Jacey Plays Colonial

Jacey (along with three other students from The First Tee of Fort Worth) was recently invited to play Colonial in a charity event for the United Community Centers. It was an experience watching them play such a historical course. The tournament was a four person scramble and they did very well! They shot 6 under par and had a great time playing! I was really proud of them. They conducted themselves as excellent representatives of The First Tee program. Great job guys!

Here are some pics:

They're Having A Baby!

Woohoo! I am going to be an aunt!! Not that I don't already have two nieces, but this is my other brother!!!

One Tough Job

I’ve been thinking lately about how difficult it is to be a mom. We spend our time encouraging our kids in everything, whether it’s trying to get those cute little baby smiles, trying to get them to reach for us when they take their first steps or a “discussion” of how the word can’t does not exist in their vocabulary. We spend so much time encouraging and cheering and saying, “You can do it!” and then they step out on their own and we have to trust that God will see them through. Being a complete control freak, this is something I really struggle with. The only thing I know to do is pray for God’s will and remind myself the entire time that I have to let it go…God is in control.

Fun and Sun at Colonial

What an experience! We started the week with the Nike Youth Clinic and Radio Disney concert with Savannah Outen. Jacey and Jordan went to both. I will post some pics later as I do not have them on this computer.

On Wednesday morning, Jacey, Mom and I worked the short game area. What a job! It was a lot of hard work, but also a great experience for Jacey. She got to watch the pros practicing their short game and she watched Dave Pelz (the short game guru as I am told) filiming an instructional spot. That afternoon we headed to the 13th hole for Jacey to participate in Caddy Day through The First Tee. She caddied for Hunter Mahan and then decided that she wanted to follow him throughout the tournament. That was a lot of walking over 4 days. My wonderful mom made sure she was able to go all four days. Dad even joined in for three. Here are some pictures of her caddy day experience:

Meeting Hunter Mahan:





The official pose:



Waiting for the group in front to finish:







This is when the city decided to test the tornado alarm:



Teeing off:



Heading for the green:

Happy Mother's Day!

We started our day at church and then went to eat lunch. After we got home from eating, Mom and I went to DSW so I could look at purses and shoes. I have a $20 coupon and so far have been unable to find anything I like enough to use the darn thing. We also went to Macy's and Dillard's and left empty handed. Complete waste of time. Oh well!

We did spend part of the afternoon in the back yard with Jacey and the puppy, Valentine. Here are a few pictures of Val's total cuteness!











I know she looks very scruffy, but we have to wait until a week after she has her booster shot to get her groomed. I think she kind of looks like an Ewok right now. What do you think?

And here is a picture of my presents from my sweet daughter! I got a nightshirt, a necklace and a bracelet! Isn't she sweet?!?!



So that was basically my day. How was your's?

Who knew Texas History could be fun?!?!

On Friday, Jacey's class took a field trip to Fort Richardson in Jacksboro. They were having a re-enactment. Fort Richardson was established after the Civil War (an oxymoron if ever there was one) to try to protect settlers in the region. The coolest display was a quilt that was made up of blocks that were used to communicate on the Underground Railroad. My education when it comes to this area is sorely lacking. How cool is it that they communicated with quilt blocks?

Anyway, here are some pictures that were taken during the day:

This is a picture of the school teacher. She would teach the children at the fort. Did you know that the kids were required to take dictation every day? They also began Algebra in 5th grade.



These guys were set up to make rope. They let each group make a rope sample and take it back to school with them.



These were the school kids eating their lunch outside.



This is a picture of the hospital. This is one of the original buildings.



This is the small cannon they had on site. The large cannon is the one they fired for the re-enactment.



I just thought these kids were so cute in their costumes!



The Texas Camel Corps.



The ruins of the Guard House.



These are soldiers for the re-enactment.







Loading and firing the cannon.

From Tween to Teen

Jacey turned 13 on March 11th. In honor of her 13 years, she got a total of 13 gifts. No, they were not all large gifts - she got some tees, some ponytail holders and things like that. Mom and I took Jacey and her good friend, KayLeigh, to North Park Mall for a day of shopping. We ate lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and had a great time! Here are some pics from the big day!

Arriving at the mall:





Lunch at The Cheesecake Factory:






The birthday cheesecake:



The serenade:



Mortified:



The cake:

First 18

These are some pics from Jacey's first game of golf.

Warning: This Post May Cause Envy

According to Jacey, she got the best Valentine's Day present ever – a miniature schnauzer puppy!!! She named her Valentine and calls her Val. She is absolutely adorable!

And here she is:

Quote for the Day

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." – Norman Thomas (six time U.S. Presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America)

Who would you be?

If you could be any person from the Bible (other than Jesus), who would you choose to be and why?

Dedication

As some of you know, Jacey fell in love with golf this summer when she started taking lessons at The First Tee. They are not having classes for the winter, but they are playing on Saturdays. Today, she and a group of five other kids played four holes in 31 degree weather!! I am so impressed with the dedication they showed. According to their coach, they not only played, but they played without complaining!! Apparently they had a great time! Most of the other parents walked with the kids, but Jacey being Jacey (and this being her first time to really play) told me, "Bye!" Afterwards, one of the dads (thanks Wade!) bought the kids hot chocolate in the club house.

Nothing to Say

I really have nothing to say right now, but since I haven't blogged in a long time, I thought I might as well write something.

I watched the inauguration at work today and thought it was very interesting. It is a great accomplishment for our country that we finally have an African-American (in the truest sense of the word) as our president. Unfortunately, I disagree with the vast majority of his politics. I have also been pondering the idea of "unity" and I believe this is an impossible task. We are all individuals with varying ideals and beliefs. The only way you can have true unity is if we all believe the same things.

Confession

In a perfect world I would spend all my free time reading the Bible or talking to people about Jesus and furthering my relationship with Him. Unfortunately, I don’t live in a perfect world. So I plod along and make myself feel better by “doing the best I can.” In actuality, I am not doing my best and I think most times I’m not really trying. When I have time, I spend it in front of the television, reading for entertainment purposes, or occasionally surfing the net. Though it pains me to admit, I devote very little of my “free time” to God. This term alone shows how arrogant we humans are. Our time is not free. Our time belongs to God. Our freedom was purchased at a price. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice for our gain. His death was the most selfless act ever to occur on this planet. It burdens my heart that we take it for granted.

Food For Thought

"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes - and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Quote for the Day

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill

Results :(

Well, Jacey's tests came back and she has thyroid problems. We have an appointment with the pediatric endocrinologist at the end of October. Her pediatrician has started her on Synthroid. She is not very happy about having to have her blood checked at the end of the month. She doesn't like being stuck with needles. (I can't blame her for that one!)

According to the doctor, she has Hashimoto's Disease. From what I have been able to read, it is an auto-immune disease that beings producing antibodies that attack the thyroid. I would think that maybe this had caused some of her problems this past spring, but her thyroid test was normal in February.

Hopefully after she has been taking the medicine for a while she will not be quite so tired!

More Tests

Last weekend we were at a family reunion and with the way Jacey was sitting I noticed that her neck looked a little weird. Since this was during our church service, I couldn't just get up and start poking on her neck, so I had to wait until we got back to the hotel room. When I felt her neck, you can trace the outline of her thyroid. So, when the doctor's office opened Tuesday, we made an appointment for her to go see her doctor. He thinks she has a goiter. We were afraid that is what the diagnosis would be. It is possible it could just be inflammation, but I'm not sure how much I think that is possible. And quite honestly, I don't know if that is better or not. Dr. K sent her for blood work (which she loves - can you hear the sarcasm?!?!) to test her thyroid. It was tested in February and it was normal, but so was her neck at that point. So....in the spring we were at the Oncology office at Cooks and this fall we will be at the Endocrinology/Nephrology office at Cooks. Did I mention that I don't enjoy hospitals, especially children's hospitals? If her thyroid is messed up she will probably have to start taking medicine. If not, Dr. K wants her to see an Endocrinologist at least once anyway. This will be the second time we have been through this in my family. My cousin Melanie has thyroid issues and has been through all sorts of testing. I am really not looking forward to this.

Who or What is the God in your life?

I started working in a Bible Study book tonight called No Other Gods Confronting Your Modern Day Idols. It was written by Kelly Minter. I know absolutely nothing about her, except that this book is hard-core in a very nonchalant way. I actually kind of thought this would be just an interesting and light-hearted look at where we truly put our focus. If I had really thought that through I might not have bought this book. Session One, Day One ends with a note to jot down “any penetrating or new realizations you had.”

Here is what I just wrote in my journal:

The First Commandment is the most important. God is the ultimate power. Everything comes from Him. If our focus in life is not God, then we are only living on the surface. Everything is shallow. There’s no deep meaning because ultimately we are serving ourselves. We have become our own god. (I think I use the term we because it makes me feel like I am not alone in this.)

It’s the last sentence that has really brought me low. To come to the realization that we become so self-absorbed we essentially begin to function as a god in our life. We think we know best – not just for ourselves but for our children as well.

It’s hard to think that what I deem best for my child may not be what God has in store for her. I can say that I want what’s best, but what I am saying is that I really want what I want. I want what I think is best, not what God thinks is best. I am a control freak! I know that and it makes it extremely difficult to turn life over to God.

A Truly Beautiful Love Story

I printed some information from www.desiringgod.org and was reading it at lunch today. Anyway, I was reading a few verses and became caught up in one in particular. It is 1 Samuel 2:2. The English Standard Version says, “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.” I flipped back a page to read the first verse and noticed the heading is entitled Hannah’s Prayer.

Sidenote – I am always amazed at how much I can remember from some book of fiction that I read a long time ago, but the fact that I have read 1 Samuel before and I don’t remember this prayer really bothered me today.

Anyway, I went to chapter 1 and started reading a beautiful love story. Here’s how it goes:

Hannah was married to Elkanah, but they had no children together. Elkanah had children from another wife named Peninnah. Each year they would go to make their sacrifice to God and each year Elkanah would give portions to Peninnah and her children. But because of his love for Hannah he gave her twice as much. (I’m thinking at least a five pound box of chocolates here!)

Now, Peninnah was not very nice. She made Hanna’s life miserable. She would provoke Hannah and cause her to cry. But Elkanah loved Hannah and would try to cheer her up. (You just have to set aside how you feel about polygamy. I thought this was incredibly sweet.)

So this one time, Hannah went to pray and the priest, Eli, was there and thought that she was drunk because she was praying fervently to herself. Verse 13 says that “…only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.” Hannah asked God to remember her and give her a son and she would give him to God. Eli actually blesses Hannah in verse 17. He says, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” (English Standard Version once again.)

And yes, Hannah became pregnant and had a son and named him Samuel. Hannah followed through on the vow she made when she prayed for a son. She took Samuel to Eli where he stayed and ministered. Obviously Hannah being a mom, she never forgot her son. She would take him a robe every year they went to sacrifice. 1 Samuel 2:20 tells us that Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. He asked God to give Elkanah and Hannah children because of her petition to God. Hannah ended up having three sons and two daughters.(Bet Peninnah didn't pick on her anymore!)

I love this story. Hannah had the courage to pick herself up after being bullied by Peninnah and petition God for what she wanted most – a child. But, the most impressive thing she did was to willingly promise to give her son back to God. Now, here is where I come full circle to what we have been studying at church. We have been talking about prayer. I know that most of my prayers seem to center around what I want or need or think I need. But here is a woman who desperately wants a child and rather than keeping him, she gives him up. Not only does Hannah give up her son, she goes on to say this beautiful prayer in Chapter 2 praising God. Hannah didn’t ask for more children, but she was blessed with them.

In a nutshell:

Hannah longed for a child and asked God to bless her with a son. She asked him for what she truly needed and wanted most and then she willingly returned that gift to God. She gave up the very thing she had most longed for to serve the Lord. And then, instead of railing against God she praised God for who He is and what He does.

I think that is a truly beautiful love story.