and run with it. even if, as i write this, the weatherman said, "showers and thunderstorms are likely today with some storms becoming strong or even severe." whatever, dude. you're job is so hard. i can look out my window and tell you that. and i'm pretty sure i majored in music. you ain't gonna rain on this parade.

would have thought it was fourth of july at my house yesterday. popsicles. bare feet. ring pops. sprinklers. just kiddin'. or am i? well, i'd never document it with pics if we did, that's fo' sho'. (that's for sure, for all you that don't speak the white girl version of ebonics.) the first real spring day always feels, to me, like gettin' sprung from jail after three months. well, i guess i don't really know that, fo' sho'. but, i'm guessin' it's comparable. best day ever! maybe not ever, cause i am a married christian mother of three. i'm sure i should say one of those five days tops it. oh you get the picture. speakin' of pics, went a little overboard yesterday.






i might have been presumptuous when i said best day ever. scottie was inside paintin' all day. sorry. i really like it though. good job. i'm sure there will be more days like yesterday real soon. real soon.

and it was definitely not the best day ever for billy gillispie. or my cats. it's gonna be a long march. meow.

my God is so big. so strong. and so mighty.

there's nothin' my God cannot do.
and He has been showin' me over the last five years, that if you are seakin' Him, He will show up! in every. little. detail. i'm not sure why things like this still amaze me so, but they do. they do every time. now, just because i'm seakin' Him, doesn't mean i don't struggle with my sin. but the Bible says, in psalm 139 (yes, apparently this is the only part of the Bible i know), that all of my days were planned before a single one of them began. and if i believe this, (and the Bible is an all or nothin' kinda deal) i have to know that even if i don't make the exact right decision all the time, it doesn't mean He isn't right there. what i mean is, i am finally startin' to not fret every decision. don't get me wrong, i want to be in the middle of His perfect will, but i believe we can take comfort in the fact that He knows everything we are doing.

so, i can't believe i didn't blog about this when it happened. back in september, i lost one half of the only jewelry (other than my engagement ring) that i didn't first have to cut the target tag off before wearing. scottie had purchased a version of these suckers about five years ago for Christmas, and had traded them up about three times before they ended up this size. (just in case someone is reading this thinking they might want to come steal these i invite you to refer to the title of this here entry.)

 

anyway, one mornin' i woke up and there was only one in my ears. who knows when it fell out. i mean, come on, i had gone on a hayride the day before. so, we searched and we searched, but to no avail. this past weekend we went to the jeweler that he had purchased them from and were wanting to talk about tradin' the remaining one in or setting it as a nose ring. (loosen up that scowl). i'm only kiddin'. or am i? but, my God stepped in.

scottie was home for lunch today, and we were in the floor of the living room with wes. i (of course)seized the opportunity to fluff the carpet in the high traffic areas. what? who does that? but, see, God knows me like no other. and He knew i was goin' to do that. so, in the carpet, that i have vacuumed at least a dozen times since then. who am i kidding? at least a few hundred times since then. i fumbled across my missin' diamond. i've got tears, just writing about this. and that's because i always envisioned myself putting these on maddie on her wedding day. and the day she had her first baby. my family does stupid stuff like that. (i wore my grandmother's engagement ring for all three of my babies and my wedding.) that is until they made me take it off for my c-section. whatever! they can't take away my memories.:( i know i'm ramblin', but i wanted to remember this. and to say, thank you to my maker. you're pretty cool.

p.s.
here is the "wes mess" of the week:

 

however, this was my mom's fault this time. she was supposed to be watching him while i took a shower. he's the one that ended up with the shower.

 

p.p.s.
didn't get to go shoppin' for a camera. that's my mom's fault too. she was all, "my heart hurts. i'm goin' to the emergency room!" whatever, mom. what? she's fine. all the tests came back negative. i'm not that insensitive.

can someone tell me how i got here?

how did i end up with one husband,three kids, a stroller, a dog and a barney dvd drivin' down the road in this...seriously, anybody? hey how did that margarita get in there?
well, at the risk of sounding cheesy...i love it. okay, i don't love being thirty-one. and anyone that tells you they don't care about gettin' older, is lyin' to your face. and i don't love barney.

but, i love the fact that i feel comfortable in my own skin. that i know where i'm going. that i finally figured out what makes me tick. that i know what makes me smile, and what doesn't. and that with each passing day, i am more amazed by not what my God can do, (i knew that long ago) but what he chooses to do for me, and around me. i love my Jesus. my beautiful family. my rockin' friends. my comfy home. my mini-van (gotcha! just wanted to see if you were payin' attention.)

i will praise you because i have been fearfully and wonderfully made. your works are wonderful, and i know this full well. psalm 139:14

(and one of your works is her...

and one of her works is this...

and they were both wonderfully made. thanks shell, for all the strawberry goodness.
oh, and can you all say a quick prayer that God will make me one of these for my bday? i'm going shoppin' for it on tuesday...

dear God, (say it with me now) we ask that you will put it in the heart of the owner of roberts camera shop, in indianapolis, to start a half-price sell on this camera (one nikon d700). we thank you for what you are goin' to do. in Jesus name, amen.
(thanks...i'll post what i find out this week. happy birthday to me!)